Making A Point

This 'engaging history of punctuation' (Wall Street Journal) is not only the first history of its kind, but a complete guide on how to use English punctuation. Behind every punctuation mark lies a thousand stories. The punctuation of English, marked with occasional rationality, is founded on arbitrariness and littered with oddities. For a system of a few dozen marks it generates a disproportionate degree of uncertainty and passion, inspiring organisations like the Apostrophe Protection Society and sending enthusiasts, correction-pens in hand, in a crusade against error. Professor Crystal leads us through this minefield with characteristic wit, clarity and commonsense. He gives a fascinating account of the origin and progress of every kind of punctuation mark over one and a half millennia, and he offers sound advice on how punctuation may be used to meet the needs of every occasion and context.

Imagine having a baby and having to ask yourself, "Will I ever hear her call me Mom?" When Jeanine Gleba found out her daughter Grace was born severely hard of hearing, she could not fathom her world of silence. Eventually she and her husband, Bill plowed forward as they realized there is nothing they could do but focus on, what can they do to help her? Their lives changed when they met an educator who told them, "Your daughter will talk. We live in a hearing world. She can learn to speak like her family and everyone else in the world." Jeanine and her daughter Grace not only find a way to embrace living with Grace's hearing loss, but gain a sense of empowerment as they fight a grassroots battle for nine years to pass a law reimbursing families for costly children's hearing aids. For years their words fell on deaf ears, and against all odds with patience, persistence and a "never give up" attitude they changed legislation. The ups and downs of the story ranges from Grace persuading legislators to hold up "Yes" or "No" signs so she could know how they voted to having one of the bill's strongest advocates in the legislature arrested for child pornography before a crucial vote. Written in the tradition of stories like Erin Brockovich and Norma Rae, this story is about a woman who stood up for her rights and the rights of others - and won.

Making Your Point provides the secrets of sharper, better, and more influential speaking and writing tips from leading strategic communications expert David Bartlett. We all need to speak, write and communicate more effectively. Dave Bartlett shares his decades of experience as a communications strategist in an accessible, easy-to-apply guide to help anybody—students, business people, public speakers, or politicians—improve their speaking and presenting skills. The tricks are as old as Aristotle and as new as The Daily Show: Know how to appeal to each specific audience through research and thoughtful planning, and then use appropriate content and style to deliver a memorable message. Bartlett's advice is common sense backed by dozens of real-world examples. Learn: -How to devise a simple strategic goal for every interview, meeting, or speech -How to deliver your message in a way that will appeal to your audience -How to make your messages positive, concrete, and empathetic -How to use blogs, podcasts, and Web sites like YouTube to promote your message -How to reach even the largest audiences one person at a time

Many of us have been so preoccupied day by day with our usual routines at whatever age of work, play, school, domestic activity, worry, and hurry among unforeseen surprises setting us back and off the track of our desired goals. Sometimes that causes even more problems and setbacks. Preventing and/or offsetting those possibilities are innovated in this material through a process of reviewing what we didnt know, were or werent responsible for, what our path has been, what our detrimental habits and fantasies were and are, how we missed our chances, how our attitudes have formed, and whether we made necessary changes as we see are necessary now for correcting our errors or blunders of the past. Its all designed to help make our future better and survivable.

Cedric was an Army Ranger when he stepped on an IED in a bomb-rigged village in Afghanistan. Becoming a double amputee could have been his breaking point. Instead, he turned it into his Making Point, and is now a world-class motivational speaker and endurance athlete. He shows you that if he can achieve the unattainable, then so can you.

This vintage book contains a comprehensive guide to lace and lace making, with information on bobbin, filet, needle-point, netting, tatting, and much more besides. Written in plain language and full of useful tips, “A Compendium of Lace-Making” is highly recommended for those with little previous experience. Although old, the information contained within this book is timeless, and will be of considerable utility to the modern reader. Contents include: “Bobbin Lace”, “ Bobbin Lace—The Foundation Stitches”, “Bobbin Lace—'Sewing' and 'Bars'”, “Bobbin Lace—'Raised Work'; 'Meshes'”, “Bobbin Lace—'Fillings'”, “Bobbin Lace Torchons”, “Bobbin Lace—Motifs”, “Ecclesiastical Lace”, “Filet Lace”, “Needle-Point Lace”, “Needle-Run Lace”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on lace.

This book is for those of you who may be going through trials, challenges, and testing seasons. You may even want to give up due to life’s circumstances. Many of us can feel helpless, stressed, depressed, confused, afraid, unsatisfied, lonely, angry, and hopeless at times because of all of the challenges around us. I have written this book because the majority of my life has been a challenge. I am blessed with lemon trees! What do you do with a normal fruit tree? You eat the fruit or make something out of it, right? Well, I have enough lemonade to feed many. And I am still here. I can be a testimony to others, and so can you. Therefore, if anyone is thinking about the selfish act of suicide, I will just say, “Don’t do it!” It will be too late to say you wish you had not. Think about all those who you will hurt and leave behind. That alone should frighten you! Ask for God’s intervention immediately and then seek other counsel. After you read this book, you may be able to identify with some of my lemons, and then you can write about your own. Whatever the situation is, face it and deal with it, and you will get through it. Life is full of cycles and seasons, like the weather; therefore, this too shall pass. If giving up is not an option, then what are the alternatives? Start with chapter 1, and make a glass of lemonade! “Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way we get through. Face it.” Joseph Conrad