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The Cracks that Let the Light In: What I learned from my disabled son
by Jessica Moxham'A powerful, moving and inspiring story - it opens up a whole new world of understanding.' Esther Freud'This is wonderful. I urge you to read it. It is life enhancing and I defy you not to fall in love with Ben!' Natasha Poliszczuk, Books Editor, You Magazine'An honest and unflinching account of Jessica's journey as the mother of a child born with complex needs. Essential reading... and a source of solace for those who may find themselves on a similar path' Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story'Jessica's beautiful words gave me a deeper understanding about embracing disability. I am inspired and will be recommending this book to parents as a testament to following your parenting instincts.' Arabella Carter-Johnson, author of Iris Grace'Jessica's story is gripping from the first page and gives such a powerful insight. Her words showed me a different world and at the same time reminded me of the common ground that all mothers share. Everyone should read this enlightening, moving, and ultimately hopeful book.' Milli Hill, author of the Positive Birth Book'A courageous, heartrending story of grief, love and ultimately hope.' The Sun, 5 star review***Jessica Moxham thought she was prepared for the experience of motherhood. Armed with advice from friends and family, parenting books and antenatal classes, she felt ready. After giving birth, she found herself facing a different, more uncertain reality. Her son, Ben, was fighting to stay alive. When Jessica could finally take him home from hospital, the challenges were far from over. In this hopeful memoir, Jessica shares her journey in raising Ben. His disability means he will never be able to move or communicate without assistance. Jessica has to learn how to feed Ben when he can't eat, wrestle with red tape to secure his education and defend his basic rights in the face of discrimination. As Ben begins to thrive, alongside his two younger siblings, Jessica finds that caring for a child with unique needs teaches her about appreciating difference and doing things your own way. This uplifting story is about the power of family love, finding inner strength and, above all, hope.
The Cracks that Let the Light In: What I learned from my disabled son
by Jessica Moxham***'A powerful, moving and inspiring story - it opens up a whole new world of understanding.' Esther Freud'This is wonderful. I urge you to read it. It is life enhancing and I defy you not to fall in love with Ben!' Natasha Poliszczuk, Books Editor, You Magazine'An honest and unflinching account of Jessica's journey as the mother of a child born with complex needs. Essential reading... and a source of solace for those who may find themselves on a similar path.' Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story'Jessica's beautiful words gave me a deeper understanding about embracing disability. I am inspired and will be recommending this book to parents as a testament to following your parenting instincts.' Arabella Carter-Johnson, author of Iris Grace'A courageous, heartrending story of grief, love and ultimately hope.' The Sun, 5 star review***Jessica Moxham thought she was prepared for the experience of motherhood. Armed with advice from friends and family, parenting books and antenatal classes, she felt ready.After giving birth, she found herself facing a different, more uncertain reality. Her son, Ben, was fighting to stay alive. When Jessica could finally take him home from hospital, the challenges were far from over.In this hopeful memoir, Jessica shares her journey in raising Ben. His disability means he will never be able to move or communicate without assistance. Jessica has to learn how to feed Ben when he can't eat, wrestle with red tape to secure his education and defend his basic rights in the face of discrimination. As Ben begins to thrive, alongside his two younger siblings, Jessica finds that caring for a child with unique needs teaches her about appreciating difference and doing things your own way.This uplifting story is about the power of family love, finding inner strength and, above all, hope.(p) 2021 Octopus Publishing Group
Craft a Life You Love: Infusing Creativity, Fun, & Intention into Your Everyday
by Amy TangerineLearn how to focus your creative energy to make things—and make things happen. In this blend of memoir and hardworking handbook, creativity and craft maven Amy Tangerine shows how to find your flow, maintain a positive mindset, and cultivate a rich and fulfilling life by focusing on what truly matters and implementing small yet powerful changes. Chapters explore how to craft the soul, craft the right mindset, craft the right environment, craft good habits, rediscover your creative mojo, and maintain momentum, with each section offering exercises for taking your creative practice to the next level. For anyone who has felt disconnected from their creativity or has had trouble saving a space for their passions, Craft a Life You Love will teach you how to make time for creativity each and every day.
