Hardscrabble Road

When a local Philadelphia radio host known for his incendiary right-wing tirades is arrested for possession of illegal prescription drugs, the incident sets into motion a series of events that leads ultimately to the death of a homeless man. In the complicated mix is the local Benedictine monastery, a Nobel-prize-winning leftist academic, and a homeless advocacy group, among others. Now Gregor Demarkian, a retired F.B.I. agent, is hired by a local legal project to look into the circumstances surrounding the death of their former client--a task that leads Demarkian through a mirror-maze of motives and actors as he struggles to unravel a most complex puzzle before the killer strikes again.

This introductory but innovative textbook on the economics of cities is aimed at students of urban and regional policy as well as of undergraduate economics. It deals with standard topics, including automobiles, mass transit, pollution, housing, and education but it also discusses non-standard topics such as segregation, water supply, sewers, garbage, fire prevention, housing codes, homelessness, crime, illicit drugs, and economic development. Its methods of analysis are primarily verbal, geometric, and arithmetic. The author achieves coherence by showing how the analysis of various topics reinforces one another. Thus, buses can tell us something about schools and optimal tolls about land prices. Brendan O'Flaherty looks at almost everything through the lens of Pareto optimality and potential Pareto optimality--how policies affect people and their well-being, not abstract entities such as cities or the economy or growth or the environment. Such traditionalism leads to radical questions, however: Should cities have police and fire departments? Should tax preferences for home ownership be repealed? Should public schools charge for their services? O'Flaherty also gives serious consideration to such heterodox policies as pay-at-the-pump auto insurance, curb rights for buses, land taxes, marginal cost water pricing, and sidewalk zoning.

* 55 dog-suitable trails, all located within three hours' drive of New York City* Most trails are lightly used and offer shade and water* What to pack for your dog - the Ten Canine Essentials and a doggy first-aid kitTammy McCarley has hiked with her dog, Sienna (a Golden Retriever-Chow mix), for four years throughout New York. In Best Hikes with Dogs New York City & Beyond she presents the best trails for both you and your dog in New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.You'll find trails for every type of pet and pet owner, from easy day hikes to overnight trips. Discover rolling hills, rocky escarpments, clear lakes, beautiful beaches, and more. All hikes in this guidebook are rated 1 to 4 paws to show difficulty for both humans and dogs. Trails are on terrain that's easy on the paws, and there are advance alerts for any canine concerns. A handy Trail Finder Chart helps you choose the trail that's best for you and your dog by comparing hikes by length, terrain, difficulty for dogs, and features such as backpacking options. This guidebook also includes loads of helpful tips: how to prepare your dog for a hike, what to bring, how to be responsible trail users, dealing with wildlife encounters, and hiking with your pet in the Northeast in all four seasons. For more information on hiking with dogs in New York, visit the author's website: www.blueskydogsny.com.

The entire MacLeod clan is haunted by secrets--and young Roger "Bud" MacLeod doesn't realize he carries the biggest secret of all. Growing up poor in Depression-era South Georgia is hard enough, but Bud is also cursed with a stutter and a birthmark that disfigures his face. His hateful father and amoral mother make life worse still, despite his brothers' efforts to shield him.To survive, Bud must discover his strengths and confront the sins of his parents. First, though, he'll need to grasp his own truth: that he can't embrace his future until he comes to terms with his past.