Going Down Fast

New York Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips turns up the heat in her newest sexy contemporary romance series, and introduces you to the Dare family… siblings shaped by a father’s secrets and betrayal.

When their neighborhood is marked for urban renewal, four tenacious city dwellers band together in the face of a wealthy and powerful institution A local university plans to bulldoze and replace parts of a predominantly African American Chicago slum with student housing. But for those who live there, the affordable if run-down homes are havens for creativity and self-exploration, and a setting for developing meaningful relationships. Among the residents are Anna, a teacher; her lover, Rowley, a soul singer; and their friends, documentary filmmaker Leon and the beautiful yet mysterious Caroline. The university may have more money and political clout, but these determined young people aren’t willing to let the wrecking ball tear through their world without a fight. Their relationships are strained and their convictions are tested as secrets are uncovered and they battle with a changing economic climate that jeopardizes their very way of life. The city has turned its back on them, and they have nothing left to lose. Bestselling author Marge Piercy combines social commentary and her talent for depicting characters’ emotions with unflinching precision in this novel that has as much to say about the consequences of gentrification as it does about the vulnerabilities of the human heart.

*The definitive and bestselling account of Charles Manson* 'A sprawling, fast-paced account of Manson's life' The Times 'Fascinating' Daily Mail __________ Los Angeles, California. 1969. Seven people are found shot, stabbed and beaten to death in Beverley Hills. Among them is actress Sharon Tate, the beautiful young wife of Roman Polanski. It soon became apparent that a happyish cult known as 'The Family' was responsible. Their charismatic and manipulative leader, Charles Manson, took the public's imagination. As the world watched in morbid fascination, the sensational and horrifying details of the case slowly emerged. Coming Down Fast is the definitive and most revealing account of one of the most notorious criminals in history, charting Manson's terrifying rise from petty-criminal to one of the most recognisable icons in criminal history. Including never-before-published photographs, this is the definitive book about Charles Manson.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The guru to the gurus at last shares his knowledge with the rest of us. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman's seminal studies in behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, and happiness studies have influenced numerous other authors, including Steven Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman at last offers his own, first book for the general public. It is a lucid and enlightening summary of his life's work. It will change the way you think about thinking. Two systems drive the way we think and make choices, Kahneman explains: System One is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System Two is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Examining how both systems function within the mind, Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities as well as the biases of fast thinking and the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and our choices. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, he shows where we can trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking, contrasting the two-system view of the mind with the standard model of the rational economic agent. Kahneman's singularly influential work has transformed cognitive psychology and launched the new fields of behavioral economics and happiness studies. In this path-breaking book, Kahneman shows how the mind works, and offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and personal lives--and how we can guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

Boyton's classic bestseller is now available in this lap-sized board book edition. An assortment of animals on a boat take a bath, put on their pajamas, brush their teeth, and exercise before going to bed. Full color.

How To Maintain Positive Performance Through Your Company's Ups And Downs In this book, author Brent R. Tilson brings to life the classic challenge that all business leaders face as they push their businesses through the conflict of growth and business capability, often referred to as the S-curve life cycle. Through a fable drawn from his work with hundreds of businesses over twenty-five years of experience, he creates a case study that will take you, along with the characters Frank and Susan, on a journey of self-discovery. The practical tools, methodologies, and advice are thought provoking yet simple. Brent's innovative use of a business's "Lifeline," combined with his "Quad 4" methodology, helps leaders gain an understanding of how their business is performing today, and creates a road map for the future. Financial statements give leaders only a rearview-mirror look at a company's performance. The key is to have the information to look forward--through the "dashboard" showing where the company is going. In this book, Brent presents tools for leaders to zero in on the critical numbers and measurements they need to monitor. Some of the key issues he addresses are: -Is the company in the Driving Zone or Drama Zone? -Is revenue per employee growing? -What is the return on investment the company is getting from its employees? - What will put the company out of business? -Is the company outperforming the competition? The key is to Go Slow and truly understand the business's current capability; then you can make the necessary changes, adjustments, and improvements to prepare for the future--and get ready to Grow Fast.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell. Derek West rose from poverty to take the tech world by storm. He's sexy, confident and gets any woman he wants. And who he wants is Cassie Storms, the rich girl he’s never been good enough for. She’s desperate to save her family company and there’s only one man who can help. But Derek isn’t interested in helping. He wants to possess both the company and the woman he’s never been able to forget. His plan? To seduce her out of his head. Except once he’s had a taste of Cassie, he doesn’t want to let her go. Her family remembers where he came from, and they won’t allow it. When the truth about their pasts comes to light, though, it may be Cassie who’s going down hard. *All Billionaire Bad Boys Novels stand alone.