Book Collection

The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy

2009-04-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

Product Description
No figure in American public life has had such great expectations thrust upon him, or has responded so poorly. But Ted Kennedy -- the youngest of the Kennedy children and the son who felt the least pressure to satisfy his father's enormous ambitions -- would go on to live a life that no one could have predicted: dismissed as a spent force in politics by the time he reached middle age, Ted became the most powerful senator of the last half century and the nation's keeper of traditional liberalism.

As Peter S. Canellos and his team of Boston Globe reporters show in this revealing and intimate biography, the gregarious, pudgy, and least academically successful of the Kennedy boys has witnessed greater tragedy and suffered greater pressure than any of his siblings. At the age of thirty-six, Ted Kennedy found himself the last brother, the champion of a generation's dreams and ambitions. He would be expected to give the nation the confidence to confront its problems and to build a fairer society at home and abroad.

He quickly failed in spectacular fashion. Late one night in the summer of 1969, he left the scene of a fatal automobile accident on Chappaquiddick Island. The death there of a young woman from his brother's campaign would haunt and ultimately doom his presidential ambitions. Political rivals turned his all-too-human failings -- drinking, philandering, and divorce -- into a condemnation of his liberal politics.

But as the presidency eluded his grasp, Kennedy was finally liberated from the expectations of others, free to become his own man. Once a symbol of youthful folly and nepotism, he transformed himself in his later years into a symbol of wisdom and perseverance. He built a deeply loving marriage with his second wife, Victoria Reggie. He embraced his role as the family patriarch. And as his health failed, he anointed the young and ambitious presidential candidate Barack Obama, whom many commentators compared to his brother Jack. The Kennedy brand of liberalism was rediscovered by a new generation of Americans.

Perceptive and carefully reported, drawing heavily from candid interviews with the Kennedy family and inner circle, Last Lion captures magnificently the life and historic achievements of Ted Kennedy, as well as the personal redemption that he found.

About the Author

Peter Canellos is the Washington bureau chief for The Boston Globe and oversees all national coverage for the paper, where he has worked since 1988 covering local, state, and national politics.

Product Details

* Format: Kindle Edition
* File Size: 2120 KB
* Print Length: 480 pages
* Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 17, 2009)
* Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
* Language: English
* ASIN: B001RS8KNI

Vanity Fair (1-year) [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]

2009-02-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

Who Reads Vanity Fair?

Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, 2008
Smart, stylish, and voraciously interested in the world, Vanity Fair readers have an extraordinary ability to discern what is truly worth their time, attention, and money. It is essential for Vanity Fair readers to be conversant in a wide range of topics—from global issues, economics, and travel, to beauty, fashion, and entertainment—and they pursue the knowledge of these subjects with an unusual intensity. Vanity Fair readers actively seek out friends and colleagues with whom they share ideas and experiences, creating a diverse and eclectic network of peers. Known for its ability to "ignite a dinner party at 50 yards," Vanity Fair is meant for readers who enjoy expert-level knowledge and lively, spirited debate.

What You Can Expect in Each Issue:

* Fanfair: Vanity Fair’s monthly guide to truly unique and talked-about cultural events around the world, hot new CD’s, books, and films; groundbreaking art and design; exhibitions and theatrical events; fashion, beauty, and travel trends.
* Fairground: The magazine brings its discriminating eye into the world’s most exclusive events, capturing candid snapshots of the culture’s rich, famous, and iconic. This pictorial feature goes around the world, one party at a time.
* Columns: Insightful essays by distinguished writers, such as Dominick Dunne, James Wolcott, and Michael Wolff, cover the most relevant topics of the day. These investigations on crime, politics, business, society, the media, and current events are often touted on the cover and have a dedicated following.
* Vanities: Short takes on today’s most compelling personalities, Vanities is a reader favorite, incorporating splashy graphics and quick wit.
* Spotlight: Spotlight shines a light on the stars of the future. Former discoveries include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Lopez, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Gwyneth Paltrow, all before they made it big.
* Proust Questionnaire: An update of the 19th-century parlor game, this classic Q&A features a different celebrity subject every month.
* Features: In-depth, award-winning stories about entertainment, the arts, business, politics, fashion, design, and more, are at the heart of the magazine each month.

Past Issues:

Contributors:
With every issue, Vanity Fair allows its contributors the freedom to indulge in extraordinary storytelling, making it a destination for the world’s most renowned photographers and award-winning journalists, such as Marie Brenner, Bryan Burrough, Bob Colacello, Amy Fine Collins, Dominick Dunne, Christopher Hitchens, Sebastian Junger, William Langewiesche, Maureen Orth, Todd Purdum, James Wolcott, and Michael Wolff; and photographers such as Jonathan Becker, Harry Benson, Patrick Demarchelier, Todd Eberle, Larry Fink, Jonas Karlsson, Annie Leibovitz, Tim Hetherington, Norman Jean Roy, Mark Seliger, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber.

Magazine Layout:
With a dynamic combination of big pictures and big stories, Vanity Fair delivers both bold, beautiful photography and the very best thought-provoking journalism in a clean, bold design that is simple yet sophisticated, minimal yet full of restrained energy. When it comes to visually expressing the passions of its stable of photographers, illustrators, writers, and editors, the magazine must look as smart and powerful as the topics it covers.

Comparisons to Other Magazines:
Vanity Fair June 1997
With a broad range of interesting subjects, Vanity Fair is a general interest magazine that captures the best of the best, from world affairs to entertainment, business to style, design to society. Vanity Fair is unique in its ability to act as a cultural catalyst—a magazine that provokes and drives the popular dialogue. No other magazine can match Vanity Fair's unique mix of stunning photography, in-depth reportage, and social commentary. Each month, Vanity Fair accelerates ideas and images to center stage, creating an unrivaled media event that attracts millions of modern, sophisticated readers.

Advertising:
Vanity Fair's advertisers are as eclectic as the editorial content. Fashion and retail advertisers are responsible for the majority of Vanity Fair's ad pages, but other advertising partners stem from a wide array of consumer categories, including automotive, financial institutions, not-for-profits, corporate entities, beauty, travel, entertainment/media, home furnishings, food, and wine and spirits. On average, a little more than half of the pages in Vanity Fair are devoted to advertising (56%).

Awards:

* The American Society of Magazine Editors has nominated Vanity Fair for 63 National Magazine Awards since 1984; the magazine has won 15 times
* Winner of National Magazine Awards for Reporting and Photo Portfolio, 2008
* Winner of National Magazine Award, Columns & Commentary 2007
* Winner of National Magazine Award, Public Interest 2007
* Winner of the 51st annual World Press Photo of the Year 2007
* Gold Medal Award, Photography, Spread/Single Page, Society of Publication Designers’ 42nd Annual Competition 2007
* Graydon Carter: The only two-time winner of Adweek magazine's Editor of the Year
* 248 awards for design and photography since 1984
* Included on Adweek’s Hot List nine times–more than any other magazine

Product Description
Vanity Fair covers the people, issues, and events that define our times. This chronicle of contemporary culture provides access to the movers and shakers in film, music, entertainment, sports, business, and politics. With articles by renowned writers and images by award-winning photographers, every issue of Vanity Fair is always fascinating, never ordinary.

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Product Details

* Format: Magazine
* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
* Publisher: Conde' Nast Publications
* ASIN: B00005NIPX
* Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.

The Associate

2009-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait
until you meet Kyle McAvoy, The Associate

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains—from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle’s “cubicle” at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country—and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.

About the Author

JOHN GRISHAM has written twenty previous novels and one work of nonfiction, The Innocent Man, published in 2006. He lives in Virginia and Mississippi.

Product Details

* Hardcover: 384 pages
* Publisher: Doubleday (January 27, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0385517831
* ISBN-13: 978-0385517836
* Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

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The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality

2009-01-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This anthology examines the social construction of race, class, gender, and sexuality and the institutional bases for these relations. While other texts discuss various forms of stratification and the impact of these on members of marginalized groups, Ore provides a thorough discussion of how such systems of stratification are formed and perpetuated and how forms of stratification are interconnected. Critical thinking questions at the end of each reading and part opening essays aid students in understanding how the material relates to their lives and how their own attitudes, actions, and perspectives may serve to perpetuate a stratified system. 13 new readings have been added focusing on the experiences of immigrants, contemporary issues in social institutions, current examples of how the media portrays events and much more..

About the Author
Tracy E. Ore is currently an Assistant professor of Sociology and the Director of the Applied Sociology Program at Saint Cloud State University. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Michigan. She serves as a consultant for multicultural education and curriculum to a variety of universities, organizations, and agencies and conducts workshops and trainings across the country related to issues of inequality. Her research areas include social inequality, race and ethnicity, and the development of effective teaching pedagogy.

