Chris Gardner – författare

Soon to be a major film starring Will Smith, this is the inspiring rags-to-riches story of the charismatic Chris Gardner, a once homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco and then went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street. No sooner had Gardner landed an entry level position at a prestigious finance firm that he found himself faced with challenging circumstances that left him homeless with his toddler son. Instead of giving in to despair, he toiled until he made the astonishing transformation back to the boardroom.

Ever since the story of his transformation from homeless, single father to millionaire became known the world over, Chris Gardner - whose life story both inspired the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" and became a number 1 "New York Times" bestseller by the same name - has been inundated with two questions: 'How did you do it?' and 'How can I do it too?'. Gardner's power-packed, transformational reply is the basis of this long anticipated book. If you've had the rug pulled out from under you, or have been dealing with the loss of a home or a job, a financial crisis, or simply can't find the motivation to pursue new challenges, "Start Where You Are" abounds with life lessons that offer hope and provide a road map for starting anew. Accessible and inspirational, this is also the book for anyone ready to launch a personal or professional undertaking, or break generational cycles that hem in their potential.

In the spirit of The Last Lecture, The Secret, and The Alchemist, this small book presents BIG ideas for turning your “one day” into today, including the generational transfer of a dream and a powerful blueprint for a masterpiece life—from the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and major motion picture The Pursuit of Happyness.On a winter’s day, Chris Gardner set off with his nine-year-old granddaughter Brooke to find the harmonica of her dreams. The search sends them North “beyond the wall” into a foreboding Chicago neighborhood and, soon, on a harrowing adventure that will change both of their lives—and ours.   Chris is still mourning the loss of his girlfriend to brain cancer. Her question haunts him: “Now that we know how short life can be, what will you do with the time you have left?” After five years, he feels an urgency—what he calls, “Atomic Time” in which every second counts—to find an answer, but is stuck. Even while giving Brooke permission to aspire to one day become President of the United States, he knows it’s time to reclaim his own permission to dream.Lost, Chris and his granddaughter board a bus, reminding him of earlier rides through dark times when dreams of a better life kept him alive. As the two wind through a changing cityscape, Chris reflects on past lessons that offer powerful guidance for dreaming your way to monumental success. At its heart, this book lays out a blueprint for building a dream-come-true life—even during uncertainty. Gardner delivers the secrets to achieving a prosperous career—from a method for identifying your ultimate dream to a playbook for becoming world class at it.  His tools include the “new 3 R’s”—or the Rep, the Rap and the Rolodex—which reveal how to earn a stellar reputation, develop a rap for marketing yourself, and amass a Rolodex of rewarding relationships. No matter how much wealth you achieve, Chris notes, true success comes from enriching the lives of others—so all can still have access to the American Dream. Toward the end, Brooke observes that in Atomic Time it’s never too late for anyone to reinvent themselves and change their fortune. Chris, hearing her, realizes what his next pursuit will be—to go back to high school and give permission to dream to the next generation of problem solvers and change makers. A true fable, Permission to Dream is a timeless and timely manifesto for turning dreams into action—beginning right now.

The Kackar Mountains are part of the Pontic Alps, a glaciated, granite mountain range which hugs the south coast of the Black Sea, extending from the Caucasus towards Istanbul. The mountain range is lushly wooded on the north, with pines succeeded at lower levels by chestnut, hornbeam and beech trees, with tea plantations and hazlenut groves spilling down towards the waves. The contrasting southern slopes are patched by summer pastures where black bulls graze and lakes, springs and streams are plentiful and clear. This 2nd edition of the guidebook and map describe over 30 days of trekking on eight major routes around the Kackar National Park. The guide includes comprehensive historical and cultural details of the area and clear colour photographs. It includes a two-sided full colour contour map with access to downloadable GPS data. The guidebook contains a new section on the unique flora of the area. It describes 7 day-walks and 8 multi-day treks crossing the main range of the Pontic Alps and subsidiary ranges, with altitudes up to 3900m. Full logistical information is included, with additional material and updates on the website.

The Times Best Gardening Books of 2022 Ornamental plants are the cornerstone of our gardens and we are spoiled for choice with literally tens of thousands of hardy beauties from which to select. But we take them absolutely for granted, not for a moment realising that every plant has a fascinating tale to tell. Wild Edens sets the record straight. With global coverage, each of the nine richly illustrated chapters explores a plant biodiversity hotspot. The reader is transported on a visually stunning and fascinating voyage of discovery which reveals our garden favourites - as well as some species that should be more widely cultivated - in their natural habitats, from daffodils from Andalusia and tulips from the Tien Shan, to monkey puzzles from Chile and rhododendrons from the Himalayas, lilies from Japan and proteas from South Africa.Because the authors have been to the hotspots, each chapter opens with their personal reflections on the landscape and spirit of place, and closes with their selection of prime locations. In between, the informative yet approachable text tells of the plants' 'forgotten stories'. Of the landscapes which are their home, the adventures of how and when they were discovered and by whom, the reasons why they were collected, their impact on garden fashions and trends, etc. Wild Edens brings another dimension of interest and understanding to plants and gardens, as well as being a premium armchair traveller's guide to the natural world of garden plants.