Control Freak

The designer of Unreal and Gears of War offers an eye-opening personal account of the video game industry as it grew from niche hobby to hundred-billion-dollar enterprise. Video games are dominating the planet. In 2020, they brought in $180 billion dollars globally—nearly $34 billion in the United States alone. So who are the brilliant designers who create these stunning virtual worlds? Cliff Bleszinski—or CliffyB as he is known to gamers—is one of the few who’ve reached mythical, rock star status. In Control Freak, he gives an unvarnished, all-access tour of the business. Toiling away in his bedroom, Bleszinski created and shipped his first game before graduating high school, and at just seventeen joined a fledgling company called Epic Games. He describes the grueling hours, obscene amounts of Mountain Dew and obsessive focus necessary to achieve his singular creative visions. He details Epic’s rise to industry leader, thanks largely to his work on bestselling franchises Unreal and Gears of War (and, later, his input on a little game called Fortnite), as well as his own awkward ascent from shy, acne-riddled introvert to sports car-driving celebrity rubbing shoulders with Bill Gates. As he writes, “No one is weirder than a nerd with money.” While the book is laced with such self-deprecating humor, Bleszinski also bluntly addresses the challenges that have long-faced the gaming community, including sexism and a lack of representation among both designers and the characters they create. Control Freak is a hilarious, thoughtful, and inspiring memoir. Even if you don’t play games, you’ll walk away from this book recognizing them as a true art form and appreciating the genius of their creators.

Presenting practical strategies, this guide is for everyone who has a control freak in their lives--or who is a control freak. Parrott helps readers discover how God gives them grace to deal with difficult people and also face their own need to control.

The universe is filled with incredible power. Over the last century alone, combustion, electricity, and lift have completely altered the course of humanity. These and other forces have taken us to the moon and beyond. At the same time, they have laid waste to entire cities and abruptly ended millions of lives. One force among these has the ability to control them all. Ironically, it is the most powerful, yet the least understood. As with fire, this awesome power can only be controlled when you understand the basics of how it works. Like electricity, it can do things that you thought were impossible. And similar to lift, it can send you flying through the clouds to heights you never imagined. Once you learn the basics, you won’t need to freak out any more over control. Anything you want will be within reach without the use of force, deception, bribery or any other form of manipulation. If you’re not already living your dreams, it’s because something is short-circuiting your ability to harness this great power. Come with me and we’ll find out what it is. Let your journey of discovery begin NOW!

Total control. I need it in every aspect of my life. Some would say that makes me an asshole. A freak. But as long as everything's exactly how I want it, I'm completely flexible. I'm kidding.Okay, I'm not kidding.Lacey needs someone in her life who's bigger and scarier than her demons, and she wants that man to be me. Her boss. The Viking in a suit.I hope she understands what she's getting into. This daddy isn't going to pat her on the head and tell her she's a good girl for nothing. Especially not when she's spinning out of control.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting the perfect house, perfect family, perfect finances, perfect life...until the desire for perfection takes over. For every woman who can’t let go of control—and for those who live and work with them—comes Confessions of a Control Freak, by debut author Priscilla Knox Morrison. Through her patient teaching, readers will learn to... let go of the need to be in charge accept their limitations trust God with the future accept help from others value people over reputation Full of practical advice, humorous personal illustrations, and faith-based research, this book will help women overcome their need to be in charge, trust God to handle changing circumstances, and enjoy the people around them.

Do you live with a controlling partner? Someone who always wants to make the decisions, about where you go on holiday or what you spend on clothes? Someone who needs to know where you are or what you are doing? Or maybe you work with a control freak? Even though you've got the talent, this person takes all the limelight and can't let go enough to let you get on with your job. Control freaks come in all shapes and sizes. Often they happen to be the people we love. Your friends and family may say 'Why don't you just leave them?', but it's not always that simple, especially if you still love the person and have good times together. This book looks at how and why controlling patterns develop in relationships, and what you can do about it if you're in the middle of one. Topics include: why people become control freaks; what it's really like to live or work with one; understanding how a control freak ticks; how to live with a control freak - without losing yourself in the process; living with a controlling partner, boss, colleague or child; and, what to do if you're the control freak - a comprehensive self-help section.

In the second book of this new, highly illustrated middle grade series by the nationally syndicated cartoonist of “In the Bleachers,” Steve reprises his role as perpetual bench-warmer. Perfect for fans of Timmy Failure and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, King of the Bench is an ode to teammates, underdogs, and bench-warmers everywhere. Steve is King of the Bench. No brag. That’s just a fact. And this season, Steve and his friends are ready to sit on the sidelines of the Spiro T. Agnew Middle school football field. But then they stumble upon an old-school video game controller, and they become convinced it can control sports plays. With it, Steve might become King of Football too! Oh, and if you’re wondering why Steve would write a book and tell complete strangers about a mysterious magic device that pretty much controlled his first season on the football team, too bad! It’s a strict rule when writing a book that you have to build suspense first.

How do you cope with impossible people? The author offers clear and direct answers for dealing with relationships that give so little but demand so much.