Product Details

Paperback: 816 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 4 edition (February 25, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0073380083
ISBN-13: 978-0073380087
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will Love

2009-01-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As grocery costs continue to rise, many family cooks are finding themselves in a tough predicament: How can they feed their families healthy, satisfying meals without breaking the bank? In The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, New York Times best-selling author Devin Alexander shows families that eating on a budget can be easy, nutritious—and delicious! With more than 125 recipes that will satisfy every member of the family, Chef Alexander provides complete, affordable options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with mix-and-match side dishes, healthy snacks, and desserts. From Broccoli & Cheddar Frittatas to Steak Fajita Quesadillas, Family Sized Meatball Parmesan to Peanut Butter Fudge Sundaes, these wholesome, satisfying dishes will become an essential part of every family cook’s repertoire. In addition to an overview of the Biggest Loser eating plan and Chef Alexander’s recipes, readers will find helpful cooking and cost-saving tips from favorite Biggest Loser contestants and online club members. They will also find simple ways to get kids involved in the kitchen and fun ideas for family mealtimes. Designed to make healthy eating accessible for everyone, The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook will help pad wallets—not waistlines.

About the Author
DEVIN ALEXANDER is the host of Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander on Discovery Health Channel and is the author of the New York Times best-selling The Biggest Loser Cookbook. She’s written articles for Prevention, Women’s Health, Shape, and Fitness, among others, and has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, The Biggest Loser, and more. She lives in Los Angeles. MELISSA ROBERSON is the editor of BiggestLoserClub.com. She has worked on new media projects for the New York Times, Amazon.com, and BarnesandNoble.com, among others. She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Rodale Books (November 11, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1605297836
ISBN-13: 978-1605297835
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Twilight

2009-01-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)—a boy who’s hiding a dark secret: he’s a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.

DVD features:

Audio commentary by Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson
Muse music video: "Super Massive Black Hole"
Paramore music video: "Decode"
Linkin Park music video: "Leave Out All the Rest"
Five extended scenes with director introductions
Five deleted scenes with director introductions
Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
Comic-Con "fandom" piece
Comic-Con NY sizzle reel
Three trailers
Penelope trailer

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition

2008-12-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition

In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

The Children's Voice Campaign
Children's High Level Group The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published by The Children’s High Level Group (CHLG), registered charity number 1112575, a charity co-founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to make life better for vulnerable children.

All net proceeds from the sale will be donated to The Children's Voice campaign.

The Children's Voice campaign is run by CHLG. It campaigns for child rights across Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe where over a million children and teenagers are growing up in institutions, often in unacceptable conditions. In most cases they are without adequate human or emotional contact and stimulation, while many only just survive without life's basics such as adequate shelter and food.

CHLG's Children's Voice campaign helps around a quarter of a million children each year through education activities; outreach work in institutions; and a dedicated telephone and email help line.

Also Available: The Collector's Edition, Offered Exclusively by Amazon
Amazon is thrilled to be the exclusive seller of the Collector's Edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard featuring an exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, 10 new illustrations, metalwork and clasp, replica gemstones, and tucked in its own case disguised as a wizarding textbook from the Hogwarts library. (Available in limited quantities)

Standard Edition Product Features:
• All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard
• A new introduction by J.K. Rowling
• Illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book
• Commentary on each of the tales by Professor Albus Dumbledore

Please, Daddy, No: A Boy Betrayed

2008-12-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Stuart just wanted his father to love him, but he was made to believe he was too naughty to be loved. Finally, David Howarth was sent to prison for abusing Stuart's young sisters. Nobody knew the truth about Stuart's abuse until one fateful day when his father tried it again and Stuart fought back in the only way he knew how. Stuart Howarth spent the first thirty years of his life in mental and physical hell. After years of emotional torment and despair, at the age of 32 Stuart felt an overwhelming urge to see his father (who he now knew was actually his stepfather), then living in Wales. Seeking reconciliation, Stuart was only to be met by the same old abusive man. The rage, pain and confusion boiled over in Stuart and he fought back, killing his stepfather. When Stuart's story came to light in the courtroom, it was so terrible that he received the minimum possible sentence for his crime and only served thirteen months in Strangeways prison in Manchester. But while in prison, the cruel system compounded the crimes of his evil abuser, and he suffered at the hands of the prison guards. What happened to him during those months led to him suing the Home Office and Strangeways on his release and winning his case. This is the story of a sweet-natured boy who grew into a brave young man and refused to allow himself to be a victim any longer.

Product Details

* Hardcover: 288 pages
* Publisher: Harper Element (October 2, 2006)
* ISBN-10: 0007236379
* ISBN-13: 978-0007236374
* Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
* Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

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Children's Books

2008-12-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Features Specifications: Children's Books
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Place of origin: China
Package: Kraft paper box, carton, pallet, shink wrap
Delivery Time: 7 to 10days

The Revolution: A Manifesto

2008-12-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

From Publishers Weekly

Congressman, Republican Presidential candidate and author Paul (A Foreign Policy of Freedom) says "Let the revolution begin" with this libertarian plea for a return to "the principles of our Founding Fathers: liberty, self-government, the Constitution, and a noninterventionist foreign policy." Specific examples demonstrate how far U.S. law has strayed from this path, particularly over the past century, as well as Paul's firm grasp of history and dedication to meaningful debate: "it is revolutionary to ask whether we need troops in 130 countries... whether the accumulation of more and more power in Washington has been good for us...to ask fundamental questions about privacy, police-state measures, taxation, social policy." Though he can rant, Paul is informative and impassioned, giving readers of any political bent food for thought. With harsh words for both Democrats and Republicans, and especially George W. Bush, Paul's no-nonsense text questions the "imperialist" foreign policy that's led to the war in Iraq ("one of the most ill considered, poorly planned, and... unnecessary military conflicts in American history"), the economic situation and rampant federalism treading on states' rights and identities ("The Founding Fathers did not intend for every American neighborhood to be exactly the same"). Though his policy suggestions can seem extreme, Paul's book gives new life to old debates.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"The real truth about Liberty. This book takes a wrecking ball to the political establishment. Senator Goldwater would have loved it -- it's The Conscience of a Conservative for the 21st century." (Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., former member of Congress )

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 192 pages
* Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0446537519
* ISBN-13: 978-0446537513
* Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
* Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

722 Reviews
5 star: 91% (663)
4 star: 5% (41)
3 star: 0% (7)
2 star: 0% (2)
1 star: 1% (9)

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4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (722 customer reviews)

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7: A Visual Introduction to Digital Photography

2008-11-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Book Description
Invaluable guide for all photographers using Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

Product Description
'Introduction to Elements' is the essential all-round resource pack for all users of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7. Bestselling author Philip Andrews has refined this industry-standard resource over numerous editions, to bring you exactly the information you need to get right up to speed with the software, cut out wasted time in your workflow, and consistently achieve photographic results you can be proud of.
Philip approaches the subject of Photoshop Elements in a straightforward and accessible style. As a working photographer, he brings an in-depth understanding of the image-manipulation needs of photographers, and the best ways to meet them to his teaching. In the words of one reviewer: 'he comes across as a friend, who wants you to succeed'. His approach is always practical, with an emphasis on clarity. Step-by-step tutorials guide you through every essential Elements process, from image import right through to optimised output for print, web, and email, using a winning combination of inspiring images, clear screenshots and clean prose. Key subjects covered include: layers and selections, combining text with images, 'painting' tools, stiching, scrapbooking and file management. Additionally, the accompanying Website features over 2 hours of video tutorials to further boost your knowledge.
Completely overhauled for Elements 7, this resource is right up-to-date for photographers using the latest edition of this powerful software. Whatever your Elements level, you will find a wealth of invaluable advice in the pages of this book.

* Essential reference for all things Elements, fully updated for version 7
* Includes Website featuring over 2 hours of invaluable video tutorials to help you get up to speed quickly
* Written by renowned Elements guru and bestselling author Philip Andrews

Product Details

* Paperback: 456 pages
* Publisher: Focal Press (November 3, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0240521579
* ISBN-13: 978-0240521572
* Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
* Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.

Fresher Styles for Web Designers: More Eye Candy from the Underground

2008-11-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Fresher Styles for Web Designers surveys eight innovative, contemporary visual design styles that break the mold and offer creative solutions to a variety of interactive design challenges. Readers will learn practical ways to incorporate these design approaches into their commercial work, using specific online examples as illustration.

In 2001, Cloninger wrote Fresh Styles for Web Designers, arguing that beauty actually enhances usability. Since then, styles and technologies have evolved, but clients still expect sites that both function well and visually entice. This book will inspire web designers and developers to deliver sites that do both. There are plenty of web design books that teach code. There are several books about contemporary print design that discuss visual aesthetics. This book stands out because it synthesizes experimental web design innovations with commercial marketing goals (without ignoring usability concerns).

Product Details

* Paperback: 240 pages
* Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (December 26, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0321562690
* ISBN-13: 978-0321562692
* Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies

System i Disaster Recovery Planning

2008-11-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Mapping out all the preparations necessary for an effective disaster recovery plan and its safeguard—a continuous maintenance program—this guide is aimed at IT managers of small and medium businesses. The opening section covers the initial steps of auditing vulnerability, ranking essential IT functions, and reviewing the storage of tape backups, with the following discussion focused on the elements of the plan itself. The plan includes a mission statement, a definition of disaster, the assignment of staff to teams, methods of compensating for human error, and standards for documenting the steps of recovery. The final portion of the guide covers the all-important initial testing of the system as well as the proper maintenance thereafter and weighs in on the pros and cons of using outside vendors for recovery systems.

