Ray Kroc

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Jewell Parker Rhodes

In college and graduate school, Jewell Parker Rhodes never encountered a single reading assignment or exercise that featured a person of color. Now she has made it her mission to rectify the situation, gathering advice and inspiring tips tailored for African Americans seeking to express their life experiences. Comprehensive and totally energizing, the African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction bursts with supportive topics such as: Finding your voiceGetting to know your literary ancestorsOvercoming a bruised ego and finding the determination to pursue your dreamsGathering material and conducting researchTapping sweet, bittersweet, and joyful memoriesKnowing when to keep revising, and when to let goThe guide also features unforgettable excerpts from luminaries such as Maya Angelou, Brent Staples, Houston Baker, and pointers from bestselling African American authors Patrice Gaines, E. Lynn Harris, James McBride, John Hope Franklin, Pearl Cleage, Edwidge Danticat, and many others. It is a uniquely nurturing and informative touchstone for affirming, bearing witness, leaving a legacy, and celebrating the remarkable journey of the self.From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Sam Wyly

"My work is to create companies and build them," writes Sam Wyly in this candid, engrossing memoir, which reveals how he established and expanded companies on the leading edge of advancements in technology, energy, retail, and investments over the last forty-five years. A natural storyteller, Wyly relates the process, relationships, struggles, and strategies that have made him one of the 1,000 wealthiest people in the world. Part autobiography and part inspirational business guide, 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is full of refreshing insights and homespun life lessons about what it takes to create, grow, and build successful companies. - Jacket flap.

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Cyrus Bozorgmehr

Reveals how the Wu-Tang Clan secretly recorded a single-copy album before auctioning it for millions to one of the most hated men in America, detailing how they prevented leaks using strategies that reflect present-day views on creative property and music devaluation. "The untold story of the world's must controversial album--a surreal tale of secret recordings, baffled customs agents, the world's most hallowed art institutions, and a villain of comic book proportions. In 2007, the innovative young Wu-Tang producer, Cilvaringz, took an incendiary idea to his mentor the RZA. They felt that the impact of digitization threatened the sustainability of the record industry and independent artists, while shifting the perception of music from treasured works of art to disposable consumer products. Together they conceived a statement so radical that it would unleash a torrent of global debate--a sole copy of an album in physical form, encased in gleaming silver and sold through an auction house for millions as a work of contemporary art. The execution of this plan raised a number of complex questions: Would selling an album for millions be the ultimate betrayal of music? How would fans react to an album sold on the condition that it could not be commercialized? And could anyone ever justify the selling of the album to the infamous Martin Shkreli? As headlines flashed across the globe, the mystery only deepened. Opinions were sharply divided over whether this was high art or hucksterism--quixotic idealism or a cynical cash grab. Was it a noble act of protest, an act of cultural vandalism, an obscene symbol of greed, a subversive masterpiece, a profound mirror for our time, or a joker on capitalism's card table? As senior adviser to the project, Cyrus Bozorgmehr is uniquely placed to unlock the secrets behind the album and tell the full, unadulterated story. With explosive revelations about backroom plans made public tor the first time, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin charts the album's journey from inception to disruption in vivid style. An extraordinary adventure that veers between outlandish caper and urgent cultural analysis, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin twists and turns through the mayhem and mischief, while asking profound questions about our relationship with art, music, technology, and, ultimately, ourselves."--Jacket.

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Kathy Katella-Cofrancesco

Features celebrities who have made commitments to helping others by contributing their time, money, and names to a variety of causes working to counter the inequities of today's changing economy.