Excellent, inspiring read for those who love inspirational books.

books:


	• Make the Impossible Possible: One Man's Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the ... Bill Strickland Doubleday Business, 2007 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Passion, Potentials, and Orchid Dreams

If you have found yourself far enough down a path of curiosity to be reading a review of this book, waste no more time, and buy it or borrow it now. Bill Strickland is an artist extraordinaire, and his medium is life. Yes, Frank Ross, a high school ceramics teacher, turned a desperate street kid into an inspired and aspiring student by introducing him to pottery, which gave him direction and a dream. But the unrelenting pursuit of his passions, and the commitment and creative energy he has used to fuel that dream have woven a moving story of such power, emotion, and soaring success as to place him in the rarified air of any of the great artists of our time.

He shows how focusing on a life based on responsibility and passion can bring real purpose and help "understand what genuine success really means". And if this guy is anything, he is successful. Wow. The list of accolades he has compiled is stunning. How about honorary doctorates from ten separate universities? When you read the story of the creation and history of his Manchester Bidwell Corp., you start to see why. Youth and adults with little to hope for, denied their dreams, often unemployed and financially desperate are finding hope here, growing award-winning orchids in the inner-city, discovering possibilities in a world-class arts center and learning the soul of jazz through the Grammy Award winning MCG jazz program, to mention just a few of his accomplishments. Bill's recipe for a gourmet life is on display daily in the classrooms of Pittsburgh's Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and in the centers he is starting to replicate around the country and the world. He is showing people how to build meaningful lives, and it works.

This is anything but your garden-variety "however-many-steps-to-success" book which litter library shelves in countless business and self-help sections. Nor does Strickland ever assume the posture of spiritual teacher here, instead steadfastly remaining the most down-to-earth soul, humbly questioning how it is that he would end up being honored in the same venue as the Dalai Lama, for instance. Still, without him ever mentioning it, Spirit flows throughout this book, and the scope of truth and revelation contained within is considerable.

I wept several times while reading Bill's story. I could barely put it down. I haven't reviewed a book since high school, but I had to write something about this one. Get a copy, put on some jazz, sit back and let Bill show you how "the simplest experiences can add richness to our lives and open the door to outrageous possibilities". You owe it yourself (and your world).

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A beautiful inspiration that will hold you to accound

This story is inspirational as an illustration of what is possible when a seed of goodness meets a little water, a lot of courage, constant hard work and the luck that occurs naturally when you open the way with a Yes! to life attitude. Recommended reading for anyone who is an idealist, a broken hearted idealist, or a realist who would like to be part of creating abundant life, beauty and hope in a crappy, crazy world. This book is an oasis.

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Excellent, inspiring read for those who love inspirational books.

I don't remember how I found out about Bill Strickland's book but I think it was a recommendation by one of my favorite bloggers.

Well, let me tell you - this guy truly turned the tables around and gave new meaning to achieving the impossible.

The book made me laugh, smile and cry at unexpected times. Bill is a legend in his own right and I highly recommend his book. It's a joy to read and in fact, I liked it so much I read it twice in one week.

A strong buy recommendation.

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Imagine

Bill Strickland illustrates how he succeeded.

Imagine.

Don't fantasize, dream.

a must read

We as a society must change our own thoughts. Each change we make in ourselves will make the world a better place. I found the book easy to read and inspiring. It should be required reading for all.

reviews: page 1, 2

?Success is the point where your most authentic talents, passion, values, and experiences intersect with the chance to contribute to some greater good.?
--Bill Strickland

According to MacArthur Fellowship ?genius? award winner Bill Strickland, a successful life is not something you simply pursue, it is something that you create, moment by moment. It is a realization Strickland first came to when, as a poor kid growing up in a rough neighborhood of Pittsburgh, he encountered a high school ceramics teacher who took him under his wing and went on to transform his life.

Over the past thirty years, Bill Strickland has been transforming the lives of thousands of people through the creation of Manchester Bidwell, a jobs training center and community arts program. Working with corporations, community leaders, and schools, he and his staff strive to give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities and tools they need to envision and built a better, brighter future.

Strickland believes that every one of us has the potential for remarkable achievement. Every one of us can accomplish the impossible in our lives if given the right inspiration and motivation to do so. We all make ourselves ?poor? in one way or another when we accept that we are not smart enough, experienced enough, or talented enough to accomplish something. Bill Strickland works with the least advantaged among us, and if he can help them achieve the impossible in their lives, think what each of us can do.

Among Bill Strickland?s beliefs:

People are born into this world as assets, not liabilities. It?s all in the way we treat people (and ourselves) that determines a person?s outcome

The sand in the hourglass flows only one way. Stop going through the motions of living--savor each and every day. Life is here and now, not something waiting for you in the future.

You don?t have to travel far to change the life you?re living. Bill grew up in the Pittsburgh ghetto, four blocks from where he came to build one of the foremost job training centers in the world. He now speaks before CEOs and political leaders, church congregations and civic leaders. You only need to change your thinking to remake your world.

Through lessons from his own life experiences, and those of countless others who have overcome their circumstances and turned their lives around, Make the Impossible Possible shows how all of us can build on our passions and strengths, dream bigger and set the bar higher, achieve meaningful success and help mentor and inspire the lives of others.