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The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards
by William J. BroadA lead science writer for The New York Times—and lifelong yoga practitioner—examines centuries of history and research to scrutinize the claims made about yoga for health, fitness, emotional wellbeing, sex, weight loss, healing, and creativity. He reveals what is real and what is illusory, in the process exposing moves that can harm or even kill. A New York Times bestseller.The Science of Yoga draws on more than a century of painstaking research to present the first impartial evaluation of a practice thousands of years old. It celebrates what’s real and shows what’s illusory, describes what’s uplifting and beneficial and what’s flaky and dangerous—and why. Broad unveils a burgeoning global industry that attracts not only curious scientists but true believers and charismatic hustlers. He shatters myths, lays out unexpected benefits, and offers a compelling vision of how the ancient practice can be improved.
Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash
by Eric Bischoff Jeremy RobertsEric Bischoff has been called pro wrestling's most hated man. He's been booed, reviled, and burned in effigy. Fans have hurled everything from beer bottles to fists at him. Industry critics have spewed a tremendous amount of venom about his spectacular rise and stupendous crash at World Championship Wrestling. But even today, Eric Bischoff's revolutionary influence on the pro wrestling industry can be seen on every television show and at every live event. Bischoff has kept quiet while industry "pundits" and other know-it-alls pontificated about what happened during the infamous Monday Night Wars. Basing their accounts on third- and fourth-hand rumors and innuendo, the so-called experts got many more things wrong than right. Now, in Controversy Creates Cash, Bischoff tells what really happened. Beginning with his days as a salesman for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, Bischoff takes readers behind the scenes of wrestling, writing about the inner workings of the business in a way never before revealed. He demonstrates how controversy helped both WCW and WWE. Eric gives the real numbers behind WCW's red ink -- far lower than reported -- and talks about how Turner Broadcasting's merger with Time Warner, and then Time Warner's merger with AOL, devastated not only WCW but many creative and entrepreneurial businesses within the conglomerate. Bischoff has surprisingly kind words for old rivals like Vince McMahon, but pulls no punches with friends and enemies alike. Among his revelations: How teaming with Mickey Mouse turned WCW into a national brand. Why Hulk Hogan came to WCW. Why he fired Jesse Ventura for sleeping on the job. Why Steve Austin didn't deserve another contract at WCW, and how Bischoff's canning him was the best thing that ever happened to Austin. How Ted Turner decided WCW should go head-to-head against Raw on Monday nights. How Nitro revolutionized wrestling. Where the New World Order really began. How corporate politics killed WCW. And how he found his inner heel and learned to love being the guy everyone loves to despise. Bischoff brings a surprisingly personal touch to the story, detailing his rough-and-tumble childhood in Detroit, talking about his family and the things he did to cope with the stress of the high-octane media business. Now a successful entertainment producer as well as a wrestling personality, Bischoff tells how he found contentment after being unceremoniously "sent home" from WCW. Love him or hate him, readers will never look at a pro wrestling show quite the same way after reading Bischoff's story in Controversy Creates Cash.
Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing
by Pete DavisA profoundly inspiring and transformative argument that purposeful commitment and civic engagement can be a powerful force in today&’s age of restlessness and indecision.Most of us have had this experience: browsing through countless options on Netflix, unable to commit to watching any given movie—and losing so much time skimming reviews and considering trailers that it&’s too late to watch anything at all. In a book inspired by an idea first articulated in a viral commencement address, Pete Davis argues that this is the defining characteristic of the moment: keeping our options open. We are stuck in &“Infinite Browsing Mode&”—swiping through endless dating profiles without committing to a single partner, jumping from place to place searching for the next big thing, and refusing to make any decision that might close us off from an even better choice we imagine is just around the corner. This culture of restlessness and indecision, Davis argues, is causing tension in the lives of young people today: We want to keep our options open, and yet we yearn for the purpose, community, and depth that can only come from making deep commitments.In Dedicated, Davis examines this quagmire, as well as the counterculture of committers who have made it to the other side. He shares what we can learn from the &“long-haul heroes&” who courageously commit themselves to particular places, professions, and causes—who relinquish the false freedom of an open future in exchange for the deep fulfillment of true dedication. Weaving together examples from history, personal stories, and applied psychology, Davis&’s &“insightful without being preachy…guide to commitment should be on everyone&’s reading list&” (Booklist, starred review).
Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization
by Nicholson BakerBestselling author Nicholson Baker, recognized as one of the most dexterous and talented writers in America today, has created a compelling work of nonfiction bound to provoke discussion and controversy -- a wide-ranging, astonishingly fresh perspective on the political and social landscape that gave rise to World War II. Human Smoke delivers a closely textured, deeply moving indictment of the treasured myths that have romanticized much of the 1930s and '40s. Incorporating meticulous research and well-documented sources -- including newspaper and magazine articles, radio speeches, memoirs, and diaries -- the book juxtaposes hundreds of interrelated moments of decision, brutality, suffering, and mercy. Vivid glimpses of political leaders and their dissenters illuminate and examine the gradual, horrifying advance toward overt global war and Holocaust. Praised by critics and readers alike for his exquisitely observant eye and deft, inimitable prose, Baker has assembled a narrative within Human Smoke that unfolds gracefully, tragically, and persuasively. This is an unforgettable book that makes a profound impact on our perceptions of historical events and mourns the unthinkable loss humanity has borne at its own hand.
The F.I.R.E. Planner: A Step-by-Step Workbook to Reach Your Full Financial Potential
by Michael QuanPlan for your financial future with this interactive guide to everything there is to know about mindful spending, strict saving regimes, clever investments, and sustainable living so you can achieve financial independence early and, ultimately, live a more simple, happier life.F.I.R.E—Financial Independence, Retire Early—is a popular lifestyle movement amongst millennials and Gen Xers. The F.I.R.E. Planner is the first illustrated, interactive guide to putting this philosophy into practice. This accessible book teaches you everything there is to know about strict savings, smart investing, mindful spending, and living sustainably to ensure financial independence for a much simpler and happier life. Start planning for your future life today and make the most of your current income so you can live the life of your dreams.
The Gay Preacher's Wife: How My Gay Husband Deconstructed My Life & Reconstructed My Faith
by Lydia MeredithThe deeply personal memoir of Lydia Meredith, a woman who spent almost thirty years married to a preacher—only to have her husband leave her for a man—and how her life becomes a testimony of tolerance and a theology of love and acceptance.After being married to Reverend Dennis A. Meredith for almost thirty years, Lydia Meredith discovers a shocking truth: the love of her life left her for a man. Now, Lydia opens up for the first time about how that revelation shattered her world—and strengthened her faith. With her life turned upside down, Lydia struggled to put the pieces of her broken heart back together and that led her to pursue understanding through an accredited theological education. She wanted a way to put her family back together and she found Jesus&’ ministry and teachings were &“actually&” about teaching tolerance and love for people who are labeled different. Candid, honest, and incredibly touching, Lydia Meredith shows that faith and perseverance can get you through any challenge life throws your way.
Katerina: A Novel
by James FreyFrom the New York Times bestselling author of A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning comes Katerina, James Frey&’s highly anticipated new novel set in 1992 Paris and contemporary Los Angeles.A kiss, a touch. A smile and a beating heart. Love and sex and dreams, art and drugs and the madness of youth. Betrayal and heartbreak, regret and pain, the melancholy of age. Katerina, the explosive new novel by America&’s most controversial writer, is a sweeping love story alternating between 1992 Paris and Los Angeles in 2018.At its center are a young writer and a young model on the verge of fame, both reckless, impulsive, addicted, and deeply in love. Twenty-five years later, the writer is rich, famous, and numb, and he wants to drive his car into a tree, when he receives an anonymous message that draws him back to the life, and possibly the love, he abandoned years prior. Written in the same percussive, propulsive, dazzling, breathtaking style as A Million Little Pieces, Katerina echoes and complements that most controversial of memoirs, and plays with the same issues of fiction and reality that created, nearly destroyed, and then recreated James Frey in the American imagination.
Triumph Over Darkness: Understanding and Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse
by Wendy Ann WoodThis collection of prose and therapeutic insights creates a powerful commentary on incest, rape, abuse, and the recovery process. Women and men share their personal experiences of childhood abuse and walk with the reader along the path toward wellness. They reflect each stage of healing with a clarity that, while often painful, is also hopeful. Addressing various aspects of abuse, including ritualistic abuse, multiple personality disorder, and partnering as well as providing a therapist's insights on the stages of healing, Triumph Over Darkness helps readers to understand recovery as a predictable process and see that healing is possible.
