Hollywood At Home (Architectural Digest)

Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Readers who love the glamour and mystique of Hollywood will be eager to peruse this collection of profiles of famous stars and lush color photographs of their often magnificent homes, inside and out. The book encompasses starlets from the early days of Hollywood on up to some of today's biggest names. Great fun is to be had gazing at the opulence of some of the stars' homes, from Cher's eternity pool (which viewed from her terrace looks as though it reaches the ocean) to the many paintings that decorated the walls of Greta Garbo's New York apartment. Not all of the celebrities profiled here were ostentatious--Clark Gable and Carole Lombard purposely cultivated a simple image with their ranch. And the true attention grabbers are the more unusual celeb abodes, like Angelica Huston and Robert Graham's angular, modern dwelling or Jayne Mansfield's pink-carpeted bathroom. This delightful look at the homes and intimate lives of stars is sure to be a popular title. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Among the most popular articles in Architectural Digest's illustrious eight-decade history is the series featuring the homes of Hollywood movie stars and directors since the 1930s. Hollywood at Home presents 25 of the best of those articles, offering an intimate look at some of the silver screen's most fascinating personalities, as reflected in their lavish, inventively designed, and, at times, outrageously opulent homes.

Mixing the old with the new-from Jean Harlow and Clark Gable to Steven Spielberg and, more recently, Diane Keaton-Hollywood at Home provides an up-close-and-personal room-by-room tour of the private residences of such Tinseltown immortals as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, Dennis Quaid, and Cher. The text and images appear as in the original articles, with minor editorial updates and, in a few cases, additional photography not seen in the original feature. Our endless fascination with the lifestyles of the rich and famous continues unabated, and this glamorous book will enthrall celebrity watchers as well as those interested in architecture and design.

About the Author
Architectural Digest is the world's leading design publication.

Paige Rense joined Architectural Digest in 1970 and shortly thereafter was named Editor-in-Chief. Under her direction, the magazine has become the world's leading design publication, and circulation has grown from 50,000 to 850,000, with a total audience of 5 million readers.

Journalist and biographer Gerald Clarke is the author of two books: Get Happy: TheLife of Judy Garland and the New York Times best-seller Capote. He lives on Long Island, New York.

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The book that started the phenomenon is now available in a deluxe collector's edition! Featuring a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover, ragged edges, new chapter opener designs, and a beautiful protective slipcase, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.

Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–When Bella Swan moves from sunny Phoenix to Forks, Washington, a damp and dreary town known for the most rainfall in the United States, to live with her dad, she isnt expecting to like it. But the level of hostility displayed by her standoffish high school biology lab partner, Edward Cullen, surprises her. After several strange interactions, his preternatural beauty, strength, and speed have her intrigued. Edward is just as fascinated with Bella, and their attraction to one another grows. As Bella discovers more about Edwards nature and his family, she is thrown headlong into a dangerous adventure that has her making a desperate sacrifice to save her one true love. One of the more original vampire constructs around, this recording of Stephenie Meyers debut novel (Megan Tingley Books, 2005) is narrated with great style by Ilyana Kadushin, who makes the infinitely romantic tale of star-crossed lovers resonate with a bittersweet edge. Although Edward and Bellas romance and subsequent danger develops slowly, the pacing is appropriate for teens who want learn all the details in this suspenseful tale. An excellent purchase for both school and public libraries.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 9-12. In the tradition of Anne Rice and YA titles such as Annette Curtis Klause's The Silver Kiss (1999) comes this heady romance that intertwines Bella Swan's life with that of Edward, an alluring and tormented vampire. Bella's life changes when she moves to perpetually rain-soaked Forks, Washington. She is instantly drawn to a fellow student, Edward Cullen, beautiful beyond belief and angrily aloof. Bella senses there is more behind Edward's hostility, and in a plot that slowly and frighteningly unfolds, she learns that Edward and his family are vampires--though they do not hunt humans. Yet Edward cannot promise that his powerful attraction to Bella won't put in her in danger, or worse. Recklessly in love, Bella wants only to be with Edward, but when a vicious, blood-lusting predator complicates her world, Bella's peril is brutally revealed. This is a book of the senses: Edward is first attracted by Bella's scent; ironically, Bella is repelled when she sees blood. Their love is palpable, heightened by their touches, and teens will respond viscerally. There are some flaws here--a plot that could have been tightened, an overreliance on adjectives and adverbs to bolster dialogue--but this dark romance seeps into the soul. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
Sun-loving Bella meets her demon lover in a vampire tale strongly reminiscent of Robin McKinley's Sunshine. When Bella moves to rainy Forks, Wash., to live with her father, she just wants to fit in without drawing any attention. Unfortunately, she's drawn the eye of aloof, gorgeous and wealthy classmate Edward. His behavior toward Bella wavers wildly between apparent distaste and seductive flirtation. Bella learns Edward's appalling (and appealing) secret: He and his family are vampires. Though Edward nobly warns Bella away, she ignores the human boys who court her and chooses her vampiric suitor. An all-vampire baseball game in a late-night thunderstorm-an amusing gothic take on American family togetherness that balances some of the tale's romantic excesses-draws Bella and her loved ones into terrible danger. This is far from perfect: Edward's portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella's appeal is based on magic rather than character. Nonetheless, the portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot; fans of dark romance will find it hard to resist. (Fantasy. YA) (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
Praise for Twilight:
A New York Times bestseller
A New York Times"Editor's Choice"
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly"Kids' Book Adults Would Love"
An Amazon "Best Book of the Decade * So Far"
An ALA "Top Ten Books for Young Adults"

