Books published by St. Martins Press-3pl

A Washington Post Book World RaveHarriet McBryde Johnson's witty and highly unconventional memoir opens with a lyrical meditation on death and ends with a bold and unsentimental sermon on pleasure. Born with a congenital neuromuscular disease, Johnson has never been able to walk, dress, or bathe without assistance. With assistance, she passionately celebrates her life's richness and pleasures and pursues a formidable career as an attorney and activist. Whether rolling on the streets of Havana, on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, or in an auditorium at Princeton debating philosopher Peter Singer, Harriet McBryde Johnson defies every preconception about people with disabilities, and shows how a life, be it long or short, is a treasure of infinite value.

Chris Kelch is one of the rising stars at the downtown firm of Freshler Feld. At only twenty-eight, he's a top-rated equity research analyst; last year, he pulled down nearly half a million dollars. His girlfriend also happens to be lovely and supportive. Kelch's smalltown, single-parent, Midwestern roots seem far behind, until a thinly veiled profile of Kelch runs in a prominent magazine and things begin to fall apart. Not only does the piece reveal company secrets and cast Freshler Feld in a bad light, it also makes Kelch feel like a naif, for it reveals far more about his conflicted feelings about his past and his job than he has admitted even to himself. With suspense and style, The Contrarians not only creates one of the most memorable "ordinary guys" in recent American fiction, it also examines, as no novel has done before, the rise--and the seeds of the fall--of late-nineties Wall Street.

The insider's guide for women who want to master the art of business, professional, and public speakingWhether speaking one-on-one or one to one thousand, women have specific challenges that can get in the way of their ability to convey ideas and engage an audience. Public speaking professionals Cyndi Maxey and Kevin O'Connor give women the tips and tools they need to be able to speak clearly, with confidence and conviction, and present information effectively.In SPEAK UP!, you'll learn how to:Deal with difficult colleaguesSpeak on the spotUse technology in support of your messageSell your ideas with passion and power Connect confidently with your superiorsFor any woman who wants to get her point across, from the boss' office, to the conference room, to a convention center, SPEAK UP! will help you polish your presentation skills, get heard, and get what you want.

Expert advice from Women For Hire, the leading recruitment services firm for professional womenAsking the essential question at the right moment is a skill, one that any woman can master quickly. And it is a powerful tool that can get women more of everything they want in the workplace. Take This Book to Work identifies questions that every woman should master, with expert advice on each question, including:* How to ask for the things you really want, such as more responsibility, references, work schedule flexibility, and more* How to tailor your body language and voice to be at their most persuasive* Which details will best support your request, and how to organize them most effectively* What not to ask and why* And so much more!This is a user-friendly guide from Tory Johnson and Robyn Freedman Spizman, jam-packed with all the guidance every woman needs to approach her next request with courage, confidence, and success.

A riveting account of how the public's right to know is being attacked by an unholy alliance among politicians, news organizations and corporate America. Truth and Duty was made into the 2015 film Truth, starring Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Topher Grace and Elizabeth Moss. For twenty five years, Mary Mapes has been an award-winning television producer and reporter -- the last fifteen of them for CBS News, principally for the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and 60 Minutes. She had the bedrock of respect of her peers -- in 2003 alone, she broke the story of the Abu Ghraib prison tortures (which won CBS The Peabody Award) and the existence of Strom Thurmond's illegitimate bi-racial daughter Essie Mae Washington. But it was Dan Rather's lightning rod of a story on George W. Bush's National Guard Service that brought Mapes into an unwanted limelight. The firestorm that followed the broadcast led not only to Mapes' firing and Rather's stepping down from his anchor chair a year early, but to an unprecedented "internal" inquiry into the story -- chaired by former Reagan Attorney General Richard Thornburgh.Peopled with an historic and colorful cast of characters-from Karl Rove to Summer Redstone to John Kerry to Col. Bobby Hodges -- this groundbreaking book about how the television news is made (and unmade) made headlines itself when first published. But this, it turns out, is only part of the story. Mapes talks for the first time about the riveting behind-the-scenes action at CBS during this frenzied period and exposes some of the largest political and social controversies that have broken in this new age of dissonance.* Features a new chapter for the trade paper edition

"I''m not ready for college yet..."Those words need not cause panic and fear for parents. Taking time off before or during college is no longer the road less traveled for many students in the United States. A gap year offers students the opportunity to gain focus and discipline, learn to set realistic goals, get real-world experience, and ultimately get the most out of a college educaiton.A complete resource, The Gap-Year Advantage provides parents with all the advice, tips, and information they need to help students develop and implement a gap-year strategy. With answers to commonly asked questions such as "What do colleges think of gap years?" and "Can I be certain my cheld will go or return to college after taking time off?," education experts and gap-year parents Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson also offer guidance on researching program options, creating a gap-year time-line that complements the college-application process, communicating with students about their goals, and handling logistics such as travel, health insurance, and money.With anecdotes from students and parents across the country who have taken gap years, this valuable guide also provides extensive information on program options in the United States and abroad that include volunteering, travel, interning, and specialized study.