The WWE Championship: A Look Back at the Rich History of the WWE Championship (Wwe Ser.)
by Kevin SullivanSuddenly it’s over, and in the center of the ring, one man is victorious. The referee raises his hand, and from somewhere (you’re not quite sure where because you’re still cheering), the shining symbol of this momentous win appears. With the crowd still roaring, the winner stands alone in the ring and raises the championship belt high over his head. The lights shine off the WWE Championship title belt, and in that instant, the winner’s life will be changed forever. For over half a century, Superstars have battled to win the WWE Championship. While the name may have changed, the prestige attached to the championship has exploded. That is due in no small part to the immortals of wrestling who have held this coveted title—Bruno Sammartino taking the title from the first holder, Buddy Rogers...the totally unexpected win of “Superstar” Billy Graham...Hulk Hogan’s win over the Iron Sheik, who had refused a payoff to injure Hogan...Andre the Giant’s surrender of the title to Ted DiBiase...the newcomer win of the Undertaker...the commanding wrestling abilities of Bret Hart...Shawn Michaels’s win in Montreal...the stunning victories of Stone Cold Steve Austin...the triumph of the People’s Champion, The Rock...Triple H playing the game...the never-surrender attitude of John Cena. This is the chronicle of how the title that is now known as the WWE Championship became sports-entertainment’s most coveted prize.
Beautiful People: My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints
by Simon DoonanA wickedly funny memoir with echoes of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs, Beautiful People (originally published in hardcover as Nasty) is now a BBC comedy hit series from the producer of Ab Fab and The Office. Proclaimed "the most brilliant, brash thing in type" by Liz Smith, Simon Doonan's saucy prose has established him as an emerging star among literary humorists. In this break-through memoir, reminiscent of both Sedaris and Burroughs, he revisits the landscape of his youth, and displays the irresistible charm that earned him his dedicated audience. Long before he became a celebrity in his own right--as the author of best-selling books, as the style arbiter of VH1 and America's Top Model, and the marketing genius behind Barney's New York--Simon Doonan was a "scabby knee'd troll" in Reading, England. In Beautiful People, Doonan returns to the working-class neighborhood of his youth, and chronicles the misadventures of the Doonan clan in all their wacky glory. Readers meet his mother Betty, whose gravity-defying, peroxide hairdo signified her natural glamour; his father Terry, an amateur vintner who turned parsnips into the legendary Chateau Doonan; his grandfather D.C., a hard-drinking betting man who plotted to win his fortune by turning Simon into a jockey; and his demented grandma Narg and schizophrenic Uncle Ken, both of whom lived upstairs. Fearing he would fall victim to the insanity that runs in his family, or, worse, the banality of suburban life, Doonan decamps with his flamboyant best-friend Biddie to London, where they hope to find the Beautiful People, that elusive clan who luxuriate on floor pillows and amuse each other with bon mots. Throughout the memoir--in essays about family holidays, the tart who lived next door, his first job--Doonan continues his bumbling pursuit of the fabulous life, only to learn, in the end, that perhaps the Beautiful People were the ones he left behind.
121 First Dates: How to Succeed at Online Dating, Fall in Love, and Live Happily Ever After (Really!)
by Wendy NewmanBased on years of research and 121 real-life first dates, relationship expert Wendy Newman dishes up practical wisdom for navigating the online dating trenches with grace, efficiency, and a strong dose of humor.Wendy Newman has made every imaginable dating mistake so you don’t have to. Part guidebook, part personal tell-all, 121 First Dates chronicles Wendy’s funny, real-life misadventures and the practical wisdom she gained from them. Her dating tales will find you laughing, commiserating, and nodding your head as you learn how to stay in the dating game until you find the right man, just like Wendy did.This book busts myths, answers age-old questions, and examines pitfalls that make you want to give up on dating altogether. Just when you’re about to submit to a lifetime at home with a pint of Haagen-Dazs and sitcom reruns, 121 First Dates will inspire you to keep stepping out. Wendy discusses how to date successfully and efficiently, avoid the most common dating pitfalls, have an amazing first date with anyone, end uncomfortable situations with grace, and much, much more. She offers up realistic Dos and Don’ts as well as tips for making the most of any situation you find yourself in—whether you want to run or you think he’s the one.Brimming with humor, hope, and authenticity, 121 First Dates will give every woman the tools, confidence, and determination to be and stay real when dating. How else will you find the best match for you?
