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Robert Pattinson
by Isabelle AdamsHere's everything you need to know about gorgeous Robert Pattinson. From his early days in amateur theater . . . to landing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . . . to the amazing moment he found out he would play Edward Cullen in the movie of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight! Sigh over eight pages of glossy photos, be surprised by what Robert loves and loathes, and discover exactly what he looks for in a girlfriend in this inside scoop on a megawatt star!
Splendor (Luxe #4)
by Anna GodbersenNew beginnings.Shocking revelations.Unexpected endings.A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle. In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?
Warrior Princess #2: Destiny's Path
by Frewin JonesHer destiny must be fulfilled . . . Ranwen refuses to take orders from anyone--even the Shining Ones, the ancient gods whose power is feared throughout the land. They want her as their Chosen One, destined to save her country from the Saxons. But Branwen doubts she's truly ready to be a leader. Then a messenger from the skies shows her a vision of a bleak and violent future--a future in which Branwen has abandoned her destiny, and those most dear to her suffer unspeakable horrors. There's a blurry line between good and evil, and those Branwen trusts the most are capable of the greatest betrayal. The Shining Ones have spoken. Will Branwen answer their call?
Mr. Capone: The Real—and Complete—Story of Al Capone
by Robert J. Schoenberg“Fascinating. . . . [P]ortrays the mob leader as 'a businessman of crime' who took chaotic underworld enterprises . . . and put them on a rational business basis.” —New York TimesAll I ever did was to sell beer and whiskey to our best people. All I ever did was to supply a demand that was pretty popular. Why, the very guys that make my trade good are the ones that yell the loudest about me. Some of the leading judges use the stuff. When I sell liquor, it's called bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, it's called hospitality. — Al CaponeThis acclaimed portrait of Al Capone tells of his childhood delinquency, his Brooklyn mob apprenticeship, and his move to Chicago, tracing his development into a man who was at times surprisingly rational despite his tendency toward manipulation and brutality.“[Schoenberg makes] Capone real again, rescuing his reputation from the Hollywood mythmakers. . . . Schoenberg's Al Capone is far more human, complex and worthy of attention than the one-dimensional myth.”— Chicago Sun-Times“Schoenberg has done massive research. . . . There are rich descriptions of many of the apocalyptic events of the roaring Chicago '20s.”— Los Angeles Times Book Review“Masterful . . . the definitive biography of one of America's most colorful gangsters.” —The Detroit News“Readers of Mr. Capone will . . . revel in the old stories of “beer killings,” as Chicago police captain John Stege called them, and savor any new tidbits.” —Chicago Tribune “Written with style and verve . . . Even where Mr. Schoenberg lays to rest favorite tall tales, the true accounts are usually even more fascinating.” —The Washington Times
Lies My Mother Never Told Me: A Memoir
by Kaylie JonesHer mother was a brainy knockout with the sultry beauty of Marilyn Monroe, a raconteur whose fierce wit could shock an audience into hilarity or silence. Her father was a distinguished figure in American letters, the National Book Award–winning author of four of the greatest novels of World War II ever written. A daughter of privilege with a seemingly fairy-tale-like life, Kaylie Jones was raised in the Hamptons via France in the 1960s and '70s, surrounded by the glitterati who orbited her famous father, James Jones. Legendary for their hospitality, her handsome, celebrated parents held court in their home around an antique bar—an eighteenth-century wooden pulpit taken from a French village church—playing host to writers, actors, movie stars, film directors, socialites, diplomats, an emperor, and even the occasional spy. Kaylie grew up amid such family friends as William Styron, Irwin Shaw, James Baldwin, and Willie Morris, and socialized with the likes of Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Kurt Vonnegut.Her beloved father showed young Kaylie the value of humility, hard work, and education, with its power to overcome ignorance, intolerance, and narrow-mindedness, and instilled in her a love of books and knowledge. From her mother, Gloria, she learned perfect posture, the twist, the fear of abandonment, and soul-shattering cruelty. Two constants defined Kaylie's childhood: literature and alcohol. "Only one word was whispered in the house, as if it were the worst insult you could call someone," she writes, "alcoholic was a word my parents reserved for the most appalling and shameful cases—drunks who made public scenes or tried to kill themselves or ended up in the street or in an institution. If you could hold your liquor and go to work, you were definitely not an alcoholic." When her father died from heart failure complicated by years of drinking, sixteen-year-old Kaylie was broken and lost. For solace she turned to his work, looking beyond the man she worshipped to discover the artist and his craft, determined that she too would write. Her loss also left her powerless to withstand her mother's withering barbs and shattering criticism, or halt Gloria's further descent into a bottle—one of the few things mother and daughter shared. From adolescence, Kaylie too used drink as a refuge, a way to anesthetize her sadness, anger, and terror. For years after her father's death, she denied the blackouts, the hangovers, the lost days, the rage, the depression. Broken and bereft, she began reading her father's novels and those writers who came before and after him—and also pursued her own writing. With this, she found the courage to open the door on the truth of her own addiction.Lies My Mother Never Told Me is the mesmerizing and luminously told story of Kaylie's battle with alcoholism and her struggle to flourish despite the looming shadow of a famous father and an emotionally abusive and damaged mother. Deeply intimate, brutally honest, yet limned by humor and grace, it is a beautifully written tale of personal evolution, family secrets, second chances, and one determined woman's journey to find her own voice—and the courage to embrace a life filled with possibility, strength, and love.
