abparsons.com

Full Title: American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

Originally just checked out the book cause I thought it would be a good funny book. Instead I was in a for a story about how someone dreamed to become an American citizen and the story of Craig Ferguson as he was coming to fame w/ details about his drug and alcohol filled life and how he overcame it.

Amazon’s Description:
In “American on Purpose”, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the entertainment capital of the world. Along the way he stumbled through several attempts to make his mark – as a punk rock musician, a modern dancer, a bouncer, a construction worker and a stand-up comedian. To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a beer.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed up Ferguson washed up in the United States – which, from the age of seven, he had always seen as a beacon of goodness and possibility. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough role on the hit sitcom “The Drew Carey Show”, a success that eventually led to his current starring role as the host of CBS’ “The Late Late Show”. By far Ferguson’s greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008, just before his command performance.

Amazon

Full Title: Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life
2008 Retailer’s Choice Award winner!
Tony Dungy’s words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African American coach. How is it possible for a coach–especially a football coach–to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, and the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, now updated with a new chapter, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived for God and family–and challenges us all to redefine our ideas of what it means to succeed.

The softcover edition of this #1 New York Times best-seller includes a new chapter! In it, Coach reflects on the 2007 football season and last year’s successful hardcover release of Quiet Strength. Also features a foreword by Denzel Washington and a 16-page color-photo insert. Over 1 million in print!
Amazon

From the Inside Flap

What does it take to be a modern-day hero?

“I really wanted to show people you can win all kinds of ways. . . . For your faith to be more important than your job, for your family to be more important than that job . . . we all know that’s the way it should be. . . . I’m not afraid to say it.”—Tony Dungy

People of all ages crave heroes. But it’s rare to find someone—especially someone in the media spotlight like Tony Dungy—whose life and work reflect positive, value-driven precepts.

In Coach Dungy, many have found a role model. Sports fans admire the way he intensely pursues success without sacrificing his team members’ well-being. Parents point to his example when teaching their children about the importance of hard work, persistence, and graciousness whether they win or lose. Even his fiercest competitors acknowledge that Coach Dungy is a class act who knows how to get the job done and who keeps his priorities intact while he’s doing it.

To all these people and more, Tony Dungy is a real-life hero—one who teaches us about the importance of quiet strength, fierce determination, and a humble heart.

Full Title: Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life
It’s not good enough to want it. You’ve got to know how to get it. Real estate titan, bestselling author, and TV star Donald J. Trump is the man to teach you the billionaire mind-set–how to think about money, career skills, and life. Here is crucial advice on investing in real estate from the expert, everything from dealing with brokers to renovating to assessing the value of property, buying and selling, and securing a mortgage. Trump will show you how to cut costs, decide how much risk to assume in your investments, and divide up your portfolio. He’ll also teach you how to impress anyone, how to correct or criticize someone effectively, and how to know if your friends are loyal–everything you need to know to get ahead.

And once you’ve earned your money, you’ve got to learn to spend it well. Trump presents his consumer guide to the best things in life, from wine to golf clubs to engagement rings. Check out the billionaire lifestyle–how they shop and what they buy. Even if you’re not superwealthy, you can afford many of these luxuries.

And what look inside the Trump world would be complete without The Apprentice? Trump will take you behind the scenes, from the end of season one and into season two, with insights into the making and the meaning of TV’s hottest show.
As Donald Trump proves, getting rich is easy. Staying rich is harder. Your chances are better, and you’ll have more fun, if you think like a billionaire. This is the book that will help you make a real difference in your life.
Amazon
Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly:
There’s no one better at promoting Donald Trump than the man himself. In this slim guide, which Trump says readers should consider “the second part of an ongoing conversation between you and The Donald” (the first part being his previous book, How to Get Rich), he offers his two-cents on everything from picking a mortgage broker and selling a house to dressing and grooming for work. Unfortunately, the book is packed with more clichés and glowing comments about his various properties (including his Mar-a-Lago resort, “one of the most beautiful places on earth”) than practical advice. For instance, his advice on how to spot a fraud is, “If it seems too good to be true, it is,” and his counsel on grooming is, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Even his “Mar-a-Lago Diet” boils down to eating balanced meals. Each topic is covered in two pages or less, even big ones like How to Sell a House and How to Manage Debt, while other segments—such as A Week in the Life, which superficially covers a rather uneventful week in Trump’s life—run on far too long. The final third of the book consists of a teaser for the new season of The Apprentice. Trump provides a general overview of the first four episodes, but doesn’t give away any specifics about who gets the boot. Instead, he coyly says, “My first firing wasn’t terribly difficult, although I always feel bad for the first person to go because he or she will miss out on so much.” Though Trump claims in the book’s introduction that “if you absorb only ten percent of the wisdom in this book, you’ll still have a good shot at becoming a millionaire,” many a reader will likely finish this book feeling distinctly unenlightened.