About the Author

Richard Dolewski is a certified systems integration specialist and disaster recovery planner. He has extensive experience in Server Enterprise Availability, Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP), Business Continuity Planning (BCP), High Availability, and Backup and Recovery program design. Richard has supported 18 computer room disasters and conducted over 200 disaster recovery tests. He is an award-winning speaker at technical conferences including IBM, COMMON, IBM Europe, IT Executive events, Quest, NEMA, and local user groups. Richard has held positions as subject matter expert at IBM and COMMON, a member of the Advisory Committee for IBM Business Resiliency, and president of local user groups. He also regularly contributes to several technical newsletters. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Product Details

* Paperback: 350 pages
* Publisher: Mc Press (April 1, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1583470670
* ISBN-13: 978-1583470671
* Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.

The Appeal

2008-11-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

1. Your new novel starts off where most courtroom dramas end--with the verdict. Where did you get the idea to reverse the usual order of events this time around?
The actual trial is not a terribly significant part of the story. Most all of the action and intrigue begins after the trial is over, with the verdict and the subsequent appeal.

2. The Appeal overtly suggests that elected judges can be bought. If the novel is meant as a cautionary tale, what's next--the Presidential primaries?
Why not? Over one billion dollars will be spent next year in the Presidential primaries and general election. With that kind of money floating around, anything can be bought.

3. Speaking of electoral politics, you've been more vocal recently about your political views ... first supporting Jim Webb for Senate and now endorsing Hillary Clinton for the White House. Have you given any thought to running for office yourself?
No. I made that mistake 25 years ago, and promised myself I would never do it again. I enjoy watching and participating in politics from the sidelines, but it's best to keep some distance.

4. This is your first legal thriller in three years. How did it feel to get back to the genre that started it all, and can fans expect another thriller from you next year?
I still enjoy writing the legal thrillers, and don't plan to get too far away from them. Obviously, they have been very good to me, and they remain popular. I plan to write one a year for the next several years.

5. Your nonfiction book The Innocent Man continues to be a bestseller in paperback. In your ongoing work with The Innocence Project, have you come across another story of the wrongfully convicted that begs to be written as nonfiction?
There are literally hundreds of great stories out there about wrongfully convicted defendants. I am continually astounded by these stories, and I resist the temptation to take the plunge again into non-fiction.

6. What's on your bedside reading list at the moment?
1. The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin
2. Eric Clapton's autobiography
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

From Publishers Weekly
A Mississippi jury returns a $41-million verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping carcinogenic waste into a small town's water supply. The company's ruthless billionaire CEO is thwarted and the good guys (a courageous young woman who lost her husband and child and her two lawyers who've gone half a million dollars in debt preparing her case) receives its just reward. This sounds like the end of a Grisham legal thriller, but instead it's the beginning of a book-length lesson in how greed and big business have corrupted our electoral and judicial systems. Grisham's characters are over-the-top. The CEO and the other equally overdone villains—his venal trophy wife, a self-serving senator and a pair of smarmy political fixers—as well as the unbelievably good-hearted, self-sacrificing lawyers and an honorable state judge, are one dimensional. Michael Beck, with his natural Southern drawl, does a fine job of adding credibility and nuance to the large cast. But his efforts are for naught. In fact, the more he makes us feel for these characters, the less apt we are to be satisfied with the sourball moral of Grisham's downbeat discourse.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 368 pages
* Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (January 29, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0385515049
* ISBN-13: 978-0385515047
* Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

456 Reviews
5 star: 20% (93)
4 star: 17% (79)
3 star: 15% (69)
2 star: 23% (106)
1 star: 23% (109)

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2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (456 customer reviews)

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

2008-11-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this startlingly frank account of Buffett's life, Schroeder, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley—and hand picked by Buffett to be his biographer—strips away the mystery that has long cloaked the word's richest man to reveal a life and fortune erected around lucid and inspired business vision and unimaginable personal complexity. In a book that is dominated by unstinting descriptions of Buffett's appetites—for profit, women (particularly nurturing maternal types), food (Buffett maintained his and his family's weight by "dangling money")—it is refreshing that Schroeder keeps her tone free of judgment or awe; Buffett's plain-speaking suffuses the book and renders his public and private successes and failures wonderfully human and universal. Schroeder's sections detailing the genesis of Buffett's investment strategy, his early mentoring by Benjamin Graham (who imparted the memorable "cigar butt" scheme: purchasing discarded stocks and taking a final puff). Inspiring managerial advice abounds and competes with gossipy tidbits (the married Buffett's very public relationship with Washington Post editor Katherine Graham) in this rich, surprisingly affecting biography.

Review
“The mandatory book to read in these treacherous times of financial crisis.…A thoughtful and intimate biography of the globe’s wisest investor.” –Forbes

“Will mesmerize anyone interested in who Mr. Buffett is or how he got that way.” The Snowball tells a fascinating story.”–New York Times

“If the replication of any great achievement first requires knowledge of how it was done, then The Snowball, the most detailed glimpse inside Warren Buffett and his world that we likely will ever get, should become a Bible for capitalists.” —Washington Post

“Anyone who has been watching events unfold in recent months–which would be everyone–can now appreciate the wisdom of Buffett....The most authoritative portrait of one of the most important American investors of our time.”–Los Angeles Times

“Even people who don't care a whit about business will be intrigued by this portrait… Schroeder, a former insurance-industry analyst, spent years interviewing Buffett, and the result is a side of the Oracle of Omaha that has rarely been seen.” —Time Magazine

"Schroeder, a former analyst, has a meat-and-potatoes style that matches the homespun wisdom of her subject...Now more than ever, Buffett's emphasis on fundamentals seems like genius. It's the perfect moment for a great book on an immensely inspiring capitalist."–People, four stars

“Schroeder, a former investment analyst, is well equipped to elucidate Buffett’s deals…[and] Buffett’s life abounds with good stories.” —The New Yorker

“An instructive chronicle of financial success at a moment when financial failure is on everyone’s mind....All you wanted to know about Warren Buffett–and more.”—Wall Street Journal

“You will learn a lot about one of the nation's most compelling and important men from reading The Snowball.” —Boston Globe

“In The Snowball, novice biographer Alice Schroeder gives us one of the most detailed, candid life stories ever published…It is almost impossible to stop reading.” —Christian Science Monitor

“A penetrating and personal look at the Oracle of Omaha…An astute, and at times riveting, read–especially now.”—BusinessWeek

“Everyone knows that in a deep and liquid capital market like that of the US, it is just about impossible to beat the stock market averages over anything more than the short term. But Buffett has been ahead of the curve for most of the past 50 years, making him one of the world’s richest people. Alice Schroeder’s massive authorized biography, The Snowball, provides some clues about how he’s done it.” —Financial Times

“In this startlingly frank account of Buffett’s life, Schroeder, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley–and hand picked by Buffett to be his biographer–strips away the mystery that has long cloaked the word’s richest man to reveal a life and fortune erected around lucid and inspired business vision and unimaginable personal complexity.” —Publishers Weekly

“This massive–and highly readable–text (produced with Buffett’s full cooperation) is an unvarnished and well-paced biography that is essential for all public and academic business collections.” —Library Journal

“For students of the Oracle of Omaha, or even those looking for a little reassurance during the crisis, Schroeder's book is a fascinating study of America's most successful investor.” —New York Post

“If you've looked at your 401(k) statement and started to fear that everyone in financial markets is either greedy, predatory or incompetent, do yourself a favor. Take $35 out of the mattress and buy a copy of Alice Schroeder's The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life. At a time like this, it's a real comfort: Buffet is living proof there's at least one wholly rational person managing money…an excellent and highly enjoyable look at the business titan.” —Houston Chronicle

“Ms. Schroeder does a good job of pulling…volunteered disclosures out of Mr. Buffett but her real contribution is her own investment expertise which enables her to make the convoluted financing schemes over the last 50 years understandable to lay readers and truly instructive to the business information junkie.” —Washington Times

“This is a fast-paced, precisely drawn profile of a man who, despite his high visibility in the financial world, isn’t someone we’ve known much about… We do now.” —Kansas City Star

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 976 pages
* Publisher: Bantam (September 29, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0553805096
* ISBN-13: 978-0553805093
* Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.7 x 2.2 inches
* Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

89 Reviews
5 star: 65% (58)
4 star: 16% (15)
3 star: 8% (8)
2 star: 6% (6)
1 star: 2% (2)

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4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (89 customer reviews)

Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food

2008-11-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In one of the more creative yet accessible Italian cookbooks to come along, Carmellini (formerly chef of A Voce in New York City) presents spectacular recipes while opening a window onto his life with food, from his Italian-American boyhood and cooking school to revelations while traveling in Italy and being a top New York chef. An extensive personal introduction as well as ample side notes and recipe introductions offer extra insight into his approach to food. The recipes, which come from all over Italy and mix regional Italian and American influences, are arranged classically, from antipasti to dolci. Many seem typical Italian fare, yet Carmellini gives them an idiosyncratic touch that heightens flavors and makes them work for the modern cook, whether that means an intriguing beet and grapefruit salad or meatballs with cherries. Some recipes are simple but time-consuming, as he candidly admits, yet he walks through the steps so patiently that a determined cook at almost any skill level will manage. Carmellini shows why he is considered one of the country's best young chefs, and a natural teacher. (Oct.)

