Join thousands of book lovers
Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy.You can, at any time, unsubscribe from our newsletters.
“Sam Lightner, Jr., combines two tales of adventure, one historic and the other modern-day in his page-turner . . . With its rich sense of place and history, All Elevations Unknown offers a surprisingly fresh twist to an adventure-climbing tale.” –Climbing MagazineIn the spring of 1999, armed with little more than a description from a book and a map labeled “all elevations unknown,” Sam Lightner and his German rock-climbing buddy, Volker, found themselves deep in the jungles of Borneo on a mission to climb a mountain that was only rumored to exist. What little they knew about the mountain they had learned from the memoirs of Major Tom Harrisson, a British World War II soldier who in 1945 had been assigned the near-impossible mission of parachuting blindly into the thick Borneo rainforest–where the natives had a grisly habit of cutting off heads–to try to reclaim the island for the Allies.A captivating, utterly original combination of travel adventure memoir and historical re-creation, All Elevations Unknown charts Lightner’s exhilarating and at times harrowing quest to ascend the mountain Batu Lawi in the face of leeches, vipers, and sweat bees, and to keep his team together in one of the earth’s most treacherous uncharted pockets. Along the way, he reconstructs a fascinating historical narrative that chronicles Tom Harrisson’s adventures there during the war and illuminates an astonishing piece of forgotten World War II history. Rife with suspense and vivid detail, the two intertwining tales open up the island of Borneo, its people, and its history in a powerful, unforgettable way, taking adventure writing to new heights.
Money is more than a bank balance; it’s a reflection of the overall abundance in your life. Now, a CPA and feng shui practitioner presents an unusual and valuable application of the ancient Eastern tradition of feng shui. Delving into all of the life forces that affect financial health, The Feng Shui of Abundance is not just a monetary makeover; it is a whole-being program whose benefits include: • Locating the wealth area of your office or home• Dislodging clogged energy in your career• Drawing on the five currents of the “River of Gold” to address debt, personal spending, and your own potential for abundance• Creating a financial plan that speaks to your dreams and desires A liberating book for those who feel financially “trapped,” and for anyone who wants to achieve his or her potential, The Feng Shui of Abundance incorporates all three feng shui aspects—wind, water, and energy—unleashing the forces that control true wealth, creating clearer harmony between your money, goals, and dreams. This is the perfect handbook for anyone seeking genuine peace of mind as well as financial prosperity.
When Yvone Lenard returned to her native France and purchased a house in a hilltop village of Provence, an enchanted world of food, wines, and unusual adventures–including chicken rustling, flirtatious advances from neighbors, and a séance–opened up before her. This is her account of the spell cast on her by Provence, from her first morning’s visit by a charming prince bearing a jug of the village’s vin rose to the growth of her friendship with a duchess in the local chateau. Lenard shares tales of travels to St. Tropez and visits from American friends who find unexpected romance and magic in Provence. Told with verve, wit, and Lenard’s deep understanding of the French language and culture, this memoir includes tales of others who have been drawn to the region, including Vincent van Gogh, Brigitte Bardot, and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Ways to re-create the magic of the region’s sensuous way of life include recipes for food and drinks, as well as tips for entertaining in the Provençal style.
Shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945, the Navy cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea. The ship had just left the island of Tinian, delivering components of the atomic bomb destined for Hiroshima. As the torpedoes hit, the Indianapolis erupted into a fiery coffin, sinking in less than fifteen minutes and leaving nine hundred crewmen fighting for life in shark-infested waters. They expected a swift, routine rescue, unaware that the Navy high command didn’t even realize that the Indianapolis was missing. Help would not arrive for another five days. Drawn from definitive interviews with key figures, Fatal Voyage recounts the horrific events endured as the number of water-treading survivors dwindled to just 316. Each gruesome day brought more madness and slow death, from explosion-related injuries, dehydration, and, most terrifying of all, shark attacks. But the pain did not end when the men finally returned home: The Indianapolis’s commander, Captain Charles B. McVay III, was court-martialed for causing the clearly unavoidable disaster. With a new afterword chronicling the fifty-five-year campaign by Indianapolis survivors and their supporters to win public vindication for Captain McVay, this classic is restored, along with memories of the Indianapolis crew.