Biblical Literacy: The Essential Bible Stories Everyone Needs to Know
by Timothy Beal“The Bible . . . is a locked treasure for those unfamiliar with the Scriptures. . . . Beal offers a key with his accessible guide.” —Cleveland Plain DealerTimothy Beal’s Biblical Literacy is a one-stop course in the Bible passages and background information that everyone needs to know to navigate our nuanced cultural landscape—from devout believers to decided atheists, average citizens to pop-culture aficionados. Like Religion in America, Religion and its Monsters, and his other highly acclaimed books, Beal’s Biblical Literacy is a must-have handbook for understanding today’s world.“With skill and insight, Timothy Beal has given us a great gift: a lucid and engaging introduction to the most important book ever published.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer prize-winning author of American Lion“Tim Beal has written about the rich, thick connections between the Bible and popular culture . . . In a society of deep and dangerous disconnects, the connects of this book serve exceedingly well.” —Walter Brueggemann, author of The Prophetic Imagination“A readable, informative and timely book.” —Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity, Harvard University, and author of The Future of Faith“Here you will find numerous gems of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, along with pithy, helpful, and at times even witty, introductions.” —Bart D. Ehrman, James A. Gray Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Caroline, Author of Jesus, Interrupted“Beal . . . makes a well-stated case that a knowledge of the Bible is essential to understanding our culture. His book will serve as a handy first step toward that goal— especially for the reader who may feel intimidated by ‘the boring bits.’” —Bookpage
Eternal Life: A New Vision
by John Shelby SpongBishop John Shelby Spong, author of Jesus for the Non-Religious, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Sins of Scripture, and many other books, is known for his controversial ideas and fighting for minority rights. In Eternal Life: A New Vision, a remarkable spiritual journey about his lifelong struggle with the questions of God and death, he reveals how he came to a new conviction about eternal life. God, says spong, is ultimately one, and each of us is part of that oneness. We do not live on after death as children who have been rewarded with heaven or punished with hell but as part of the life and being of God, sharing in God's eternity, which is beyond the barriers of time and space. spong argues that the discovery of the eternal can be found within each of us if we go deeply into ourselves, transcend our limits and become fully human. By seeking God within, by living each day to its fullest, we will come to understand how we live eternally. Always compelling and controversial, Spong, the leading Christian liberal and pioneer for human rights, wrestles with the question that all of us will ultimately face. In his final book, Spong takes us beyond religion and even beyond Christianity until he arrives at the affirmation that the fully realized human life empties into and participates in the eternity of God. The pathway into God turns out to be both a pathway into ourselves and a doorway into eternal life. To Job's question "If a man (or a woman) dies, will he (or she) live again?" he gives his answer as a ringing yes!
Eternal Life: A New Vision
by John Shelby SpongBishop John Shelby Spong, author of Jesus for the Non-Religious, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Sins of Scripture, and many other books, is known for his controversial ideas and fighting for minority rights. In Eternal Life: A New Vision, a remarkable spiritual journey about his lifelong struggle with the questions of God and death, he reveals how he came to a new conviction about eternal life. God, says spong, is ultimately one, and each of us is part of that oneness. We do not live on after death as children who have been rewarded with heaven or punished with hell but as part of the life and being of God, sharing in God's eternity, which is beyond the barriers of time and space. spong argues that the discovery of the eternal can be found within each of us if we go deeply into ourselves, transcend our limits and become fully human. By seeking God within, by living each day to its fullest, we will come to understand how we live eternally.Always compelling and controversial, Spong, the leading Christian liberal and pioneer for human rights, wrestles with the question that all of us will ultimately face. In his final book, Spong takes us beyond religion and even beyond Christianity until he arrives at the affirmation that the fully realized human life empties into and participates in the eternity of God. The pathway into God turns out to be both a pathway into ourselves and a doorway into eternal life. To Job's question "If a man (or a woman) dies, will he (or she) live again?" he gives his answer as a ringing yes!
