Best Selling Books by Karen Hunter

Rajen Persaud brings a refreshingly honest voice to the highly controversial topic of interracial dating as he explores the stereotypes and perceptions associated with it. Why do so many high-profile black men date and marry the most ordinary white women? Why do so many other black men desire and covet the company of white women? And why does this subject deeply touch so many people of both races? Are these provocative questions matters of love, sex, revenge, power, or politics? “All of the above,” asserts Rajen Persaud in this illuminating, no-holds-barred book that will have you laughing with recognition while fundamentally changing the way you see just about everything—from sex and marriage to your own gender and race in all its foibles, pretensions, and ultimate possibilities. Challenging every one of our preconceptions about mixed-race relationships, Rajen Persaud''s commentary lights up a topic that has only deepened in intensity and relevance in the decades since Sidney Poitier asked the world "Guess who''s coming to dinner?" The answers, so deeply ingrained in our fabric as a nation and even grounded in our past, force us to look at ourselves and our culture with new eyes. Why Black Men Love White Women explores multiples factors such as: -Celebrity: From Michael Jordan to Bryant Gumbel to Tiger Woods, high-profile affairs and marriages with no shortage of controversy. -Sex: Are black men choosing white women—or rejecting black women? -Race: How white male insecurity is the key to understanding racism. -Relationships: Is it more than love that brings the races together? -Politics: How fear is used to gain power, from sexual politics to global war. -Media: How movies and television keep black men running to white women. Why Black Men Love White Women will help you understand the relationship phenomenon of our times.

nig·gard·ly (adj.) [nig´erd-le] 1. stingy, miserly; not generous 2. begrudging about spending or granting 3. provided in a meanly limited supply If you don’t know the definition of the word, you might assume it to be a derogatory insult, a racial slur. You might be personally offended and deeply outraged. You might write an angry editorial or organize a march. You might even find yourself making national headlines In other words, you’d better know what the word means before you pour your energy into overreacting to it. That’s the jumping-off point for this powerful directive from Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author Karen Hunter. It’s time for the black community to stop marching, quit complaining, roll up their collective sleeves, channel their anger constructively, and start fixing their own problems, she boldly asserts. And while her straight-talking, often politically incorrect narrative is electrifyingly fresh and utterly relevant to today’s hot-button issues surrounding race, Hunter harks back to the wisdom of a respected elder—Nannie Helen Burroughs, who was ahead of her time penning Twelve Things the Negro Must Do for Himself more than a century ago. Burroughs’s guidelines for successful living—from making education, employment, and home ownership one’s priorities to dressing appropriately to practicing faith in everyday life—teach empowerment through self-responsibility, disallowing excuses for one’s standing in life but rather galvanizing blacks to look to themselves for strength, motivation, support, and encouragement. From our urban communities to small-town America, the issues Hunter is bold enough to tackle in Stop Being Niggardly affect us all. Refreshingly candid and challenging, certain to get people everywhere talking, this is the book that takes on race in a new—yet also historically revered and simply stated—way that can change lives, both personally and collectively.

FORMER NBA STAR LUTHER WRIGHT SHARES HIS HARROWING AND UPLIFTING JOURNEY OF FINDING GOD—AND HIMSELF—WHEN HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. Luther Wright had the life hoop dreams are made of. A first-round NBA draft pick for the Utah Jazz, he was a rookie on a team with basketball legends Karl Malone and John Stockton. He had money, women, cars, and a luxurious bachelor pad overlooking Salt Lake City. But within a year, ravaged by drugs and unable to cope with life as an NBA star, he was homeless, broke and addicted to crack cocaine. Wright never wanted to play basketball, yet standing more than seven feet tall even as a boy, he thought he had no choice. In this heartrending memoir, he writes candidly about the self-destructive spiral he found himself on after neglecting his passions to pursue the dreams of others. After years of living on the streets, he finally found a gift greater than anything his millions could have bought him—God. Today, Wright offers a simple message: believe in yourself, follow your dreams, and only then will you find your Perfect Fit.

