Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work
02/15/2012
01/03/2012
New Hero Fiction
Brain damaged since birth, all Damon Vaughn wants is to be normal. But he is anything but normal. Violent seizures throw his spirit out of his body and back in time. The only way for him to interact with people in the past is to possess their bodies. Some think he’s a demon, but it’s in the past he finds his destiny through a secret society guarding an ancient prophecy and the mystery of the seven candlesticks of Revelation. Damon finds himself caught up in a war that began before creation, a war with an ancient evil seeking to kill him. And a chase across time is on. . . .
BEHOLD! A coming of age story for mankind.
View the trailers in the right column. Be sure to click the expanding arrows in the bottom right corner to view in full screen. ----->
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12/17/2011
Tebow and Tebowing
This post appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune op-ed page, Sunday Jan. 1, 2012.
A man on his knees in prayer is a powerful image
SO WHEN FOUR STUDENTS at Riverhead High School in Long Island, N.Y. were suspended after Tebowing in the hallway — striking a pose for which Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is known — their suspension gained national attention.
What are we to make of Tim Tebow and the young men who are emulating him?
If you were a friend or parent of one of the four suspended students, what would you say to him?
Photos of Tim Tebow bowing in the end zone have sparked a nationwide debate. Let’s put it in perspective. Reporters, analysts, commentators, sports figures, educators, and apparently young men in high school, are not talking about last Sunday’s sermon. They’re talking about what Tebow did in the end zone. It’s the picture is worth a thousand words proverb come to life.
Personally, I don’t care much for end zone celebrations. I like what former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz used to tell his boys about end zone behavior — act like you’ve been there before.
But Tebow has chosen the end zone as a place to project an image of his faith and I respect his choice. It’s a powerful image.
Images shape our identity
When I was growing up, Norman Rockwell’s paintings graced the covers of the Saturday Evening Post. Month after month his paintings stamped on my mind images of everyday public displays of personal courage and acts of piety. Norman Rockwell’s America became my America.
At Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington, there hangs an iconic image that is sacred to many Americans. The Prayer At Valley Forge by Arnold Frieberg is viewed by millions of Americans every year. It was recently appraised for $12 million.
In the painting, General Washington is down on one knee, similar to the pose Tebow assumes in the end zone. There is one striking difference between them. Washington is alone. Tebow is in a stadium surrounded by thousands of people. Which begs the question—
Should a person’s personal beliefs be kept private?
Washington didn’t think so. His presidential speeches make unapologetic references to our nation’s dependence on God for our existence. And when he took the oath of office, he struck a pose with his hand on the Bible, a pose emulated by most presidents after him.
What Washington did after he took the oath is not as well known.
He kissed the Bible.
Now there’s an image that would make the front pages today.
While I’m not suggesting that we equate the accomplishments of a rookie NFL quarterback with those of a founding father, Washington and Tebow have this in common — they are both men with deep personal convictions.
And I would add this: Tim Tebow’s actions off the field have demonstrated that his end zone behavior means more to him than six points in a game.
What would I say to the four suspended high school students?
I would impress upon them that assuming a public posture of prayer is a powerful statement of faith, and that what they do after they get up is equally important. People will be watching to see if the man matches the image.
According to the Old Testament, while living in exile Daniel was widely known as a man who bowed his knees in prayer three times a day. The biblical account also states, “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.” (Daniel 6:3, KJV)
What would I tell the suspended students and others who would follow their example? I’d tell them when it comes to bowing in prayer, “If you’re not doing it in private, don’t do it in public.”
04/29/2011
From My Library, April 29, 2011
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
Kingdom Wars: A Hideous Beauty, Jack Cavanaugh, 2007.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-29-11
If you’re not having fun while writing a novel, you’re doing something wrong. Jack reads from two scenes he had fun writing.
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
Two scenes: When Grant Austin returns to his old high school, he is surprised when all his adolescent insecurities come flooding back. Later, in a hotel room, Grant is spooked by a strange coincidence of television programming.
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04/27/2011
From My Library, April 27, 2011
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
“Let’s Hear It For Rhetoric”, Wen Smith, 1996.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-27-11
John F. Kennedy said of Winston Churchill: “In the dark days and darker nights when Britain stood alone . . . he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle. The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.” — The Power of Eloquence, Montalbo, 18.
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
A challenge to speakers and writers to polish their writing until it sings.
Join me again for another From My Library episode, Friday, April 29!
04/25/2011
From My Library, April 25, 2011
x
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
The Stand, Stephen King, 1978.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-25-11
x
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You’re not reading his books, you’re living them. It’s a good writer who can make you feel he’s sharing his experiences with you, but it’s a genius who can make you feel that you are sharing your life with him . . . . You feel so comfortable in Steve’s world that you feel as if the author has become the person who is listening. Somewhere along the line, you begin to feel you’re the tale. — Reviewer
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
These opening paragraphs from King’s epic post-apocalyptic tale is a great example of verisimilitude, an essential tool for every novelist.
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Join me again for another From My Library episode, Wednesday, April 27!
04/20/2011
From My Library, April 20, 2011
x
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang, ed, 1890.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-20-11
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“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” — C. S. Lewis
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
“The Twelve Dancing Princesses” — Once upon a time there lived in the village, a little cow boy . . . .
Interested in reading more? Add Red Fairy Book to your library!
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Join me again for another From My Library episode, Monday, April 25!
04/18/2011
From My Library, April 18, 2011
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
Postmarked Heaven, Jack Cavanaugh, 2002.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-18-11
Behold now the kingdom, see with new eyes! — John Michael Talbot, Terry Talbot
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
A deceased Hollywood screenwriter describes the out-of-placeness he felt while living on earth. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was longing for a heavenly home.
Interested in reading more? Add Postmarked Heaven to your library!
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Join me again for another From My Library episode, Wednesday, April 20!
04/13/2011
From My Library, April 13, 2011
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
Kingdom Wars: A Hideous Beauty, Jack Cavanaugh, 2007.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-13-11
“Let us suppose that this everyday world were, at some point, invaded by the marvelous. Let us, in fact, suppose a violation of frontier. . . .” — C. S. Lewis
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
After winning the Pulitzer Prize, Grant Austin returns to his old high school to give a speech and gloat over his success to his old high school nemesis, now a teacher there. Only Grant discovers his nemesis isn’t who he thought he was . . . he isn’t even human.
Interested in reading more? Add Kingdom Wars: A Hideous Beauty to your library!
Click here to buy it.
Join me again for another From My Library episode, Monday, April 18!
04/11/2011
From My Library, April 11, 2011
Jack reads selected passages
from his favorite books
Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Unedited.
TODAY'S READING
Winds of War, Herman Wouk, 1971.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO:
From My Library 04-11-11
Herman Wouk earned his living as a scriptwriter for Fred Allen before serving in World War II. His career as a novelist spans nearly six decades and has brought him resounding international acclaim. He lives in Palm Springs, California.
TODAY IN FROM MY LIBRARY:
A romantic scene from a sweeping epic of World War II.
Interested in reading more? Add Winds of War to your library!
Click here to buy it.
Join me again for another From My Library episode, Wednesday, April 13!
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