Forgiven (Sisters of the Heart #3)
by Shelley Shepard GraySiblings face a tragedy that will shape the rest of their lives in New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s Forgiven.When a fire destroys the Lundys’ barn, Winnie is injured trying to get the animals to safety. Confined to a hospital for weeks, out of touch with her loved ones who live too far away to visit by buggy, she must depend on Englisher Samuel Miller to keep her company. Though his family is part of Winnie’s tight-knit Amish community, Samuel left years earlier to pursue a university education. Through conversations, and Samuel’s dedication to her recovery, a friendship forms. But despite their growing attraction, Winnie knows it can never develop into something more as long as Samuel chooses to remain in the outside world.Returning home, Winnie finds her brother, Jonathan, struggling with his own dilemma. Cigarette butts were discovered in the debris of the barn and Jonathan is determined to find out who is responsible for destroying his property and putting his family at risk. But in a community founded on grace and forgiveness, will his unwillingness to move on eat away at the trust that is the foundation of their lives?“Gray writes with honesty, tenderness, and depth. Her characters are admirable, richly-layered, and impossible to forget.” —New York Times bestselling author Jillian HartSisters of the HeartHiddenWantedForgivenGrace
Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World
by Michael BaigentThe bestselling author uncovers fundamentalists of all religions who are setting much of the world’s political agenda in their race toward the end times.In Racing Toward Armageddon, Michael Baigent, the New York Times–bestselling author of The Jesus Papers and Holy Blood, Holy Grail, exposes the conspiracy of religious extremists in the Holy Land and their efforts to bring about the end of the world in our lifetime. Baigent warns against the many diverse, public, and clandestine figures who are driving this perilous messianic message forward, and poses a pressing question: can we really afford to remain oblivious much longer?
Drawn in Blood (Burbank and Parker #2)
by Andrea KaneTo protect her family, a woman is forced to keep secrets from her FBI agent partner in this romantic suspense from a New York Times bestseller.Former FBI Special Agent Sloane Burbank has seen her share of danger. But she never expected that danger to invade the lives of her family. . . .Then her mother is viciously attacked in the posh Manhattan apartment her parents share and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary robbery—the thieves obviously after something of her father’s. But what could a respected art dealer have done to merit such violence? Determined to find out the truth, Sloane discovers a deadly secret buried in her father’s past that has made him the target of a power-hungry mobster with a lethal agenda.Desperate to save her father, Sloane must hold on to secrets of her own—especially from FBI Special Agent Derek Parker, the man she has grown to love deeply. Sloane could never betray her father’s confidence. But withholding from Derek could prove dangerous in more ways than one. As the killer closes in on her father, Sloane finds herself in foreign territory: alone, facing escalating personal danger, and hunting a moving target in a world where memories are long and loyalties are drawn in blood.
The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse
by Debbie FordNow, in her most practical and prescriptive book to date, bestselling author Debbie Ford delivers a three-part process that empowers us to let go of toxic thoughts and destructive behaviors and discover the deep peace that resides within. The first 7 days are a life-changing release of everything from the past that depletes our vitality and holds us back. When we purge these old emotions--like hardened grief, bitter resentments, deadening regrets, and outdated beliefs--we begin to feel a new passion for life. During the next 7 days, standing in the present, Ford has us take an honest look at where--and who--we are today. We'll observe everything and notice what is and what is not working. Standing firmly inside the present moment, we realize our own strength and the ability to respond to the calling of our soul. The final week brings the most exhilarating transformation as we look into the future and discover who we want to be from this day forward. The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse carries us on an incredible personal journey that will open our eyes to all that we are and all that we desire to be. We transform our consciousness and unlock purpose, meaning, and passion in our life.
