The Rule Of Three

One afternoon, every single machine in sixteen-year-old Adam’s high school computer lab stops working. Outside, cars won’t start, phones are down, and a blackout is widespread. Soon Adam will discover that the problem has paralyzed not just his town but the whole country and beyond. As resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends, he will see that his suburban neighborhood must band together for protection. Violence will erupt and Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government agent living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival. Set in the here and now but with a distinctly dystopian feel, this is Eric’s most exciting and commercial title yet!

In a world gone dark, life goes on for Adam and his fortified neighborhood of Eden Mills—even if the extreme steps taken by his battle-hardened mentor Herb, his police chief mom, and the other leaders in the name of security and survival are increasingly wrenching and questionable. But with renewed determination, Adam will follow Herb’s lead: he’ll do what it takes, he’ll make sense of having had to defeat the enemy in such awful ways. All that matters is that their suburban home is safe again—in a blackened world that still feels like a place worth living in. So when the next threat, more deadly and dangerous for being so unexpected, comes from within the walls, Adam isn’t ready for it. And soon the very person in whom this sixteen-year-old has placed all his hopes will pay the price, because of Adam’s mistakes, and mistaken trust.

The explosive ending to the Rule of Three trilogy! After the shocking personal attack on Herb and Adam, the citizens of the fortified neighborhood of Eden Mills are realizing their worst fears: while the power remains off, desperation will grow, leading to more violence. And now it's personal. The rogue militaristic group they had hoped to have vanquished is not only back, but has a new leader, one who is seeking revenge on the neighborhood--especially on Adam. In preparation for an attack they know is coming, the committee members make new alliances and grow in strength, but Adam knows it's up to him to dig down deep within himself, to think like the enemy--to become the enemy--in order to save his family, his neighborhood, and himself.

Part family drama, part contemporary thriller, Rule of Threes is a middle grade story about what happens when "perfect" is out of your control. An interior design enthusiast, twelve-year-old Maggie Owens is accustomed to living her life according to her own precise plans. But when she learns about Tony, a mysterious half-brother her own age who needs a place to stay, any semblance of a plan is shattered. Tony's mom struggles with an addiction to opioids, and now she's called upon Maggie's dad—who is also Tony's dad—to take him in. On top of everything, Maggie must also come to terms with the Alzheimer's afflicting her beloved grandmother. While Maggie can strive for—and even succeed in—a picture perfect design, when it comes to family, there is no such thing as perfection. To work through the sudden struggles rocking her world, Maggie must learn the importance of having an open heart. • A heart-wrenching, authentic, and darkly funny coming-of-age story • Addresses hard-hitting topics—such as divorce and substance abuse—with care and honesty • From Marcy Campbell, author of Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse Merci Suárez Changes Gears meets The Thing About Jellyfish in this compulsively readable novel. • Perfect for ages 10 and up • Appeals to those interested in stories about friendship and non-traditional families • Great for readers who love a bold and self-aware protagonist

In a world with no power, chaos soon descends. A powerful look at the disintegration of society in the wake of a massive and mysterious outage that has knocked out all modern amenities. Fifteen-year-old Emma has moved house with her ex-Marine mother and younger brother. It's a brand-new condo building, which explains the semi-regular power outages, as workers complete the units around them. So Emma isn't particularly concerned when the latest blackout hits just as they are preparing to leave town on a long weekend camping trip. But then the car won't start, and their cellphones appear dead -- and all the cars outside their building seem to be stalled in a long traffic jam ... In the midst of what appears to be a massive power outage, with their camping gear packed and ready, Emma and her family canoe over to the islands, just offshore, to wait it out. But while they land on an isolated island, with a relatively hidden site, they are far from safe, as people become increasingly desperate to find food and shelter. And as the days pass, and the power remains out, the threat of violence becomes all too real.

Name any industry and more likely than not you will find that the three strongest, most efficient companies control 70 to 90 percent of the market. Here are just a few examples: McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's General Mills, Kellogg, and Post Nike, Adidas, and Reebok Bank of America, Chase Manhattan, and Banc One American, United, and Delta Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Based on extensive studies of market forces, the distinguished business school strategists and corporate advisers Jagdish Sheth and Rajendra Sisodia show that natural competitive forces shape the vast majority of companies under "the rule of three." This stunning new concept has powerful strategic implications for businesses large and small alike. Drawing on years of research covering hundreds of industries both local and global, The Rule of Three documents the evolution of markets into two complementary sectors -- generalists, which cater to a large, mainstream group of customers; and specialists, which satisfy the needs of customers at both the high and low ends of the market. Any company caught in the middle ("the ditch") is likely to be swallowed up or destroyed. Sheth and Sisodia show how most markets resemble a shopping mall with specialty shops anchored by large stores. Drawing wisdom from these markets, The Rule of Three offers counterintuitive insights, with suggested strategies for the "Big 3" players, as well as for mid-sized companies that may want to mount a challenge and for specialists striving to flourish in the shadow of industry giants. The book explains how to recognize signs of market disruptions that can result in serious reversals and upheavals for companies caught unprepared. Such disruptions include new technologies, regulatory shifts, innovations in distribution and packaging, demographic and cultural shifts, and venture capital as well as other forms of investor funding. Years in the making and sweeping in scope, The Rule of Three provides authoritative, research-based insights into market dynamics that no business manager should be without.

From E. G. Scott, the utterly gripping tale of three couples whose game night goes horribly wrong. Full of twists and turns that you'll never see coming, this is the summer read you won't be able to put down. Once a week, three women get together for book club in Kingsland, a private, gated community full of neighbors looking to do their business away from prying eyes. On the same night, their husbands meet up to play poker, where much more is being planned than anyone could guess. But on this particular night, something goes terribly wrong. When all three men end up dead or hospitalized, and the entire town is being questioned, no one seems to be able to answer the only question that really needs asking: What the hell happened? This is a riveting story, not just of powerful women or vengeful men, but of secrets, neighbors, blackmail, business gone wrong, and the most intimate of desires spilling into full view.

A guide to the Agile Results system, a systematic way to achieve both short- and long-term results that can be applied to all aspects of life.