* "Propelled by suspense and romance in equal parts [this story] will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* "The novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it."-School Library Journal (starred review)

* "In the tradition of Anne Rice. . . this dark romance is gripping." -Booklist (starred review) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. ''Be very still,'' he whispered, as if I wasn''t already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat. " As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he''s a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward''s sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst. The precision and delicacy of Meyer''s writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. (Ages 12 and up)

About the Author
Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English Literature, and she lives with her husband and three young sons in Arizona.

From AudioFile
Stephanie Meyer's teen-vampire romance offers an appealing heroine in Bella, transplanted from sunny Phoenix to the wet, dreary town of Forks, Washington, and the seductive, secretive object of her obsession, Edward, who may or may not be a vampire. Predictability doesn't keep this spine-tingling tale from being fun, but alas, Ilyana Kadushin's reading, does. Her speaking voice is thin and underdeveloped, and any sense of nuance is nonexistent. Kadushin doesn't try to give the characters personalities, so distinguishing between speakers is difficult. This is one of those rare times in audiobook listening when the writing exceeds the reader's capabilities. Still, the story is engrossing and the characters well drawn, ensuring that older teens will find much to enjoy. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Bailouts or Bail-Ins: Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Markets

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Roughly once a year, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. treasury secretary and in some cases the finance ministers of other G-7 countries will get a call from the finance minister of a large emerging market economy. The emerging market finance minister will indicate that the country is rapidly running out of foreign reserves, that it has lost access to international capital markets and, perhaps, that is has lost the confidence of its own citizens. Without a rescue loan, it will be forced to devalue its currency and default either on its government debt or on loans to the country's banks that the government has guaranteed. This book looks at these situations and the options available to alleviate the problem. It argues for a policy that recognizes that every crisis is different and that different cases need to be handled within a framework that provides consistency and predictability to borrowing countries as well as those who invest in their debt.

About the Author
Nouriel Roubini is an associate professor of economics and international business at the Stern School of Business, New York University. He was a faculty member of the economics department at Yale University (1988-95). He was senior economist for international affairs at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (1998-99) and senior adviser to the undersecretary for international affairs and the director of the Office of Policy Development and Review at the US Treasury Department (1999-2000). He has been a long-time consultant to the International Monetary Fund and a number of other public and private institutions. He is a fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Centre for Economic Policy Research. He is coauthor of Political Cycles: Theory and Evidence (MIT Press, 1997).