The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse
by Debbie FordNow, in her most practical and prescriptive book to date, bestselling author Debbie Ford delivers a three-part process that empowers us to let go of toxic thoughts and destructive behaviors and discover the deep peace that resides within. The first 7 days are a life-changing release of everything from the past that depletes our vitality and holds us back. When we purge these old emotions--like hardened grief, bitter resentments, deadening regrets, and outdated beliefs--we begin to feel a new passion for life. During the next 7 days, standing in the present, Ford has us take an honest look at where--and who--we are today. We'll observe everything and notice what is and what is not working. Standing firmly inside the present moment, we realize our own strength and the ability to respond to the calling of our soul. The final week brings the most exhilarating transformation as we look into the future and discover who we want to be from this day forward.The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse carries us on an incredible personal journey that will open our eyes to all that we are and all that we desire to be. We transform our consciousness and unlock purpose, meaning, and passion in our life.
Evidence of Murder: A Novel Of Suspense (The Theresa MacLean Series #2)
by Lisa BlackFrom a New York Times–bestselling author, “this fast-paced thriller features a lot of detailed forensics with a rip-roaring ending” (Publishers Weekly). Eight months ago, forensic investigator Theresa MacLean lost her fiancé in a bank robbery gone wrong, and she’s had trouble concentrating on her work ever since. But when she investigates the death of a young mother that may have consequences for an innocent child, her attention is riveted by the harrowing case.Jillian Perry has been found dead in the woods, leaving behind a husband of three weeks and a young daughter. The police can’t determine how she died—her body shows no visible marks, and the autopsy reveals nothing suspicious—and the leading theory is that she purposely wandered into the forest and succumbed to the freezing weather. But something doesn’t feel right to Theresa, and she can’t let it go.To complicate matters, a former boyfriend of Jillian’s unexpectedly petitions for custody of her daughter. Obsessed with Jillian, he also suspects foul play in Jillian’s death, and now he and Theresa believe Jillian’s daughter may be in danger of meeting a similar fate. With a child’s life at stake, Theresa must search for evidence of murder—evidence that doesn’t seem to exist—before it’s too late.“Black, a former forensic scientist, knows her stuff and briskly leads readers along the trail of clues behind her likeable, no-nonsense heroine. . . . Smart science propels this intelligent, well-thought out crime thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews“She is, quite simply, one of the best storytellers around.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times–bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series
Long Past Stopping: A Memoir
by Oran CanfieldOran Canfield—son of self-help guru and Chicken Soup for the Soul creator Jack Canfield—tells his surreal story of growing up in Long Past Stopping. In this remarkable memoir, writing with a wry and cutting edge, Canfield relates tales of a childhood in flux—being buffeted about among family friends, relatives, rebels, and born-again circus clowns, in an anarchist private school, communes, and libertarian enclaves—and of a young adulthood spent among the ruins of heroin addiction. Long Past Stopping is Oran Canfield’s often hilariously harrowing tale of surviving life in the strange lane.
I Never Fancied Him Anyway: A Novel
by Claudia CarrollClaudia Carroll is already a major bestselling author in her native Ireland, and now she’s ready to take America by storm with her poignantly hilarious new novel, I Never Fancied Him Anyway. Like her fellow countrywoman, New York Times bestselling novelist Marian Keyes, Carroll mixes outrageous humor with real emotion in this story of a hapless and loveless psychic who can see everyone’s future but her own. I Never Fancied Him Anyway is already in the works as a major motion picture from the producer of The Devil Wears Prada and P.S. I Love You. Now is the time to discover this funny, quirky, romantic winner that everyone will soon be talking about.
That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row
by Jarvis Jay MastersJarvis Jay Masters has taken an extraordinary journey of faith. Strangely enough, his moment of enlightenment came behind the bars of San Quentin's death row. <p><p>In this compelling memoir, inmate and author Jarvis Jay Masters takes us from the arms of his heroin-addicted mother to an abusive foster home, on his escape to the illusory freedom of the streets and through lonely nights spent in bus stations and juvenile homes, and finally to life inside the walls of San Quentin State Prison. Using the nub and filler from a ballpoint pen (the only writing instrument allowed him in solitary confinement), Masters chronicles the story of a bright boy who turns to a life of crime, and of a penitent man who embraces Buddhism to find hope in this ultimately inspirational story. <p><p> Masters has written his remarkable story as a cautionary tale for anyone who might be tempted to follow in his footsteps, and as a plea for under-standing to a world that too often ignores the plight of the forgotten members of society. His personal story dramatically reminds us all that freedom and opportunity are not to be taken for granted, and that no matter what their neighborhood, no matter what their race, every child matters. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Audrey's Door
by Sarah LanganBuilt on the Upper West Side, the elegant Breviary claims a regal history. But despite 14B's astonishingly low rental price, the recent tragedy within its walls has frightened away all potential tenants . . . except for Audrey Lucas. No stranger to tragedy at thirty-two--a survivor of a fatherless childhood and a mother's hopeless dementia-- Audrey is obsessively determined to make her own way in a city that often strangles the weak. But is it something otherworldly or Audrey's own increasing instability that's to blame for the dark visions that haunt her . . . and for the voice that demands that she build a door? A door it would be true madness to open . . .
Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage
by Christopher Andersen"She is my rock--the one person who keeps it real." --Barack "I don't want anybody to think that it's easy. . . . We have a strong marriage, but it's not perfect." --Michelle They exploded onto the world scene and within a matter of a few short years captured the ultimate political prize. In so doing, they became a First Couple like no other: He--the biracial son of a free-spirited Kansas-born woman and a mercurial Kenyan father who abandoned him at an early age--was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia, educated at Columbia and Harvard, and launched his political career in America's heartland. She, by contrast, was the product of a solidly middle-American family with roots planted firmly in Chicago's working-class South Side--paving the way for her to achieve her dreams of an Ivy League education and a position at one of the nation's top law firms. By the time they claimed the White House in one of the most hotly contested presidential races in modern history, Barack and Michelle Obama were seen by millions around the world as the new Jack and Jackie Kennedy--brilliant, attractive, elegant, youthful, exciting. Accompanied by their two young daughters, Malia and Sasha, the Obamas would arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with the promise of a new Camelot all but assured. Given the obvious historic significance of what they have accomplished together, the marriage of Barack and Michelle stands as one of the great personal and political partnerships in American history. Yet, incredibly, the true nature of that relationship has remained a mystery. Until now. In the style of his No. 1 New York Times bestsellers The Day Diana Died and The Day John Died, as well as his bestselling books about the Kennedys, the Clintons, and the Bushes, author Christopher Andersen draws on important sources--some speaking here for the first time--to paint the first complete, compelling portrait of America's first black First Family. Among the many intriguing insights and stunning revelations: New behind-the-scenes details of the Obamas' courtship and marriage--and the lovers who went before. The early tragedies that shaped both Barack's and Michelle's personalities, and how those events haunt them to this day. Also, new information about Barack's rootless childhood, at times tortured adolescence, and the true extent of his early drug use. How Barack's ambition put a strain on their relationship from the very beginning, how close the Obamas really came to breaking up, and how Michelle made the difficult decision that saved their marriage. The little-known near-tragedy that brought Barack and Michelle closer than they had ever been. How Michelle may have saved her husband's presidential campaign, and her surprising behind-the-scenes role as the president's chief advisor. The pressures and delights of raising two young girls in the relentless glare of the media, and how, like Jack and Jackie Kennedy before them, Barack and Michelle strive to make the lives of America's two most famous children as "normal" as possible. Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage is an intimate and ultimately riveting look at their unique partnership, and the humor, faith, fortitude, and grace that defines it. It is, above all, an extraordinary American love story.
