The popular This I Believe series, which has aired on NPR and on Bob Edwards' shows on Sirius XM Satellite and public radio, explores the personal beliefs and guiding principles by which Americans live today. This book brings together treasured life lessons of people from all walks of life. Whether it's learning the power of saying hello or how courage comes with practice, their intimate reflections will inspire, move, and encourage you. Filled with the valuable insights distilled from a wide range of personal experiences, This I Believe: Life Lessons is a perfect gift--for others or for yourself.

• Includes extraordinary essays written by "ordinary" people who share the story of an important lesson they have learned about life
• Shares a wide range of beliefs and experiences from a diverse group of contributors, including a physician, a roller derby queen, a corporate executive, and a homeless person
• Based on the popular This I Believe radio series and thisibelieve.org website

No matter what your age or circumstances, this book will give you valuable food for thought and important new insights on how others have learned from life's challenges.

The moving and powerful first-person essays in this book explore the core beliefs and guiding principles by which Americans live. Filled with valuable insights distilled from a wide range of personal experiences, This I Believe: Life Lessons is a perfect gift--for others or for yourself.

"The turning points in my life have not been the times I succeeded at something, but the times I've whispered, 'I'm lost, ' or 'Help me, ' or 'I need a friend.' I believe sometimes our vulnerability is our strength."
--Colin Bates, student and resident service assistant for people with mental disabilities

"I believe you need to listen, carefully, to hear your inner voice. And then you have to do what it says."
--Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

"I believe that saying no to some of life's shimmering pleasures buys me a moment of peace and a small sovereign patch where I can pause and ask what it is my heart truly desires. No is not deprivation, it's deliberation. No is not loss, it's freedom."
--Jessica Paris, educator

"I have seen time and time again that when people find their commonalities, they are more likely to come together and become friends, even under the most stressful conditions. This I believe."
--Sgt. Maj. Larry Chaston (Ret.), Vietnam and Afghanistan veteran, and engineer

DAN GEDIMAN is executive director of This I Believe, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that engages people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief have been featured on public radio since 2005. Gediman is the coeditor of the New York Times bestseller This I Believe, as well as This I Believe II, This I Believe: On Love, This I Believe: On Fatherhood and This I Believe: On Motherhood.

JOHN GREGORY is editorial director and MARY JO GEDIMAN is outreach director of This I Believe, Inc.