Brad Setser is a research associate at the Global Economic Governance Programme at University College, Oxford. He was an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He served in the US Treasury from 1997 to 2001, where he worked extensively on the reform of the international financial architecture, sovereign debt restructurings, and US policy toward the IMF. He was the acting director of the US Treasury's Office of International Monetary and Financial Policy.

Sony vs Samsung: The Inside Story of the Electronics Giants' Battle For Global Supremacy

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Sony vs. Samsung is business history at its best! It explores the divergent fortunes of these two electronics giants in the last decade and identifies the true reasons behind Sony's decline and Samsung's rise. Contrary to popular belief, Chang shows that success (or failure) does not simply arise from different strategies. Rather, it emerges from major decisions that are deeply rooted in the companies' organizational processes and their executives' political behavior. This book is a must-read for any senior executive. --Constantinos MarkidesRobert P. Bauman Professor of Strategic Leadership and Chairman,Strategy Department, London Business SchoolSea-Jin Chang has produced that rarity in a business book--one that is as valuable to practicing managers as it is insightful to academic researchers. In this fascinating comparison of two modern global giants, he applies his high resolution research microscope to their changing fortunes by dissecting their contrasting strategies, and providing interesting insights into their divergent organizational processes and management practices. This is a very valuable contribution to the international business literature. It will end up in as many corporate boardrooms as faculty seminars.--Christopher A. BartlettThomas D. Casserly Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business SchoolSea-Jin Chang has written a fascinating comparison of Sony and Samsung that will be valuable to anyone interested in strategy, organizations or international business. The interwoven and very detailed case studies of two very different companies in overlapping industries illuminate problems such as adaptation to technological change (analog to digital), organizational flexibility and globalization. His attempt to analyze both strategic development and implementation is successful and very useful. Both academics and practitioners will learn a lot from this book.--Stephen J. Kobrin, William Wurster Professor of Multinational Management, The Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaRefreshingly original and entertaining, this book analyzes major strategic decisions of Samsung and Sony and highlights organizational processes and top management leadership that have shaped their performances. This is a must-read for all executives who want to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Asian competitors. It also provides penetrating insights to other Asian companies with global ambitions.-- Myoung Woo Lee, President and CEOiriver

From the Inside Flap
In 2002 a milestone occurred in the electronics industry. The market capitalization of Sony fell below that of Samsung for the first time.Why did the performance of Sony, which once dominated the global electronics industry,drop so rapidly while Samsung emerged from nowhere?
This fascinating book from leading business professor Sea-Jin Chang compares key strategic decisions by Sony and Samsung with respect to technology, marketing, organizational infrastructure, and globalization strategies from the mid-1990s to 2006.
One of the key findings drawn from this book is that the performance differences between Sony and Samsung cannot be attributed solely to their strategies. Rather, organizational processes and executive leadership also contributed significantly to their performances. The author examines these contributions in detail and in doing so reveals much about each company’s approach to global expansion and their keyfactors for success and failure.
Sony vs. Samsung examines the challenges that Samsung faces, despite its remarkable performance, while evaluating Sony’s potential, despite its current struggles. The conclusions provide useful insights for all companies involved in global competitive markets.
From the Back Cover
Sony vs. Samsung is business history at its best! It explores the divergent fortunes of these two electronics giants in the last decade and identifies the true reasons behind Sony’s decline and Samsung’s rise. Contrary to popular belief, Chang shows that success (or failure) does not simply arise from different strategies. Rather, it emerges from major decisions that are deeply rooted in the companies’ organizational processes and their executives’ political behavior. This book is a must-read for any senior executive. --Constantinos Markides Robert P. Bauman Professor of Strategic Leadership and Chairman,Strategy Department, London Business School
Sea-Jin Chang has produced that rarity in a business book—one that is as valuable to practicing managers as it is insightful to academic researchers. In this fascinating comparison of two modern global giants, he applies his high resolution research microscope to their changing fortunes by dissecting their contrasting strategies, and providing interesting insights into their divergent organizational processes and management practices. This is a very valuable contribution to the international business literature. It will end up in as many corporate boardrooms as faculty seminars.--Christopher A. Bartlett Thomas D. Casserly Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School
Sea-Jin Chang has written a fascinating comparison of Sony and Samsung that will be valuable to anyone interested in strategy, organizations or international business. The interwoven and very detailed case studies of two very different companies in overlapping industries illuminate problems such as adaptation to technological change (analog to digital), organizational flexibility and globalization. His attempt to analyze both strategic development and implementation is successful and very useful. Both academics and practitioners will learn a lot from this book.--Stephen J. Kobrin, William Wurster Professor of Multinational Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Refreshingly original and entertaining, this book analyzes major strategic decisions of Samsung and Sony and highlights organizational processes and top management leadership that have shaped their performances. This is a must-read for all executives who want to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Asian competitors. It also provides penetrating insights to other Asian companies with global ambitions.-- Myoung Woo Lee, President and CEO iriver