The Craft And Business Of Songwriting: A Practical Guide To Creating And Marketing Artistically And Commercially Successful Songs
by John BrahenyThe essential guide for success in songwriting In this comprehensively updated 3rd Edition, John Braheny teaches you the craft of songwriting and then goes behind the scenes of the music business to unearth insider secrets that will make your songs stand out. You'll find exercises and anecdotes to help you: Develop a "songwriter's consciousness" for picking out original ideas Collaborate effectively with co-writers Break into songwriting for film & TV, children's music, and commercials Use the internet to best advantage for pitching songs, networking, and publicity Understand the business of demos and song contracts Braheny also brings you up to date with ongoing changes in online digital song distribution, podcasting, song-pitching services, home recording technology, production music libraries, and web hosting services. It's everything you need to know to make your mark on the world of music!
Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping
by Matthew SalessesThis national bestseller is "a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended" (Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review).The traditional writing workshop was established with white male writers in mind; what we call craft is informed by their cultural values. In this bold and original examination of elements of writing—including plot, character, conflict, structure, and believability—and aspects of workshop—including the silenced writer and the imagined reader—Matthew Salesses asks questions to invigorate these familiar concepts. He upends Western notions of how a story must progress. How can we rethink craft, and the teaching of it, to better reach writers with diverse backgrounds? How can we invite diverse storytelling traditions into literary spaces? Drawing from examples including One Thousand and One Nights, Curious George, Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and the Asian American classic No-No Boy, Salesses asks us to reimagine craft and the workshop. In the pages of exercises included here, teachers will find suggestions for building syllabi, grading, and introducing new methods to the classroom; students will find revision and editing guidance, as well as a new lens for reading their work. Salesses shows that we need to interrogate the lack of diversity at the core of published fiction: how we teach and write it. After all, as he reminds us, "When we write fiction, we write the world."
Craft, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business
by Meg Mateo IlascoThis revised and expanded edition of the definitive crafter’s business book covers everything from product development to social media marketing.Crafters looking to turn their hobby into a profession can rely on the tried and true advice in Craft, Inc. An author, entrepreneur, and multidisciplinary creative, Meg Mateo Ilasco offers guidance on everything from developing products and sourcing materials to writing a business plan and paying taxes. With all-new sections on opening an online shop, using social media strategically, and more—along with updated interviews from such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler and Jill Bliss—this comprehensive primer features the most current information on starting and running a successful creative business.
The Craft of Power
by R. G. H. SiuThis book is directed primarily to executives seeking to expand their personal power. The book is a realistic description of the true nature of personal power as practiced and fought for in the competitive world of leaders, managers, and social activists and acts as a guide to influencing and managing organizations and people.
Craft Your Own Magic: Reawaken Your Intuition, Understand Magical Correspondences, and Create a Meaningful Personal Practice
by Cassie UhlA call to create your own magical practice by understanding magical correspondences, incorporating your own lived experiences and ancestry, and applying intuitive insights.Crafting your own magic is a personal and fluid journey, and you won&’t find scripted spells and rituals within these pages. Instead, you&’ll find a collection of pathways to a magical practice rooted in your lived experience and the relationships you form in seen and unseen realms. Here, witch, intuitive energy healer, and death-worker Cassie Uhl will share techniques to hone your inherent intuitive abilities, personal experiences, and practices—all of which she encourages you to modify to suit your needs. Your magical practice and the path that shapes it will be as unique as you are, as it should be. Uhl walks you through crafting your own magic using the elements as guideposts: air, on developing intuition; fire, on magic in relationship; water, on correspondences; earth, on ethics and ancestry; and spirit, on bringing it all together.What crafting your own magic looks like for you will be personal and fluid. Where would you turn to seek inspiration, community, means, and modes to craft your magic? Perhaps you would shift inward to the trees, flowers, birds, or invisible in-between spaces. There will likely be parts of your magical practice that no one but you will be able to define as true. For these reasons, parts of crafting your own magic may feel uncomfortable. From these places of discomfort, not knowing, and becoming, your magical practices can flourish.
