- Table View
- List View
Richard Matheson Thrillers: I Am Legend, Someone is Bleeding, Ride the Nightmare, Fury on Sunday
by Richard MathesonFour classic novels of murder, madness, revenge, and survival by &“one of the great names in American terror fiction&” (Philadelphia Inquirer). I Am Legend Named the best vampire novel of the century by the Bram Stoker Estate, I Am Legend is the story of the last man to survive a pandemic that turned the rest of humanity into blood-sucking monsters. Someone Is Bleeding In Matheson&’s debut novel, a young novelist falls for a beautiful woman who is involved with a shady lawyer. But the love triangle turns dangerous when corpses begin to pile up in the woman&’s wake. Ride the Nightmare A family man saving up for larger home, Chris Martin lives a conventional life—until a secret from his past invades his home, threatening everything he has built. Fury on Sunday A lunatic pianist escapes from an insane asylum one Sunday morning and spends the next four hours on a revenge-fueled rampage to find his erstwhile manager and his lover&’s new husband.
To Cut a Long Story Short
by Jeffrey ArcherA #1 New York Times–bestselling author “maintains his obsession with surprise endings, producing a collection of fourteen cleverly twisting tales” (Publishers Weekly). From the master storyteller comes a compelling collection of fourteen riveting tales of elaborate confidence tricks, political chicanery, immoral behavior, and dangerously illicit affairs, rendered with the breathtaking narrative twists that have become the Jeffrey Archer hallmark.Here are stories that will engross and astonish, peopled with a rich assortment of truly memorable characters: the intoxicating woman who appears to her lover only once every six years; the British diplomat who employs his rather creative—if not entirely ethical—financial talents for a greater good; the millionaire who declares himself bankrupt to test the love and loyalties of those closest to him.This is Jeffrey Archer at the top of his form, as he offers us unique fables for our time and civilization, each one shining a harsh yet hypnotic light on that fascinating, complex being called “human.”Praise for Jeffrey Archer:“Cunning plots, silken style . . . Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader.” —New York Times“Archer is a master entertainer.” —Time“Archer plots with skill, and keeps you turning the pages.” —Boston Globe“A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas.” —Washington Post“Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius.” —Daily Telegraph
Ripper: A Novel (P. S. Ser.)
by Isabel AllendeFrom the NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author, a gripping murder mystery about a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco. Indiana Jackson is 33 years old and works in an alternative medicine clinic in San Francisco that attracts all sorts of characters, some of them skeptics, who fall for her candor and humility. Her teenage daughter, Amanda likes noir literature and hopes to attend MIT, where she will be with Bradley, an old friend that she plans to marry, with or without his consent. In her free time, she plays Ripper, an online role playing game that involves solving real-life mysteries and crimes using information collected by Amanda’s father, the Chief Inspector of the San Francisco police. Amanda plays the game via Skype with adolescents from all over the world and with her best friend, her grandfather Blake. Each player in the game has a virtual personality: Amanda is the game master, and Blake is her henchman; the others are Sherlock Holmes, Colonel Paddington, Esmeralda, and the psychic Abatha. When Ripper’s latest murder mystery-”the case of the misplaced bat”-begins to touch their real-world lives, Amanda and her friends know they must solve the case and find the murderer before he can strike again. RIPPER is a true thriller, with the twists, surprises, well-placed clues, and revelations that lead to a climatic finale. A rich and generous novel, filled with humor but increasingly dark, it’s a fast-paced read that grabs you right from the start and keeps you glued to the page.
The Unseen World: A Novel
by Liz MooreFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River: The moving story of a daughter’s quest to discover the truth about her beloved father’s hidden past.Ada Sibelius is raised by David, her brilliant, eccentric, socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston. Home-schooled, Ada accompanies David to work every day; by twelve, she is a painfully shy prodigy. The lab begins to gain acclaim at the same time that David’s mysterious history comes into question. When his mind begins to falter, leaving Ada virtually an orphan, she is taken in by one of David’s colleagues. Soon she embarks on a mission to uncover her father’s secrets: a process that carries her from childhood to adulthood. What Ada discovers on her journey into a virtual universe will keep the reader riveted until The Unseen World’s heart-stopping, fascinating conclusion.