Review
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year "Creative yet accessible. Carmellini presents spectacular recipes while opening a window onto his life with food, from his Italian-American boyhood and cooking school to revelations while traveling in Italy and being a top New York chef. Carmellini gives [the recipes] an idiosyncratic touch that heightens flavors and makes them work for the modern cook at any skill level. Carmellini shows why he is considered one of the country's best young chefs, and a natural teacher."—Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Andrew Carmellini’s Urban Italian is that rare breed of cookbook: written by a skilled, top-tier professional, yet at all times accessible, unintimidating, and inspiring to the home cook. In short, it’s everything a cookbook should be. The conversational style provides both a thrilling introduction and the feeling, while cooking, that the chef is standing next to in the kitchen, forgiving your mistakes, urging you along, painlessly expanding your reservoir of knowledge. In a world awash with Italian cookbooks, this one's a must-have.”—Anthony Bourdain

“Andrew Carmellini is an enormously talented chef who brings a distinctive style and voice to his restaurant. Urban Italian captures that style and voice for the home cook with intriguing recipes—and also with great stories about the cook’s life, written with a candor and bravado not typically found in chefs’ cookbooks. A terrific book.”—Michael Ruhlman

"Andrew’s passion for Italy is contagious. Urban Italian is entertaining, informative, and witty." —Eric Ripert

“This would be a great book if it did nothing more than faithfully capture between covers the great food served at A Voce. But, marvel of marvels, the modest-but-confident chef I've admired for so long for his cooking can also write his ass off. Urban Italian is every bit as intimate, profane, soulful, and amusing as Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. To paraphrase Andrew himself on the subject of cooking, this book engages your senses, takes your mind off your day-to-day problems, and makes both the reader and (I'm pretty sure) the writer happy.” —Sara Moulton

“Like many Italian American chefs, myself included, Andrew had to go through France to get to Italy. Urban Italian takes the reader on that journey. Fabulous recipes, of course, but just as important are the stories that informed the heart and soul of this great chef.” —Tom Colicchio

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 320 pages
* Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (October 28, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 159691470X
* ISBN-13: 978-1596914704
* Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
* Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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4 Reviews
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4 star: 25% (1)
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4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody

2008-11-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

A clever offering just right for graduates of bedtimes with Goodnight Moon. --School Library Journal

Product Description
Goodnight monsters everywhere, in this parody romp with its own special twist!

“Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.”

It’s bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.

A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and a hilarious text will have kids begging to read this again and again.

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Product Details

* Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Hardcover: 32 pages
* Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (August 14, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0399245340
* ISBN-13: 978-0399245343
* Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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20 Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel

2008-11-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The creative team behind Today I Feel Silly amiably addresses the challenges of being a five-year-old—especially the pesky problem of learning self-control. In the story's wry opening, the narrator observes, "It's hard to be five. I'm little no more. Good old days are gone. 'Bye one, two, three, four." Among the trials he faces are controlling his temper when dealing with his younger brother ("My mind says do one thing, my mouth says another"), avoiding dirt and starting school ("School seems so scary. School seems so strange. I'm only five. My whole world's going to change"). Curtis's singsong verse also focuses on some of the pluses of being five: though his brother is strapped into a stroller, the hero can walk by himself ("It's fun to be five! Big changes are here! My body's my car, and I'm licensed to steer") and school entails some entertaining activities ("At five I'm a worker—a bee among bees. I build things and grow things, say thank you and please"). Cornell's buoyant, teeming spreads and spot illustrations convey the boundless energy and changeable moods of this likeable five-year-old with on-target, hyperbolic humor. Though the narrative winds to a rather corny close, this cheerful book with its clever visual details will surely appeal to fans of the collaborators' earlier books as well as those looking for a reassuring, age-appropriate tale for the kindergartner in their lives. Ages 4-8.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1–This tongue-in-cheek look at what it feels like to be five will result in uproarious laughter from kids, smiles of recognition from parents, and a cause for pause for any adult involved in a youngster's care. The protagonist is aware of what he has been taught to say: " 'Would you ever so kindly please give me my wig back?'" but, "my mouth says, 'IT'S MINE!'" While waiting his turn on a car ride, the big brother's mind thinks, "It's been an hour and nine minutes. Might I have a smidge of a turn before we have to leave?" However, it comes out, " 'MOM!'" Splashy, vibrant colors capture the typical surroundings through all of the exaggerated, larger-than-life phases of growing up, while the childlike, handwritten text draws viewers right in to the full-page, familiar busyness. Self-control, starting school, and independence–they're all here. Whether read aloud, shared one-on-one, or read independently, giggles and laughter will abound.–Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

* Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Hardcover: 40 pages
* Publisher: Joanna Cotler (September 7, 2004)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0060080957
* ISBN-13: 978-0060080952
* Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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45 Reviews
5 star: 77% (35)
4 star: 6% (3)
3 star: 2% (1)
2 star: 4% (2)
1 star: 8% (4)

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4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)

Outliers: The Story of Success

2008-11-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Amazon Best of the Month, November 2008: Now that he's gotten us talking about the viral life of ideas and the power of gut reactions, Malcolm Gladwell poses a more provocative question in Outliers: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the "self-made man," he makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: "they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot." Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, "some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky."

Outliers can be enjoyed for its bits of trivia, like why most pro hockey players were born in January, how many hours of practice it takes to master a skill, why the descendents of Jewish immigrant garment workers became the most powerful lawyers in New York, how a pilots' culture impacts their crash record, how a centuries-old culture of rice farming helps Asian kids master math. But there's more to it than that. Throughout all of these examples--and in more that delve into the social benefits of lighter skin color, and the reasons for school achievement gaps--Gladwell invites conversations about the complex ways privilege manifests in our culture. He leaves us pondering the gifts of our own history, and how the world could benefit if more of our kids were granted the opportunities to fulfill their remarkable potential. --Mari Malcolm

From Publishers Weekly
SignatureReviewed by Leslie ChangIn Outliers, Gladwell (The Tipping Point) once again proves masterful in a genre he essentially pioneered—the book that illuminates secret patterns behind everyday phenomena. His gift for spotting an intriguing mystery, luring the reader in, then gradually revealing his lessons in lucid prose, is on vivid display. Outliers begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time. We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers. A detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession. Through case studies ranging from Canadian junior hockey champions to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, from Asian math whizzes to software entrepreneurs to the rise of his own family in Jamaica, Gladwell tears down the myth of individual merit to explore how culture, circumstance, timing, birth and luck account for success—and how historical legacies can hold others back despite ample individual gifts. Even as we know how many of these stories end, Gladwell restores the suspense and serendipity to these narratives that make them fresh and surprising.One hazard of this genre is glibness. In seeking to understand why Asian children score higher on math tests, Gladwell explores the persistence and painstaking labor required to cultivate rice as it has been done in East Asia for thousands of years; though fascinating in its details, the study does not prove that a rice-growing heritage explains math prowess, as Gladwell asserts. Another pitfall is the urge to state the obvious: No one, Gladwell concludes in a chapter comparing a high-IQ failure named Chris Langan with the brilliantly successful J. Robert Oppenheimer, not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone. But who in this day and age believes that a high intelligence quotient in itself promises success? In structuring his book against that assumption, Gladwell has set up a decidedly flimsy straw man. In the end it is the seemingly airtight nature of Gladwell's arguments that works against him. His conclusions are built almost exclusively on the findings of others—sociologists, psychologists, economists, historians—yet he rarely delves into the methodology behind those studies. And he is free to cherry-pick those cases that best illustrate his points; one is always left wondering about the data he evaluated and rejected because it did not support his argument, or perhaps contradicted it altogether. Real life is seldom as neat as it appears in a Malcolm Gladwell book. (Nov.)Leslie T. Chang is the author of Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China (Spiegel & Grau).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 320 pages
* Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 18, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0316017922
* ISBN-13: 978-0316017923
* Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
* Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

31 Reviews
5 star: 45% (14)
4 star: 32% (10)
3 star: 6% (2)
2 star: 3% (1)
1 star: 12% (4)

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3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

PHP: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

2008-11-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews
Product Description

Essential Skills--Made Easy!

Learn how to build dynamic, data-driven Web applications using PHP. Covering the latest release of this cross-platform, open-source scripting language, PHP: A Beginner's Guide teaches you how to write basic PHP programs and enhance them with more advanced features such as MySQL and SQLite database integration, XML input, and third-party extensions. This fast-paced tutorial provides one-stop coverage of software installation, language syntax and data structures, flow control routines, built-in functions, and best practices.

Designed for Easy Learning:

*
Key Skills & Concepts--Lists of specific skills covered in the chapter
*
Ask the Expert--Q&A sections filled with bonus information and helpful tips
*
Try This--Hands-on exercises that show how to apply your skills
*
Notes--Extra information related to the topic being covered
*
Tips--Helpful reminders or alternate ways of doing things
*
Cautions--Errors and pitfalls to avoid
*
Self-Tests--Chapter-ending quizzes to test your knowledge
*
Annotated Syntax--Example code with commentary that describes the programming techniques being illustrated

About the Author

Vikram Vaswani is the founder and CEO of Melonfire, a company specializing in software consultancy and content creation and syndication services. He is the author of PHP Programming Solutions, How to do Everything with PHP and MySQL, and MySQL: The Complete Reference. Vikram is the author of numerous well-received articles on open-source technologies (including Perl, Python, XML and the very popular PHP 101 series), all written with the goal of making complex technologies accessible and understandable to novice users. He has been developing software since 1995, was first introduced to PHP in 1998, and hasn't looked back since. Vikram is regular columnist with Zend Technologies (creators of PHP), as well as with IBM DeveloperWorks, CNET Builder.com, DevX.com and other OSS sites.
Product Details

* Paperback: 478 pages
* Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (October 2, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0071549013
* ISBN-13: 978-0071549011
* Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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Big Words for Little People

2008-11-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

I know some Big Words.
I'll teach them to you.
Although you are small,
you can use Big Words too.