The Crafter's Devotional: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit
by Barbara R. CallStay inspired every day of the year with this volume of tips, prompts, and insight into maintaining your own creative practice.Regardless of their chosen medium, all artists and crafters share the passion to create and the need for inspiration. Some of us have plenty of ideas for projects yet can't find the time to get started, while others are ready to go—yet can never decide what to make. The Crafter's Devotional offers ways to make your creative process part of your daily life. Rather than offering instructions to follow for a particular project, The Crafter's Devotional combines lessons, quotations, techniques and journaling prompts designed to help you explore and nurture your own creative impulses. Each day of the year is given its own focus, on which the reader will find a dose of inspiration, instruction, or illumination.
Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things
by Rosemary DavidsonIntegrating mindfulness, neuroscience, positive psychology, and creativity research, Craftfulness offers a thought-provoking and surprising reconsideration of craft, and how making things with our hands can connect us to our deepest selves and improve our well-being and overall happiness.We should get this out of the way: Craftfulness is not a crafting book. Rather, it is an investigation of the wisdom generations of men and women know to be true: making things is a vital means of self-expression, self-realization, and self-help that sparks the mind, touches the soul, and rejuvenates the spirit.Process, not product, is the soul of craft practice. Whether you knit, crochet, sculpt, weave, quilt, tat, draw, or bind books, working toward small, attainable goals gives us a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and control that is proven to positively impact our mental health and happiness.In Craftfulness, Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin offer a brilliantly reasoned argument in favor of craft and its positive impact on our mental well-being. Weaving personal experiences with the latest science on mindfulness, happiness, and creativity, they illuminate how craft practice reintroduces balance into our lives and habits by cultivating creativity, promoting focus, creating a safe environment for failure, and encouraging us to make peace with imperfection.Like Matthew B. Crawford’s Shop Class as Soulcraft, Ken Robinson’s Out of Our Minds, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow, Craftfulness helps us to see our world in a new way, offering opportunities to disconnect and pay attention to ourselves.
Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things
by Rosemary Davidson Arzu TahsinCraftfulness is the idea that making things with your hands makes you feel better, and can offer the same benefits as mindfulness and meditation, yoga, running, playing an instrument or singing.Integrating mindfulness, neuroscience, positive psychology, and creativity research, Craftfulness offers a thought-provoking and surprising reconsideration of craft, and how making things with our hands can connect us to our deepest selves and improve our well-being and overall happiness.We should get this out of the way: Craftfulness is not a "crafting book." Rather, it is an investigation of the wisdom generations of men and women know to be true: that making things is a vital means of self-expression, self-realization, and self-help that sparks the mind, touches the soul, and rejuvenates the spirit.Integrating mindfulness, neuroscience, positive psychology, and creativity research, Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin explore how the simple act of making something from scratch affects mental well-being, and offer a brilliantly reasoned argument in favor of craft.Process, not product, is the soul of a craft practice. Whether you knit, crochet, sculpt, weave, quilt, tat, draw, or bind books--working toward small, attainable goals provides a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and control that is proven to positively impact our mental health and happiness.Davidson and Tahsin illuminate how craft practice re-introduces balance into our lives and our habits by cultivating creativity, carving space for ourselves, promoting focus, creating a safe space for failure, and ultimately, how to make peace with imperfection.Like Matthew B. Crawford's Shop Class as Soul Craft, Ken Robinson's Out of Our Minds, or Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow, Craftfulness helps us to see our world in a new way, offering opportunities to disconnect from the world, and pay attention to ourselves.
Craftfulness
by Rosemary Davidson Arzu Tahsin'Making things can mend your mind' - Telegraph'Chicken soup for the crafter's soul' - Publisher's Weekly_______What is that unique feeling that goes hand-in-hand with making something from scratch? Do you ever wonder where the time goes when you're lost in drawing or working with clay? Are you happiest when you're sewing or knitting?Craft enthusiasts are no doubt already aware of the joys of making and the frustration when you must put aside your project and go back to your day job or to less enticing tasks around the house. But there is more to crafting than the simple enjoyment of a creative hobby.Drawing on the first-hand accounts from everyday crafters, Craftfulness considers the vital well-being effects to be gained from the simple expression of your creativity, and investigates the soul-cleansing and stress-relieving benefits of making things by hand. An all-you-need-to-know friendly guide to inspire you to give making a go, Craftfulness:- explores the science of creativity and the authors' down-to-earth craft ethos, as well as why everyone should develop a craft habit; - suggests ways to make time in a hectic life for everyday creative work- considers how we can try to overcome self-criticism and lack of confidence- features simple but immensely satisfying craft projects to still the mind and soothe the soul, complete with beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructionsTo read Craftfulness is the first step on the path to leading a happier, healthier, more satisfying and fulfilling life.