Full Title: The First Billion Is the Hardest: Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America’s Energy Future.
Who doesn’t wanna be a billionaire right? That’s what I thought so I read this book. What I learned. Be a trend setter. Be bold and dont let the opinion of others effect your decisions. You gotta be able to make decisions knowing that not everyone is gonna like it. Towards the end he gives his ideals on how to deal with some of the energy issues America is facing. Gotta say his ideals are pretty good. It truly gives a personal insight on one of the most influential oil man in the world. Read it for yourself and see what you think.
Amazon
Reviews
“Entertaining…both Adam Smith and Horatio Alger would find something to like in the rise of T. Boone Pickens.”
—Wall Street Journal

“The latest memoir from the Texas oilman…Pickens’ sauciness does entertain.”
—Time magazine

“Sassy…breezes along…salted with earthy aphorisms.”
—Bloomberg.com

“Self-deprecating and audacious…overall, it’s decidedly informative about the machinations of business.”
—Dallas Morning News

“A fascinating, eye-opening book by one of America’s greatest iconoclasts and entrepreneurs. Boone Pickens’ sense of daring and innovation has never been sharper. Readers will quickly realize that this billionaire’s extraordinary achievements are but a warm-up for what he is about to do now.”
—Steve Forbes, President and CEO, Forbes Inc., and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine

“Boone’s analysis of America’s energy situation is 100% on the money. In easy and colorful language he tells us where we are going wrong and what we must do about it. The country should listen to him — now!”
—Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

“It is inspiring to see Boone Pickens tackling the big issues, daring himself to think bigger, putting forward wind, water and energy ideas that are nothing less than paradigm busters. This absorbing and illuminating book shows why Boone has been more successful than just about all his competitors, and, more crucially, why the problem of resource scarcity may not be as insoluble as some think.”
—Jeffrey Immelt, CEO, General Electric

Full Title: iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It.
Amazing book about the journey he took to making the truly first affordable personal computer. Favorite part of the book was when he was talking about joining with Steve Jobs, he was working with HP (i think) at the time. He offered his design to HP and they said no. He got orders for computers offered it again and they said no. Oh how I bet they wish they didn’t do that.
Amazon Description:
“‘The Woz’ built the first [personal computer]—by hand, by himself.”—USA Today Before slim laptops that fit into briefcases, computers looked like strange vending machines, with cryptic switches and pages of encoded output. But in 1977 Steve Wozniak revolutionized the computer industry with his invention of the first personal computer. As the sole inventor of the Apple I and II computers, Wozniak has enjoyed wealth, fame, and the most coveted awards an engineer can receive, and he tells his story here for the first time.
Amazon

I finished this book up about a month ago. It will forever change the way you look at how things are marketed to you. By the first chapter you’ll be hooked.

From Publishers Weekly:
“Irrational behavior is a part of human nature, but as MIT professor Ariely has discovered in 20 years of researching behavioral economics, people tend to behave irrationally in a predictable fashion. Drawing on psychology and economics, behavioral economics can show us why cautious people make poor decisions about sex when aroused, why patients get greater relief from a more expensive drug over its cheaper counterpart and why honest people may steal office supplies or communal food, but not money. According to Ariely, our understanding of economics, now based on the assumption of a rational subject, should, in fact, be based on our systematic, unsurprising irrationality. Ariely argues that greater understanding of previously ignored or misunderstood forces (emotions, relativity and social norms) that influence our economic behavior brings a variety of opportunities for reexamining individual motivation and consumer choice, as well as economic and educational policy. Ariely’s intelligent, exuberant style and thought-provoking arguments make for a fascinating, eye-opening read.”

Check out some of the videos over at Amazon.