The Practical Guide To Exceptional Living: Creating and Living The Life of Your Dreams

A personal and inspirational memoir from Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, focused on her amazing transformation as she embraced a healthy lifestyle and lost over eighty pounds.

Soulful and sultry, Jennifer Hudson wowed the world with her powerful voice in American Idol's third season, and then took Hollywood by storm with a star turn in Dreamgirls that won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. But before we knew her as an American Idol standout, Jennifer was singing in her church choir in the Southside of Chicago. This uplifting memoir tells the story of Jennifer's meteoric rise from American Idol to Dreamgirls to her amazing weight loss on the megablockbuster Weight Watchers diet plan. With the Weight Watchers brand endorsing her, Jennifer gives her fans tips for embracing a healthy lifestyle in order to lose weight and reclaim their bodies. Full of stories from her American Idol days, her experience acting in Dreamgirls, and how her son inspired her to want to live healthfully, this book is a gift for her millions of fans and an inspiration for anyone struggling with weight issues.

The extraordinary life and career of music legend Rod Stewart, in his own words for the first time.
 
With his soulful and singular voice, narrative songwriting, and passionate live performances Rod Stewart has paved one of the most iconic and successful music careers of all time. He was the charismatic lead singer for the trailblazing rock and roll bands The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, and as a solo artist, the author of such beloved songs as "Maggie May," "Tonight’s the Night," "Hot Legs," "Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?," "Young Turks," "Forever Young," and "You Wear It Well."  Now after more than five decades in the spotlight, he is finally ready to take a candid and romping look back at his life both on and off the stage. From his humble British roots to his hell-raising years on tour with his bandmates, not forgetting his great loves (including three marriages and eight children) and decades touring the world, Rod delivers a riveting ride through one of rock's most remarkable lives.

A Complete Guide to Building and Maintaining Green Roofs

Written by an industry expert in green roof design and installation, this GreenSource book presents all of the information you need to skillfully design, construct, and maintain green roofs. You will find a wealth of practical details gathered through real-world implementations and independent research.

Green Roof Construction and Maintenance explains how to design a green roof, plan for irrigation and drainage, select and place soil and plants, and maintain the entire setup. The book also discusses return on investment, LEED design specifications, and the myriad short- and long-term environmental benefits of green roofs. Filled with step-by-step illustrations and full-color photographs, this is a valuable, hands-on guide to a rapidly emerging trend in the sustainability movement.

Green Roof Construction and Maintenance includes:

• Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process
• Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design
• Construction methods for new and existing buildings
• Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection
• Details on optimal soil formulation
• Illustrations featuring various stages of construction
• Best practices for green roof maintenance
• A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality
• Tips on the LEED design and certification process
• Considerations for assessing return on investment
• Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs
• Useful checklists, tables, and charts