What is PTSD? 3 Steps to Healing Trauma

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark—as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

In this short excerpt from The Cure for the Common Life...

It's Sunday afternoon and you're already dreading the inevitable Monday morning. You spend 50+ hours at a job you hate, only to come home too exhausted to pursue anything other than reality TV.

Well, you are not alone: 87 percent of workers don't find meaning in their work and 80 percent believe their talents are not used. And there are consequences-whether or not we realize it, our resulting attitude impacts our health, our relationships, and our fundamental sense of happiness-but best-selling author Max Lucado has a cure.

We are all unique individuals, created in God's image, with our own gifts, strengths and passions. In his winsome voice, Max will encourage you to explore your uniqueness, put it to work, and redefine your concept of career.

Table of Contents:

1. Your Sweet Spot (You Have One!)
2. Unpack Your Bag
3. Read Your Life Backward
4. Study Your S.T.O.R.Y

Conclusion
Notes