Big Words aren't scary.
They're big fun to learn.
I was taught once
and now it's your turn.

Editorial Reviews

The eighth hilarious picture book by the #1 New York Times bestselling team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell helps little people communicate in a big person's world. With grown-up words like cooperate, respect, patience and considerate, a big, boisterous and zany family celebrates the power of language and discovers that words—big or little—are the bridge that connects us all.
About the Author

Jamie Lee Curtis loves big words but doesn't know how to spell many of them. She adores her family life, which includes the amazing Annie, the miraculous Tom and the hilarious and loving Christopher. She advocates for children around the world and appreciates her friends, family and colleagues. She lives in stunning and sunny southern California with her rotund dog, Frances.

A Look Inside Big Words for Little People (Click on Images to Enlarge)

"I Know Some Big Words..." "Perseverance Is to Try and to Try..."

Product Description

I know some Big Words.
I'll teach them to you.
Although you are small,
you can use Big Words too.

Big Words aren't scary.
They're big fun to learn.
I was taught once
and now it's your turn.

The eighth hilarious picture book by the #1 New York Times bestselling team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell helps little people communicate in a big person's world. With grown-up words like cooperate, respect, patience and considerate, a big, boisterous and zany family celebrates the power of language and discovers that words—big or little—are the bridge that connects us all.
--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

* Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Hardcover: 40 pages
* Publisher: Joanna Cotler (September 9, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0061127590
* ISBN-13: 978-0061127595
* Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
* Average Customer Review:

40 Reviews
5 star: 82% (33)
4 star: 10% (4)
3 star: 5% (2)
2 star: 2% (1)
1 star: (0)

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4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

2008-11-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As featured on The Martha Stewart Show and The Today Show and in People Magazine!

Hip. Cool. Fashion-forward. These aren’t adjectives you’d ordinarily think of applying to baked goods.

Think again. Not every baker wants to re-create Grandma’s pound cake or cherry pie. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito certainly didn’t, when they left their advertising careers behind, pooled their life savings, and opened their dream bakery, Baked, in Brooklyn, New York, a few years back. The visions that danced in their heads were of other, brand-new kinds of confections . . .

Things like a Malt Ball Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting, which captures the flavor of their favorite Whoppers candies (and ups the ante with a malted milk ball garnish). Things like spicy Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits that really wake up your taste buds at breakfast time. Things like a Sweet and Salty Cake created expressly for adults who are as salt-craving ?as they are sweet-toothed.

Which is not to say that Lewis and Poliafito sidestep tradition absolutely. Their Chocolate Pie (whose filling uses Ovaltine) pays loving homage to the classic roadside-diner dessert. Their Baked Brownies will wow even the most discriminating brownie connoisseur. And their Chocolate Chip Cookies? Words cannot describe. Whether trendsetting or tried-and-true, every idea in this book is freshly Baked.

About the Author

After years in the advertising business, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito decided to leave their day jobs and open a bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Baked opened in January 2005 to instant rave reviews. The authors have been featured on Oprah, the Food Network, Martha Stewart’s daytime show, and the Today show. The bakery has been reviewed in countless magazines, both local and nationwide. Lewis and Poliafito live in New York City.

Tina Rupp is a New York–based photographer who specializes in photographing food and children. Her work can be found regularly in Food & Wine, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Parenting magazines.
Product Details

* Hardcover: 208 pages
* Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (October 1, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1584797215
* ISBN-13: 978-1584797210
* Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9 x 1.2 inches
* Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Serena: A Novel

2008-11-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains--but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.

Rash's masterful balance of violence and beauty yields a riveting novel that, at its core, tells of love both honored and betrayed.

The Gift of Silence: An Essay by Ron Rash

When readers ask how I came to be a writer, I usually mention several influences: my parents’ teaching by example the importance of reading; a grandfather who, though illiterate, was a wonderful storyteller; and, as I grew older, an awareness that my region had produced an inordinate number of excellent writers and that I might find a place in that tradition. Nevertheless, I believe what most made me a writer was my early difficulty with language.

My mother tells me that certain words were impossible for me to pronounce, especially those with j’s and g’s. Those hard consonants were like tripwires in my mouth, causing me to stumble over words such as “jungle” and “generous.” My parents hoped I would grow out of this problem, but by the time I was five, I’d made no improvement. There was no speech therapist in the county, but one did drive in from the closest city once a week.

That once a week was a Saturday morning at the local high school. For an hour the therapist worked with me. I don’t remember much of what we did in those sessions, except that several times she held my hands to her face as she pronounced a word. I do remember how large and empty the classroom seemed with just the two of us in it, and how small I felt sitting in a desk made for teenagers.

I improved, enough so that by summer’s end the therapist said I needed no further sessions. I still had trouble with certain words (one that bedevils me even today is “gesture”), but not enough that when I entered first grade my classmates and teacher appeared to notice. Nevertheless, certain habits of silence had taken hold. It was not just self-consciousness. Even before my sessions with the speech therapist, I had convinced myself that if I listened attentively enough to others my own tongue would be able to mimic their words. So I listened more than I spoke. I became comfortable with silence, and, not surprisingly, spent a lot of time alone wandering nearby woods and creeks. I entertained myself with stories I made up, transporting myself into different places, different selves. I was in training to be a writer, though of course at that time I had yet to write more than my name.

Yet my most vivid memory of that summer is not the Saturday morning sessions at the high school but one night at my grandmother’s farmhouse. After dinner, my parents, grandmother and several other older relatives gathered on the front porch. I sat on the steps as the night slowly enveloped us, listening intently as their tongues set free words I could not master. Then it appeared. A bright-green moth big as an adult’s hand fluttered over my head and onto the porch, drawn by the light filtering through the screen door. The grown-ups quit talking as it brushed against the screen, circled overhead, and disappeared back into the night. It was a luna moth, I learned later, but in my mind that night it became indelibly connected to the way I viewed language--something magical that I grasped at but that was just out of reach.

In first grade, I began learning that loops and lines made from lead and ink could be as communicative as sound. Now, almost five decades later, language, spoken or written, is no longer out of reach, but it remains just as magical as that bright-green moth. What writer would wish it otherwise.

