Showing results for "Gratitude" in Biographies & Memoirs

Oliver Sacks died in August 2015 at his home in Greenwich Village, surrounded by his close friends and family. He was 82. He spent his final days doing what he loved: playing the piano, swimming, enjoying smoked salmon – and writing . . . As Dr Sacks looked back over his long, adventurous life...

Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient?

In August 2014 Jenny Diski was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and given 'two or three years' to live. She didn't know how to react. All responses felt scripted, laden with cliché. Being a writer, she decided to write about it (grappling with the unoriginality even of this) and to tell a story she had not yet told: that of being taken in, aged 15, by the author Doris Lessing and the subsequent 50 years of their complex relationship.

So what happens when we stop taking things for granted and start putting some grá* into our gratitude? When we consciously turn our heads and hearts to what we have and focus on the good? In Joyrider, television presenter and host of the podcast Thanks a Million, Angela Scanlon, presents her guide to tapping into your own natural super resource—joy. This audiobook is an invitation to embrace the kind of gratitude that cuts through the bullshit of life to its truth, connecting us with the present and grounding us in self. * It means love in Irish.

'Extraordinary . . . a profound and beautiful book . . . a moving meditation on grief and loss, but also a sparky celebration of joy, wonder and the miracle of love . . . Witty, wise and beautifully written' – The Sunday Times Eighteen months before Kathryn Schulz’s beloved father died, she...

'Extraordinary . . . a profound and beautiful book . . . a moving meditation on grief and loss, but also a sparky celebration of joy, wonder and the miracle of love . . . Witty, wise and beautifully written' – The Sunday Times Eighteen months before Kathryn Schulz’s beloved father died, she...

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER! “Nicole Avant gives a raw and courageous look into how she found the light in her darkest moment. She reminds us that grief is different for everyone, and we have the power to move through it in our own unique way.” —Cleo Wade, New York Times Bestselling Author “A...

While on her way to a yoga retreat in the Caribbean, Rachel Brathen collapsed in the airport and was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. When she opened her eyes following the surgery, her boyfriend was at her bedside weeping, and she immediately knew something terrible had happened. She soon discovered that at the same time as her collapse, her best friend was killed in a car crash. Over the next two years, which should have been the happiest time of her life with her engagement and growing career, Rachel experienced trial after trial. 

In this personal journey, ultra-light backpacker and sought-after speaker Glen Van Peski shares the life lessons he has learned through years of lightening his pack and helping others. Adventures provide the richness and texture to a life well lived. So remain open. Keep saying "YES" to life's opportunities. Glen Van Peski helped revolutionize backpacking by creating ultralight equipment, which allows people to take less so they can do more in the wilderness. During decades of championing ultralight backpacking, Glen became aware that “take less, do more” is more than just a hiking slogan.

A deeply moving testimony and celebration of how to embrace life. No writer has succeeded in capturing the medical and human drama of illness as honestly and as eloquently as Oliver Sacks. During the last few months of his life, he wrote a set of essays in which he movingly explored his feelings...

In this gripping memoir, Louise Blyth charts the love story she shared with her husband and shares how it prematurely toppled into grief, pain and enlightenment. Hope Is Coming documents what happened when 33-year-old George, a stoical and dynamic father of two, was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Told through letters, love notes and text messages, this true-story shares beautiful insight into one of life's biggest milestones. 

Discover the inspiring journey of George Peabody, a man whose legacy of philanthropy and kindness has left an indelible mark on both America and England. Authored by Phebe A. Hanaford, this biography delves into the life of a self-made financier who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most benevolent figures of the 19th century. Peabody's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, integrity, and the profound impact of using wealth for the greater good.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE A “profound and beautiful” (Marilynne Robinson) account of joy and sorrow from one of the great writers of our time, The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize “I will stake my reputation on you being blown...

In this New York Times bestseller, Janice Kaplan spends a year living gratefully and transforms her marriage, family life, work, and health. On New Year’s Eve, journalist and former Parade editor in chief Janice Kaplan makes a promise to be grateful and look on the bright side of whatever...

Though her name was not divulged, viewers would learn that she was hit over the head near the entrance of her home, abducted, sexually assaulted, and forced into the trunk of her own car. News cameras would capture footage of Michelle’s personal items strewn across the lawn around her home and along the wooded area behind a local restaurant. The community would breathe a sigh of relief after learning that she had somehow survived and that the assailants had been caught, ending a string of similar crimes. But there is so much more to the story.

It was a beautiful fall day in Connecticut when Colleen Kelly Alexander, a lifelong athlete, rode her bike home from work. She had survived both a diagnosis of lupus and brain surgery, had a fulfilling career, and was married at last to the love of her life. Everything was good as she coasted...

Canvas of Courage is a deeply moving collection of stories from young mothers navigating cancer, identity, healing, and survival. Written and narrated by artist and Therapeutic Arts Practitioner Nerissa Balland, the audiobook blends personal storytelling with reflections on creativity, resilience, gratitude, and emotional recovery after life-changing diagnoses. Through nineteen intimate journeys—including Nerissa's own experience being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma while pregnant—listeners are invited into the often unseen emotional landscape of survivorship.

One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his small law firm was failing; he was struggling through a painful second divorce; he had grown distant from his two older children and was afraid he might lose contact with his young daughter; he was...

“Rachel beautifully illustrates that loving fiercely and grieving deeply are often two halves of the same whole. Her story will break you down and lift you up.” —Glennon Doyle, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Love Warrior and founder of Together Rising While on her way to teach...

This follow-on audiobook to Tough Times, Tough People continues Chicken Soup for the Soul’s focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for - whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. Power outages and storms, health scares and illnesses, job woes and financial insecurities, housing challenges and family worries test us all. But there is always a silver lining.