Helen Plum Library

Never Be Afraid to Speak to a Group Again It's been said that public speaking is the number one fear of most people, with death being second. "This means," said comedian Jerry Seinfeld, "if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy." How can you overcome fear or ineffectiveness as a speaker? Learn the Laws of Communication! John C. Maxwell has been a public speaker and motivational teacher for...

In this outstanding cultural biography, the author of the New York Times bestseller A Slave in the White House chronicles a critical yet overlooked chapter in American history: the inspiring rise and calculated fall of the black elite, from Emancipation through Reconstruction to the Jim Crow Era-embodied in the experiences of an influential figure of the time, academic, entrepreneur, and political activist and black history pioneer Daniel Murray. In...

Psychiatry has come a long way since the days of chaining "lunatics" in cold cells. But, as Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, reveals in his eye-opening book, the path to legitimacy for "the black sheep of medicine" has been anything but smooth. Dr. Lieberman traces the field from its birth as a mystic pseudo-science to its late blooming maturity--beginning after World War II--as a science-driven profession that saves lives. With fascinating case studies and...

"Self-care is not only necessary, it's magical! Your road to self-care can be a mystical journey that leaves you feeling more confident, determined and ready to accomplish all those bucket-list items and dreams you have scribbled in your journal. So why not start that journey now? Within Luminary you will find both mystical and practical tools to help deal with stress, depression, and other challenges. Gorgeously illustrated and highly designed, this...

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.
 
Praise...

"The real story of Hollywood -- as told by such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Harold Lloyd, Jordan Peele, and nearly four hundred others -- reveals a fresh history of the American movie industry from its beginnings to today." --

Everyone's favorite cat shares a collection of his favorite inspirational and feel-good quotes, from well-known classics attributed to luminaries such as Albert Einstein, Confucius, Abraham Lincoln, Shakespeare and more!

"Sticky fingers: the Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine is the story of how one man's ego and ambition captured the 1960s youth culture of rock and roll and turned it into a hothouse of fame, power, politics, and riches that would last for fifty years. Drawn from dozens of hours of interviews with Wenner, who granted Joe Hagan exclusive access to his vast personal archive of correspondence, rare documents, recordings, and never-before-seen...

"The latest novel from the bestselling author of Dollface and What the Lady Wants takes us deep into the tumultuous world of 1950s Chicago where a female journalist struggles with the heavy price of ambition... Every second of every day, something is happening. There's a story out there buried in the muck, and Jordan Walsh, coming from a family of esteemed reporters, wants to be the one to dig it up. But it's 1955, and the men who dominate the city...

"Tackling a wide range of forms (including ballet, hip-hop, jazz, ballroom, tap, contact improvisation, Zumba, swing), this grand tour takes us through the works and careers of luminaries ranging from Bob Fosse to George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp to Arthur Murray. Rich in insight and humor, Alford mines both personal experience and fascinating cultural history to offer a witty and ultimately moving portrait of how dance can express all things human"--...