From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Ron Charles Serena, the Lady Macbeth of Ron Rash's stirring new novel, wouldn't fret about getting out the damned spot. She wouldn't even wash her hands; she'd just lick it off. I couldn't take my eyes off this villainess, and any character who does ends up dead. Alluring and repellant, she's the engine in a gothic tale of personal mayhem and environmental destruction set in the mountains of North Carolina during the Depression. We meet her as the new bride of a timber baron arriving to survey 34,000 acres of virgin land that she and her husband, Pemberton, hope to strip as quickly as possible. The other investors don't bring their wives into the mountains like this, but Serena is no ordinary wife. At the start of the novel, the newlyweds are intercepted at the train station by the father of a pregnant 16-year-old girl. Pemberton can't even remember her name, but he doesn't doubt she's carrying his baby; Serena is unfazed. "You're a lucky man," she tells the girl's father, who's seething with drunken rage. "You'll not find a better sire to breed her with." Then she turns to the girl: "But that's the only one you'll have of his. I'm here now." Yikes, is she ever. Wearing her leather jodhpurs and black boots, she strides through the story that follows with frightening self-confidence. She speaks with unquestioned authority to Pemberton's employees, rough-hewn men who've lived in these isolated hills for generations. The orphaned daughter of a wealthy timber man in Colorado, she immediately impresses even the most skeptical lumberjacks with her shrewd knowledge of the business. She can calculate board feet just by glancing at a towering tree, and though she attended finishing school in New England, she prefers the Spartan accommodations of her husband's Appalachian camp. "Money freed to buy more timber tracts," she reassures him. Drill, baby, drill! Rash portrays them as the perfect power couple, not a match made in heaven, perhaps, but someplace much lower. "Their meeting wasn't mere good fortune," Serena insists, "but inevitability." A strapping, commanding man of 27, Pemberton is thrilled to have found a woman so in tune with his spirit, even if she sometimes pushes him toward actions more deadly than prudent. Nothing heats up their bed more than rubbing out a too-cautious investor or a potential opponent. Holding Serena in his arms, feeling her "severe keenness," he's filled with "a sense of being unshackled into some limitless possibility." Serena is a blazing expansion of a short story in Rash's 2007 collection, Chemistry. Among other things, the longer form gives Rash room to set the ambitions of this rapacious couple against a seminal moment in the environmental movement. Even as Pemberton and Serena dream of denuding every mountain in Appalachia, the secretary of the interior, with backing from John D. Rockefeller, is aggressively buying up and seizing property for the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Owners like Pemberton could make a fortune by raping the land before they lost or sold it to the government. Rash gracefully folds this history into his fictional drama and includes several other real-life figures, such as the nature writer Horace Kephart. The political battle that rumbles in the background of the novel is all too sadly reminiscent of the one we're still fighting over vast tracts of untouched land. Rash, who teaches Appalachian cultural studies at Western Carolina University, constantly reminds us of what's at stake: "As the crews moved forward," he writes, "they left behind an ever-widening wasteland of stumps and slash, brown clogged creeks awash with dead trout. . . . The valley and ridges resembled the skinned hide of some huge animal." But Rash's description of the laborers is filled with awe for the hellish conditions they endure, working six 11-hour shifts a week, in all weather. When winter arrives, frostbite is a fair trade for snakebites. In startling, brief scenes, we see men sliced, impaled, drowned and crushed. "Some used cocaine to keep going and stay alert," he writes, "because once the cutting began a man had to watch for axe blades glancing off trees and saw teeth grabbing a knee and the tongs on the cable swinging free or the cable snapping. . . . If you could gather up all the severed body parts and sew them together, you'd gain an extra worker every month." As the Depression grinds on, though, there are always cheap, willing replacements. In addition to writing short stories, Rash is also a fine poet, and he brings a poet's concision and elliptical tendencies to this novel. As a result, these scenes and conversations constantly suggest more than they show, a technique that renders them alluring, sometimes erotic, often frightening. And his restraint is a necessity to keep this gothic tale from slipping into campiness. That's a real danger when you've got a beautiful murderess striding around the forest with a pet eagle on her wrist and a one-armed goon at her side. Frankly, it's sometimes difficult to catch the author's tone in these passages; the book seems deadly serious, but there are moments -- the bizarre battle between Serena's eagle and a komodo dragon, for instance -- when one suspects that Rash is rolling his eyes, too. But this is the challenge of the gothic novel: managing the accretion of excesses in a way that doesn't break the spell. The blind hag who delivers prophesies to the lumbermen, the insane preacher who warns of impending doom, even the portentous eclipse of the moon -- all these details rise up just right. The only weakness may be Serena herself; as her ambitions begin to outpace her husband's, I couldn't help feeling that she was shrinking toward a caricature of evil. But by then, it's too hypnotic to break away from. Innocent people are in peril, and calamity seems as unstoppable as the millions of board feet Pemberton's men send surging down the river. And the final chapter is as flawless and captivating as anything I've read this year, a perfectly creepy shock that will leave you hearing nothing but the wind between the stumps.
Copyright 2008, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

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Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Ecco; 1 edition (October 7, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061470856
ISBN-13: 978-0061470851
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

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The American Journey of Barack Obama

2008-11-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

"The phenomenon that is Barack Obama has intrigued us all. Who is Barack Obama? The editors of LIFE have gone a very long way toward helping us all answer this question. Senator Obama's singularly American life has been characterized by tragedy and triumph, drama and despair, anxiety and anticipation, and, ultimately, enormous excitement and the deepest historical significance. In this book, Obama's tale is told in all of its dimensions, from the mistakes he has made and the obstacles he has confronted and overcome, to his moments of almost sublime and glorious transcendence. With spectacular photographs--funny, surprising,exceptional in detail--combined with a highly readable narrative, Obama's biography comes to life, from his youth in Hawaii to his roots in Africa, from Harvard to Chicago and, eventually, to his life as a public servant in Washington. Who is Barack Obama? Read these compelling words and study these exceptionally candid and beautiful photographs and discover the answer for yourself." (Henry Louis Gates, Jr. )

Product Description
For decades Americans have turned to LIFE to see, understand, and remember the most important events and people of our time. Just as LIFE once opened up the glittering Kennedy White House, LIFE now focuses its lens on Barack Obama. The American Journey of Barack Obama covers the candidate from his childhood and adolescence to his time as editor of The Harvard Law Review and his Chicago activist years, culminating with the excitement and fervor of the historic 2008 Democratic National Convention. The unfolding drama of Obama's life and political career is cinematic in scope, and never has it been presented so compellingly. In addition to a powerful array of photographs that were taken by many of the country's greatest photographers (and some that were snapped, in the quiet moments, by Obama family members themselves), this book also includes a Foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an incisive narrative biography and original essays by some of our finest writers, including Gay Talese, Charles Johnson, Melissa Fay Greene, Andrei Codrescu, Fay Weldon, Richard Norton Smith, Bob Greene and several others. Many readers will find a new understanding of Obama. All readers will feel that they are bearing witness to a singular, undeniably American story.

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* Hardcover: 176 pages
* Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 7, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0316045608
* ISBN-13: 978-0316045605
* Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches
* Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Michelle: A Biography

2008-11-19T20:47:00.001-08:00

Product Description

She can be funny and sharp-tongued, warm and blunt, empathic and demanding. Who is the woman Barack Obama calls "the boss"? In Michelle, Washington Post writer Liza Mundy paints a revealing and intimate portrait, taking us inside the marriage of the most dynamic couple in politics today. She shows how well they complement each other: Michelle, the highly organized, sometimes intimidating, list-making pragmatist; Barack, the introspective political charmer who won't pick up his socks but shoots for the stars. Their relationship, like those of many couples with two careers and two children, has been so strained at times that he has had to persuade her to support his climb up the political ladder. And you can't blame her for occasionally regretting it: In this campaign, it is Michelle who has absorbed much of the skepticism from voters about Obama. One conservative magazine put her on the cover under the headline "Mrs. Grievance."

Michelle's story carries with it all the extraordinary achievements and lingering pain of America in the post-civil rights era. She grew up on the south side of Chicago, the daughter of a city worker and a stay-at-home mom in a neighborhood rocked by white flight. She was admitted to Princeton amid an angry debate about affirmative action and went on to Harvard Law School, where she was more comfortable doing pro-bono work for the poor than gunning for awards with the rest of her peers. She became a corporate lawyer, then left to train community leaders. She is modern in her tastes but likes to watch reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Brady Bunch.

In this carefully reported biography, drawing upon interviews with more than one hundred people, including one with Michelle herself, Mundy captures the complexity of this remarkable woman and the remarkable life she has lived.

About the Author
Liza Mundy is a staff writer at The Washington Post, where for more than ten years she has covered politics, popular culture, and women's issues. She is a regular contributor to the online magazine Slate and participates in their women's blog, XX Factor. She has also written for Lingua Franca, Redbook, Mother Jones, Washington City Paper, and Washington Monthly. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, Mark Bradley, and their two children, Anna and Robin.

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Product Details

* Hardcover: 224 pages
* Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Simon & Schuster Hardcover Ed edition (October 7, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1416599436
* ISBN-13: 978-1416599432
* Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
* Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

Michelle: A Biography

2008-11-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

The Host: A Novel

2008-11-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series. --Mari Malcolm

From Publishers Weekly
In this tantalizing SF thriller, planet-hopping parasites are inserting their silvery centipede selves into human brains, curing cancer, eliminating war and turning Earth into paradise. But some people want Earth back, warts and all, especially Melanie Stryder, who refuses to surrender, even after being captured in Chicago and becoming a host for a soul called Wanderer. Melanie uses her surviving brain cells to persuade Wanderer to help search for her loved ones in the Arizona desert. When the pair find Melanie's brother and her boyfriend in a hidden rebel cell led by her uncle, Wanderer is at first hated. Once the rebels accept Wanderer, whom they dub Wanda, Wanda's whole perspective on humanity changes. While the straightforward narrative is short on detail about the invasion and its stunning aftermath, it shines with romantic intrigue, especially when a love triangle (or quadrangle?!) develops for Wanda/Melanie. 10-city author tour. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

2008-11-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Sedaris's sparkling essays always shimmer more brightly when read aloud by the author. And his expert timing, mimicry and droll asides are never more polished than during live performances in front of an audience. Happily, four of the 22 pieces are live recordings, and listeners can hear Sedaris's energy increase from the roaring, rolling laughter of the appreciative audience. Sedaris's studio recording of his 10-page Of Mice and Men runs 16 minutes, while the live recording of Town and Country, which runs the same length in print, expands to 22 minutes thanks to an audience that often doesn't let him finish a sentence without making him pause for laughter to subside.