Presents a collection of more than one hundred recipes, organized into such categories as hot ''n'' spicy, light and healthy, and celebrate.

Justin is living in Jamaica when tourist Tasha spots him selling sugar cane on the street. He has no idea that her modelling agency is one of the hottest in the business. He plans to live the island life he set out for himself, but Tasha wants him - she knows his perfect body and defiant attitude will make him a megastar. But soon, a relationship that began as strictly business crosses the line into a complex game of sexual desire and control. And when Justin discovers a hidden hunger for a male model, the stakes are higher than ever.

The mother of rap superstar Kanye West shares her experiences on being a single mother raising a celebrity. As the mother of hip-hop superstar Kanye West, Donda West has watched her son grow from a brilliant baby boy with all the intimations of fame and fortune to one of the hottest rappers on the music scene. And she has every right to be proud: she raised her son with strong moral values, teaching him right from wrong and helping him become the man he is today. In Raising Kanye, Donda not only pays homage to her famous son but reflects on all the things she learned about being his mother along the way. Featuring never-before-seen photos and compelling personal anecdotes, Donda''s powerful and inspiring memoir reveals everything from the difficulties she faced as a single mother in the African American community to her later experiences as Kanye''s manager as he rose to superstardom. Speaking frankly about her son''s reputation as a "Mama''s Boy," and his memorable public outbursts about gay rights and President George W. Bush, Donda supports her son without exception, and here she shares the invaluable wisdom she has taken away from each experience—passion, tolerance, patience, and above all, always telling the truth. Ultimately, she not only expresses what her famously talented son has meant to her but what he has meant to music and an entire generation.

A bold exposé of the controversial secret that has potentially dire consequences in many African American communities. Delivering the first frank and thorough investigation of life “on the down low” (the DL), J. L. King exposes a closeted culture of sex between black men who lead “straight” lives. King explores his own past as a DL man, and the path that led him to let go of the lies and bring forth a message that can promote emotional healing and open discussions about relationships, sex, sexuality, and health in the black community. Providing a long-overdue wake-up call, J. L. King bravely puts the spotlight on a topic that has until now remained dangerously taboo. Drawn from hundreds of interviews, statistics, and the author’s firsthand knowledge of DL behavior, On the Down Low reveals the warning signs African American women need to know. King also discusses the potential health consequences of having unprotected sex, as African American women represent an alarming 64 percent of new HIV infections. Volatile yet vital, On the Down Low is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year. “A survey by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta found that nearly a quarter of black HIV-positive men who had sex with men consider themselves heterosexual.” —Essence

Actor and rap artist LL Cool J reflects upon his life, telling about the violence he and his mother endured during his childhood, discussing how he became involved in rap music, and sharing the lessons he has learned from his experiences.

Shock jock extraordinaire Wendy Williams lets loose with the first in a series of novels based on her alter ego, the divalicious radio DJ Ritz Harper. Ritz puts the s in shock and the g in gossip, and Drama is her middle name. Ritz is a suburban girl on the outside, but inside she’s a hustler’s hustler who’s masterfully maneuvered her way into the spotlight after ruining the career of a well-respected newswoman (and former college friend). Ritz’s “exclusive” rockets her to the top of the ratings, and she’s rewarded with her very own show. Like a talking Venus flytrap, she verbally seduces her on-air guests, only to have them for lunch as she spews gossip about their lives. Ritz becomes the darling of the station’s afternoon slot. But when Ritz goes from drive-time diva to drive-by victim, all she can think as she struggles to maintain consciousness is “Who did this to me?" Has Ritz bad-mouthed the wrong person? Has her signature cat-and-mouse “bomb drop” been dropped on her instead? Readers will salivate as they try to figure out where the fictional Ritz ends and the real-life Wendy begins.

DJ Ritz Harper used every trick in the book to become a media darling in Drama Is Her Middle Name, shock-jock Wendy Williams’s exposé of a life she knows better than anyone. Playing a clever trick of her own, Williams left her heroine on the brink of death at the end of the novel. Now the second installment of the chronicles reveals what Williams’s readers are dying to know: Is the Bitch Dead, or What? The drive-by shooting that brought her down forces Ritz to look back on her climb to the top and the people she loved, lost, used, and abused along the way. There’s the brief dalliance with Tracee, her best friend, and the romance with a man with some secrets of his own; the loss of her beloved Aunt M; and the recent appearance of the father who abandoned her and is now demanding a financial payoff and fifteen minutes of fame. At the heart of it all is Ritz’s need to figure out where the real-life Ritz ends and the radio bitch begins. For the huge audience hooked on The Wendy Williams Experience and readers itching to find out what happens to the over-the-top star of Drama Is Her Middle Name, Is the Bitch Dead, or What? is packed with all the irresistible shocks and insider dish that make Williams the hottest voice in America today.

#1 New York Times Bestseller La La Anthony shares her one-of-a-kind rules on matters of the heart. Star of VH1’s La La’s Full Court Life, actress, entrepreneur, and wife of New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, La La Anthony found love and success on her own terms. But before La La was a strong woman balancing a growing career, a high-profile marriage, and motherhood, she suffered through bad dates, tumultuous relationships, and backstabbing friends. She learned the hard way how to rise above it all to live the life she loves. Now La La channels those lessons into a personal playbook, providing empowering go-to advice for healthy relationships and a happy life. Candidly, she draws on her personal experiences, revealing intimate details about her marriage and past relationships to illustrate what she’s learned the hard way: from teaching your man the right way to treat a woman to dealing with a fickle friend and, of course, how to snag a baller. Through her non-nonsense advice on dating, love, marriage, and more, you will learn how to take control of your relationships, rise above adversity, and live your life by your rules. The Love Playbook is the everywoman guide to dating, finding love, building healthy relationships, and staying true to yourself along the way. “The first rule of love is that the ball is in the woman’s court.”

Our culture and media often simplify the choice educators face-stay in or leave classroom teaching. Written for teachers and other educational professionals, this book dispels this simple dichotomy by representing the range of responses and career pathways that enable educators to make a difference. Based on interviews with hundreds of change-minded educators, the authors share career stories and insights against a backdrop that maps out the complexities, roles, and structures that define professional advancement in education. All of the teachers in this book have taught in challenging urban contexts, fought hard to exercise their professional autonomy and responsibility to serve students well, navigated social networks of educators, friends, and family who buoy or dampen their reform spirit, and remain committed to changing society through schooling. Their stories are as instructive as they are inspiring and offer roadmaps for the current generation of change-minded educators.

This is Brenda''s inspiring account of overcoming pain and betrayal to find her mission in life - heloing other women know they are not alone and that there is a way to turn their hurt and isolation into forgiveness and healing. With honesty and wisdom Brenda shares her journey through what she thought was a fairy tale marriage to the shocking discovery that put her life in a tailspin. She guides with assurance and and warmth, advising women on how to have that talk with their kids, how to let go of the pain and how to trust and love again.

365 days of uplifting, Christ-centered devotions for women by women! His Days, My Praise is an interactive way for you to delve into God’s Word every day. Each entry in this uplifting, 365-day devotional includes a “My Praise” section that allows you an opportunity to collect and reflect on your thoughts and write them down (plus extra pages in the back of the book for the same purpose). Devotions are numbered, not dated, so you can conveniently begin your journey of praise to God at any time of the year! Each devotion also includes a suggested Bible reading plan that will help you read the entire Bible over 365 days. Build up a heart of thanks for God and his work in your life with His Days, My Praise!