About the Author
Sea-Jin Chang is a Kumho Asiana Group Endowed Chair Professor of Business Administration at Korea University. He received his BA and MA in economics from Seoul National University, and Ph.D. in strategic management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Dean’s Fellow.
Prior to his return to Korea, he was a professor at the Stern School of Business of the New York University. He also had visiting appointments at Stanford Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, Hitotsubashi University, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a leading researcher on the management of diversified multinational firms. His current research includes strategies for corporate growth through joint ventures and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, and comparative management studies of Japan, Korea and China. He serves on the editorial boards of several prestigious publications and has extensive consulting experience.

iPhone 3G Portable Genius

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review

You love your iPhone 3G and you’ve found out that it’s mighty simple to use out-of-the-box, but you might not know that some of its most useful and powerful features are hidden away in obscure parts of the system. You’ve found out that your iPhone 3G doesn't get in your way when you're trying to be productive or creative, but sometimes it will do something (or force you to do something) that just makes you want to scratch your head in wonderment. You’ve found out that your iPhone 3G's robust design makes it a reliable device day after day, but even the best-built machines can have problems.

When you come upon the iPhone 3G's dark side, you might consider making an appointment with your local Apple Store's Genius Bar, and more often than not the on-duty genius will give you good advice on how to overcome the iPhone 3G's limitations, work around its annoyances, and fix its failures. The Genius Bar is a great thing, but it isn't exactly a convenient thing. You can't just drop by to get help; you have to make an appointment; you have to drag yourself down to the store, perhaps wait for your genius, get the problem looked at, and then make your way back home; and in some cases you may need to leave your iPhone 3G for a while (No!) to get the problem checked out and hopefully resolved.

What you really need is a version of the Genius Bar that's easier to access, more convenient, and doesn't require tons of time or leaving your iPhone 3G in the hands of a stranger. What you really need is a "portable" genius that enables you to be more productive and solve problems wherever you and your iPhone 3G happen to be.

Welcome, therefore, to iPhone 3G Portable Genius. This book is like a mini Genius Bar all wrapped up in an easy to use, easy to access, and eminently portable format. In this book you learn how to get more out of your iPhone 3G by learning how to access all the really powerful and timesaving features that aren't obvious at a casual glance. In this book you learn how to avoid your iPhone 3G's more annoying character traits and, in those cases where such behavior can't be avoided, you learn how to work around it. In this book you learn how to prevent iPhone 3G problems from occurring, and just in case your preventative measures are for naught, you learn how to fix many common problems yourself.

This book is for iPhone 3G users who know the basics but want to take their iPhone 3G education to a higher level. It's a book for people who want to be more productive, more efficient, more creative, and more self-sufficient (at least as far as the iPhone 3G goes, anyway). It's a book for people who use their iPhone 3G every day, but would like to incorporate it into more of their day to day activities. It's a book we had a blast writing, so we think it's a book you'll enjoy reading.