Why are men so afraid of showing their feelings? What scares men about commitment? In Understanding the Tin Man, bestselling author William July II tackles these age-old questions, revealing what every woman wants to know about her man, and what every man needs to know about himself. Boys, conditioned to become emotionally closed off, all too often end up like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz-hollow on the inside, and unable to cultivate honest, loving, mutually satisfying relationships.Understanding the Tin Man presents a simple, step-by-step program for men who want to change, and for women who want to help their men overcome the Tin Man syndrome. You will learn to recognize a Tin Man, understand why men really fear intimacy, see through the tactics men use to avoid commitment and relationships, identify the five situations in which even the most emotionally numb man will share his feelings, and, most important, learn how to help a Tin Man change his life. With thought-provoking questions and self-improvement exercises for both men and women at the end of each chapter, Understanding the Tin Man is a powerful tonic for relationships and a much-needed voice of reason on the battlefield of the sexes.
Growing up in a bizarre cave-dwelling cult in Colorado, seven-foot, eight-inch Maurice "Slo-Mo" Finsternick knows nothing about the NBA--that is until the day he''s discovered and becomes the hottest sports icon in the country.This uproariously funny satire of pro sports is Rick Reilly at his very best. The bestselling author of the classic Missing Links has delivered again with this dead-on tale of "Slo-Mo" Finsternick, a genius player with a patented thirty-foot hook shot. Eventually, though, Slo-Mo begins to move away from his kind, truthful, polite, and self-effacing ways and gradually learns to behave like a famous athlete. Can the big man''s innocence survive the charms of the big show?
THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING HOST OF COURT TV’S "CATHERINE CRIER LIVE" DESCRIBES AN AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM DANGEROUSLY OUT OF CONTROL – AND FINDS THE LAWYERS GUILTY AS CHARGED.As a child, Catherine Crier was enchanted by film portrayals of crusading lawyers like Clarence Darrow and Atticus Finch. As a district attorney, private lawyer, and judge herself, she saw firsthand how the U.S. justice system worked – and didn’t. One of the most respected legal journalists and commentators today, she now confronts a profoundly unfair legal system that produces results and profits for the few – and paralysis, frustration, and injustice for the many. Alexis de Tocqueville’s dire prediction in Democracy in America has come true: We Americans have ceded our responsibility as citizens to resolve the problems of society to "legal authorities" – and with it our democratic freedoms.The Case Against Lawyers is both an angry indictment and an eloquent plea for a return to common sense. It decries a system of laws so complex even the enforcers – such as the IRS – cannot understand them. It unmasks a litigation-crazed society where billion-dollar judgments mostly line the pockets of personal injury lawyers. It deplores the stupidity of a system of liability that leads to such results as a label on a stroller that warns, “Remove child before folding.” It indicts a criminal justice system that puts minor drug offenders away for life yet allows celebrity murderers to walk free. And it excoriates the sheer corruption of the iron triangle of lawyers, bureaucrats, and politicians who profit mightily from all this inefficiency, injustice, and abuse.The Case Against Lawyers will make readers hopping mad. And it will make them realize that the only response can be to demand change. Now.