Queen Latifah is a sensation. At nineteen she was the first female solo rapper to have a major record deal. Four years later she became a top television actress and movie star. Today she is rap music''s most enduring female force. But how did a teenager from New Jersey become Queen Latifah and make it to the top of the charts? At once autobiographical and inspirational, LADIES FIRST is the story of a young woman making tough decisions and terrible mistakes - about sex and drugs and about who was real and who wasn''t - before she was old enough to drive. It is about the reign of depression that descended on her after her brother''s tragic death and how she found a strength within herself when it seemed the world was trying to break her. LADIES FIRST is about being confident and sensual in a big, strong body and about blocking out the junk to let in the good. It is about how anyone - of the poorest means or the richest - can hold her head high in a world of attitude. Full of wisdom and revelations, LADIES FIRST will instill in others the same self-esteem, respect and courage that brought Queen Latifah peace and her independent edge.

Karen Hunter Watson offers inspired words of wisdomfrom the Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk.

The ghetto-fabulous art of pimpology has gone mainstream - and no-one knows more about mashin'' for a ration than Player''s Ball Mack of the Year winner Pimpin'' Ken. Here, Ken shares the new rules: the laws of image, seduction, manipulation and power, handed down to him from older, wiser macks. Contains guidelines such as purse first, ass last'' and ''don''t chase ''em, replace ''em''.''

There is a not-so-new, not-so-secret destination where a growing number of American black men are traveling for the kind of sex and freedom they say they can''t find with black women. Thousands of unsuspecting women are kissing their men good-bye while they go on "business" trips to Rio where they meet up with some of their friends and have sex every way they can imagine-no strings, no hassles, and no conscience. This social worker is a Ph.D. student at the Mandel School of Applied Social Science at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. He is the founder of The Renaissance Male Project Inc. and a New Voices Fellow 2005. He has made appearances on both national and regional television and radio shows, and print publications such as Essence magazine, The Toledo Blade, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"A convincing portrait of teachers actively engaged in educational reform...offering a hopeful yet realistic vision of revitalized democracy inspired by a passion for the public good. This book is an eloquent defense of civic virtue." —Jonathan Kozol, author of Amazing Grace and Savage Inequalities "Rich, realistic, invigorating, and scary. Any middle school educator who has been part of an effort to reform the educational process will see himself or herself in this book--as the brave risk taker, the naive visionary, the frightened frontline trooper, and the touched individual who can make a difference." —Judy Cunningham, principal, South Lake Middle School, Irvine, California This book tells the stories of sixteen schools in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, and Vermont that sought to alter their structures and practices and become places fostering innovative ideas, caring people, principles of social justice, and democratic processes. Based on longitudinal, comparative case-study research, these accounts attest to the power of committing to public virtue and the struggle of educators to transform that commitment into changed school practice. The authors argue that better schools will come only when policy makers, educators, and citizens move beyond technical and bureaucratic reforms to engage in the same educative, socially just, caring, and participatory processes they want for schoolchildren. Those processes constitute betterment--both the means and the ends of school reform. Becoming Good American Schools is for administrators, policy makers, practitioners, and citizens who are prepared to blend inspiration and caution, idealism and skepticism in their own pursuit of good schools.

Intended for ESL students. Combines listening with problem-solving tasks to encourage active, goal-oriented listerning. Based on a suspenseful mystery story to stimulate interest. Uses sketch-type illustrations.

This text covers all the principal learning at Level 1 with learning features that are designed to get learners thinking about the real hair and beauty industries. The content of each unit is broken down into manageable chunks of learning presented in double-page spreads, making the book easy and enjoyable for learners to use.

Do you have a dream of being a successful entrepreneur? You can start your own tutoring business! In the U.S. tutoring is a $7 billion industry and the need for tutors continues to grow. This book will show you how to start a full-time or a part-time tutoring business right away. It covers topics such as identifying subjects to teach, school standards, records, insurance, marketing, learning styles, and much more. Written by Char Geletka and Karen Hunter, they show you how you can teach and encourage students in fun and practical ways while making a great income.

"This text documents the composition and production of Words & Grooves, the sixth album by singer-songwriter/guitarist Karen Hunter"--Abstract.