Craftfulness
by Rosemary Davidson Arzu TahsinWhat is that unique feeling that goes hand-in-hand with making something from scratch? Do you ever wonder where the time goes when you're lost in drawing or working with clay ?Are you happiest when you're sewing or knitting? Craft enthusiasts are no doubt already aware of the joys of making and the frustration when you must put aside your project and go back to your day job or to less enticing tasks around the house. But there is more to crafting than the simple enjoyment of a creative hobby.Drawing on the first-hand accounts from everyday crafters, Craftfulness considers the vital well-being effects to be gained from the simple expression of your creativity, and investigates the soul cleansing and stress-relieving benefits of making things by hand.
Crafting a Better World: Inspiration and DIY Projects for Craftivists
by Diana WeymarFrom beloved craftivist Diana Weymar, creator of the brilliantly subversive Tiny Pricks Project, a collection of projects, actions, and essays to transform your anxiety into action during troubled times.Ever feel like you’re hanging on by a thread?From the climate crisis, to racism, to gun violence, to attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the list of issues facing this country goes on and on, and it’s only natural to feel anxious about the state of our union. Even if you vote, march, volunteer, and donate, feelings of hopelessness (and helplessness) still creep in.Crafting a Better World is a new kind of call to action: a guidebook for combatting fatigue and frustration with the handmade. Whether that’s sewing a welcome blanket for new immigrants, or making a batch of “vulva chocolates” to raise money at a bake sale for abortion access, this book will teach you how to transform your anxiety into action.Curated by Diana Weymar, the creator of the Tiny Pricks Project, who knows what it means to meld craft and activism. On Jan. 8, 2018, she stitched “I am a very stable genius” (a Donald Trump quote) into a piece of her grandmother’s abandoned needlework from the 1960s and posted it to Instagram. Since then, she’s turned her embroidery practice into a material record of the trials facing this country and become a leading voice in the movement to save our democracy.Featuring essays, exclusive profiles of well-known creatives, and projects that readers can create by themselves or with their communities, this book is a means to stay engaged, make stuff, and hold ourselves together as we navigate this uncertain personal and political landscape. With contributions from artists and activists, including:Jamie Lee CurtisRoz ChastGisele FettermanPEN AmericaNadya Tolokonnikova (founding member, Pussy Riot)Guerilla GirlsCrafting a Better World is a response to this unique moment in time when so many feel, in equal measure, deep anxiety and deep hope. So pick up a needle, a pen, a spatula—anything—and craft the change you want to see in the world.
Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way
by Stephen A. MacchiaYour personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ's glory.
Crafting Calm
by M.A. Maggie Oman Shannon Mary Anne RadmacherAs our world has become increasingly dependent on technology, and our Western societies have become woefully "Crackberried"- to use the title of a recent documentary on the emotional and social pitfalls of our too-wired ways-an intriguing phenomenon is occurring: There is an increasing amount of interest in returning to some of the simpler arts that were neglected or left behind with the onslaught of technology. Artisans and everyday crafters are finding a renewed satisfaction in making something with their own hands; some are even communicating about the inherent physical- and mental-health benefits found in handwork-and, even more than that, they are framing their handwork as meditation or spiritual practice. In today's sophisticated and pluralistic society, people are more aware than ever that spiritual practice can be defined more expansively-and the popularity of books focusing on alternative spiritual practices demonstrate that readers are hungry for new (or ancient) ways of enhancing their inner lives. In Crafting Calm the author will explore these new forms of creative spiritual practice and the benefits they provide. The format of With Shannon's book will itself be creative, a rich "potpourri approach" that weaves together interviews, historical facts, projects for readers to do themselves, quotations, and suggested resources. Crafting Calm will serve as an inspirational resource guide to a broad assortment of spiritual practices gathered from the global arts-and-crafts communities, as well as from people who don't consider themselves artists but who have adopted creatively expressive forms of spiritual practice. While there have been a few books published focusing on a particular form of creative spiritual practice (Skylight Paths, for example, has published books on beading as a spiritual practice; painting as a spiritual practice; and using clay as a spiritual practice), no one has yet explored the breadth of possibilities for creative spiritual practices contained in Crafting Calm.
Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation
by Maggie ShannonAs our world has become increasingly dependent on technology, and our Western societies have become woefully "Crackberried"-- to use the title of a recent documentary on the emotional and social pitfalls of our too-wired ways--an intriguing phenomenon is occurring: There is an increasing amount of interest in returning to some of the simpler arts that were neglected or left behind with the onslaught of technology. Artisans and everyday crafters are finding a renewed satisfaction in making something with their own hands; some are even communicating about the inherent physical- and mental-health benefits found in handwork--and, even more than that, they are framing their handwork as meditation or spiritual practice. In today's sophisticated and pluralistic society, people are more aware than ever that spiritual practice can be defined more expansively--and the popularity of books focusing on alternative spiritual practices demonstrate that readers are hungry for new (or ancient) ways of enhancing their inner lives. In Crafting Calm the author will explore these new forms of creative spiritual practice and the benefits they provide. The format of With Shannon's book will itself be creative, a rich "potpourri approach" that weaves together interviews, historical facts, projects for readers to do themselves, quotations, and suggested resources. Crafting Calm will serve as an inspirational resource guide to a broad assortment of spiritual practices gathered from the global arts-and-crafts communities, as well as from people who don't consider themselves artists but who have adopted creatively expressive forms of spiritual practice. While there have been a few books published focusing on a particular form of creative spiritual practice (Skylight Paths, for example, has published books on beading as a spiritual practice; painting as a spiritual practice; and using clay as a spiritual practice), no one has yet explored the breadth of possibilities for creative spiritual practices contained in Crafting Calm.
Crafting Gratitude: Creating and Celebrating Our Blessings with Hands and Heart
by Maggie Oman ShannonWe live in a fast-paced world where we are pestered from all sides with siren calls to constantly strive for something more, something better, something new, rather than find ways to stay grateful for the abundance and blessings already present in our own lives. In Crafting Gratitude, Rev. Maggie Oman Shannon believes that crafting for us and those we love can be used as a meditative practice to appreciate the incredible, overflowing richness of life. Each meditative craft, from novice to expert, is infused with stories like how Gratitude Bundles can represent prosperity and physical health, Spirit Houses from Southeast Asia can be a symbol of a happy home, a Values Bracelet can help you reinforce your best professional traits, or Flower Mandalas can be an affirmation of nature. With other crafts involving aromatherapy, journaling, dream catchers, and a variety of household items, anyone can invigorate their own lives with Crafting Gratitude for family, health, prosperity, the Divine, and much more. Accompanied by a carefully curated list of recommended reading, helpful websites, and how-to guides, these forty practices will resonate with and prompt you to begin, or continue, exploring gratitude.
Crafting Love: Sharing Our Hearts through the Work of our Hands
by Maggie Oman Shannon“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” –Vincent Van Gogh As the future unfolds before us, it seems people are getting busier, more distracted, and less connected to the physical and spiritual world. This can be especially problematic for our relationships, as love is something that just does not magically exist on its own. Love must be cultured, tended, and cared for as if it were a special garden unlike any other. Whether you desire to foster, encourage remembrance, or express gratitude for the love you feel toward the known and unknown in your life, it can be done through the practice of mindfulness and crafting. Crafting Love is filled with thematic chapters meant to inspire your own journey in your expression of love, whether you build an “I Love You…” notebook for your partner, Anytime Valentines for your friends and mentors, a Conversation Starter Table Cloth for your family, Portable Place Shrines for natural places and animals, an “I Am” Affirmation Mandala for yourself, or a Rhythm Painting for the Divine. With the help of a few uplifting friends along the way, Maggie Oman Shannon will help launch your exploration for your love of materials, love of the process, and love of everything and everyone around you through creating transcendent, one-of-a-kind projects with your own hands and heart.