The studio recordings usually begin with an acoustic bass and brief sound effect (a buzzing fly, the lighting of a cigarette, the clinking of ice in a drink, etc.). Sedaris's brilliant magnum opus, The Smoking Section (about his successful trip to Tokyo is quit smoking) stretches across the final two CDs. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 28). (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From AudioFile
In David Sedaris's excellent latest collection, cringe-worthy moments follow on the heels of laugh-out-loud ones--you may never buy another pair of thrift-store pants, for example, and that's only the beginning. The stories jump back and forth in time and locale--Sedaris is in middle school, in college, in his grown, professional life; now North Carolina, now New York, now Normandy. The constant is Sedaris's narration, and that's why his delivery works so well with his words--every absurdity is made more believable (if not more palatable) thanks to his steady reading. He sounds incredulous and world-weary all at the same time. Death may be a recurring theme in these essays, but listeners will chuckle helplessly all the same. Track listings with titles are helpfully printed on the CDs, so it's easy to go back and find favorites again. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

The Best Book on the Market: How to stop worrying and love the free economy

2008-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

"…Chancellor Geoffrey Howe…has endorsed a new tome by Adam Smith Institute boss Eamonn Butler on the power of free markets." (The Evening Standard, Monday 31st March 2008)

"…Chancellor Geoffrey Howe…has endorsed a new tome by Adam Smith Institute boss Eamonn Butler on the power of free markets." (The Evening Standard, Monday 31st March 2008)
"...well written...full of rather good anecdotes about markets" (Dr Grumble Blog, September 26, 2008)
"The best book on markets ever! Buy this book or sink in the global economy!" TheMarketingHouse.org Monday 30 June 2008 "Eamonn Butler takes the reader on a tour de force around the realities of markets, providing practical guidance". AdamSmithsLostLegacy.com Monday 2 June 2008 "...a very interesting read and a great introduction for anyone who wants an insight into the market economy." BBC's Working Lunch online "A provocative read." Total Politics August 2008 "Ideal for general readers, the book uses everyday examples and addresses social issues such as sweatshops and fair trade."Moneywise June 2008 "Witty and easy to understand, it challenges the mathematic, quasi-scientific way that economics is often taught"InvisibleHand.nl Friday 25 April 2008 "Anything which educates the public and politicians...on how the free economy actually works...is always welcome. Dr. Butler does this in style." Atlasusa.org Thursday 10 April 2008 "Anything which educates the public and politicians...on how the free economy actually works...is always welcome. Dr. Butler does this in style." Atlasusa.org Thursday 10 April 2008

Product Description
The free market makes the world go around. Maybe it’s time we all tried to understand it a little better. Luckily Eamonn Butler is the ideal teacher to get us all up to speed.

Markets are everywhere. But how many of us understand how they work, and why? What does a ‘free market’ really mean? Do free markets actually exist? Should we have more or less of them? Most of all – do we really need to know all this? Answer: Yes we do.

MAKING ECONOMICS SIMPLE SO THAT EVEN POLITICIANS CAN UNDERSTAND IT

If any mention of free markets sends your mind screaming back to your musty old school economics textbook, think again. The Best Book on the Market will keep you gripped, intrigued and well informed. Abandoning complicated mumbo-jumbo, Eamonn Butler, Director of the UK’s leading free market think-tank, demystifies the world of markets, competition, monopolies and cartels, prices and overspills. Using examples from our everyday lives Dr Butler explains how the markets we have, and the many more we need, can work to create a richer, freer and more peaceful world.

STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE FREE ECONOMY

He delves into the morality of markets and interrogates important issues such as why feckless rock-stars are paid much more than worthy nurses; whether we should worry about people trading in arms, water, healthcare etc; whether black markets are immoral; and questions of equality; sweatshops, and fair trade.
“This book is about the free market and how unfree it can be when there is a lack of belief in freedom itself. Eamonn Butler presents solid arguments against government attempts to ‘perfect’ the markets by regulation, controls, subsidies, or by adopting measures which obstruct competition and private ownership.”

The Best Seller!: The New Psychology of Selling and Persuading People

2008-11-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

THE BEST SELLER is an easy reading book, I use it to train our new sales people. Ron Willingham's insight and wit make this the primer of all sales training books. If you have some one that needs to understand the sales process before you send them out into the world, this IS the book for them(and you)!

The Best Seller really should be! I have been reading and re-reading this book for the last 2 months. I am following his direction (as best I can) and I feel like it is begining to work. The book is well written and gets you motivated for anouther day. I am a self-employed rock sculptor, with a fairly limited sales background. I know my product well but I didn't know how to speak to people well. Ron takes you through step by step. I read it over and over and do the exercises. I plan to keep doing it for the next year. Don't buy this book if you are just looking for some good reading. Buy this book if you want to commit to succeed, and work on it long enough to do it. Thanks Mr Willingham! I am going to buy anouther of your books!

Graves in the Wilderness

2008-11-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

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Texas, 1850's: Diego, born N'kawa to a family of Karankawa natives, is facing near death. His entire clan, ambushed by a merciless mob of Comanche aggressors, has been heartlessly exterminated, and, as the sole remaining survivor, he is suddenly face-to-face with the bloodthirsty wrath of his pursuers...

Out of nowhere, a group of ranchers led by Mac Campbell happen upon the scene of the slaughter, fortuitously dispatching of the Comanche warriors, the last one of which is slain by the young upstart, Piper, Mac's son. Diego initially refuses assistance from the ranchers in burying his family and comrades, but he soon makes his way to the family ranch in Argyll, ultimately being adopted by the Campbells and becoming the honorary half-brother of Piper himself.

The bond between the two young men strengthens considerably, keeping each one sane throughout the coming trials and tribulations: the ravages of the Civil War, the torrid instability that follows, and the eventual deaths of every other member of the Campbell clan. Before long, Piper and Diego resolve to escape the confines of their sorrows and venture out into the world, visiting lands they've never seen and embarking on adventures long dreamed.

Settling in a still-developing Australia, the brothers soon find themselves in the midst of yet another tumultuous time, but even with their combined wisdom and experience, neither is prepared for the tragedy and heartbreak soon to come...

Graves In The Wilderness is a touching tale of loyalty and triumph over adversity. An enthralling read, Gordon does a superb job of compacting a very action-packed, fast-paced read within the greater framework of a engaging, sentimental narrative. Furthermore, his knowledge of historical events and indigenous culture are more than impressive.

Graves's most salient attribute: the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Despite their losses of family and possessions, Piper and Diego never succumb to bitterness or hate, but instead remained committed to continuing to help the less fortunate, even at the cost of their own lives. Such gallantry is a rare find in any day and age, so Gordon's depictions of it in the embodiments of the Campbell brothers is both welcoming and refreshing.

Graves In The Wilderness is a highly recommended read for fans of good old fashioned historical dramas - and, if you're not already a fan, this book will surely make you a new convert.

Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies

2008-11-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

From Booklist Halliwell's has been a reference brand name for more than 40 years. This guide, a British publication, revised and replaced the familiar Halliwell's Filmgoer's Companion and provides entries on actors, directors, producers, writers, and others involved in making movies. More than 13,000 individuals are listed, and entries contain, at minimum, personal dates, a brief descriptive phrase ("Australian leading actress"), and a chronological listing of films (with significant films italicized) and notable appearances in television series. Some entries may contain fuller biographical information, a quote, and commentary; that for Daniel Craig notes his elevation to 007 status and says, "The release of Casino Royale will tell whether it was a wise choice or a misstep in the manner of George Lazenby." Appendixes house material that was once part of the main A-Z arrangement in Filmgoer's Companion, such as entries for "Movie Remakes, Series, Themes and Genres"; a glossary of technical and critical terms; a somewhat random and not consistently up-to-date survey of national cinemas; and lists of award winners.

Product Description

Now in its 15th edition, this classic movie reference, formerly known as The Filmgoer's Companion, has informed and delighted film fans for more than thirty years. Opinionated, witty, and packed with more information per square inch than any other film guide, Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies is as wonderfully unclassifiable as it is impossible to put down.

Who's Who remains a treasure trove of information on who's who and what's what in the movies. Its more than 12,000 entries illuminate the stars of yesterday and today as well as the bit players and character actors, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, composers, and all the other talent involved in making movies. You'll find sections on movie sequels, series, and remakes; themes and genres; technical terms; studios and production companies; cinema around the world; year-by-year listings of Oscar winners and other major awards; and a brief history of the movies from Chaplin to Carrey, Garbo to Kidman, Capra to Cameron.

This updated edition features hundreds of new entries and offers scores of "quotable quotes," ranging from the revealing to the revolting; in addition to being exceedingly entertaining, they add a human dimension missing from every other guide to film facts and figures. Upholding the outstanding tradition of Leslie Halliwell, editor John Walker delivers the lively humor and keen insight that have always been the hallmarks of Halliwell's.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Trait

2008-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, October 2008: With the publication of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume I back in 2006, M.T. Anderson assured readers that his gripping account of the American Revolution from the perspective of a young slave in colonial Boston would continue. Volume I received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and the anticipation among critics and readers inevitably grew for the story to continue. Thankfully, Anderson is a man of his word. With The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves Anderson has not just delivered an equally haunting second and final act to his hero's story, he's also completed a literary masterpiece that simply blows away its limited categorization as Young Adult lit. Octavian II engages the reader (teenaged or otherwise) to reimagine the birth of the nation from an unfamiliar perspective--that of an African American slave compelled by incredible circumstance, and the hope of freedom, to fight in a counterrevolutionary army. No less than David McCullough and Joseph Ellis, Anderson turns everything you thought you knew about American history sideways. Through his expert incorporation of historical detail and colonial-era voice, the novel transports us deep into the perilous military and moral battles that defined the American Revolution. That these historical conflicts continue to inform today's charged debates about national identity and purpose makes his novels all the more relevant and powerful. --Lauren Nemroff

Read a Letter from the Author on What Inspired The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing
(CLICK on Image to Enlarge)

Product Description
Volume II of the National Book Award Winner and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller — a stunning resolution to the epic tale that "fascinates, appalls,
condemns, and enthralls."