How to Write a Story
by Kate MessnerHelp your child explore their creativity with this ten-step guide to writing a story. Step 1: Choose an idea for your story. A good one. Step 2: Decide on a setting. Don&’t be afraid to mix things up. Step 3: Create a heroine—or a hero. Now: Begin. Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel playfully chronicle the process of becoming a writer in this fun follow-up to How to Read a Story, guiding young storytellers through the joys and challenges of the writing process. From choosing an idea, to creating a problem for their character to resolve, to coming to The End, this empowering picture book breaks down the writing process in a dynamic and accessible way, encouraging kids to explore their own creativity—and share their stories with others! Praise for How to Write a Story&“That muse of fire isn&’t going to ascend all by herself, so Messner and Siegel, in their follow-up to How to Read a Story, walk readers through 10 steps of literary creation, starting with &‘search for an idea&’ and ending with &‘share your story&’. . . . Readers new to writing should find this accessible volume a smart choice to get the creative writing juices flowing.&” —Publishers Weekly&“A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.&” —Kirkus Reviews
All These Bodies
by Kendare Blake* Indie Next List Pick * Indie Bestseller *Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation. In this edge-of-your-seat mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake, the truth is as hard to believe as it is to find.Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
by Mary RoachAn Instant New York Times Bestseller #1 Los Angeles Times Bestseller #1 Indie Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller A Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction Book of 2021 Longlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Join "America’s funniest science writer" (Peter Carlson, Washington Post), Mary Roach, on an irresistible investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet.What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peter’s Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque.Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When it comes to "problem" wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance
by Michelle Burford Simone BilesIn Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world—and how you too can overcome challenges in your life.Simone Biles&’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since—including 25 World Championship medals. But there is more to Simone than her accomplishments.In this book Simone shares: how she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive the ways she&’s continued competing at the highest level and having fun doing what she loves a behind-the-scenes looks at gymnastics events, including the Olympics the events and challenges that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story—one filled with daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams Special eBook bonus content contains 3 extra chapters of behind-the-scenes look into Simone&’s lifeCourage to Soar: presents a positive role model for young girls, whether athletes or not is an ideal gift for birthdays, holidays, or to celebrate important achievements is perfect for school assignments and reports is an inspirational story for fans of gymnastics or any sport contains an eight-page, full-color photo insert
It's the Way You Say It: Becoming Articulate, Well-spoken, and Clear
by Carol A. FlemingA revised and updated edition of the detailed, down-to-earth guide to speaking your mind effectively—includes useful exercises. The best, most direct way to convey your intelligence, expertise, professionalism, and personality to other people is through talking to them. But most people have no idea what they sound like. And even if they do, they don&’t think they can change it. It&’s the Way You Say It is a thorough, nuts-and-bolts guide to becoming aware and taking control of how you communicate with others. Dr. Carol Fleming provides detailed advice and scores of exercises for Understanding how others hear youDealing with specific speech problemsVarying your vocal patterns to make your speech more dynamicUsing grammar and vocabulary to increase your clarity and impactReinforcing your message with nonverbal cuesConquering stage fright An entire section of the book focuses on communication issues in the workplace—interviews, presentations, voice mail, and more. In addition, Dr. Fleming puts a human face on her advice through vivid before-and-after stories of forty men and women who came to her for help. &“No other skills will position you ahead of your competition as much as good speaking and presentation skills. No book approaches the depth and breadth of Dr. Carol Fleming&’s It&’s the Way You Say It.&” —Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, keynote speaker, executive speech coach, and president of Fripp & Associates
Brave New World: Common-core Aligned Teacher Materials And A Sample Chapter