Product Description
You don’t have to be a genius to use an iPhone 3G. But if you want to get the very most out of yours, put this savvy Portable Genius guide to work and start ramping up the pace. Want to e-mail attachments twice as fast? Talk and browse at the same time? Quickly locate the nearest coffee shop? Sync your iPhone 3G with multiple computers? You’ll find cool and useful Genius tips, full-color screenshots, and pages of easy-to-access shortcuts and tools that will save you loads of time and let you enjoy your new iPhone 3G to the max.
Paul McFedries is the president of Logophilia Limited, a technical writing company. He has written or cowritten more than four dozen books that have sold more than two million copies worldwide, including MySpace Visual Quick Tips and Computers Simplified, 7th Edition. Paul encourages all readers to drop by his Web site, www.mcfedries.com. David Pabian is a freelance writer and Mac enthusiast. A self-taught Mac expert and early adopter, he can often be found troubleshooting all things Mac for his family and friends.

Portable GENIUS

Fun, hip, and straightforward, the new Portable Genius series gives forward-thinking Apple users useful information in handy, compact books that are easy to navigate and don’t skimp on the essentials. Collect the whole series and make the most of your Apple digital lifestyle. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition

Your Child's Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Fox, head of a girl's boarding school in New Jersey, writes about a strengths-based curriculum she developed and implemented with great success. She not only presents a workbook that can be utilized by educators and parents, but also offers a convincing argument in favor of over-turning outdated curriculums and teaching methods. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, Fox submits that children do far better when the focus is on their strengths. Childhood is for "creative dreaming," not preparation for standardized tests. Fox identifies three types of strengths: activity, learning and relationship strengths, and helps parents guide their children toward self-discovery, explaining that true strengths include not only what a child is good at, but what she enjoys and makes her feel strong. The book is written in a lively and engaging style, and sprinkled with anecdotes from Fox's teaching life and her own experiences as a student who was frustrated and uncomfortable in a traditional school setting. Clearly, writing is one of Fox's strengths, as is her inspiring passion for helping kids lead meaningful lives. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Jenifer Fox makes a compelling case that our education system ("an anxiety-producing machine") is not working for students. Because that system focuses on labeling and fixing weaknesses rather than on celebrating strengths, Fox argues, students' abilities get overlooked or negated, leading many to abandon interest in school altogether. Renée Raudman delivers Fox's provocative message laced with plentiful anecdotes and illustrations in sometimes curiously distracting tones that often strike the ear as plaintive or wistful-sounding. Her reenactments of conversations are better, though overall her soft-spoken voice can seem overly emotional in a way that may distract some listeners from Fox's material until they re used to her style. Nonetheless, listeners will learn a lot from this provocative and practical book, which will strike a chord with many parents and teachers. --AudioFile --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review
“When I was labeled ‘learning disabled,’ the educational system tried everything to fix me, from giving me purple-colored reading glasses to putting me through hundreds of hours of remediation. Through all these efforts to fix what was supposedly wrong with me, my strengths, gifts, and talents were not simply neglected or ignored, but negated. Jenifer Fox has taken a groundbreaking and important stand against the standardized deficit and remediation education that dominates the lives of millions of students. Philosophical yet extremely practical, innovative yet grounded in solid research on effective pedagogy, Your Child's Strengths is a must read for any student, parent and educator.”—Jonathan Mooney author of The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal and Learning Outside the Lines

“Your Child's Strengths is a tonic for the regret one feels for all the children burdened by schools and a world preoccupied by weaknesses rather than strengths. Countless compelling stories illustrate vividly the theme, that focusing on children's strengths is the roadmap for all parents and teachers to give what we want inherently wish to provide: a means for children to find their own path. The Strengths Inventory and Affinities Program curriculum in the Appendix offer a remarkably practical means to start down the path and are worth a read by themselves, but then you would miss the journey of revelation the book evokes.”—Patrick F. Bassett, President, National Association of Independent Schools

"Jenifer Fox has vision, passion, intelligence, and experience. All show in Your Child’s Strengths, which contains a wealth of practical ideas for parents and educators who want to encourage among children the strengths that make possible the good life."—Christopher Peterson, Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan and author of A Primer in Positive Psychology

"Your Child's Strengths puts in plain view what has been in front of us all along – that education and character development always do best to first identify and deepen strengths, rather than to first (and too often exclusively) focus on deficit and weaknesses. Fox's approach is more interesting, more effective, and ultimately more humane."—Michael Riera, author of Staying Connected to Your Teenager:

How to Keep Them Talking to You, and How To Hear What They’re Really Saying “Your Child’s Strengths contains clear, interesting, step-by-step techniques for identifying and utilizing children’s cognitive and emotional strengths - an excellent starting point for any parent, teacher, or student who wants to take the more effective step of focusing on assets rather than liabilities. The wisdom contained in this remarkable volume will be a godsend, not only for those who are just beginning to try to understand a child’s learning style but also for those already battered by a misguided an educational system.”—Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., co-author of Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys

“This is a brilliant, innovative, enormously practical, and hugely important work. Where positive psychology and strength-based philosophies usually stumble, this book soars, namely, in practical application. If teachers and parents would all read this and implement its suggestions, our broken educational system would be fixed in no time. Truly, this book could change the world.”—Edward Hallowell, M.D. author of Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood to Adulthood and Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder

Product Description

An essential book for parents and teachers that explores how children’s individual strengths create success With this groundbreaking work, educator Jenifer Fox is poised to change the conversation about education in this country. For too long, parents and teachers have focused on identifying and “fixing” kids’ weaknesses to improve academic performance. Passionately written and informed by Fox’s twenty-five years of experience, Your Child’s Strengths turns that flawed paradigm on its head. Fox’s strengths-based philosophy provides the tools to prepare kids for the future in a world that demands greater adaptability and creative thinking than ever before. Your Child’s Strengths will give parents and teachers the tools to discover strengths in three main areas: Activity Strengths, the tasks that make you feel engaged and energized; Relationship Strengths, the things you do for and with others that make you feel valued and competent; and Learning Strengths, the unique ways we approachand understand new information. All three strengths work in tandem. Pairing inspiring firsthand accounts of success with practical workbook tools and an outline of the award- winning Affinities Program Fox has implemented at her own school, this much- needed book is a user- friendly guide for parents, teachers, and administrators that will improve individual performance and an indispensable road map for young people and society to a future that plays to strengths.

About the Author
Jenifer Fox, Med has worked in day and boarding schools, single sex and coed schools, as a teacher and administrator for twenty-five years. She is currently head of the Purnell School in Pottersville, New Jersey. She holds a BS in communications from the University of Wisconsin– Madison, an MA in English from Middlebury College, and an MEd in school administration from Harvard University.

From AudioFile
Jenifer Fox makes a compelling case that our education system ("an anxiety-producing machine") is not working for students. Because that system focuses on labeling and fixing weaknesses rather than on celebrating strengths, Fox argues, students' abilities get overlooked or negated, leading many to abandon interest in school altogether. Renˆ©e Raudman delivers Fox's provocative message--laced with plentiful anecdotes and illustrations--in sometimes curiously distracting tones that often strike the ear as plaintive or wistful-sounding. Her reenactments of conversations are better, though overall her soft-spoken voice can seem overly emotional in a way that may distract some listeners from Fox's material until they're used to her style. Nonetheless, listeners will learn a lot from this provocative and practical book, which will strike a chord with many parents and teachers. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

The Ultimate Visual Guide to Star Wars

Editorial Reviews
Product Description

Providing fans and newcomers everything they need to know about the highest-grossing movie saga ever, this is the first-ever visual guide to the entire Star Wars franchise --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

B. Gorman "1138" (Lubbock, TX USA)

This review is from: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Star Wars (Hardcover) .