Appalachian Fall: Dispatches from Coal Country on What's Ailing America
by Jeff Young Ohio Valley ReSourceA searing, on-the-ground examination of the collapsing coal industry—and the communities left behind—in the midst of economic and environmental crisis.Despite fueling a century of American progress, the people at the heart of coal country are being left behind, suffering from unemployment, the opioid epidemic, and environmental crises often at greater rates than anywhere else in the country. But what if Appalachia&’s troubles are just a taste of what the future holds for all of us?Appalachian Fall tells the captivating true story of coal communities on the leading edge of change. A group of local reporters known as the Ohio Valley ReSource shares the real-world impact these changes have had on what was once the heart and soul of America. Including stories like: -The miners&’ strike in Harlan County after their company suddenly went bankrupt, bouncing their paychecks -The farmers tilling former mining ground for new cash crops like hemp -The activists working to fight mountaintop removal and bring clean energy jobs to the region -And the mothers mourning the loss of their children to overdose and despairIn the wake of the controversial bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, Appalachian Fall addresses what our country owes to a region that provided fuel for a century and what it risks if it stands by watching as the region, and its people, collapse.
Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry
by Evan Wolfson"At its core, the freedom-to-marry movement is about the same thing every civil rights struggle has been about: taking seriously our country's promise to be a nation its citizens can make better, its promise to be a place where people don't have to give up their differences or hide them in order to be treated equally."Why Marriage Matters offers a compelling, intelligently reasoned discussion of a question that still remains in the national consciousness. It is the work of one of the most influential attorneys in America, who has dedicated his life to the protection of individuals' rights and our Constitution's commitment to equal justice under the law. Above all, it is a clear, straightforward book that brings into sharp focus the very human significance of the right to marry in America—not just for some couples, but for all.Why is the word marriage so important? Will marriage for same-sex couples hurt the "sanctity" of the institution? How can people of different faiths reconcile their beliefs with the idea of marriage for same-sex couples? How will allowing gay couples to marry affect children?In this quietly powerful volume, the most authoritative and fairly articulated book on the subject, Wolfson demonstrates why the right to marry is important—indeed necessary—for all couples and for America's promise of equality.
Wonderworks: Literary Invention and the Science of Stories
by Angus FletcherThis &“fascinating&” (Malcolm Gladwell, New York Times bestselling author of Outliers) examination of literary inventions through the ages, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante, shows how writers have created technical breakthroughs—rivaling scientific inventions—and engineering enhancements to the human heart and mind.Literature is a technology like any other. And the writers we revere—from Homer, Shakespeare, Austen, and others—each made a unique technical breakthrough that can be viewed as both a narrative and neuroscientific advancement. Literature&’s great invention was to address problems we could not solve: not how to start a fire or build a boat, but how to live and love; how to maintain courage in the face of death; how to account for the fact that we exist at all.Wonderworks reviews the blueprints for twenty-five of the most significant developments in the history of literature. These inventions can be scientifically shown to alleviate grief, trauma, loneliness, anxiety, numbness, depression, pessimism, and ennui, while sparking creativity, courage, love, empathy, hope, joy, and positive change. They can be found throughout literature—from ancient Chinese lyrics to Shakespeare&’s plays, poetry to nursery rhymes and fairy tales, and crime novels to slave narratives.A &“refreshing and remarkable&” (Jay Parini, author of Borges and Me: An Encounter) exploration of the new literary field of story science, Wonderworks teaches you everything you wish you learned in your English class, and &“contains many instances of critical insight....What&’s most interesting about this compendium is its understanding of imaginative representation as a technology&” (The New York Times).
The Fuck Up
by Arthur NersesianArthur Nersesian's underground literary treasure is an unforgettable slice of gritty New York City life.This is the darkly hilarious odyssey of an anonymous slacker. He's a perennial couch-surfer, an aspiring writer searching for himself in spite of himself, and he's just trying to survive. But life has other things in store for the fuck-up. From being dumped by his girlfriend to getting fired for asking for a raise, from falling into a robbery to posing as a gay man to keep his job at a porno theater, the fuck-up's tragi-comedy is perfectly realized by Arthur Nersesian, who manages to create humor and suspense out of urban desperation. "Read it and howl," says Bruce Benderson (author of User), "and be glad it didn't happen to you."
Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway
by Michael Riedel&“A vivid page-turner&” (NPR) detailing the rise, fall, and redemption of Broadway—its stars, its biggest shows, its producers, and all the drama, intrigue, and power plays that happened behind the scenes.&“A rich, lovely, debut history of New York theater in the 1970s and eighties&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Razzle Dazzle is a narrative account of the people and the money and the power that turned New York&’s gritty back alleys and sex-shops into the glitzy, dazzling Great White Way.In the mid-1970s Times Square was the seedy symbol of New York&’s economic decline. Its once shining star, the renowned Shubert Organization, was losing theaters to make way for parking lots and losing money. Bernard Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld, two ambitious board members, saw the crumbling company was ripe for takeover and staged a coup and staved off corporate intrigue, personal betrayals and criminal investigations. Once Jacobs and Schoenfeld solidified their power, they turned a collapsed theater-owning holding company into one of the most successful entertainment empires in the world, spearheading the revitalization of Broadway and the renewal of Times Square.&“For those interested in the business behind the greasepaint, at a riveting time in Broadway&’s and New York&’s history, this is the ticket&” (USA TODAY). Michael Riedel tells the stories of the Shubert Organization and the shows that re-built a city in grand style—including Cats, A Chorus Line, and Mamma Mia!—revealing the backstage drama that often rivaled what transpired onstage, exposing bitter rivalries, unlikely alliances, and inside gossip. &“The trouble with Razzle Dazzle is…you can&’t put the damn thing down&” (Huffington Post).
A Maze of Stars and Spring Water
by Bing XinA Maze of Stars & Spring Water is a collection of poems directly inspired by the poetic forms that emerged after the May Fourth Movement. Specifically, the “mini poem,” which by Bing Xin’s own admission, hadn’t quite existed before she started experimenting with its form. Inspired by Tagore’s Stray Birds, she started gathering her “scattered and fragmentary thoughts,” not originally intended as poetry, but which would eventually become the present collection. The popularity of the poems and the distinction of the form led the genre to become known as the “Bingxin style.”
Even More Notes From the Universe: Dancing Life's Dance
by Mike DooleyThe Universe -- our eternal partner -- returns for the third installment in the Notes from the Universe series, dispensing wisdom, humor, and insight into the truth about creating the future we desire. Even More Notes from the Universe combines Mike Dooley's pithy and inspiring messages, direct from the Universe, to help you start living the life of your dreams -- today. Focusing on the desired results joyfully and with gratitude is infinitely more engaging than struggling and stressing about them. Relax, laugh, and enjoy the footwork the Universe has to share. Whether your dance is the tango, hula, or one of your own creation, dancing life's dance begins with that first brave step. The music has always been playing your favorite tune, yet hearing it requires action. And right on cue, your unfailing partner, the Universe, begins choreographing players and events in a waltz of miracles, moving heaven and earth to align the future of your dreams with your present circumstances. Nothing is impractical, impossible, or out of reach. Your thoughts create worlds, your words shape the future, and the steps you take unleash the magic behind creation. In this third book in the Notes from the Universe trilogy, Mike Dooley brings a fresh perspective from your most loyal friend.
A Century and Some Change: My Life Before the President Called My Name
by Ann Nixon Cooper Karen Grigsby BatesPresident-elect Barack Obama reflected on the life of Ann Nixon Cooper on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, singling her out of millions of voters, he said, because she was “born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky, when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons—because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.” Energized by this history-making presidential campaign, Mrs. Cooper now shares her story, her life before the president called her name, in her own voice, with the assistance of bestselling author Karen Grigsby Bates. Mrs. Cooper is the beloved matriarch of a large and accomplished family who live throughout the country, and a long-celebrated elder in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, where she raised her children and has lived most of her long and extraordinary life. She was born and raised in Bedford County, Tennessee, near Nashville, on January 9, 1902. Her father was a tenant farmer, and her mother worked at home, taking care of the children. She met her husband, Dr. Albert Berry Cooper II, while he attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville. They settled in his hometown of Atlanta, where he established a successful practice in dentistry. When president-elect Obama referred to her in his speech, she became a celebrity, sought after by media from all over the world. In Mrs. Cooper’swords, “All of a sudden, everyone wanted to talkto me. . . . It was nice they were interested, I guess,but I wasn’t so thrilled that media and ordinaryfolk were acting as if the only exciting thing I’d everdone was vote for a black man for president. . . .I’d had a life before CNN and the rest ‘discovered’me.” And she is going to tell you about it.
