Collection: Adult

Build the Culture That Drives Elite Performance

"Jon Becker is a national treasure." -John Dowd, Former Navy SEAL, Founder of Forge SOFware

Why do some teams perform at an elite level while others-given the same resources, training, and talent-struggle?

The answer isn't strategy, talent, or technology. It's culture.

Culture is your organization's operating system. It determines how decisions get made, how people treat each other, and whether your best performers stay or leave. Get it right and everything else gets easier.

"Culture isn't a slogan-it's the operating system that drives standards, decisions, trust, and accountability under pressure." -Rich Diviney, Retired Navy SEAL Commander, Bestselling Author

What Elite Teams Know That Most Organizations Don't

For four decades, Jon Becker has had unusual access to organizations that cannot afford to fail-where the cost of poor leadership is measured in lives, not quarterly earnings.

What he discovered: the principles that build elite performance are universal.

Whether you run a SWAT team, a tech startup, a sales organization, or a sports program, the fundamentals are identical.

"Jon offers the lessons articulated herein with a rare level of credibility that makes Culture First an enduring work." -Brian Driscoll, Former Acting FBI Director

Nine Practices Any Leader Can Implement

• Build culture intentionally - because the default is dysfunction
• Develop selfless leaders - who place mission and team above ego
• Select the right people - protect culture through rigorous standards
• Embrace strong people - who challenge assumptions
• Enforce high standards - what you tolerate becomes your standard
• Collaborate deliberately - harvest the best thinking regardless of title
• Build a decision machine - push authority to where information lives
• Improve continuously - build systems that sustain excellence
• Take risks and embrace failure - learn without excuses

"Want your business to succeed? Build a great culture. In this book Jon Becker shows you how." -Pete Blaber, Former Delta Force Commander

Practical Tools, Not Theory

Each chapter delivers real stories, clear explanations, and "How to Start" sections with actions you can implement Monday morning.

"Jon is extraordinarily credible on building a high-performing team-the reason we have him present to our entire team." -Lt. Lee McMillion, Commander, LAPD SWAT

Elite teams don't happen by accident. If you want to build an organization capable of performing at the highest level, culture must come first.

'Right Before My Eyes: The Everett Family Legacy' by Betty Everett Rainge tells the story of a family shaped by love, faith, and dedication. Centered on her parents, Sam and Mary Everett, the memoir explores how their commitment and strong values guided the lives of their sixteen children. Their partnership and hard work on the family farm laid the foundation for lessons in responsibility, perseverance, and care that continued through the next generations.

Betty shares her early experiences growing up in Georgia, highlighting the balance of daily labor and family support. She emphasizes the role of education in creating opportunities, reflecting on her time in segregated schools and the teachers who encouraged her growth. As the family transitioned from rural life to the town, Betty illustrates how the principles her parents instilled remained a constant influence.

The narrative also follows Betty's relationship with Henry Rainge and the life they built together during his military service, showing how commitment, communication, and shared purpose strengthened their family. Throughout the book, themes of resilience, community, and family unity are present, showing how values endure over time.

'Right Before My Eyes' presents the story of the Everett family with honesty and warmth. It highlights the importance of love, hard work, and faith in shaping lives and emphasizes how family bonds can provide guidance and support for generations.

Back in high school, Rosie Clark was on the brink of a life-changing win at a prestigious nationwide floral competition. But one careless move by Broc Chase, her clumy yet undeniably charming horticulture classmate, sent her prized arrangement crashing to the ground - and with it, her dreams. To make matters worse, Broc walked away with the trophy, the scholarship, and the future that should have been Rosie's.

Years later, Rosie is still in her hometown of Spokane, determined to honor Miss Marigold's legacy by reviving the beloved plant shop left in her care - a local treasure with deep roots in the community. Just when she feels like she's found her footing, Broc reappears - not just as a celebrated celebrity florist, but as her new competition, opening a flower shop right next door. If that weren't enough, Rosie's abusive ex-boyfriend has resurfaced, stalking her and threatening the peace she's finally found.

Reluctantly, Rosie turns to Broc for support. As old rivalries reignite and buried emotions surface, Rosie must decide: can she let go of past grudges to embrace a new connection blossoming with the man she once vowed to hate?

Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers romance, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not! is a heartfelt story about overcoming the past, finding strength in unexpected places, and discovering that love can bloom from even the smallest seed- if given the chance to grow.

The Hour of Sehar is a deeply honest, faith-centered memoir that bears witness to the long arc of healing after childhood trauma, abandonment, and spiritual disorientation. With unflinching clarity and lyrical restraint, Melinda S. Jackson tells the story of a life shaped by secrecy, loss, and survival, and ultimately transformed by grace.

The memoir opens with a quiet but devastating truth: the author's identity was fractured before she ever understood why. Though she would not learn the truth about her biological father until adulthood, the echoes of that hidden beginning reverberated throughout her childhood, shaping her sense of belonging, worth, and voice. As Jackson journeys back through early years marked by emotional neglect, abuse, and silence, she weaves together formative memories with later revelations that reframe them all.