The War Against the Terror Masters is a must-read guide to the terrorist crisis. Michael A. Ledeen explains in startling detail how and why the United States was so unprepared for the September 11th catastrophe; the nature of the terror network we are fighting--including the state sponsors of that network; the role of radical Islam; and the enemy collaboration of some of our traditional Middle Eastern "allies";--and, most convincingly, what we must do to win the war.The War Against the Terror Masters examines the two sides of the war: the rise of the international terror network, and the past and current efforts of our intelligence services to destroy the terror masters in the U.S. and overseas. Ledeen's new book also visits every country in the Near East and describes the terrorist cancers in each. Among many revelations that will attract wide attention: *How the terror network survived the loss of its main sponsor, the Soviet Union. *How the FBI learned from a KGB defector--twenty years before Osama's bin Laden's murderous assault--of the existance of Arab terrorist sleeper networks inside the United States. *How moralistic guidelines straight-jacketed the FBI from even collecting a file of newspaper clippings on known terror groups operating in America. *How the internal culture of the CIA, and severe limitations on its ability to operate, blinded us to the growth of terror networks. And much more.

Whether you're just starting out, considering going full-time, or are already a successful freelance writer, you'll find the information and insights needed to take your work to the next level in this smart, thorough guide. Compiled by the prestigious American Society of Journalists and Authors, the book's twenty-six chapters cover the business from every angle, tackling the topics every freelancer needs to master in order to make it today.Chapters cover: planning a writing business * generating fresh ideas * the secrets of a successful magazine query * the latest research tools and techniques * writing for the Web * developing areas of specialization * promoting yourself and your work * op-eds, essays, and other ways to leverage your knowledge * contracts * taxes and deductions * working with editors and agents * going full-time * key lessons you won't have to learn the hard way * and more.Written by twenty-six of the top freelancers working today, this indispensable guide provides trade secrets that others have learned the hard way, inspiration to take your work where you want it to go, and a revealing view into the minds and working habits of freelance writers at the top of their game.

In My Mother's House is a beautiful, haunting, and expertly told novel about a daughter's obsession to understand her mother's commitment to silence about their family's experiences during WWII Vienna. The story of Elizabeth and her mother Jenny is remarkable for its fullness of details: the pieces of family silver the grandmother mails to Jenny, piece by piece, over the years; Jenny's vivid memories of her uncle's viola d'amore lessons; the smell of the wood floors in the family's Vienna home. It's an emotional story of what is inherited from one generation to the next.

The unforgettable story of how one woman dared to start a revolution. Meena founded RAWA in 1977 as a twenty-year-old Kabul University student. She was assassinated in 1987 at age thirty but lives on in the hearts of all progressive Muslim women. Her voice, speaking for freedom, has never been silenced. The compelling story of Meena's struggle for democracy and women's rights in Afghanistan will inspire young women the world over.

Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, a classic film noir and also a damning dissection of the Hollywood dream factory, evokes the glamour and ruin of the stars who subsist on that dream. It's also one long in-joke about the movie industry and those who made it great-and who were, in turn, destroyed by it. One of the most critically admired films of the twentieth century, Sunset Boulevard is also famous as silent star Gloria Swanson's comeback picture.Sam Staggs's Close-Up On Sunset Boulevard tells the story of this extravagant work, from the writing, casting and filming to the disastrous previews that made Paramount consider shelving it. It's about the writing team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett-sardonically called "the happiest couple in Hollywood"-and their raucous professional relationship. It's about the art direction and the sets, the costumes, the props, the lights and the cameras, and the personalities who used those tools to create a cinematic work of art.Staggs goes behind the scenes to reveal: William Holden, endlessly attacked by his bitter wife and already drinking too much; Nancy Olson, the cheerful ingenue who had never heard of the great Gloria Swanson; the dark genius Erich von Stroheim; the once famous but long-forgotten "Waxworks"; and of course Swanson herself, who-just like Norma Desmond-had once been "the greatest star of them all."But the story of Sunset Boulevard doesn't end with the movie's success and acclaim at its release in 1950. There's much more, and Staggs layers this stylish book with fascinating detail, following the actors and Wilder into their post-Sunset careers and revealing Gloria Swanson's never-ending struggle to free herself from the clutches of Norma Desmond.Close-Up On Sunset Boulevard also chronicles the making of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical production of Sunset Boulevard and the explosive diva controversies that dogged it. The book ends with a shocking example of Hollywood life imitating Hollywood art. By the last page of this rich narrative, readers will conclude: We are those "wonderful people out there in the dark."