I have been anticipating this book for a long time, AND I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED!! It in fact came out a lot sooner than I thought it would, so when I saw it at Barnes & Noble, I stopped dead, mouth hanging open. I immediately picked it up and couldn't put it down. It was $24.99, but that did not bug me (I would like to thank my cousins for that Barnes & Noble gift card from last christmas) I had to get it! This book has it all: First, it is one of the first Star Wars books to cover all 6 films in detail: several very large and colorful pages for each film, with so much information that even the greatest, most knowledgeable Star Wars fan could not have fully covered. Second, This book goes way beyond the movies! This book includes many Epanded Universe pages, as well as a timeline! This book also has a Galactic Map! Third, This book even goes Behind the Scenes!! From pre-production of A New Hope to opening night of Revenge of the Sith, this book gives a brief, but great summary of how the films were made. This also has a few pages of merchandising, like figures, DVDs, etc. My favorite of this section was a brief history of Star Wars video games, complete w/ screenshots! So overall, when they decided to call it the "Ultimate Visual Guide" they weren't kidding. This book is good for starting fans, in order to help them understand the entire Star Wars concept (and it is a hard concept to grasp) and a perfect addition to any veteran fan's collection. It even has my favorite Star Wars antagonist on the fron cover: Darth Vader! So to put i bluntly: simply perfect!

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
In her most controversial and fiercely argued book yet, Ann Coulter calls out liberals for always playing the victim – when in fact, as she sees it, they are the victimizers. In GUILTY, Coulter explodes this myth to reveal that when it comes to bullying, no one outdoes the Left. GUILTY is a mordantly witty and shockingly specific catalog of offenses which Coulter presents from A to Z. And as with each of her past books, all of which were NYT bestsellers, Coulter is fearless in her penchant for saying what needs saying about politics and culture today.
About the Author
Ann Coulter is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans; Godless; How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must); Treason; Slander; and High Crimes and Misdemeanors. She is the legal correspondent for Human Events and a syndicated columnist for ­Universal Press Syndicate. Her weekly column can be read at anncoulter.com.

The Best Life Diet Revised and Updated

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
From the bestselling author of Get With the Program! and Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover comes The Best Life Diet, a lifetime plan for losing weight and keeping it off. Bob Greene helped Oprah achieve her dramatic weight loss, and he can help you too. You'll eat the same delicious food that Oprah enjoys, and, just like Oprah, you'll have Bob to encourage you at every step. Unlike a celebrity, however, you don't need to hire a staff of experts to aid and advise you, because Bob's plan, easily tailored to an array of tastes, lifestyles, and activity levels, acts as your personal trainer and private nutritionist. Just open the book and let Bob help you get started down the path toward your best possible life.
What sets Bob apart from all the other experts who claim to have plans that work is that he admits that weight loss is difficult: seventeen years of watching people struggle to lose weight on a seemingly endless string of trendy crash diets, only to backslide and regain the pounds they've shed, have taught him that dropping pounds is not simply a numbers game. By acknowledging that it is not simple laziness but a complicated web of social rituals, cultural expectations, and habits that drives people to gain weight, Greene is able to attack the problem of weight loss realistically and offer not a short-lived, quick-fix formula, but a long-term program that accounts for the challenges and constraints of the real world.
Divided into three phases, The Best Life Diet gives you the tools you need to change your life. In each phase, you'll be asked to reexamine the decisions you make on a daily basis and gradually alter your habits to achieve lasting results. The book also includes easy-to-follow meal plans that make it simple to meet your daily energy and nutrient requirements, whether you are on the run and breakfast means a quick smoothie or you have time to shop for fresh produce and make something special.
You'll watch the weight disappear as you learn to prepare festive and flavorful dishes like Fire-Roasted Tomato-Shrimp Veracruz, Chicken Sausage Jambalaya, or Flank Steak with Chimichurri Topping and indulge in desserts like Roasted Peaches with Ricotta and Almonds or Apple Rhubarb Walnut Crisp. And for each delicious recipe, there is a detailed nutritional analysis, so you know exactly what you are eating and how it fits into your personal eating plan.
Most important, Bob's plan doesn't end once you've lost the weight. Instead, it gives you the tools you need to make living your best life second nature, because for Greene, a diet is not something you go "on" or "off" but a set of guidelines that will help you claim the life you deserve.
About the Author
Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss. He has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is also a contributing writer and editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, and writes on health and fitness for Oprah.com. Greene is the bestselling author of Get With the Program!, The Get With the Program! Guide to Good Eating, The Get With the Program! Daily Journal, and The Get With the Program! Guide to Fast Food and Family Restaurants.