Sophie was a brilliant child by anyone's definition: 4-H champion, accomplished athlete, recognized artist, and Western and English horsewoman. By the age of 16 she added one more achievement to her resume, this one ignominious: drug addict.

The old adage that 'behind every strong man there is a stronger woman' has never been more true than in the case of Lance Armstrong, six-time Tour de France winner, cancer survivor and bestselling author. Anyone who knows Lance is in no doubt about where he found his inspiration. A force of nature, his mother Linda's determination and sheer joie de vivre not only nurtured one of our era's greatest athletes, but fuelled her transformation from poverty-stricken teen to powerful role model. Kicked out of home at 17 after refusing to get an abortion, dismissed from high school for being pregnant, and trapped in an abusive relationship as an unmarried mother, Linda was a candidate for disaster. But, armed with a fierce belief in herself as a work in progress and buoyed by a tidal wave of love for her little boy, she beat the odds as a struggling single parent and, despite her lack of education, went on to become a highly successful telecommunications executive and a no-nonsense, empowering mother whose desire to excel was contagious. Her resolve to make every setback an opportunity set an extraordinary example for Lance and her remarkable story is a testament to dreaming big - and making a difference.Upbeat, determined, hard-working, loving, forgiving, funny and unsinkable, this is a woman who managed to not only overcome the odds but embrace life and enjoy it, whatever it threw at her. And the readership for this inspirational tale of triumph over adversity will extend well beyond those merely curious about Lance Armstrong. The philosophy that shines through these pages will appeal to many women, and most certainly mothers everywhere. Linda was at Lance's side throughout his treatment for cancer and they remain extremely close. His first book, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE, was dedicated to her, and he has written a moving Foreword to this remarkable book.

The first significant collection of new and classic texts on video, bringing together some of the leading international cultural and music critics writing today.Addressing one of the most controversial forms of popular culture in the contemporary world, Sound and Vision confronts easy interpretations of music video - as promotional vehicles, filmic images, postmodern culture - to offer a new and bold understanding of its place in pop music, television and the media industries. _ Sound and Vision is the first significant collection of new and classic texts on video and brings together some of the leading international cultural and music critics writing today. The book acknowledges the history of the commercial status of pop music as a whole, as well as its complex relations with other media, to offer a new and refreshing interpretation which takes both terms - music and video - seriously. Sound and Vision will be an essential text for students of popular music and popular culture. _ The editors: Lawrence Grossberg is a Professor of Speech Communications and Criticism and Interpretive Theory at the University of Illinois. Simon Frith is a Professor of English at Strathclyde University and co-director of the John Logie Baird centre. Andrew Goodwin is a lecturer in the Department of Broadcast Communication Arts at San Francisco State University. _ The contributors: Jody Berland, Mark Fenster, Simon Firth, Andrew Goodwin, Lawrence Grossberg, Lisa Lewis, Kobena Mercer, Leslie Savan, Will Straw, Robert Walser e Savan, Will Straw, Robert Walser _ Readership: Communication, media and cultural studies

This edition of The Little Black Songbook presents the complete lyrics and chords to 80 songs by the hippie folk rock guru Donovan! This handy chord songbook is perfect for any aspiring guitarist, ideal for group singalongs, a spot of busking or simply to play to yourself when you need to find your inner zen. This little book includes: - Atlantis - Barabajagal - Be Mine - Catch The Wind - Celeste - Colours - Cosmic Wheels - Hampstead Incident - Happiness Runs - Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) - House Of Jansch - Hurdy Gurdy Man - Jennifer Juniper - Keep On Truckin' - Mellow Yellow - Riki Tiki Tavi - Season Of The Witch - Sunny South Kensington - Sunshine Superman - Superlungs My Supergirl - The Sun Is A Very Magic Fellow - To Try For The Sun - Universal Soldier - Wear Your Love Like Heaven - Yin My Yang And many more!

Strategic planning and tactical fundraising can maximize income and minimize costs Fundraising is the lifeblood of the nonprofit, and, successful or otherwise, determines the organization's ability to provide for the group it serves. Every organization attempts to lower overhead while increasing donations, but this often proves to be impossible within existing frameworks. Effective fundraising - increasing donations while engaging more donors and lowering costs - requires a sound strategy that turns major roadblocks into minor hurdles that are easily overcome. It's not about trying harder, it's about working smarter. Fundraising the SMART Way provides the groundwork for a complete revamp of organizational fundraising systems. Author Ellen Bristol applies twenty years of corporate sales experience and eighteen years in fund development consultation to the problem of inefficient fundraising. Bristol turns her extensive sales expertise toward the perspective of "selling" an organization to potential donors, increasing the donor pool, and lowering the cost of fundraising. The book details the questions every nonprofit should be asking to maximize the effectiveness of fundraising efforts, and encourages systematic strategy development by zeroing in on key factors such as: Organizational goals, strengths, and weaknesses Donor actions and motivations Workload management and results QA Opportunity evaluation and organizational action The book outlines clear, concrete, actionable steps that can be immediately implemented to escalate income growth. Effective fundraising is sustainable, consistent, and on-target. It must exceed current need and expand to fill future need. Fundraising the SMART Way represents a true breakthrough in that it lays a foundation for true systemic overhaul, and can be the catalyst for the growth of any nonprofit.

A school trip to rural Nepal when Kumaran Rasappan was 15 years old gave him his first glimpse of Mt Everest, and launched him on a lifelong journey of adventuring that would take him to over 20 mountains, from the wilderness of Kilimanjaro to the frozen glaciers of Sichuan and ultimately to the roof of the world, Mt Everest. Dr Kumaran tells the story of his extraordinary journey from sheltered Singaporean to adventurer, doctor and humanitarian. Along the way, he witnessed death, experienced avalanches, survived earthquakes and made surprising discoveries about the tenacity of the human spirit, the nature of success and failure, and the beauty of different cultures. The biggest lesson that his journey has taught him is that one's success and failure cannot be defined by others. Each one of us has our own mountain to climb.