Crafting Meaningful Funeral Rituals: A Practical Guide
by Jeltje Gordon-LennoxFunerals are among the most important life events in Western society, and fashioning a personalized ceremony for yourself or for a loved one is often the most meaningful way to celebrate the life of the deceased. For those wanting non-religious or secular funeral ceremonies, this step-by-step guide begins by identifying what you want from the funeral and showing how you can make it happen. With sections on society's views of mortality, our need for rituals and crafting the actual ceremony, this guide provides the tools and philosophy to understand, plan and tailor a funeral for individuals. Includes all the tools necessary for the creation of a ceremony, such as a Ritual Profiles, checklists, and many other handy resources.
Crafting Strategy: Embodied Metaphors in Practice
by Loizos Heracleous Claus D. JacobsThe rationalist approach to strategizing emphasizes analytical and convergent thinking. Without denying the importance of this approach, this book argues that strategists must learn to complement it with a more creative approach to strategizing that emphasizes synthetic and divergent ways of thinking. The theoretical underpinnings of this approach include embodied realism, interpretivism, practice theory, theory of play, design thinking, as well as discursive approaches such as metaphorical analysis, narrative analysis, dialogical analysis and hermeneutics. The book includes in-depth discussions of these theories and shows how they can be put into practice by presenting detailed analyses of embodied metaphors built by groups of agents with step-by-step explanations of how this process can be implemented and facilitated. The link between theory and practice is further supported by the inclusion of several vignettes that describe how this approach has been successfully employed in a number of organizations, including BASF and UNICEF.
A Craftsman's Legacy: Why Working with Our Hands Gives Us Meaning
by Jon Sternfeld Eric GorgesA book for makers, for seekers of all kinds, an exhilarating look into the heart and soul of artisans—and how their collective wisdom can inspire us all. "Despite our technological advances, we’re busier than ever, our lives more frazzled. That’s why the handmade object, created with care and detail, embodying a history and a tradition, is enormously powerful. It can cut through so much and speak in ways that we don’t often hear, or that we’ve forgotten." —Eric Gorges, from A Craftsman’s Legacy In this joyful celebration of skilled craftsmen, Eric Gorges, a corporate-refugee-turned-metal-shaper, taps into a growing hunger to get back to what’s real. Through visits with fellow artisans--calligraphers, potters, stone carvers, glassblowers, engravers, woodworkers, and more--many of whom he’s profiled for his popular television program, Gorges identifies values that are useful for all of us: taking time to slow down and enjoy the process, embracing failure, knowing when to stop and when to push through, and accepting that perfection is an illusion. Most of all, A Craftsman’s Legacy shows how all of us can embrace a more creative and authentic life and learn to focus on doing what we love.
The Craggy Hole in My Heart and the Cat Who Fixed It: Over the Edge and Back with My Dad, My Cat, and Me
by Geneen RothIn this inspiring and joyous book,New York Times bestselling author Geneen Roth introduces her remarkable twenty-pound cat, Mister Blanche, and her beloved father, Bernard, as she takes readers deep into the story of how each finally taught her to love without reservation and accept that she might someday lose those whom she believed she couldn't live without. Told with warmth and wit, The Craggy Hole in My Heart and The Cat Who Fixed It is a poignant and funny story about how to live with love--and never live without it.
Craig Macfarlane Hasn't Heard Of You Either!
by Craig Macfarlane<P>In the pages of this book Craig MacFarlane tells a remarkable story and shares the incredible lessons his experience taught him. Craig takes the amazing story of his success and uses it as a backdrop to demonstrate the framework that has led to a successful, enviable life. <P> To appreciate this book, you need to understand that Craig MacFarlane is totally blind. <P>The victim of a horrible tragedy at the age of two that cost him his eyesight, Craig has forged an awesome life. Treating his total loss of eyesight as nothing more than a minor inconvenience, Craig proceeded to become the World's Most Celebrated Totally Blind Athlete, using his athletic opportunities as the vehicle to establish himself in the "sighted" world and as the launching pad for an impressive 30 year career in the world of business. In his trademark modest and self-effacing style, Craig has written an autobiography that isn't so much about him as it is about you. <P>The stories of Craig's accomplishments, which include winning more than 100 gold medals (the majority against sighted competition) to winning multiple National Championships in both Canada and the United States, to representing Canada and the United States and winning on the World stage, to winning the U. S. National Blind Snow Skiing Championship to Water Ski Jumping at Cypress Gardens to shooting 91 in golf, only serve as the backdrop for a greater message as Craig shares the lessons he learned and how he applied them. <P>Those lessons, those principles, became the foundation that led to his noteworthy career as an internationally renowned Keynote Inspirational Speaker. From the big stage of the Republican National Convention to innumerable international Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 business conferences and conventions to almost 3,000 high schools on three continents, Craig has demonstrated the principles he will challenge you to incorporate into your life. Success, of course, is a highly personal thing and to Craig that also includes being the best husband, father and friend he can be. <P>You will quickly realize that the same principles and lessons that lead to business success also lead to a great life and Craig's world personifies this message every day. The stories in this book will enthrall you. They will grip you. They will entertain you. They will tug at your heartstrings and make you laugh while holding you on the edge of your seat. Even more, they will test you. The stories are real, they are dramatic, they are genuine. The lessons they teach are powerful, significant and potentially life changing, for those who take them seriously. Prepare to be entertained and enlightened as you enjoy this awesome experience. You are about to see the principles of success in a whole new light. You will find yourself inspired to raise the bar in your life and do more with the opportunities in front of you with greater appreciation of what you already have. Don't study this book, enjoy it. <P>Immerse yourself in the spirit of Craig's message and he will truly elevate your senses, taking you from having eyesight to having vision. Ultimately, Craig's message will teach you how to benefit from the profound wisdom that comes from true self awareness, or as he calls, Inner Vision.
Cranfield on Corporate Sustainability
by David GraysonBusiness schools have a special contribution to make in developing globally responsible, critical and independent-thinking future leaders and managers. In fact, the Cranfield School of Management acknowledges this as one of its important responsibilities. Its core ideology is to transform the practice of learning and create leaders who action their knowledge and become stewards of the common good. Such thinking forms the basis of this book and its theme of developing responsible and ethical leaders for next-generation enterprises. These leaders will be passionate, purposeful and responsible; their primary aim will be to make a difference in the lives of people and create sustainable value premised on sound ethical values. This book aims to provide a roadmap both for business students – the leaders of tomorrow – and for existing and engaged leaders who need support, coaching and counselling to address the challenges of the sustainability agenda. With contributions from more than thirty Cranfield faculty and associates across multiple management disciplines, the book emphasizes the need for cross-disciplinarity when confronting sustainability dilemmas. Many corporate responsibility practitioners find themselves isolated from core business issues. Conversely, many managers in traditional departments have little or no knowledge of what sustainability and corporate responsibility means to their day-to-day role. Today, there is an urgent need for learning, for conversation and for sustainability to become embedded throughout an organization's DNA. Cranfield strives to prepare its students for a work milieu that is increasingly complex, diverse, technologically interconnected, socially networked and where economic and political power shifts see emerging-market economies assuming significant global prominence. This makes for exciting challenges but also requires new mind-sets for the next generation of business men and women. Corporate responsibility, and the tough ethical and governance choices managers have to grapple with, where there are no easy answers, means that business education must embrace the stakeholder model. Leaders need to be able to negotiate their way with confidence around multiple perspectives and conflicting and common interests of stakeholders such as employees and managers, shareholders, trade unions, suppliers and civil society organisations. Business schools need to generate understanding of and sensitivity to this new and changing world of work. Today, the challenge for business schools and business itself is to establish a new maxim: "the business of business is sustainable business". Cranfield on Corporate Sustainability is designed to stimulate debate about what sustainable development means for business and, therefore, on what business schools across the globe should research, teach and advise. This unique book is a manifesto for a new holistic, embedded approach to corporate sustainability management education.