by Aldous HuxleyThis classic novel of a perfectly engineered society is &“one of the most prophetic dystopian works of the twentieth century&” (The Wall Street Journal). Half a millennium from now, in the World State, the watchword is that every one belongs to every one else. No matter what class of human you are bred to be—from the intellectual Alphas to the Epsilons who provide the manual labor—you are a part of the efficient, well-oiled whole. You are nourished, secure, and blissfully serene thanks to the freely distributed drug called soma. And while sex is strongly encouraged, the old way of procreation is forbidden, eliminating even the pains of childbirth. But when a man and woman journey beyond these confines to where the &“savages&” reside, and bring back two outsiders, the cracks begin to show. Named as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the twentieth century by the Modern Library, Brave New World is one of the first truly dystopian novels. Influenced by the historic events of Huxley&’s era yet as relevant today as ever, it is a remarkable depiction of the conflict between progress and the human spirit. &“Chilling. . . . That he gave us the dark side of genetic engineering in 1932 is amazing.&” —Providence Journal-Bulletin &“It is a frightening experience, indeed, to discover how much of his satirical prediction of a distant future became reality in so short a time.&” —The New York Times Book Review
Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Good Life
by Richard J. Leider David A. ShapiroIn this revised and updated new edition of a classic—over 560,000 copies sold and translated into 18 languages—is a practical guide for "unpacking" your physical, emotional, and intellectual baggage and "repacking" for the journey ahead. People everywhere feel overwhelmed today—weighed down by countless responsibilities and buffeted by never-ending changes in their personal and professional lives. Repacking Your Bags shows readers how to climb out from under these burdens and find the fulfillment that is missing in their lives. "Living in the place you belong, with the people you love, doing the right work, on purpose." This is how Richard Leider and David Shapiro define the good life. Technological advancements, economic shifts, and longer lifespans mean most of us will need to repeatedly reimagine our lives. In this wise and practical guide, Leider and Shapiro help you weigh all that you're carrying, leverage what helps you live well, and let go of those burdens that merely weigh you down. This third edition has been revised with new stories and practices to help you repack your four critical "bags" (place, relationship, work, and purpose); identify your gifts, passions, and values; and plan your journey, no matter where you are in life.
Trust: Creating the Foundation for Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries
by Tarun KhannaTrustCreating the Foundation for Entrepreneurship in Developing CountriesEntrepreneurial ventures often fail in the developing world because of the lack of something taken for granted in the developed world: trust. Over centuries the developed world has built up customs and institutions like enforceable contracts, an impartial legal system, credible regulatory bodies, even unofficial but respected sources of information like Yelp or Consumer Reports that have created a high level of what scholar and entrepreneur Tarun Khanna calls "ambient trust." If a product is FDA-approved we feel confident it's safe. If someone makes an untrue claim or breaks an agreement we can sue. Police don't demand bribes to do their jobs. Certainly there are exceptions, but when brought to light they provoke a scandal, not a shrug. This is not the case in the developing world. But rather than become casualties of mistrust, Khanna shows that smart entrepreneurs adopt the mindset that, like it or not, it's up to them to weave their own independent web of trust—with their employees, their partners, their clients, their customers and with society as a whole. This can certainly be challenging, and requires innovative approaches in places where the level of societal mistrust is so high that, as in one example Khanna provides, an official certification of quality simply arouses suspicion—and lowers sales! Using vivid examples from Brazil, China, India, Mexico and elsewhere, Khanna shows how entrepreneurs can build on existing customs and practices instead of trying to push against them. He highlights the role new technologies can play (but cautions that these are not panaceas), and explains how entrepreneurs can find dependable partners in national and local governments to create impact at scale.As far back as the 18th century Adam Smith recognized trust as what Khanna calls "the hidden engine of economic progress." "Frankness and openness conciliate confidence," Smith wrote. "We trust the man who seems willing to trust us." That kind of confidence is critical to entrepreneurial success, but in the developing world entrepreneurs have to establish it through their own efforts. As Khanna puts it, "the entrepreneur must not just create, she must create the conditions to create."