Her path leads through the rigid structure and volatile chaos of military life, where the pursuit of stability and purpose is upended by betrayal, systemic failure, and military sexual trauma. The Army, once seen as a refuge, becomes another place where power is misused, and truth is buried. And yet, within the wreckage, something unexpected begins to emerge: a quiet, relentless pursuit by a God who does not meet her with condemnation, but with presence.

At its core, The Hour of Sehar is not a story about victimhood, but about becoming. It traces the slow, often painful work of breaking generational cycles, reclaiming agency, and learning to live without performing for love. Jackson writes with compassion for her younger self, with honesty about the ways trauma distorts identity, and with humility about the long road toward forgiveness, including forgiveness without apology.

The title draws from the Arabic word Sehar, referring to the still, pre-dawn hour, a liminal space between night and morning, darkness and light. In many spiritual traditions, it is considered a sacred pause before new beginnings. This memoir reflects that truth: that God often begins His deepest work not in moments of triumph, but in the dark, quiet places where nothing feels resolved yet.

Both intimate and expansive, The Hour of Sehar invites readers into a sacred reckoning with pain, truth, and grace. It is a testament to the belief that brokenness is not the end of the story, but the beginning of becoming whole.

In The Latinx Guide to Graduate School Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales and Magdalena L. Barrera provide prospective and current Latinx graduate students in the humanities and social sciences fields with a roadmap for surviving and thriving in advanced-degree programs. They document the unwritten rules of graduate education that impact Latinx students, demystifying and clarifying the essential requirements for navigating graduate school that Latinx students may not know because they are often the first in their families to walk that path. Topics range from identifying the purpose of graduate research, finding the right program, and putting together a strong application to developing a graduate student identity, cultivating professional and personal relationships, and mapping out a post--graduate school career. The book also includes resources for undocumented students. Equal parts how-to guide, personal reflection, manifesto, and academic musing, this book gives a culturally resonant perspective that speaks to the unique Latinx graduate student experience.

It is said that every picture tells a story. Here is the story of the Willson Way....

Before everything went digital, the lives of communities and families were captured on film. This is the true story of one family's journey of how an idea inspired invention, a hobby became a vision, and hard work became history.

It all began with a promise. A father asked his daughter to do one simple thing: "Give your grandfather his spotlight." What follows is the remarkable legacy of Thomas C. Willson Sr., told through the lens of his granddaughter.

In 1898, Willson aimed his lens at the future and created what would become the cornerstone for modern school photography. Long before his camera was catalogued at the Smithsonian, his photography would transform how generations of Americans remembered their school years.

Thomas and his son were more than just inventors-they were curious minds who chased knowledge wherever it led them. It was that steadfast curiosity that led this father and son duo to uncover the secrets of the Manhattan Project, capture timeless moments for Life Magazine, and even venture into the mysteries surrounding the Shroud of Turin.

Still, sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones closest to home.

You'll travel to three unforgettable farms, including one in Havertown that secretly housed a speakeasy during the roaring twenties! You'll follow a daring business move that shifted a lifetime of work from Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore where the Willsons introduced a beach town to the technology of manufacturing beach tags.

Woven throughout this tale of pioneering spirit are the author's own magical childhood memories on a farm and adventures sparked by her father's and grandfather's photography and boundless imagination.

From a Revolutionary War-era Maryland homestead to a barn full of Shetland ponies, a story that began as a promise grew into a personal tribute to three generations of American ingenuity, adventure and grit. As you turn the pages, you'll feel like a guest in the Willson living room listening to the stories of adventure, invention and fun.

Murder is anything but Zen...

Bobwhite Hollow is swarming with leaf-peepers. Mt. Washington is glorious in shades of yellow, red, and orange. Callie is loving teaching goat yoga in the cool, crisp autumn weather and is delighted renowned nature photographer Lucy Thorne's entourage is staying in the guest cottage at the Zen Goat. Even the spat Lucy and her assistant have the moment they arrive doesn't dampen Callie's enthusiasm.

Callie jumps at the chance to perform Sun Salutations at a mountain overlook near where the photography group is meeting, but when Lucy is found dead beside a trail on the mountain, all Callie's hard-earned Zen is shattered. The photographer's death was no accident, and it soon becomes clear her life was full of secrets. As Callie channels her inner warrior to discover who sent Lucy to her final savasana, she's going to have to watch her step, or the real murderer just might turn their focus on her.

In Three Years Left, Shalisa James shares her extraordinary true story of facing a terminal cancer diagnosis with courage, humor, and unwavering faith. From performing on Broadway and traveling the world to navigating chemotherapy, heartbreak, and hope, Shalisa refuses to let her diagnosis define her.