Black and White: The Way I See It
by Richard Williams Bart DavisThe fascinating, &“upfront and unapologetic&” (Kirkus Reviews) memoir of Richard Williams, a businessman, tennis coach, subject of the major motion picture King Richard, and father to two of the greatest athletes and professional tennis champions of all time—Venus and Serena Williams.Born into poverty in Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1940s, Richard Williams was blessed by a strong, caring mother who remained his lifelong hero, just as he became a hero to Venus and Serena. From the beginning of his life, Richard&’s mother taught him to live by the principles of courage, confidence, commitment, faith, and love. He passed the same qualities on to his daughters, who grew up loving their father and valuing the lessons he taught them. &“I still feel really close to my father,&” says Serena. &“We have a great relationship. There is an appreciation. There is a closeness because of what we&’ve been through together, and a respect.&”A self-made man, Williams has walked a long, hard, exciting, and ultimately rewarding road during his life, surmounting many challenges to raise a loving family and two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived. Black and White is the extraordinary story of that journey and the indomitable spirit that made it all possible.
Emotional Equations: Simple Steps for Creating Happiness + Success in Business + Life
by Chip Conley“An invaluable operating manual,” says Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO and author of Delivering Happiness. Using brilliantly simple logic that illuminates the universal truths in common emotional challenges, popular motivational speaker and bestselling author Chip Conleyhas written “a fresh, original guide to an authentic and fulfilling life.”*With a foreword by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and author of Delivering HappinessWhen Chip Conley, dynamic author of the bestselling Peak, suffered a series of devastating personal and professional setbacks, he began using what he came to call “Emotional Equations” (such as Joy = Love - Fear) to help him focus on the variables in life that he could handle, rather than dwelling on the parts he couldn’t, such as the bad economy, death, and taxes. Using brilliantly simple logic that illuminates the universal truths in common emotional challenges, Emotional Equations offers a way to identify the elements in our lives that we can change, those we can’t, and how to better understand our emotions so they can help us . . . rather than hurt us. Equations like “Despair = Suffering - Meaning” and “Happiness = Wanting What You Have ÷ Having What You Want” have been reviewed for mathematical and psychological accuracy by experts. Now Conley tells his own comeback story and those of other resilient people and inspiring role models who have worked through emotional equations in their own lives. Emotional Equations arms you with practical strategies for turbulent times.
How the Queen Cleans Everything: Handy Advice for a Clean House, Cleaner Laundry, and a Year of Timely Tips
by Linda CobbA how-to manual for housekeeping amateurs and pros alike, How the Queen Cleans Everything is a collection of fast and ingenious tips from #1 New York Times bestselling author -- and housekeeping's royal lady -- Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean®. It's all here. All of the Queen's miraculous tips and surprising shortcuts on how to solve hundreds of cleaning challenges -- inside and out. Let the Queen show you how to turn your home into a sparkling palace in no time at all. Learn how to put an end to washday drudgery with her collection of nifty and natural solutions for stress-free washing and ironing -- and enjoy a year's worth of tips, tricks, and picks for a cleaner house and a more organized life. But most of all, discover how the Queen's no-nonsense "tips and hints" method of housekeeping means less time cleaning your home, and more time enjoying it! Let the Queen show you:the best way to clean your kitchen and bathroomthe multitude of natural stain removers that are hiding in your cupboardhow to garden the natural waywhat to do for spots, stains, scorch marks, and odorswhy you shouldn't clean your windows with newspaperhow to clean your carpet and bare floorsthe right way to allergy-proof your homewhat those care labels really meanhow to treat troublesome stains and delicate fabrics...and much more! At last...all the Queen of Clean's® famous advice for a clean house, cleaner laundry, and a year of timely tips -- right at your fingertips! Don't be home without it!
Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!
by Robert Ben Garant Thomas LennonThis isthe only screenwriting guide by two guys who have actually done it (instead of some schmuck who just gives lectures about screenwriting at the airport Marriott); “These guys are proof that with no training and little education, ANYONE can make it as a screenwriter” (Paul Rudd).Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon’s movies have made over a billion dollars at the box office—and now they show you how to do it yourself! This book is full of secret insider information about how to conquer the Hollywood studio system: how to write, pitch, structure, and get drunk with the best of them. Well…maybe not the best of them, but certainly the most successful. (If you’re aiming to win an Oscar, this is not the book for you!) But if you can type a little, and can read and speak English—then you too can start turning your words into stacks of money!This is the only screenwriting book you will ever need (because all other ones pretty much suck). In these pages, Garant and Lennon provide the kind of priceless tips you won’t find anywhere else, including:-The art of pitching -Getting your foot in the door -Taking notes from movie stars -How to get fired and rehired -How to get credit and royalties!And most important: what to buy with the huge piles of money you’re going to make!Writing Movies for Fun and Profit will take you through the highs and lows of life as a professional screenwriter. From the highs of hugging Gisele Bündchen and getting kung fu punched by Jackie Chan to the soul-crushing lows of Herbie: Fully Loaded.Read this book and you’ll have everything you need to make your first billion the old-fashioned way—by “selling out” in show business!A portion of the authors’ proceeds from this book are being contributed to the USO of Metropolitan Washington, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving active duty military members and their families in the greater Washington, DC, region.
The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity
by Byron Reese&“The Fourth Age not only discusses what the rise of A.I. will mean for us, it also forces readers to challenge their preconceptions. And it manages to do all this in a way that is both entertaining and engaging.&” —The New York TimesAs we approach a great turning point in history when technology is poised to redefine what it means to be human, The Fourth Age offers fascinating insight into AI, robotics, and their extraordinary implications for our species.In The Fourth Age, Byron Reese makes the case that technology has reshaped humanity just three times in history: - 100,000 years ago, we harnessed fire, which led to language.- 10,000 years ago, we developed agriculture, which led to cities and warfare.- 5,000 years ago, we invented the wheel and writing, which lead to the nation state.We are now on the doorstep of a fourth change brought about by two technologies: AI and robotics. The Fourth Age provides extraordinary background information on how we got to this point, and how—rather than what—we should think about the topics we&’ll soon all be facing: machine consciousness, automation, employment, creative computers, radical life extension, artificial life, AI ethics, the future of warfare, superintelligence, and the implications of extreme prosperity.By asking questions like &“Are you a machine?&” and &“Could a computer feel anything?&”, Reese leads you through a discussion along the cutting edge in robotics and AI, and, provides a framework by which we can all understand, discuss, and act on the issues of the Fourth Age, and how they&’ll transform humanity.
Most Wanted: Pursuing Whitey Bulger, the Murderous Mob Chief the FBI Secretly Protected
by Thomas J. Foley John SedgwickThe riveting account of former head of Massachusetts State Police Thomas J. Foley’s twenty-year pursuit of murderous Boston gangster Whitey Bulger, and of Foley’s key role in exposing the FBI’s protection of Bulger’s criminal empire.June 23, 2011. The news of the notorious gangster Whitey Bulger’s capture—after sixteen years on the FBI’s Most Wanted list—swept the nation. Many breathed a sigh of relief. But for Thomas J. Foley, a former Massachusetts state police colonel and the investigator who sparked Bulger’s flight from Boston, the moment was bittersweet. The FBI may have caught Bulger, but as Foley had painfully discovered almost two decades before, they were also responsible for his escape. It has been known that Whitey Bulger was a secret informant for the FBI, but it has never been revealed—until now—that the FBI was actually actively protecting Bulger from Foley, effectively derailing Foley’s efforts to stop Bulger’s horrific crime sprees time and again. At one point, the FBI even presented Foley with a plaque at a holiday party that read “the Most Hated Man in Law Enforcement,” a not-so-subtle suggestion that he and his team should lay off their investigation. Most Wanted is a true-life thriller, and Foley is the hero at its center. His investigative efforts resulted in criminal convictions of a half-dozen of Boston’s most notorious thugs and also led to the conviction of John Connolly, one of the FBI agents who abetted Bulger; Connolly is now serving a forty-year prison sentence. In this book, Foley, a cop’s cop, honestly recounts how his wide-eyed admiration for the nation’s top law enforcement agency was gradually transformed by dark realities he didn’t want to believe.