A parenting specialist and child psychologist helps tackle a headache for parents and kids alike--homework--and gets underachievers back on track.Is your child constantly bored or frustrated at school? Has homework become more of a family crisis than a learning exercise every evening? As any parent of a school-age child can tell you, helping children to achieve at school and get into a good college is a primary concern. Parents are starting to worry about this when their children are still very young, knowing that the work habits and study skills their children develop in elementary school will affect their performance in middle school, high school, and eventually, college. Unfortunately, bad habits on the part of kids and parents can result in poor academic performance and tense parent/child relationships.Now, in Overcoming Underachieving, Dr. Ruth Peters--a trusted child psychologist who has helped thousands of children and their parents solve scholastic problems--tackles kids'' academic underachievement head-on, and presents a clear strategy that has worked for her clients and can work for almost all kids who aren''t performing as well as they could. With a practical program targeted for parents of children from first through the twelfth grade, this book gives concrete advice about how to:-reward performance-build a child''s self-concept-help kids battle apathy-identify common behavioral patterns among parents and children that lead to academic underachievementAs the market is inundated with new study aids and guidebooks and expensive tutors, Dr. Peters''s straightforward, strategic plan is a breath of fresh air for parents and children. Overcoming Underachieving is the best tool for helping your kids get the better grades they want and deserve.
Plenty of books explore the emotions of coping with grief and a loved one’s death. But as psychologist Carol Wogrin has observed, there is little advice for those at a loss for words witnessing the process of dying. Matters of Life and Death discusses the importance of communicating with the terminally ill both through talking and nonverbal expression and offers suggestions for what to say to offer comfort, both emotional and physical. Brimming with constructive advice for opening up, Matters of Life and Death helps allay the fears that often silence friends and relatives in the face of death. Helping readers manage their fears–the fear of saying the wrong thing, of upsetting others, of facing overwhelming feelings–this book is a beautiful prescription for conveying a heartfelt message when it matters the most.
In this New York Times-bestselling inspirational memoir, Camryn Manheim, Emmy Award-winning costar of The Practice, chronicles her journey from a self-hating, "overweight" teenager, who desperately wanted to fit in, to a self-loving, fat activist who is proud to be a misfit. Wake Up, I''m Fat! shares her intelligent, candid, poignant, and often hilarious stories of being fat in a society obsessed with being thin.Camryn takes us from her days as a motorcycle-riding hippie in Santa Cruz to her enrollment at New York University''s prestigious school of drama--where Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner broke the unspoken theater rules of size by casting her in the role of the ingenue--and finally to Hollywood, where she dispelled the fallacy that large women can''t be portrayed as sensual, sophisticated, and confident.Camryn''s endearing honesty, sass, and razor-sharp wit will appeal to any reader who has ever felt like an outcast or yearned to make peace with their body.
What happens when a man leaves home for a year to pursue his dream? One day, playing a particularly spectacular round of golf, husband and father John Paul Newport suddenly tastes what it''s like to be a pro. Deciding to take a year off and hit the road playing golf''s mini-tour circuit, Newport embarks on a wild trip through America''s fairways. Over the course of his journey inside the somewhat shady, often hilarious underbelly of professional golf, he uncovers a world of people so totally addicted to golf, to the delusion of achievable perfection, that they sacrifice everything else to the quest. He also discovers the nature of his own obsession with the game, and how this constant pursuit of perfection on the golf course reflects the same challenges and frustrations one encounters in life. What does it take to master such an intricate, unpredictable game? In golf, as in life, why is one so consistently incapable of acting up to one''s clearly established potential? As Newport struggles to cross that Fine Green Line--the infinitely subtle yet critical difference between the top golf professionals and those who never quite make it--he realizes that life, like golf, doesn''t let you get away with anything. This is a story about letting go of fear, facing challenges, and embracing risks--a compelling personal journey that captures many of the frustrations and elations of midlife both on and off the course.
A practical guide to the wisdom of the East that shows how we can apply it to our pragmatic Western view of the world to achieve inner peace.In Life Without Stress, Arthur Sokoloff demystifies Eastern teachings and shows how the basic tenets of the four major philosophies--Taoism, traditional Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism--can be applied to life in the West. Through re-tellings of ancient parables and anecdotes from his own life, Sokoloff elucidates the practical lessons inherent in each philosophy: Taoism teaches us to understand that we are at one with the universe; traditional Buddhism offers the keys to finding and eliminating the roots of unhappiness; Zen Buddhism enhances our intuitive abilities; and Confucianism shows us how inner qualities affect and influence our relationships with the external world. The ideal primer for readers interested in Eastern spirituality, Life Without Stress offers clear explanations and gentle guidance for handling the stress in our lives and achieving inner serenity.
In this wise and inspiring book, Nancy O''Hara will help you discover what you really want from life and find the courage to pursue your dreams. Adapting Zen principles and practices to modern day life, O''Hara takes you step-by-step through an entire process of meditation and simple exercises to clear your busy mind and make you more aware and active in living a satisfying life. An insightful guide that will teach you to release negativity, understand and face your fears, reach out to others, and rediscover your true self, Just Listen will take you on an enlightening and empowering journey.
The story of Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil, a man who could—and often did—pull off scams to outshine The Sting.In his long career as a confidence man, Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil swindled the public of more than eight million dollars and established the reputation for robbery and trickery. Always beating the police at their own game, “Yellow Kid” used phony oil deals, women, fixed races, and an endless list of other tricks to best an increasingly gullible public. One day, he was Dr. Henri Reuel, a noted geologist who traveled around and told his hosts that he was a representative for a big oil company—all the while draining them of the cash they gave him to “invest in fuel.” The next day, he was director of the Elysium Development Company, promising land to innocent believers while robbing them in recording and abstract fees. Or he was a chemist par excellence who had discovered how to copy dollar bills; promising to increase your fortune, he would multiply your bills—then take the booty once the police arrived.Originally published in 1948, here is Weil’s true and amazing story, with a smart and witty Afterword by none other than Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow, who profiled “Yellow Kid” for The Reporter in 1956. It is undeniable proof that “Yellow Kid” was the con man par excellence—the virtuoso scam artist, bar none.
Once again there''s good news for those of us who rage at the evening news, shake our heads at Washington''s business-as-usual, or watch as politicians carom helplessly between political crises and sex scandals: Dennis Miller is back with his third installment of hilarious observations, I Rant, Therefore I Am.Dennis Miller first gained national acclaim as the wise-guy anchor of "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live." When HBO premiered his weekly talk show in April 1994, both critics and fans enthusiastically agreed: "Dennis Miller Live" was the most refreshing talk show on television.The accolades have continued to pour in. In September 1994, Dennis and his staff won an Emmy Award for writing and have been regularly nominated since. When he takes the stage, the audience demands, "The rants, the rants, the rants," and once again, Dennis Miller delivers the goods. Fans of his smart, quirky, irreverent style of humor are in for another treat-this set of rants is even funnier than the last two rounds.Dennis Miller keeps on ranting in I Rant, Therefore I Am, and speaks his mind on topics like:MODELS-"How ironic that the most exquisite-looking people in the world should end up choosing the profession that requires them to spend all day by the phone waiting for the most hideous people to call them."COLLEGE-"I don''t think you should have to pay back college loans unless you get a job in your field. Put some pressure on the school. If I can''t pay my bills, I''m not paying yours." CONSUMERS-"You know how to tell when you''ve got a shopping problem? When the lights in the department store momentarily dim after they slide your credit card through the thing."FAITH-"I envy people who can just let go and totally commit. I, on the other hand, can''t even hear the title of the show ''Touched by an Angel'' without thinking that a professional baseball player is being sued for sexual harassment."ASTRONAUTS-"Anybody who would strap themselves onto a giant deodorant spray can, set off a series of explosions under their ass until they''ve been blasted into the icy vacuum of deep space, and then step outside to take a walk must have more balls than a twenty-four-hour Tokyo driving range."
One of the country's top cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Alan Gaynor, is committed to helping people feel better about themselves. In this informative and accessible guide, he describes the newest laser procedures and explains why cosmetic surgery is now safer and more affordable than ever before. Clearly and comprehensively, Dr. Gaynor guides you through every type of cosmetic surgery - from face lifts and eye lifts to hair transplants and liposuction, he compares the older technology to the latest procedures. Dr. Gaynor also explains what each procedure entails, carefully outlines the risk and possible side effects, discusses the criteria for choosing a doctor, and provides questions you should ask at any consultation. Every procedure includes case studies and before-and-after photos of patients to help you find the procedure that best suits your needs, whether you've already had some work done or are new to the scene. "A clear and insightful look at a cosmetic surgery by a respected surgeon. If you are considering cosmetic surgery, this book should be required reading."-Sterling S. Baker, MD, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and inventor of the Laser Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Lift)
Get an Insider's Edge on Launching Your Career.Are you thinking about working for the likes of McKinsey, Merrill Lynch, or Salomon Brothers? Thousands of undergraduates, MBA students, and others are rushing for prestigious entry-level positions in the highly competitive and lucrative fields of management consulting, investment banking, and securities trading. How are you going to compete? In The Fast Track, experienced recruiter and fast-track insider Mariam Naficy helps you make the right decisions every step of the way as she guides you through the rigorous, highly specialized recruiting process. The Fast Track includes:Comprehensive job descriptions of consultants, analysts, and traders, explained in layperson terms.Over twenty in-depth interviews with people in the business at every level from first-year analysts to CEOs and recruiting managers. Tips on preparing an irresistible rÚsumÚ, giving a great interview, and choosing the right firm. Listen in as recruiters at a top firm review candidates they interviewed.Profiles of the top forty firms across the country with information you can't find anywhere else, including career paths, office culture, and interviews with employees.
Named one of NPR''s Best Books of 2017"Both original and moving — and a whole lot of fun." — CAROLINE LEAVITT, New York Times Book Review"A must-read." — People"Fans of Salinger''s stories about Manhattan''s elite will enjoy this novel about privileged siblings who grapple with the state of their inheritance and long-held secrets that emerge in the wake of their father''s death." — InStyle Six months after Rupert Falkes dies, leaving a grieving widow and five adult sons, an unknown woman sues his estate, claiming she had two sons by him. The Falkes brothers are pitched into turmoil, at once missing their father and feeling betrayed by him. In disconcerting contrast, their mother, Eleanor, is cool and calm, showing preternatural composure. Eleanor and Rupert had made an admirable life together -- Eleanor with her sly wit and generosity, Rupert with his ambition and English charm -- and they were proud of their handsome, talented sons: Harry, a brash law professor; Will, a savvy Hollywood agent; Sam, an astute doctor and scientific researcher; Jack, a jazz trumpet prodigy; Tom, a public-spirited federal prosecutor. The brothers see their identity and success as inextricably tied to family loyalty – a loyalty they always believed their father shared. Struggling to reclaim their identity, the brothers find Eleanor’s sympathy toward the woman and her sons confounding. Widowhood has let her cast off the rigid propriety of her stifling upbringing, and the brothers begin to question whether they knew either of their parents at all. A riveting portrait of a family, told with compassion, insight, and wit, The Heirs wrestles with the tangled nature of inheritance and legacy for one unforgettable, patrician New York family. Moving seamlessly through a constellation of rich, arresting voices, The Heirs is a tale out Edith Wharton for the 21st century.