With raw honesty and powerful storytelling, she invites readers into her journey one filled with music, family, miracles, and moments that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on what truly matters.

This is not just a story about cancer.

It's a story about living fully, boldly, and with purpose no matter the time you have left.

Perfect for readers who enjoy inspirational memoirs, faith-based journeys, and stories of resilience, Three Years Left is a reminder that even in life's darkest moments, hope can still shine.

Divorce is one of the most emotionally and financially overwhelming transitions a person can face. Yet most people begin the process without a clear plan, a trusted team, or an understanding of the long-term financial consequences of their decisions. In Divorce by Design, Melissa Murphy Pavone draws on her experience as a Certified Financial Planner(R) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst(R) to pull back the curtain on the divorce process and show you how to move from chaos and fear to clarity and confidence. She introduces a smarter, more intentional approach to divorce, one that replaces reactive decision-making and siloed professionals with a coordinated team and a financial strategy designed to protect what matters most. Through real-life client stories, practical financial guidance, and a refreshingly honest tone, Melissa walks readers through every stage of divorce: gathering financial documents, understanding marital assets, evaluating housing options, analyzing support scenarios, and planning sustainable post-divorce cash flow. The result is a framework that empowers readers to make informed decisions before costly mistakes are made, saving time, money, and emotional energy along the way. Divorce by Design is not about "winning" a divorce. It's about designing your divorce process intentionally, efficiently, and with your long-term financial well-being in mind.

At a high school in a one-stoplight town in Georgia, a group of lively teens navigate young love, sex ed and a few school scandals while studying a canonical play in English class. As the students delve into the American classic, they begin to question the play's perspective and the validity of naming its hero. With deep wells of passion and biting humor, this dramatic comedy captures a generation mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism and fury. Alternating between touching, unsettling and bitingly funny moments, these teens discover that their future is not bound by the past and that they have the power to change it all by writing their own coming-of-age story.

The hardest stories to tell are often the ones about forgiveness.

Forgiveness is often spoken about as if it were simple-a choice, a virtue, a single moment of grace. But anyone who has lived through mental health, addiction, trauma, abuse, or deep loss knows the truth: it is rarely simple.

When We Forgive is a collection of fifteen stories tracing the path between hurt and healing.

These stories reflect on what it means to forgive others, to forgive ourselves, and, in some cases, to face the weight of having caused harm-and the longing to be forgiven.

Written for those who feel forgiveness may be out of reach, this collection offers lived experiences not as answers, but as a reminder that even in the most difficult circumstances, change is possible.

All proceeds from this book support the Life to Paper Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals impacted by mental health and addiction experience the therapeutic power of storytelling.

Contributors:

Melanie Goldman

Dr. I. Michael Kaufmann

Lydia Knorr

Adam Kunder

Jacques V. Leroux

Dr. Erin Mantis

Sandra McQuade

Meg Nocero

Maya Noor

Susan Raphael

Kit Robison

Tabitha Rose

C.V. Shaw

Dr. Vera Tarman

Norm Trainor

When a firefighter is forced to jump from a burning building, his family's lives are changed forever.

When Eileen Bellew's FDNY husband, John, was forced to jump from a fourth-story window, on the infamous Black Sunday in the Bronx, Eileen became a widow at 35-years-old with four small children to raise on her own. PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks ambushed her as she struggled through bottomless grief and the ensuing legal trials, all while trying not to let her fear do irreparable damage to her four little loves.

Eileen's insightful, shocking, and often humorous story spans twenty years of enlightenment as she navigates her emotional roller coaster life through heartache, healing, and the surprise of finding love again. Her frank account of how she gained resilience and strength brings hope through the lessons she learned and shows how we can find positivity even in the worst tragedy.

Introducing a puppy to family life is all fun and games- until it's not. Little Pooski pulls on the heartstrings of her new family as she gets into more and more mischief. There are so many things to sniff, taste and chew, what's a pup to do? When she goes a step too far, the family must decide- does she stay or does she go? Pooski reminds kids of all ages of the shenanigans, responsibilities and unexpectedly strong bonds created when a naughty but wonderful little ball of fur trots into your home.

They said your Crohn's was incurable. What if they were wrong?

For too long you have suffered from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis. Discomfort--or outright pain--is part of your normal life.

But it doesn't have to be.

Hadley Ott knows from personal experience how debilitating living with Crohn's disease can be. At twelve, he became one of the thirty thousand Americans diagnosed every year with the condition. His doctors insisted that he would be a lifelong patient. Drug-Free Crohn's not only illustrates how he proved them wrong; it provides hope for you to do the same.

Discover the links between a highly refined diet, manmade environmental factors, and chronic autoimmune diseases like Crohn's. Then explore the many avenues of healing, including nutrition, exercise, environment, mental and spiritual well-being, and lifestyle. Conventional wisdom claims you'll never be well. Drug-Free Crohn's knows you can be.