The Peon Book: How to Manage Us
by David HaynesManagement books are traditionally written by industry "experts": scholars, consultants, senior managers. They're writing about how to manage workers, but none of these experts really understands the viewpoint of the average worker, the regular grunt in the trenches-the peon. Peons are the ones affected when a manager decides to manage-in-one-minute, to move somebody's cheese, to try that fifth discipline. Rather than consult some expert, why not go to the source, and ask the peons? Who better to teach you how to train a dog than the dog himself? And who better to tell you how to manage than one of those who are being managed? The Peon Book gives managers the perspective they've been lacking. Author and self-proclaimed Chief Executive Peon Dave Haynes' sole, powerful source of expertise is that he has been managed in different companies and in different industries, and he knows what worked-and what failed catastrophically. In irreverent, straight-talking terms, Haynes tells managers what they really need to do to make their employees motivated, committed, and productive-and it's not memorizing yet another "technique" or "strategy" or "discipline." Haynes writes in a common sense, easy-to-read style that is both witty and wise. Every boss can benefit, and every employee can empathize with the words in The Peon Book. "The inability to empathize can be a real speed bump on the road to a trusting, personal relationship with your employees. So how are you supposed to show more empathy? I take issue with management books that give you a phrase to say to show empathy like 'I understand,' or 'I know what you mean,' or that say that by rephrasing a statement you can show empathy. Don't use some coined phrase to show empathy, just mentally put yourself in our shoes. Sometimes it's just a matter of remembering what it's like to have to get all those reports turned in on a Friday. Or remembering what it's like to have to ask for time off. Or remembering what it's like to be the new guy on the job, and have a hard time remembering everything. Do you see the key concept I'm getting at? Empathy = remembering. Who said you'd never use math in the real world?"
Robert K. Greenleaf: A Life of Servant Leadership
by Don M. FrickThousands if not millions of people have heard the term “servant leadership,” introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in his landmark essay The Servant as Leader, published in 1970. There are now Centers for Servant Leadership in ten countries and counting. His work is regularly cited by some of the most prominent business writers and leaders in the world, such as Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, Margaret Wheatley, and Peter Block. And yet until now there has been no biography of the man who first developed this revolutionary idea. Don Frick was given unfettered access to all of Greenleaf’s papers and correspondence. The result is a fascinating book that details the sources of Greenleaf’s thought, describes his friendships with dozens of well-known people, and shows how he influenced business history well before his first book was published at the age of 73, and lived his own life as a servant leader. As Director of Management Research at AT&T for 38 years, Greenleaf was known as “AT&T’s Kept Revolutionary.” Among other unusual initiatives, he oversaw a novel program which taught executive decision making through great literature, established the first corporate assessment center using knowledge gleaned from the OSS’s approach to training civilian spies during World War II, and invited leading philosophers and theologians to have conversations with AT&T executives. After a period of soul searching and some surprising experiments in consciousness, Greenleaf retired from AT&T and began to develop the concept of servant leadership, the then-heretical notion that leaders lead best by serving their followers rather than “commanding” them. He continued to promote the idea through teaching, writing, and consulting until his last years, and was instrumental in creating a score of important organizations such as The Center for Creative Leadership and Yokefellow Institute. Always, Greenleaf was a seeker opening himself up to novel experiences and astonishing people. He was a complex person—an introvert who served in public roles, a wise person who refused to give others “The Answer,” a brilliant thinker who often declared, “I am not a scholar.” His grave carries the epitaph he wrote for himself: “Potentially a good plumber; ruined by a sophisticated education.”
