Call Me Rumpelstiltskin

"Ja, ich weiss woher ich stamme " Thus Friedrich Nietzsche began his autobiographical poem, Ecce Homo. "I know from whence I come." Philosophers and poets have been wrestling with questions of our origins, and our ultimate goals, since the days of Thales and Sappho. Call Me Rumpelstiltskin is a refreshing continuation of the process of intellectual discovery begun long ago in Ionia. In these verses, a philosophy teacher uses poetry as a didactic device to gain the attention of students, and of all who have ever looked up and wondered why we are here and where we are going.

Everyone knows Rumpelstiltskin - but do you know his son? I, Emma Valentino, am 14 years old and almost a normal teenager. Actually, I had planned to hand over an invitation to my dream boy Steven for my fancy-dress party. Brave enough, I had asked my aunt on a night of a full moon to drive me to his house because in the daytime, the heartthrob of my school was constantly mobbed by that stupid Anastasia and her girlfriends. But then, it was all quite different. Suddenly, I sat in an isolated cabin in front of a shock-headed dwarf, who claimed to be Rumpelstiltskin's son. Rumpelstiltskin Junior was fed up that his father went down in the fairytale history of the 'humanlings' as a villain. And, he wanted to get away with prejudices. As a quid pro quo for the interview, he promised me a date with Steven. Nevertheless, the fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin, the revengeful King Laurentz, the bored Princess Anna, the superior Giant Maximus and the streetwise 'Pixian' Jakob had more than just one surprise in store. And so, I tumbled into a fairytale adventure instead of a date with Steven.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “An inspiring story that manages to be painful, honest, shocking, bawdy and hilarious.” —The New York Times Book Review From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself. Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend. None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy. Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others. By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.

<h4>Ready to get a clue about investing and take charge of your financial future?</h4> Before you sink a single dollar into the stock market, read <i>Rumpelstiltskin's Rules for Making Your Farthings Grow</i> by Susan Laubach. It's an enjoyable, painless, and profitable introduction to the world of investing. If terms like broker, bonds, and venture capital cause you to break out into a sweat, fear not! Laubach teaches through entertaining, colorful retellings of fables and fairy tales you already know by heart. You'll learn business and investing fundamentals right alongside The Three Little Pigs, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks, and more. <ul> <li>How are stocks and bonds different? <li>What causes a stock price to go up or down? <li>Why are earnings per share critical to understand? </ul> You'll even learn an easy-to-apply "secret formula" to discover if a stock price is a good value--or not! Investment concepts are broken down in easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember language. Rumpelstiltskin's seven rules will provide a foundation for all your future investments. (They'll also equip you to sniff out the foxes and wolves selling bad investments). These "rules" are essential for investing, served with a smile, so you can laugh while learning. A practical summary and study guide at the back of the book further reinforces your knowledge and provides a quick refresher whenever you need it. With Susan Laubach as your storyteller and guide, you can be sure you're in good hands. She is a former Wall Street stockbroker and financial educator. She's taught several levels of investment education to students aged 18 to 74. Better Investing Magazine called Laubach's previous book "the most-well rounded source of basic stock information and education." Look, if Baby Bear can grow up to be a successful stock broker, then you can learn to invest, too. <b>Time is money, and there's no better time to learn about investing than right now.</b> Make <i>Rumpelstiltskin's Rules for Making Your Farthings Grow</i> your first--or next--investment in your financial future. The knowledge you'll gain will pay dividends for the rest of your life.

I probably watch too much news, read too many newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and have too many conversations with people about politics. Often in my mind, I consider myself better than politicians. I may be better than some but not all of them. What I notice is that I make similar mistakes to those in charge. Because of this, I'm willing to say I'm not perfect. And I have the experiences to prove it. Join me in a journey to tell people why I should not run for public office, nor should I receive any write-in votes in the next election. If you do opt for writing my name in on your ballot and are uncertain how, ask for assistance from the helpful people at your voting location and write in my full name, James E. Collins. You may not change an election, but maybe it will change your outlook, knowing that you can vote for whom you want to, not someone you are being told to vote for. As an afterthought, please don't tell me about ending a sentence with a preposition. I tend to do that.

This huge collection of short stories by one of science fiction's most beloved and popular writers is sure to please his millions of fans. Keeper of Dreams contains 22 stories written since 1990. From the opening science fiction tale, "The Elephants of Poznan," we see the hand of a master at work making a familiar idea new, strange, and wonderful. "Angles" takes a sideways look at alternate universes. "Geriatric Ward" is published here for the first time; it was originally written for the legendary Last Dangerous Visions. Keeper of Dreams contains science fiction, fantasy, and several of Card's mainstream fiction works. Included are two tales from the Alvin Maker universe, "Grinning Man" and "The Yazoo Queen." In addition to the stories, this book features new introductions by Orson Scott Card for each story, with commentary on his life and work. With the earlier Maps in a Mirror, this collection is a definitive retrospective of the short fiction career of the writer that the Houston Post called "the best writer science fiction has to offer." At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.