Take Charge...It's Easy!Diabetes has reached near-epidemic proportions in America. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with it, you need to keep blood sugar in normal ranges and avoid serious complications. But how can you help control diabetes and not let it control you?This handy guide offers step-by-step pointers to not only handle diabetes and keep it from getting worse-but also to reverse the harmful effects of the disease. It covers:* What you need to know about the disease* Six simple diet principles that can control blood sugar!* Nutrients with remarkable healing power* Herbs that bring blood sugar down* A smart program for daily testing*The right exercises to do* Essential tips for taking medication* The sugar-stress connectionDeveloped with the help of a team of experts, Control Diabetes in Six Easy Steps, can stop your frustration and fears...and let you take charge of your health.Learn The Truth About Diabetes...* Are there forbidden foods in diabetes therapy? See what few foods are off-limits-and be surprised!* What sugar substitute is not only non-caloric, all-natural, and 250 times sweeter than sugar? If you haven't heard of "stevia," it's time to get the facts!* How hard is it to change your diet? Find six "nothing-to-it" nutrition principles that make meals a cinch.* Can anything repair nerve damage (neuropathy)? Check out alpha lipoic acid...and the top ten nutrients for keeping you complication-free.* Exercise can bring you spectacular health benefits if you prepare. Find out how to protect your feet and keep your glucose from going crazy.* What is the effect of stress on diabetes? Negative emotions can send blood sugar skyrocketing...unless you know what to do....And More!Knowledge Is Your Best Weapon To Stop Diabetes

In While England Slept Winston Churchill revealed in 1938 how the inadequacy of Britain's military forces to cope with worldwide responsibilities in a peaceful but tense era crippled its ability to deter or even adequately prepare for World War II.In While America Sleeps, historians Donald and Frederick W. Kagan retrace Britain's international and defense policies during the years after World War I leading up to World War II, showing how self-delusion and an unwillingness to face the inescapable responsibilities on which their security and the peace of the world depended cost the British dearly. The Kagans then turn their attention to America and argue that our nation finds itself in a position similar to that of Britain in the 1920s. For all its emergency interventions the U.S. has not yet accepted its unique responsibility to take the lead in preserving the peace. Years of military cutbacks-the "peace dividend" following the buildup and triumph over Communism of the Reagan years-have weakened our armed forces and left us with too few armed forces to cover too many possible threats. This has caused us to bank everything on high tech "smart" weapons-some of which have not yet been invented and others that we are not acquiring or deploying-as opposed to the long-term commitment of money, fighting men and women, and planning that the deterrence of a major war would require. This failure to shape a policy and to commit the resources needed to maintain peace has cost valuable time in shaping a peaceful world and has placed America's long-term security in danger. The policies of the Bush and Clinton administrations have left us in a position where we cannot avoid war and keep the peace in areas vital to our security. Neither have the post-Cold War policies sent clear signals to would-be aggressors that the U.S. can and will resist them. Tensions in the Middle East, instability in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan, the development of nuclear weapons and missile by North Korea, and the menacing threats and actions of China, with its immense population, resentful sense of grievance and years of military buildup, all hint that the current peaceful era will not last forever. Can we make it last as long as possible? Are we prepared to face its collapse?While America Sleeps is a sobering work of history that poses a thoughtful challenge to policy-makers.

Most books about screenplays instruct on three-act structure, character arcs, and how to format a script. But you already know all that.Secrets of Film Writing reveals a working writer''s secrets-the tips, short cuts, tricks, and insider advice that will get your story down on paper, maximize your idea, and seduce your readers. Do you know why actors pick scripts out of a stack? Why montage sequences don''t work? Why the traditional three-act structure is obsolete? Lazarus lifts the veil with dozens of secrets like these.Lazarus''s insights and techniques will smooth and improve any screenwriter''s process and will make any script more readable and ultimately more salable. Secrets of Film Writing takes you behind the scenes of feature and television writing and demystifies, once and for all, the Hollywood System.