Fearing a death sentence, Octavian and his tutor, Dr. Trefusis, escape through rising tides and pouring rain to find shelter in British-occupied Boston. Sundered from all he knows — the College of Lucidity, the rebel cause — Octavian hopes to find safe harbor. Instead, he is soon to learn of Lord Dunmore's proclamation offering freedom to slaves who join the counterrevolutionary forces.

In Volume II of his unparalleled masterwork, M. T. Anderson recounts Octavian's experiences as the Revolutionary War explodes around him, thrusting him into intense battles and tantalizing him with elusive visions of liberty. Ultimately, this astonishing narrative escalates to a startling, deeply satisfying climax, while reexamining our national origins in a singularly provocative light.

Six Geese A-Slaying (Meg Langslow Mysteries)

2008-10-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Meg and Michael’s house is serving as the marshaling point for the annual Caerphilly Christmas parade. The theme is “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” and it features twelve drummers from the school marching band, eleven bagpipers, ten leaping lords costumed in medieval finery from the college drama department, etc. There are also assorted Christmas-themed floats, a live nativity scene on a flatbed truck, the Three Wise Men on Caerphilly zoo camels, and Santa Claus in a bright red horse-drawn sleigh (eight reindeer were beyond the zoo’s scope).

Meg has been volunteered to organize the parade, which is to proceed from her house to the local campus, where Santa will take up residence to hear the Christmas wishes of the town’s children. Of course, getting all the camels, pipers, leapers, and drummers in order is proving every bit as difficult as Meg feared it would be. Then her nephew Eric, wide-eyed and ashen-faced, whispers, “Meg, something’s wrong with Santa.”

The local curmudgeon, whose beard and belly made him a natural for the role, has been murdered. Now Meg and Chief Burke, who is playing one of the wise men, are faced with the two-fold mission of solving the murder and saving Christmas!

Readers can look forward to another zany Meg Langslow mystery---this one filled with outrageous Christmas spirit…and mayhem.

About the Author

Donna Andrews has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry awards, a Romantic Times award for best first novel, and a Lefty for funniest mystery. She spends her free time gardening at her home in Reston, Virginia.

Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man

2008-10-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

"Mr. President if you had let these guys run this war it would have been over by now. Read this book now, all of you. [Kill Bin Laden is] the best book ever written by a special operations insider. This guy Fury’s men are the real-deal Delta Force operators. You need to know what happened at Tora Bora, and this great book will tell you." --Colonel David Hunt, U.S. Army (Ret.), New York Times bestselling author of They Just Don’t Get It and On The Hunt, and FOX News Special Ops and Counterterrorism Analyst "Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta is without doubt one of the most fearsome military units ever assembled, with many camp followers seeking with only limited success to record its deeds. There is only one way to know what really happened in any Delta mission, and that is to be there. Delta officer Dalton Fury didn't just take part in the battle of Tora Bora, he commanded all the special operations troops, both U.S. and British, who were there. Kill Bin Laden is a proud, riveting, warts-and-all account of that battle, one of the most important special operations missions of all time." --Michael Smith, author of KILLER ELITE: The Inside Story of America’s Most Secret Special Operations Team “An important, must-read book about real warriors. A story that so positively reflects what on-the-ground decision making, professional acceptance of risk, and maximizing interagency cooperation can do. Dalton Fury shows us with amazing detail and insight what highly trained and motivated special operators can accomplish successfully in combat out of all proportion to their numbers.” --Cofer Black, former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's Counter Terrorist Center

Product Description

The mission was to kill the most wanted man in the world--an operation of such magnitude that it couldn’t be handled by just any military or intelligence force. The best America had to offer was needed. As such, the task was handed to roughly forty members of America’s supersecret counterterrorist unit formerly known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta; more popularly, the elite and mysterious unit Delta Force.
The American generals were flexible. A swatch of hair, a drop of blood, or simply a severed finger wrapped in plastic would be sufficient. Delta's orders were to go into harm's way and prove to the world bin Laden had been terminated.
These Delta warriors had help: a dozen of the British Queen’s elite commandos, another dozen or so Army Green Berets, and six intelligence operatives from the CIA who laid the groundwork by providing cash, guns, bullets, intelligence, and interrogation skills to this clandestine military force. Together, this team waged modern siege of epic proportions against bin Laden and his seemingly impenetrable cave sanctuary burrowed deep inside the Spin Ghar Mountain range in eastern Afghanistan.
Over the years, since the battle ended, scores of news stories have surfaced offering tidbits of information about what actually happened in Tora Bora. Most of it is conjecture and speculation.
This is the real story of the operation, the first eyewitness account of the Battle of Tora Bora, and the first book to detail just how close Delta Force came to capturing bin Laden, how close U.S. bombers and fighter aircraft came to killing him, and exactly why he slipped through our fingers. Lastly, this is an extremely rare inside look at the shadowy world of Delta Force and a detailed account of these warriors in battle.

A Spoonful of Poison (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, No. 19)

2008-10-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Weekly
When elderly Mrs. Andrews blithely jumps to her death off the tower of Saint Odo the Severe during a church charity event in the Cotswolds village of Comfrey Magna, LSD-laced jam proves to be the cause in bestseller Beaton's saucy 19th Agatha Raisin mystery (after 2007's Kissing Christmas Goodbye). Agatha joins the local authorities in the investigation, which focuses on the six women who contributed jam to the church fete, including wealthy Sybilla Triast-Perkins. Agatha and Toni Gilmour, her young detective-in-training, soon find unmasking the lethal jam poisoner complicated by Sybilla's sudden suicide and a murder connected to the theft of the fete's proceeds. Beaton's sly humor enhances the cozy-style plotting, while updates on Agatha's and Toni's respective romantic travails are delightful as ever. The open-ended resolution points to more madcap mayhem to come. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Acclaim for M. C. Beaton and Agatha Raisin:

“Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery.” ---The Tampa Tribune

“[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in. She’s wonderful.” ---St. Petersburg Times

“Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha.” ---Chicago Sun-Times

“Anyone interested in...intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin.” ---The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“M. C. Beaton has a foolproof plot for the village mystery.” ---The New York Times Book Review

“[M. C. Beaton] is Britain’s successor to Dame Agatha Christie. If you’ve never read an Agatha Raisin novel, it’s time to start.... All of them are cunningly plotted, beautifully written, and more fun than you can imagine.” ---The Globe and Mail

“Outwardly bossy and vain, inwardly insecure and vulnerable, Agatha grows more endearing with each installment.” ---The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series just about defines the British cozy.” ---Booklist

Ghost at Work (Bailey Ruth Mysteries, No. 1) (Hardcover)

2008-10-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Bailey Ruth Raeburn has always been great at solving mysteries. Why should a little thing like her death change anything? In fact, being dead gives her more of an opportunity to be on top of events. Bailey Ruth is delighted that her unique position as a ghost makes it possible for her to lend a helping hand, sometimes seen and sometimes not. And if anybody needs a little help, it's Kathleen, the pastor's wife. There's a dead man on her porch, and once the body is discovered, the pastor is sure to become a suspect.

Uncharitable people might call it meddling, but Bailey Ruth knows Kathleen needs her help! As a member of Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, Bailey Ruth goes back to earth to extricate Kathleen from a dire situation. If Bailey Ruth has to bend a few rules to help Kathleen save her family, Wiggins, her fussbudget supervisor, will make sure it all turns out right in the end.

About the Author

An accomplished master of mystery, Carolyn Hart is the author of more than forty books, including eighteen Death on Demand novels. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. She is also the creator of the highly praised Henrie O series. One of the founders of Sisters in Crime, Hart lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Product Details

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (October 21, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060874368
ISBN-13: 978-0060874360
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches

Death Swatch: A Scrapbooking Mystery (Scrapbooking Mysteries) (Hardcover)

2008-10-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A murder in the midst of Mardi Gras propels Childs's enjoyable sixth Scrapbooking mystery (after 2007's Frill Kill). Carmela Bertrand, the owner of the New Orleans scrapbook shop Memory Mine, and her best friend, Ava Gruiex, are eager to begin the festivities with a party hosted by their float designer pal, Jekyl Hardy. But the discovery of the garroted Archie Baudier, Jekyl's assistant, puts a damper on the fun. In their efforts to solve the murder, Carmela and Ava encounter a host of eccentric characters, including a sullen Russian, a rare coin dealer, a meek curator of the local historical society and all manner of costumed party-goers. Carmela, in the process of a divorce, also meets dapper police lieutenant Edgar Babcock, who might be unappreciative of her investigative efforts but provides some romantic heat. Glossing over the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Childs paints a picture of New Orleans sure to appeal to cozy fans. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Murder comes to Mardi Gras! The seventh in the popular series—including scrapbooking tips.

Jekyl Hardy is hosting a Mardi Gras party in his French Quarter apartment, amid Zydeco rhythms and popping champagne corks. On a wild night like this, anything can happen. The guests—including scrapbook-store owner Carmela Bertrand—never imagine it will be murder. But as the evening progresses, Jekyl’s neighbor, float designer Archie Baudier, is found on the balcony choked to death with a barbed wire garrote. Buried up to her neck in strange clues, Carmela is sure of only one thing: whoever killed Archie is now following her— straight into the madness of Mardi Gras.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; 1 edition (September 2, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425224783
ISBN-13: 978-0425224786
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches