When All Else Fails

The economist Albert O. Hirschman famously argued that citizens of democracies have only three possible responses to injustice or wrongdoing by their government: we may leave, complain, or comply. But in When All Else Fails, Jason Brennan argues that there is fourth option. When governments violate our rights, we may resist. We may even have a moral duty to do so. For centuries, almost everyone has believed that we must allow the government and its representatives to act without interference, no matter how they behave. We may complain, protest, sue, or vote officials out, but we can't fight back. But Brennan makes the case that we have no duty to allow the state or its agents to commit injustice. We have every right to react with acts of "uncivil disobedience." We may resist arrest for violation of unjust laws. We may disobey orders, sabotage government property, or reveal classified information. We may deceive ignorant, irrational, or malicious voters. We may even use force in self-defense or to defend others. The result is a provocative challenge to long-held beliefs about how citizens may respond when government officials behave unjustly or abuse their power

One of the most important functions of government—risk management—is one of the least well understood. Moving beyond familiar public functions—spending, taxation, and regulation—Moss spotlights government's pivotal role as a risk manager, revealing the nature and extent of this function, which touches almost every aspect of economic life.

A darkly humorous saga set in post-9/11 America and the Middle East When All Else Fails begins on September 12th, 2001. It is the story of Hunayn, a luckless and lovelorn Iraqi college student living in Orlando, Florida, after having graduated from high school in Beirut. Hunayn’s life is upended by 9/11—but not immediately, and not in the way that he, fearful in the aftermath of the attacks, initially expects. As America settles into its post-9/11, open-ended “Septemberland” phase (vigilant but also overly suspicious and even paranoid), many Arab and Muslim Americans are made to feel it’s no longer their home. With Hunayn, who muddles through a series of surreal episodes in Orlando and nearby Indiantown, the situation proves almost the opposite: Septemberland—so many of whose citizens think they have Hunayn figured out just because of his name or origins—comes to remind him of his most recent unhappy home, Lebanon, which he assumed he’d left behind. Now, having had his fill of disconcerting experiences, Hunayn returns to Beirut. At least he knows how to navigate life back there—or so he thinks. It turns out that Lebanon is about to undergo political upheaval of its own: a former prime minister opposed to neighboring Syria’s control of the country is assassinated; subsequent popular protests compel the Syrian regime to withdraw its army; a spate of mysterious bombings terrorizes everyone; and Israel, another neighbor, launches a war on Lebanon in retaliation for an attack by a Lebanese militant group. Hunayn finds himself aswirl in the maelstrom. And all the while, he watches from afar as Iraq, his fabled homeland and the owner of his heart, unravels in the wake of the US-led invasion.

U.S. Marine Lieutenant Mark Whitby was escorting a top secret caravan through a dangerous area of Afghanistan when his convoy was attacked by insurgents. By springing into action, Whitby manages to save his men and more importantly the top-secret passenger, but not without getting severely wounded himself. Regaining consciousness in a hospital, Whitby learns that his fighting days are over. Reluctantly, he tries to chart a new future for himself but keeps coming up empty-handed. Then a strange package arrives. He opens it to find an old, dog-eared Gideon's Bible with hundreds of passages underlined and highlighted. Inside is an envelope with a cryptic handwritten note: "When all else fails..." it reads. Mark and his new young bride are then led on a treasure hunt of sorts by Mark's estranged grandfather, an ex-Marine war hero himself, who is also one of the greatest salesmen who has ever lived. Rather than give his grandson a large inheritance, he will teach him the 12 secrets to salesmanship and open his eyes to the joy of practicing the art of selling in order to equip him for a fulfilling and prosperous life.

"Love is not two souls meeting to become one body it is one soul in two bodies meeting itself again."Sidney and Layla have been best friends for years. They've watched lovers come and go in each other's lives but their friendship has remained solid. Pandora's box opens wide when the friends find themselves being drawn toward one another in a very non-platonic way. To complicate things further, Layla is dating Sidney's brother Cole. Layla is distraught over her feelings for Sidney. Sidney refuses to acknowledge anything is happening between them. Despite their attempts to ignore the temptations of their present and the secrets of their past, the choices they've made are starting to catch up to them. They desperately fight against fate and the looming threat of seduction. But life has a way of putting us on the paths we avoid the most. In an effort to do what's right, Sidney makes a decision that forces her and everyone she loves down a road of passion and betrayal. Will she ever be free to be with the love of her life? Will Cole and Layla forgive her? How will she repair the damage she's caused? In order to put her broken life back together, the carefree and immature Sidney, has to grow up and stop running from her mistakes. What is left to do... When All Else Fails?

Would you like to have more intimacy and tenderness in your marriage? Generosity has a way of turning distance and disinterest into warmth and intimacy. Being generous is a skill that can be learned! This book is a how-to manual on generosity, containing a year's worth of ideas for building your marriage through prayer, romance, encouragement, practical service, communication, quality time, gifts, and bedroom play. Additional sections: Massage Holiday Ideas Gift Giving Date Ideas ... and more. Lori Byerly began e-mailing generous tips in 2001. Her daily tips and website material encourage generous wives around the world.

Who among us doesn't desperately need . . . Love. Period.

In a novel as riveting, irresistible, and heartbreaking as Into Thin Air, teen climbing prodigies Rose and Tate attempt to summit--and survive--Mount Everest. Rose Keller and Tate Russo have been climbing for years, training in harsh weather and traveling all over the world. The goal that kept them going? Summiting Mount Everest, the highest point on earth. Accompanied by Tate's dad, the two will finally make the ultimate climb at the end of their senior year. But neither Rose nor Tate are fully in the game--not only is there a simmering romance between them, but Rose can't get her mind off her mother's illness, while Tate constantly fails to live up to his ambitious father's standards. Everyone on their expedition has something to prove, it seems. And not everyone is making the best decisions while short on oxygen and exhausted, body and mind. The farther up the mountain they go, the more their climbing plans unravel and the more isolated each team member becomes. Rose and Tate will have to dig deep within themselves to determine what--or who--they value above all else.