Why do some speakers succeed while many bore their audiences and lose their listeners? Speaking coach Joan Detz has worked with top clients for more than 15 years and has the answers. In this useful and lively book she presents strategies and tips for speeches, sales presentations, brief remarks, job interviews, Q&A sessions, panels, and more -- every situation that requires something to say.Topics include: organizing your message * finding terrific research * using storytelling techniques * preparing the room * handling technical glitches * working with other speakers * measuring your effectiveness * making the most of your voice * mastering humor * using body language * conquering nervousness * building audience rapport * tapping the power of persuasion.Filled with checklists, tip sheets, self-evaluations, and practical advice on every page, this thorough and invaluable guide takes the mystery out of our most dreaded experience. This book will help you say it better-whether you''re talking to one or one thousand.

The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener showcases Martin Gardner as the consummate philosopher, thinker, and great mathematician that he is. Exploring issues that range from faith to prayer to evil to immortality, and far beyond, Garnder challenges the discerning reader with fundamental questions of classical philosophy and life's greater meanings.Recalling such philosophers was Wittgenstein and Arendt, The Whys of Philosophical Scrivener embodies Martin Garner's unceasing interest and joy in the impenetrable mysteries of life.

Civil engineer Samuel Forman's The Civilized Engineer is aimed at both those observing and commenting externally on engineering, and the practicing engineer-to reveal something of the art behind great engineering achievements, and to stimulate debate upon the author's hypothesis that "in its moment of ascendance, engineering is faced with the trivialization of its purpose and the debasement of its practice."

"Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?" -- Mark TwainWhen Lucifer Dye is released from three months in a Hong Kong prison, debriefed, handed a false passport, a new wardrobe and a $20,000 check, his haughty control makes it clear that Dye's career with his country has been permanently terminated. But a good agent is always in demand, and just a few hours later Dye is being interviewed for a highly ingenious position. Victor Orcutt, although a not very good imitation of a British pre-war gent, has creative talents of his own. He has his sights a small southern city, with the ordinary run-of-the-mill corruption one would expect in such a place. The canny Orcott knows there's no profit in that. His creed is "To get better, it must be much worse." He and his two associates have looked up Dye's history, and he now offers the ex-spy a mission: for two and a half times the government's bounty, Dye is to thoroughly corrupt the town. And the sly Dye takes the offer.

National Public Radio's correspondent provides a brilliant, intimate, on-the-ground account of history in the making with Naked in Baghdad. As NPR's senior foreign correspondent, Anne Garrels has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. She is renowned for direct, down-to-earth, insightful reportage, and for her independent take on what she sees. One of only sixteen un-embedded American journalists who stayed in Baghdad's now-legendary Palestine Hotel throughout the American invasion of Iraq, she was at the very center of the storm. Naked in Baghdad gives us the sights, sounds, and smells of our latest war with unparalleled vividness and immediacy. Garrels's narrative starts with several trips she made to Baghdad before the war, beginning in October 2002. At its heart is her evolving relationship with her Iraqi driver/minder, Amer, who becomes her friend and confidant, often serving as her eyes and ears among the populace and taking her where no other reporter was able to penetrate. Amer's own strong reactions and personal dilemma provide a trenchant counterpoint to daily events. The story is also punctuated by e-mail bulletins sent by Garrels's husband, Vint Lawrence, to their friends around the world, giving a private view of the rough-and-tumble, often dangerous life of a foreign correspondent, along with some much-needed comic relief. The result is enthralling, deeply personal, utterly authentic--an on-the-ground picture of the war in Iraq that no one else could have written. As Chicago Sun-Times critic Lloyd Sachs wrote about Garrels's work in Baghdad, "a few choice words, honestly delivered, are worth more than a thousand pictures . . . In your mind's eye, they carry lasting truth."

The adventures of eight inspiring women of the twentieth century.Mary Gibson Henry risked her life following her passion for new botanical species. During the Civil War, Katharine Wormeley worked aboard hospital ships and helped to save the lives of many sick and wounded soldiers. With a promise and a dollar and a half, Mary McLeod Bethune opened a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1904, at a time when schools were segregated. Award-winning author Penny Colman offers a compelling collection of true stories about eight women who were bold enough to confront obstacles and take risks in the pursuit of their goals. This is a book that celebrates the intelligence, fortitude, and courage of women.