The Man Who Risked It All

Lexi is shocked by the accident she sees on TV. It shows a speed-racing boat tumble through the air. It is the boat of Franco, her soon-to-be ex-husband, whom she'd been living separately from. When she arrives at the hospital the sight of him, covered in tubes and wires while connected to numerous medical equipment sends chills down her spine. It is almost too painful to gaze upon the figure of her husband, who she'd just sent the divorce papers to... She is overwhelmed and confused; she feels both love and hate for this man. She had made this trip solely to talk to him, verify he was okay and offer condolences for their lost friend. However, she's suddenly thrown into a whirlwind of situations, all of which make her love for him grow stronger and stronger. She thinks to herself, Why now? I thought we loved each other truly, but then I saw that picture of you in bed with another woman! Our relationship was supposed to be over then, wasn't it...?

"For Franco Tolle, the golden boy of Europe's jet-set society, life is just a playground-- filled with racing speedboats on the azure Mediterranean Sea. When you're rich and famous money is no object ... and to hell with the consequences! But he once took a risk with a price bigger than he was willing to pay. In a rush of red hot infatuation, he put a glittering diamond wedding ring on Lexi Hamilton's finger, yet within months they were leading separate lives. Now Franco's daredevil life has caught up with him-- and he'll to risk it all for the one thing he craves ... his estranged wife!"--P. [4] of cover.

For Franco Tolle, the golden boy of Europe's jetset society, life is just a playground—filled with racing speedboats on the azure Mediterranean Sea. When you're rich and famous, money is no object…and to hell with the consequences! But he once took a risk with a price bigger than he was willing to pay… In a rush of red-hot infatuation, he put a glittering diamond wedding ring on Lexi Hamilton's finger, yet within months they were living separate lives. Now Franco's daredevil life has caught up with him—and he'll risk it all for the one thing he craves…his estranged wife!

Looking down from the Eiffel Tower, Alan Greenmor stands on the edge, determined to end it all. As he prepares to jump, his thoughts are interrupted by a cough. To his right is a mysterious stranger in a dark suit, smoking a cigar. This is Yves Dubreuil. The person who will change Alan’s life. Dubreuil convinces Alan to reconsider his plans, with one caveat: instead of ending his life, he will give his life over to Dubreuil. In return, Dubreuil promises to teach Alan the secrets to happiness and success. And so, Alan embarks on a wild ride of self-discovery. From a humiliating fiasco at a Parisian bakery, to finding the strength to assert himself in his company’s boardroom, Alan learns to overcome his deepest fears and self-doubts, face life’s unexpected twists and turns, take crazy risks, and fully accept himself in the process. From best-selling author Laurent Gounelle, The Man Who Risked It All explores the fragility of life and the possibilities that are presented to us in the unlikeliest circumstances.

Cash Mountain. Survive. Project X. In the mid-1990s, these three innovative television shows had hit a dead end before they had even made production. Rejected time and again by the networks, they seemed destined never to reach the screen. But thanks to the brilliance and determination of three men, not only did they get made, they became the biggest and most successful shows on earth: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Survivor and Big Brother. BILLION DOLLAR GAME is the compelling story of how Paul Smith, Charlie Parsons and, above all, John de Mol defied overwhelming odds to take the industry by storm, make personal fortunes and transform the map of popular culture. Peter Bazalgette, the man who brought Big Brother to the UK, charts the astonishing rise of reality TV from its humble beginnings on the Internet to the billion-dollar industry it is today.

A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable . . . an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." —The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." —The Wall Street Journal "A lively panoramic book . . . Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." —Business Week "Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." —The Economist "[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." —Worth "No one else could have written a book of such central importance with so much charm and excitement." —Robert Heilbroner author, The Worldly Philosophers "With his wonderful knowledge of the history and current manifestations of risk, Peter Bernstein brings us Against the Gods. Nothing like it will come out of the financial world this year or ever. I speak carefully: no one should miss it." —John Kenneth Galbraith Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today. "An extremely readable history of risk." —Barron's "Fascinating . . . this challenging volume will help you understand the uncertainties that every investor must face." —Money "A singular achievement." —Times Literary Supplement "There's a growing market for savants who can render the recondite intelligibly-witness Stephen Jay Gould (natural history), Oliver Sacks (disease), Richard Dawkins (heredity), James Gleick (physics), Paul Krugman (economics)-and Bernstein would mingle well in their company." —The Australian

Eugene Francois Vidocq was only sixteen when he left his native town of Arras in search of fortune and glory. A trouble maker, a thief, and a gifted natural swordsman, he wishes to reach America, become rich and marry a beautiful girl who captures his heart. But France is in a grip of bloody revolution. The monarchy has fallen and chaos, crime, and anarchy reign supreme. Struggling for survival, Vidocq makes his way across the country fighting for his life and dream with wit, fists, stick and sharp blade. Forced to become a criminal in order to survive, he earns a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in France. When a young and ambitious general Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power from the corrupt revolutionary regime, Vidocq sees a chance of redeeming himself from his past sins. Offering his services to Napoleonic police, he becomes an outlaw who hunts his own kind and in the process becomes one of the finest detectives in France.

Full of humor and danger, romance and intrigue, Risk it All is for fans of: Romantic suspense with a quirky small town feel Mountain men wrapped in flannel A slow burn that steadily turns up the heat And complete opposites forced to rely on each other as they trek through the Rockies Cara Pax never wanted to be a bounty hunter. She's happy to leave chasing criminals and tackling skips to her sisters. But if she wants her dreams of escaping the family business and becoming a kindergarten teacher to come true, she's got one last job to finish... Only problem is, she doesn't think her bounty is guilty. Henry Kavenski is a man with innocence to prove. When he realizes that Cara believes him, he'll do anything to keep her out of harm's way. Escaping criminals and dodging cops might not be the best time to fall in love, but Henry and Cara won't give up, not when there's a chance at a new life ahead—if they can survive the fall. What Your Favorites Are Saying:"I love Ruggle's characters. They're sharply drawn, and vividly alive. I'm happy when they find each other. These are wonderful escapist books."—CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Sookie Stackhouse series "Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."—JULIE ANN WALKER, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, for Hold Your Breath "Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice."—D.D. AYRES, author of the K-9 Rescue series, for Hold Your Breath