Set in the glamorous 1920s, A Fine Imitation is an intoxicating debut that sweeps readers into a privileged Manhattan socialite''s restless life and the affair with a mysterious painter that upends her world, flashing back to her years at Vassar and the friendship that brought her to the brink of ruin.Vera Bellington has beauty, pedigree, and a penthouse at The Angelus--the most coveted address on Park Avenue. But behind the sparkling social whirl, Vera is living a life of quiet desperation. Her days are an unbroken loop of empty, champagne-soaked socializing, while her nights are silent and cold, spent waiting alone in her cavernous apartment for a husband who seldom comes home. Then Emil Hallan arrives at The Angelus to paint a mural above its glittering subterranean pool. The handsome French artist moves into the building, shrouds his work in secrecy, and piques Vera''s curiosity, especially when the painter keeps dodging questions about his past. Is he the man he claims to be? Even as she finds herself increasingly drawn to Hallan''s warmth and passion, Vera can''t suppress her suspicions. After all, she has plenty of secrets, too--and some of them involve art forgers like her bold, artistically talented former friend, Bea, who years ago, at Vassar, brought Vera to the brink of catastrophe and social exile. When the dangerous mysteries of Emil''s past are revealed, Vera faces an impossible choice--whether to cling to her familiar world of privilege and propriety or to risk her future with the enigmatic man who has taken her heart. A Fine Imitation explores what happens when we realize that the life we''ve always led is not the life we want to have.
A riveting, panoramic look at “homegrown” Islamist terrorism from 9/11 to the present Since 9/11, more than three hundred Americans—born and raised in Minnesota, Alabama, New Jersey, and elsewhere—have been indicted or convicted of terrorism charges. Some have taken the fight abroad: an American was among those who planned the attacks in Mumbai, and more than eighty U.S. citizens have been charged with ISIS-related crimes. Others have acted on American soil, as with the attacks at Fort Hood, the Boston Marathon, and in San Bernardino. What motivates them, how are they trained, and what do we sacrifice in our efforts to track them? Paced like a detective story, United States of Jihad tells the entwined stories of the key actors on the American front. Among the perpetrators are Anwar al-Awlaki, the New Mexico-born radical cleric who became the first American citizen killed by a CIA drone and who mentored the Charlie Hebdo shooters; Samir Khan, whose Inspire webzine has rallied terrorists around the world, including the Tsarnaev brothers; and Omar Hammami, an Alabama native and hip hop fan who became a fixture in al Shabaab’s propaganda videos until fatally displeasing his superiors. Drawing on his extensive network of intelligence contacts, from the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI to the NYPD, Peter Bergen also offers an inside look at the controversial tactics of the agencies tracking potential terrorists—from infiltrating mosques to massive surveillance; at the bias experienced by innocent observant Muslims at the hands of law enforcement; at the critics and defenders of U.S. policies on terrorism; and at how social media has revolutionized terrorism. Lucid and rigorously researched, United States of Jihad is an essential new analysis of the Americans who have embraced militant Islam both here and abroad.— Washington Post, Notable Non-Fiction Books in 2016
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake that changed a family forever, now in paperback and featuring an all-new Reading Group Guide Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in small-town Ohio, mourning the loss of her grandmother, June. But the noise of the rusted doorbell forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary movie star Jack Montgomery''s fortune. Soon Jack’s famous daughters arrive, entourage in tow, determined to wrestle Cassie away from an inheritance they feel is theirs. Together, they come to discover the true reason for June’s silence about the summer she was eighteen, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered. Shifting deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.
"A little Elmore Leonard, a little Charles Portis, and very much its own uniquely American self. . .Tom Cooper has written one hell of a novel." –Stephen King When the BP oil spill devastates the Louisiana Gulf Coast, the citizens of the bayou town of Jeanette scramble to replace their lost livelihoods. Among them is one-armed, pill-popping shrimper Gus Lindquist, who has nothing left but the dying glimmer of a boyhood dream: finding the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte. With his metal detector and Pez dispenser full of Oxycontin, Lindquist steers his rickety shrimp boat into the savage Louisiana swamps. Along his journey, Gus meets a motley crew of characters: Wes Trench, a young Cajun man estranged from his father since his mother died in Katrina; Reginald and Victor Toup, sociopathic twin brothers and drug lords; Cosgrove and Hanson, petty criminals searching for a secret that could make them rich, or kill them; and Brady Grimes, a BP middleman out to make his career by swindling the townsfolk of Jeanette, among them his own mother. Funny, dark, and compelling, The Marauders throws these characters on a rollicking collision course that all of them might not survive.
Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy.