A chronicle about an Army veteran who becomes homeless, and follows his dream of hiking and cycling all over North America. Although he is homeless, he gets by with his survival skills and the help of strangers as he raises money for various charities and support groups. His altruistic trek spans over the course of three years and comes to an abrupt stop at his 10,000th mile. From Delaware to California, from Florida to Alaska, follow along to experience this man's journey of compassion, chaos, supernatural events, deadly situations, loneliness, comic relief, selflessness, betrayal, heartbreak, and humbleness. You will never read a travel story quite like this one!
After serving in the US Army, Jake suddenly finds himself homeless, so he begins walking to different towns in search of work. Although he is unable to find any lasting employment, he soon realizes that walking and sleeping under the stars seems to be helping with his PTSD. During one of the nights while camping in the forest, Jake decides to walk across America just to see what it could do for him. Alone and unsupported, Jake spends the next three years traveling on foot from Tennessee to Delaware, to California, to Florida, to Alaska, back to Florida, and back to California again. This is a true story that details all of his experiences.
Examines the rise of one of the most prolific spiritual leader of modern times T.D. Jakes has emerged as one of the most prolific spiritual leaders of our time. He is pastor of one of the largest churches in the country, CEO of a multimillion dollar empire, the host of a television program, author of a dozen bestsellers, and the producer of two Grammy Award-nominated CDs and three critically acclaimed plays. In 2001 Time magazine featured Jakes on the cover and asked: Is Jakes the next Billy Graham? T.D. Jakes draws on extensive research, including interviews with numerous friends and colleagues of Jakes, to examine both Jakes’s rise to prominence and proliferation of a faith industry bent on producing spiritual commodities for mass consumption. Lee frames Jakes and his success as a metaphor for changes in the Black Church and American Protestantism more broadly, looking at the ramifications of his rise—and the rise of similar preachers—for the way in which religion is practiced in this country, how social issues are confronted or ignored, and what is distinctly “American” about Jakes's emergence. While offering elements of biography, the work also seeks to shed light on important aspects of the contemporary American and African American religious experience. Lee contends that Jakes’s widespread success symbolizes a religious realignment in which mainline churches nationwide are in decline, while innovative churches are experiencing phenomenal growth. He emphasizes the “American-ness” of Jakes’s story and reveals how preachers like Jakes are drawing followers by delivering therapeutic and transformative messages and providing spiritual commodities that are more in tune with postmodern sensibilities. As the first work to critically examine Bishop Jakes’s life and message, T.D. Jakes is an important contribution to contemporary American religion as well as popular culture.
The Kent family faces internal clashes as the Civil War ignites—from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of North and South. In the hellish years of the Civil War, the Kent family faces its greatest trials yet. Louis, the devious son of the late Amanda Kent, is in control of the dynasty—and of its seemingly inevitable collapse. His cousin Jephtha Kent, meanwhile, backs the abolitionist cause, while his sons remain devoted Southerners. As the country fractures around the Kents, John Jakes introduces characters that include some of the most famous Americans of this defining era. Spanning the full breadth of the Civil War—from the brutal frontlines in the South to the political tangle in Washington—The Titans chronicles two struggles for identity: the country’s and the Kents’. This ebook features an illustrated biography of John Jakes including rare images from the author’s personal collection.
Shares uplifting advice about the virtues of forgiveness, offering strategic and biblically based advice on how to achieve peace and personal fulfillment by letting go of past wrongs.
The conclusion of the epic historical family saga from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and “superb storyteller” (The Columbus Dispatch). In the final installment of the Kent Family Chronicles, the remaining Kents seek to fulfill Philip Kent’s original American dream. As Gideon Kent’s health deteriorates, he fears for the future of his family. Their dynasty, now in ruins, stands as a tarnished symbol of all the Kents have lost in the unstable years of war and expansion. It falls to young Will to bring the family together—a task of epic scope. Only expert storyteller John Jakes could craft such a gripping finale to this beloved family saga, bringing the Kents’ drama—and the nineteenth century in America—to its riveting conclusion. This ebook features an illustrated biography of John Jakes including rare images from the author’s personal collection.
Follows the historical saga of the Crown family, German immigrants who settle in Chicago, as they participate in the events of the early twentieth century
Communicate boldly and effectively like never before with the help and guidance of a #1 New York Times bestselling author and trusted Bishop. #1 New York Times bestselling author Bishop Jakes has been speaking in front of audiences large and small for decades, and over the years, he has learned a thing or two about communicating with audiences. Now, for the first time ever, Bishop Jakes shares his wisdom and skills he’s learned to help readers communicate better themselves. Whether you are preparing to speak on stage before thousands or present at the next budget meeting, preach a sermon or deliver a diagnosis, this book is full of practical advice and solutions to help you get your message across. Readers will learn: The process Bishop Jakes uses to create his sermons, which connect with hundreds of thousands each week How to tailor you message for your intended audience The importance of body language How to be ready to make every opportunity count When and how to use silence to speak for you Why how you present yourself matters Drawing lessons from Scripture and his own life, Jakes gives career advice for those who have or want to grow into a speaking career, but he also provides clear direction and insight for everyone who gives presentations, writes emails, or talks to other people in their job or home life. In this book, Bishop Jakes gives you tools and skills so that you can communicate better.
From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of North and South: The first in a saga about a German immigrant and his family’s rise in 20th-century America. The tide of the twentieth century is rising upon the world, and on its crest rides the Crown family. Young Pauli Kroner, freshly arrived in America from the streets of Berlin, makes his way to the mansion of his millionaire uncle in Chicago, looking to fulfill his dreams. His uncle, Joe Crown, is a self-made brewery tycoon who rules his domain with an iron hand—especially when it comes to his own family of defiantly rebellious children and a wife yearning for her own liberation. In this new world, Pauli will rise as his own man and find his destiny in the early days of motion pictures. Surrounded by relations close and distant, proud and vengeful, each struggling to find themselves at the dawn of a new era, he will witness and experience the violence of the Pullman Strike, and find love in the arms of a woman who can never be his as he follows the march of history, intertwined with such figures as the audacious Theodore Roosevelt, the ruthless Thomas Edison, the fading western icon Buffalo Bill, and many more. Named a New York Times Notable Book, Homeland is a “first-rate historical . . . chock-full of fascinating period detail, [Jakes’s] captivating story brings to life the sounds, smells and tastes of turn-of-the-century America in a manner comparable to Michener’s Hawaii and Doctorow’s Ragtime” (Publishers Weekly). This ebook features an illustrated biography of John Jakes including rare images from the author’s personal collection.
EllRay Jakes may be the shortest kid in his class, and he may get into trouble from time to time, but he can always count on his best friends Kevin and Corey. But lately, Kevin has been skateboarding with the meanest boy in class. Could EllRay be losing one of his friends? Not giving up without a fight, EllRay asks his older neighbor to show him a few jaw-dropping skateboard moves—like ollies and kickflips. EllRay must learn as many tricks as he can before the secret boys-only third grade skate-off. But will it be enough?
