Beating the Odds: A Teen Guide to 75 Superstars Who Overcame Adversity

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Overview

Many famous people have overcome difficult circumstances and gone on to become successful in their fields. This book profiles the lives of 75 courageous and persistent people who have triumphed over adversity. These individuals have conquered a range of problems, including physical, psychological, social, and economic handicaps. Individuals profiled come from a range of professions and reflect battles against religious prejudice, medical conditions, eating disorders, poverty, and other social ills. Among the ...

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Beating the Odds: A Teen Guide to 75 Superstars Who Overcame Adversity

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More About This Book

Overview

Many famous people have overcome difficult circumstances and gone on to become successful in their fields. This book profiles the lives of 75 courageous and persistent people who have triumphed over adversity. These individuals have conquered a range of problems, including physical, psychological, social, and economic handicaps. Individuals profiled come from a range of professions and reflect battles against religious prejudice, medical conditions, eating disorders, poverty, and other social ills. Among the people profiled are Mitch Albom, Hillary Clinton, Magic Johnson, Stephen King, Greg Louganis, and Henry Winkler. The volume includes an historical timeline, a list of relevant films documenting the achievements of these superstars, and a general bibliography.

Some of the most successful people in our society have overcome great odds in order to achieve their dreams. Through courage and persistence, they have triumphed over a range of adversities and serve as models for students faced with similar circumstances. This book profiles the struggles and accomplishments of 75 such individuals from all walks of life.

Each entry highlights the physical, psychological, social, or economic struggles of the person and discusses how the person won their battle against adversity. Among the individuals profiled are: Mitch Albom, Roseanne Barr, Sandra Cisneros, Hillary Clinton, Pat Conroy, Michael J. Fox, Magic Johnson, Stephen King, Greg Louganis, Jessica Lynch, Colin Powell, Salman Rushdie, Martin Sheen, Henry Winkler, and many more. The volume closes with an historical timeline, a list of films related to the achievements of these superstars, and a general bibliography. In addition to inspiring students to succeed against all odds, the book promotes respect for diversity and explores a host of social issues related to religious prejudice, eating disorders, medical conditions, poverty, and other concerns.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Adolescent students often express a sense of isolation in their attempts to overcome personal adversity. These young readers will find solace in the accounts presented in this volume, a collection of 75 biographies that share the stories of other people who have overcome their own struggles and attained success. Teachers and students can use entries as extensions or starting points as they explore the concepts of personal adversity, struggle and triumph. Highly recommended for high school and public libraries."

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Doug's Student Reference Room

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780313345647
  • Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 8/30/2008
  • Pages: 368
  • Product dimensions: 7.20 (w) x 10.10 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

MARY ELLEN SNODGRASS is the author of numerous reference works, including Signs of the Zodiac: A Reference Guide to Historical, Mythological, and Cultural Associations (Greenwood, 1997).

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Table of Contents


Preface     xi
Acknowledgments     xiii
Accident: Stephen King     1
Adultery: Hillary Clinton     5
Ageism: Maya Lin     9
Agoraphobia: Paula Deen     13
AIDS: Greg Louganis     17
Anorexia and Bulimia: Gelsey Kirkland     21
Asthma: Jackie Joyner-Kersee     26
Bariatric Surgery: Roseanne Barr     31
Bipolarity: Kaye Gibbons     35
Biracialism: Sandra Cisneros     39
Birth Defect: Jim Abbott     44
Brain, Lung, and Testicular Cancer: Lance Armstrong     48
Capture: Jessica Lynch     53
Career Dissatisfaction: Sean Covey     57
Cerebral Aneurysm: Patricia Neal     61
Child Abuse: David James Pelzer     66
Civil War: John Bul Dau     70
Congenital Glaucoma: Jose Feliciano     74
Custody Battle: Elian Gonzalez     78
Deafness: Lou Ferrigno     83
Death of a Brother: Daniel Berrigan     87
Death Threat: Salman Rushdie     91
Dyslexia: Henry Winkler     95
Family Secrets: Joseph Bruchac     100
FBI Most Wanted List: Angela Davis     104
ForeignBirth: Katherine Wolmendorf Paterson     108
Foster Care: Ben Nighthorse Campbell     113
Gangs: Luis J. Rodriguez     118
Gender Misidentification: Jamie Koufman     122
Genetic Defect: Lorenzo Odone     126
Ghetto Upbringing: Colin Powell     130
Grief: Mitch Albom     135
Heart Disease: Martin Sheen     140
Hillbilly Background: Barbara Kingsolver     144
HIV: Magic Johnson     148
Holocaust: Elie Wiesel     153
Hydrocephalus: Sherman Joseph Alexie     157
Identity Crisis: Jamaica Kincaid     162
Illegitimacy: Esmeralda Santiago     166
Imprisonment: Martha Stewart     170
Integration: Melba Pattillo Beals     175
Japanese Internment: Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston     180
Loss: Caroline Kennedy     185
Low School Achievement: Ben Carson     189
Lyme Disease: Amy Tan     193
McCarthyism: Pete Seeger     198
Militarism: Pat Conroy     202
Myasthenia Gravis: Wilma Mankiller     206
Nazism: Johanna Reiss     211
Paraplegia: Ron Kovic     216
Parkinson's Disease: Michael J. Fox      220
Police Brutality: Dolores Huerta     224
Polio: Dianne O'Dell     228
Political Asylum: Khaled Hosseini     233
Preeclampsia: Jane Seymour     237
Public Ridicule: Jane Fonda     241
Racist Parent: Toni Morrison     246
Rape: Oprah Winfrey     250
Religious Fanaticism: Betty Mahmoody     254
Residue of Slavery: Ernest Gaines     258
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Kathleen Turner     262
Sexism: Shannon Faulkner     267
Sexual Harassment: Anita Hill     271
Speech Defect: Walter Dean Myers     275
Spousal Abuse: Francine Moran Hughes     279
Stalking: Jodie Foster     284
Suicide of a Spouse: Louise Erdrich     288
Survivor Guilt: Jon Krakauer     292
Third World Poverty: Muhammad Yunus     297
Tyranny: Julia Alvarez     301
Urban Violence: Piri Thomas     306
Usurpation: Leslie Marmon Silko     310
Wartime Displacement: Yoko Kawashima Watkins     315
Whistle-blowing: Paula Coughlin     319
Widowhood: Lisa Halaby     323
Glossary     329
Filmography     333
General Bibliography      335
Index     339
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Customer Reviews

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( 8 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 4, 2012

    ?????????

    $75!!!!!!!!!!!! Not buying this book!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 10, 2011

    $75?????

    Is it a dollar for every "superstar"?????

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2011

    Just out of curiosity.....

    Did anyone ACTUALLY buy the book??????

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 8, 2011

    Uhmm

    Why would a book cost so much.? Somebody needs to drop this price range down.!!

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  • Posted July 2, 2011

    An

    Not worth the price....

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  • Posted June 21, 2011

    75 WORTH IT OR NOT!!!!!

    Gish who would spend almost 100 bucks on a book!!!!!!!!! NOT me is who!!!!!!! its just a book you could buy SO much with a hundred!!!! I strongly not recommed thiss book!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 30, 2011

    Not WORTH IT!!!!

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 25, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

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