Bloodborn
by Kathryn Fox“Kathryn Fox has created a forensic physician who readers of Patricia Cornwell will adore.” —James PattersonDr. Anya Crichton, the protagonist of Kathryn Fox’s critically acclaimed thrillers Without Consent and Malicious Intent returns in Bloodborn, a spellbinding new masterwork of crime fiction that fans of C.S.I. and Bones will adore. New York Times bestseller Kathy Reichs raves, “Like Fox, her creator, Anya Crichton is a force of nature. Bloodborn is a medical thriller that grips from first page to last.” Gritty and powerful, Bloodborn plunges Anya into her most explosive and dangerous investigation of all, as she confronts a seemingly untouchable family of criminals responsible for a series of savage and shocking murders.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope (P. S. Series)
by William Kamkwamba Bryan Mealer<P>William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. <P>But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala--crazy--but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do. Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi's top boarding schools. <P>But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family's farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died.Yet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity -- electricity and running water. <P>Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season. <P>Soon, news of William's magetsi a mphepo--his "electric wind"--spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world. Here is the remarkable story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Change by Design
by Tim BrownThe myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. In reality, most innovations are borne from rigor and discipline. Breakthrough ideas--whether for a new bicycle, an advertising campaign, a treatment plan for diabetes, or a program aimed at tackling the national obesity epidemic--emerge not by chance, but by studying and embracing the immediate challenges we encounter every day in our offices and homes, laboratories and hospitals, classrooms and conference rooms, and in all the spaces in between. We don't simply realize solutions; we design them. In this book Tim Brown, CEO of the celebrated innovation and design firm IDEO, introduces us to design thinking. Design is not just about creating elegant objects or beautifying the world around us. The best designers match necessity to utility, constraint to possibility, and need to demand. These design thinkers rely on rigorous observations of how we use spaces and the objects and services that occupy them; they discover patterns where others see complexity and confusion; they synthesize new ideas from seemingly disparate fragments; and they convert problems into opportunities. Design thinking is a method in which genius, in the end, is not required. Design thinking is valuable not just in so-called creative industries or for people tasked with designing products. Rather, it is often most powerful when applied to abstract, multifaceted problems: improving a guest experience at a hotel, encouraging bank customers to save more, or developing a compelling narrative for a public-service campaign. It has been used by organizations such as Nokia to rethink global gaming and by the Department of Energy to encourage conservation. Design thinking is now being applied to address a wide range of issues and concerns, from the delivery of clean drinking water in the developing world to improving the efficacy of airport security and microfinancing. This is not a book by designers for designers; this is a blueprint for creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking--an approach for creative problem solving--into all facets of their organizations, products, or services to discover new alternatives for business and society as a whole. Written with imagination, humor, and vision, this vital and inspiring guide is essential reading for anyone confronting the challenges of today in order to create the opportunities of tomorrow.
Change by Design
by Tim BrownThe myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. In reality, most innovations are borne from rigor and discipline. Breakthrough ideas--whether for a new bicycle, an advertising campaign, a treatment plan for diabetes, or a program aimed at tackling the national obesity epidemic--emerge not by chance, but by studying and embracing the immediate challenges we encounter every day in our offices and homes, laboratories and hospitals, classrooms and conference rooms, and in all the spaces in between. We don't simply realize solutions; we design them.In this book Tim Brown, CEO of the celebrated innovation and design firm IDEO, introduces us to design thinking. Design is not just about creating elegant objects or beautifying the world around us. The best designers match necessity to utility, constraint to possibility, and need to demand. These design thinkers rely on rigorous observations of how we use spaces and the objects and services that occupy them; they discover patterns where others see complexity and confusion; they synthesize new ideas from seemingly disparate fragments; and they convert problems into opportunities. Design thinking is a method in which genius, in the end, is not required.Design thinking is valuable not just in so-called creative industries or for people tasked with designing products. Rather, it is often most powerful when applied to abstract, multifaceted problems: improving a guest experience at a hotel, encouraging bank customers to save more, or developing a compelling narrative for a public-service campaign. It has been used by organizations such as Nokia to rethink global gaming and by the Department of Energy to encourage conservation. Design thinking is now being applied to address a wide range of issues and concerns, from the delivery of clean drinking water in the developing world to improving the efficacy of airport security and microfinancing.This is not a book by designers for designers; this is a blueprint for creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking--an approach for creative problem solving--into all facets of their organizations, products, or services to discover new alternatives for business and society as a whole. Written with imagination, humor, and vision, this vital and inspiring guide is essential reading for anyone confronting the challenges of today in order to create the opportunities of tomorrow.
The Gospel According to the Earth: Why the Good Book Is a Green Book
by Matthew Sleeth“Matthew Sleeth is a significant convert in the growing company of Christians who bring intelligence, passion, a biblically trained imagination, and mature Christian witness to the care of creation.” — Eugene Peterson, Author of Living the Message“Matthew Sleeth is a breath of fresh air. In The Gospel According to the Earth, he retells the Bible’s most familiar stories in ways that will stimulate your imagination, soften your heart, and challenge you to think more deeply about caring for creation.” Jonathan Merritt, author of Green Like God From Dr. Matthew Sleeth, the leading Christian voice for the green movement, comes a dynamic and surprising primer on all the Bible teaches on caring for the earth— and an ideal companion volume to The Green Bible.
The Most Wicked of Sins (The Seven Deadly Sins Series #2)
by Kathryn CaskieIn The Most Wicked of Sins, the second romance in Kathryn Caskie's Seven Deadly Sins series, readers meet Ivy Sinclair. She must marry to please her father, but trouble ensues when she's jilted and hires a rakish actor to impersonate her beloved marquess.