Books by Jane Merrill

One of the preeminent natural philosophers of the Enlightenment, Benjamin Thompson started out as a farm boy, became successful in world affairs, and was knighted by George III. Thompson was also popular with women - so much so that his personal life eclipsed his achievements. Drawing on Thompson's correspondence and diaries, this book examines his friendships and romantic relationships.

A couture of the risque evolved on a bridge of fashion from Paris nightclubs to Las Vegas casinos. A one-time writer for sexy magazines and on style, the author, with contributions from many experts on topics from Paris to feathers and sequins explores that entertainment story, and the hedonism behind it.

Earrings can talk of mourning a dead king, supporting a revolution, or resisting an emperor. They have carried the message that a proper Victorian believed in Darwin, and that a woman invited a lover to her bed. Raid the jewelry boxes of the glamorous, legendary, and everyday chic women alike. See what earrings they have worn, when, and why, in ways that bespeak their way of life and personality, and how jewelry carries family and cultural heritage with style. Looking at earrings as tiny sculptures, here are details about gems, settings, and fixtures. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images of jewelry ranging from the Byzantine era to the contemporary artisan, the styles of design, relationships to dress, portraiture and symbolism, and other aspects of adornment are elaborated upon. With research-based anecdotes and her own life in earrings, the author tells a story that will engage anyone interested in celebrities, monarchies, and the barely recorded lives of women of the past, and, of course, anyone who loves beautiful jewelry.

This book provides a roadmap-based on interviews with women who have been there-on how to transition from a relationship that did not work to one that is a joyous, loving, and intimate experience with a new partner.

Employees of both sexes share the work environment, and a mishandled office romance can be disastrous for love, a life partnership, or a career. Avoid the pitfalls of love-at-work-from the corner office to the online "friend"-with this 21st-century guide.