The New Management: Bringing Democracy and Markets Inside Organizations
by William E. HalalA guide to the parallel revolutions in technology, organizations, and leadership, this practical yet thought-provoking book presents a wealth of evidence to show that the two recurrent themes of democracy and enterprise are transforming our institutions. Organizations are becoming changing clusters of entrepreneurial units working together to form "internal markets," while this diversity is being integrated into a "corporate community" that unites the interests of investors, workers, clients, business partners, and the public. Even fierce competitors are cooperating.o "Serving enterprises" make customers working partners in the creation of valueo "Knowledge entrepreneurs" form teams of self-managed internal enterpriseso "Internal markets" and "Corporate community" harness external forces to drive continuous changeo The power of "inner leadership" unites liberated workers, critical clients, and temporary business partnerso "Intelligent growth" offers strategic advantage that is ecologically benignIllustrative examples, survey data, trends, anecdotes, and exercises offer original insights into the use of New Management principles. In addition, mini-case studies of MCI, Saturn, The Body Shop, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Southwest Airlines, Home Depot, IKEA, Wal-Mart and other great companies illustrate vividly how creative managers design and lead organizations in an era of global competition, constant change, and empowered people. The author also analyzes critical issues, such as the nagging old conflict between profit and society, to provide managers a comprehensive, stimulating guide to where their craft is heading.Halal argues that the transition to a New Management is almost inevitable because it is being driven not by altruism or even good leadership, but by the relentless advance of the Information Revolution. Only small entrepreneurial teams operating from the bottom-up can master today's exploding complexity, and gaining stakeholder support is now essential because a knowledge-based economy has made cooperation a competitive advantage. Rather than fussing over quick fixes, The New Management points the way toward more fundamental solutions to the massive changes that will confront all institutions as the transition to a knowledge society rolls on into the 21st century.
Entrepreneurs in Every Generation: How Successful Family Businesses Develop Their Next Leaders
by Pramodita Sharma Allan CohenDiscover What Makes Family Businesses Beat the Odds and Thrive over GenerationsFamilies are complicated; family businesses even more so. Like other companies, family-run enterprises must develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills. But they must also manage family dynamics that rarely mirror the best practices in the latest Harvard Business Review. Allan Cohen and Pramodita Sharma, scholars with deep professional and personal roots in family businesses, show how enterprising families can transmit the hunger for excellence across generations. Using examples of firms that flourished and those that failed, they describe the practices that characterize entrepreneurial individuals, families, and organizations and offer pragmatic advice that can be tailored to your unique situation.
Leadership in Higher Education: Practices That Make A Difference
by Barry Posner Jim KouzesThe authors of the classic bestseller The Leadership Challenge bring their expertise to higher education, offering five practices that can make any college or university leader into an exemplary leader. Drawing on the same pioneering research that formed the foundation of their classic bestseller The Leadership Challenge (over 2.7 million copies sold), James Kouzes and Barry Posner offer a set of leadership skills and practices that will make a significant difference in every area of higher education—faculty, administration, library services, career counseling, auxiliary services, campus safety, and more. It's about the behaviors that leaders, regardless of their position, use to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, segments into solidarity, and risks into rewards. Kouzes and Posner tell the leadership story from the inside and move outward, describing it first as a personal journey and then as mobilizing others to want to do things they have never done before. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership is the operating system for this adventure. Leadership in Higher Education explains the fundamental principles that support these practices and provides case examples of people in higher education who demonstrate each one. A core theme that weaves its way through all the chapters is that, whether it's one to one or one to many, leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. We need leaders who can unite us and ignite us. This book lights the way.
Building Better Organizations: How to Fuel Growth and Lead in a Digital Era
by Claudy JulesThis essential playbook shows how companies can scale success by coupling digital strategies with an investment in the health of their organizations and the people within.To scale and grow, a company must get the organizational elements right. That begins with having the right strategy, the right leadership to drive it, and the right talent, culture, and organizational design to realize a company's potential. This is especially true in the AI era, where a company's most valuable assets are its people. To begin with, leaders must rethink their value creation strategies. To hone their organizational edge, leaders must prioritize their organization's health in seven vital areas: strategic direction, culture, leadership, talent, organizational design, EID (equity, inclusion, and diversity), and well-being. No matter what type or size of business, those essential conditions must be leveraged for increased value and growth. Put simply: organizational matters matter. To hone their digital edge, leaders must understand AI, as advances in technology allow leaders to build organizations that can compete and win in the future. Finally, an investor mindset will enable leaders to invest wisely in the technology (and leverage that tech) that sets their organizations apart.
Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies
by Otto Scharmer Katrin KauferOur Time Is Now We have entered an age of disruption. Financial collapse, climate change, resource depletion, and a growing gap between rich and poor are but a few of the signs. Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer ask, why do we collectively create results nobody wants? Meeting the challenges of this century requires updating our economic logic and operating system from an obsolete “ego-system” focused entirely on the well-being of oneself to an eco-system awareness that emphasizes the well-being of the whole. Filled with real-world examples, this thought-provoking guide presents proven practices for building a new economy that is more resilient, intentional, inclusive, and aware. “A watershed! An inspiring, practical weaving of the inner and outer dimensions of the systemic changes so many around the world are now working toward.” —Peter Senge, Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management; Founding Chair, Society for Organizational Learning; and author of The Fifth Discipline “Scharmer and Kaufer have succeeded in writing the book that has the potential to transform civilization from one based on a rapacious, ego-driven economics to a viable, ecological, awareness-based model. This is a must-read for anyone who cares. It may well be the single most important book you ever read.” —Arthur Zajonc, President, Mind and Life Institute, and author of Meditation as Contemplative Inquiry “Scharmer and Kaufer provide a creative and practical approach to shifting our economies. I see business as a movement, and this book shares that movement with the world, offering us inspiration to tap into the deeper levels of our humanity and urging us to transform the crises of our times.” —Eileen Fisher, founder, Eileen Fisher, Inc. “The shift to an eco-system economy is emerging everywhere around us. Otto’s and Katrin’s clarity in identifying that this shift requires change-makers to expand our thinking from the head to the heart has helped me to be more intentional in designing processes to awaken the hearts of entrepreneurs everywhere. This is a necessary condition for the emergence of the new economy.” —Michelle Long, Executive Director, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies “The purpose of business is to enhance the well-being of society. The 4.0 framework for transforming capitalism matters because it addresses a blind spot in our current discourse: how to create institutional innovations that could shift our economy from ego- to eco-system awareness at the scale of the whole.” —Guilherme Peirão Leal, founder and Cochairman, Natura Cosméticos
The Knowledge Café: Create an Environment for Successful Knowledge Management
by Benjamin AnyachoKnowledge Café is a process for sharing information, whether face to face or virtual. This popular and practical knowledge management tool supports a culture where projects and innovation thrive.The Knowledge Café is a mindset and environment for engaging, discussing, and exchanging knowledge within a group either face to face or virtually. At the café, participants can discuss hard-to-solve project issues or resolve a family or community crisis. This metaphorical town square supports knowledge circulation and rejuvenation and increases its velocity—making it a breeding ground for innovation. The aha moments at one Knowledge Café can match the benefits of multiple conferences, workshops, and training put together.When knowledge management (KM) is part of an organization's culture, performance improves, collaboration increases, and the competitive advantage accelerates. No one can force knowledge transfer. We must create the right environment where knowledge is freely shared, rewarded, and fun. This book demonstrates why the Knowledge Café is such an effective KM tool and shows how to design optimal café experiences and increase learning agility. The premium on knowledge and agility has never been greater. This book offers a technique for managing knowledge toward the greater good. Tips; templates; practical and relatable experiences; case studies; and examples of knowledge brokers, creators, and sharers across cultures are sprinkled throughout the book to show how the café interfaces with other KM techniques and in different work and project spaces.
Unsolved Case Files: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money (Unsolved Case Files Ser. #1)
by Tom SullivanAn ALA Top Ten Best Graphic Novel for ChildrenA thrilling new graphic nonfiction series about real FBI cases, launching with a gripping, minute-by-minute account of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in the U.S.CASE NO. 001: NORJAK NOVEMBER 24, 1971 PORTLAND, OREGON2:00 P.M. A man in his mid-forties, wearing a suit and overcoat, buys a ticket for Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 bound for Seattle.3:07 P.M. The man presents his demands: $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. If the demands are not met, he threatens to detonate the explosive device in his briefcase.So begins the astonishing true story of the man known as D.B. Cooper, and the only unsolved airplane hijacking case in the United States. Comic panels, reproductions of documents from real FBI files, and photos from the investigation combine for a thrilling read for sleuths of all ages.What better way to draw readers into nonfiction than through an exciting graphic novel? This series will appeal to readers of series such as Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. Fans of history and whodunits, CSI-club kids, and graphic novel enthusiasts alike will be pulled in by the suspenseful, complex, and kid-appropriate cases in this series.Sidebars provide fun facts about pre-2001 air travel, serial numbers on currency, airplane design, and more. Backmatter showcases period photos and primary source material in FBI archives.
The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War
by Jim MurphyAn ALA Best Book for Young Adults: Firsthand accounts of the experiences of boys sixteen and younger who fought in the Civil War, with photos included. Winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction &“Making extensive use of the actual words—culled from diaries, journals, memoirs, and letters—of boys who served in the Union and Confederate armies as fighting soldiers as well as drummers, buglers, and telegraphers, Murphy describes the beginnings of the Civil War and goes on to delineate the military role of the underage soldiers and their life in the camps and field bivouacs. Also included is a description of the boys' return home and the effects upon them of their wartime experiences…An excellent selection of more than 45 sepia-toned contemporary photographs augment the text of this informative, moving work.&” —School Library Journal (starred review) &“This wrenching look at our nation&’s bloodiest conflict through the eyes of its youthful participants serves up history both heartbreaking and enlightening.&” —Publishers Weekly &“This well-researched and readable account provides fresh insight into the human cost of a pivotal event in United States history.&” —The Horn Book (starred review)
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
by Mary Roach“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) explores the irresistibly strange universe of life without gravity in this New York Times bestseller.The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
The Nest: A Novel
by Cynthia D'Aprix SweeneyA warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives.Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs' joint trust fund, “The Nest,” which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest’s value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.Melody, a wife and mother in an upscale suburb, has an unwieldy mortgage and looming college tuition for her twin teenage daughters. Jack, an antiques dealer, has secretly borrowed against the beach cottage he shares with his husband, Walker, to keep his store open. And Bea, a once-promising short-story writer, just can’t seem to finish her overdue novel. Can Leo rescue his siblings and, by extension, the people they love? Or will everyone need to reimagine the futures they’ve envisioned? Brought together as never before, Leo, Melody, Jack, and Beatrice must grapple with old resentments, present-day truths, and the significant emotional and financial toll of the accident, as well as finally acknowledge the choices they have made in their own lives.This is a story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another and the ways we let one another down. In this tender, entertaining, and deftly written debut, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney brings a remarkable cast of characters to life to illuminate what money does to relationships, what happens to our ambitions over the course of time, and the fraught yet unbreakable ties we share with those we love.
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart: A Novel
by Peter SwansonFrom Peter Swanson, the acclaimed author of Eight Perfect Murders, The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is an addictive, nonstop thriller—an ever-tightening coil of suspense that grips you right up to its electrifying end.On an ordinary Friday evening at his favorite Boston tavern, George Foss’s comfortable, predictable life is shattered when a beautiful woman sits down at the bar, a woman who vanished without a trace twenty years ago.Liana Dector isn’t just an ex-girlfriend, the first love George couldn’t quite forget. She’s also a dangerous enigma and quite possibly a cold-blooded killer wanted by the police. Suddenly, she’s back—and she needs George’s help. Ruthless men believe she stole some money ... and they will do whatever it takes to get it back.George knows Liana is trouble. But he can’t say no—he never could—so he makes a choice that will plunge him into a terrifying whirlpool of lies, secrets, betrayal, and murder from which there is no sure escape.Bold and masterful, full of malicious foreboding and subtle surprises,The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is the story of a man swept into a vortex of irresistible passion and murder when an old love mysteriously reappears.