Novels Playaways
A Room With a View
ISBN/ISSN: 1440417814
A ROOM WITH A VIEW is one of the finest "novels of manners" ever written, a hilarious satire of the excessive propriety and mannerisms of the English in an age of repression. It is also the fascinating love story of a young woman stuck in this repressive English culture who is transformed by romantic Italy and awakened to love when she meets the true love of her life there without even knowing it... but will she realize this before it's too late? This is a classic to come to again and again. A must-have for all true romantics.
Amazing Grace
ISBN/ISSN: 0061173886
Amazing Grace tells the story of the remarkable life of the British abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833). This accessible biography chronicles Wilberforce's extraordinary role as a human rights activist, cultural reformer, and member of Parliament.
At the center of this heroic life was a passionate twenty-year fight to abolish the British slave trade, a battle Wilberforce won in 1807, as well as efforts to abolish slavery itself in the British colonies, a victory achieved just three days before his death in 1833.
Cranford
ISBN/ISSN: 0143039415
A gently comic picture of life in an English country town in the mid-nineteenth century, Cranford describes the small adventures of Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, two middle-aged spinster sisters striving to live with dignity in reduced circumstances. Rich with humor and filled with vividly memorable characters—including the dignified Lady Glenmire and the duplicitous showman Signor Brunoni—Cranford is a portrait of kindness, compassion, and hope.
Enna Burning
ISBN/ISSN: 1582349061
Grade 6-10–This companion volume to The Goose Girl (Bloomsbury, 2003) focuses on the best friend of that novel's heroine, Princess Isi. Two years have passed, and 16-year-old Enna has returned to the Forest to care for her dying mother. Her older brother finds a mysterious piece of vellum that teaches him to set fires with neither flint nor spark. The warm energy of the fire turns destructive as Leifer becomes controlled by the desire to burn. When Bayern goes to war, he wins a battle by burning the enemy, but dies as well. Enna discovers the vellum and its power and hopes that her new knowledge will help her protect Isi and all of Bayern, but it puts her and her loved ones in mortal danger. In some gory battle scenes, Enna burns hundreds of people alive, winning the war, but nearly dying herself. Like her ability to fire-speak, Isi's gift of wind-speak is similarly out of control. In hopes of discovering a remedy to their problems, the two young women set off for a kingdom in the south where fire-worshippers live. The answer lies in balance. Not a retelling of a fairy tale, this is an original tale that stands on its own. With a richly detailed setting, eloquent descriptions, a complex plot, a large cast of characters, and romance, this high fantasy will be welcomed both by fans of The Goose Girl and those who have yet to discover it.–
Journey to the Center of the Earth
ISBN/ISSN: 1416561463
A classic of nineteenth-century French literature, this science fiction tale delves into the depths of the Earth, and by so doing, reveals the staggeringly long history of our planet.
Les miserables
ISBN/ISSN: 0451525264
In this story of the trials of the peasant Jean Valjean--a man unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the magnificently realized, ambiguously malevolent police detective Javert--Hugo achieves the sort of rare imaginative resonance that allows a work of art to transcend its genre.
Letters of a Woman Homesteader
ISBN/ISSN: 0395911516
Grade 7 Up–After deciding that city life as a laundress wasn't for her, Elinore Pruitt, a young widowed mother, accepted an offer to assist with a ranch in Wyoming, work that she found exceedingly more rewarding. In this delightful collection of letters, she describes these experiences to her former employer, Mrs. Coney. Pruitt's charming descriptions of work, travels, neighbors, animals, land and sky have an authentic feel. The West comes alive, and everyday life becomes captivating. Her writing is clear, witty, and entertaining. The 26 letters are brief and tell about her life on the ranch in the early 1900s
Murder She Wrote
ISBN/ISSN: 0739488503
Jessica's much-deserved cruise becomes a working vacation when her friend Kathy tags along, hoping to locate her sister Wilimena, who vanished from the same vessel. Distantly related to Alaska's most famous madam-a woman who may have struck it rich during the Gold Rush-Wilimena apparently took the cruise to find the treasure.
Now, as Jessica and Kathy investigate Wilimena's disappearance, they learn that she was quite outspoken about her gold claim-and may have attracted the wrong kind of attention. And now that attention has been turned on Jessica and Kathy.
Rebecca
ISBN/ISSN: 0380730405
Rebecca is a novel of mystery and passion, a dark psychological tale of secrets and betrayal, dead loves and an estate called Manderley that is as much a presence as the humans who inhabit it: "when the leaves rustle, they sound very much like the stealthy movement of a woman in evening dress, and when they shiver suddenly and fall, and scatter away along the ground, they might be the pitter, patter of a woman's hurrying footsteps, and the mark in the gravel the imprint of a high-heeled satin shoe." Manderley is filled with memories of the elegant and flamboyant Rebecca, the first Mrs. DeWinter; with the obsessive love of her housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, who observes the young, timid second Mrs. DeWinter with sullen hostility; and with the oppressive silences of a secretive husband, Maxim. Rebecca may be physically dead, but she is a force to contend with, and the housekeeper's evil matches that of her former mistress as a purveyor of the emotional horror thrust on the innocent Mrs. DeWinter. The tension builds as the new Mrs. DeWinter slowly grows and asserts herself, surviving the wicked deceptions of Mrs. Danvers and the silent deceits of her husband, to emerge triumphant in the midst of a surprise ending that leaves the reader with a sense of haunting justice.
Storm Rescue: True Stories of Survival
ISBN/ISSN: 159895198X
The Crucible - Miller, Arthur
ISBN/ISSN: 1580812198
Arthur Miller's classic play about the with-hunts and trials in 17th century Salem is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminate the destructive power of socially-sanctioned violence. Written in 1952, The Crucible famously mirrors the anti-communist hysteria that held the United States in its grip. Directed by Martin Jenkins.
The Four Feathers - Mason, A.E. W.
ISBN/ISSN: 1433246473
Mason's 1902 classic adventure about British army officer Harry Feversham's endeavor to overcome the false label of "coward".
The Giver
ISBN/ISSN: 0440237688
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.
The Great Poets: Emily Dickinson - Dickinson, Emily
ISBN/ISSN: 1605147044
Teresa Gallagher gives Emily Dickinson a New England voice that succeeds in conveying the poet's distinctive duality: her gentle, mystical other-worldliness underscored by a resolute strength... Does the 'door ajar' shut her out or invite her in? Is the 'realm of you' Heaven or some paradise of earthly love? Even though recurrent themes are death and self-denial, the mood is airy and buoyant, like the angel's wings Dickinson imagines she wears. - Rachel Redford, The Sunday Times
The Great Poets: Wordsworth - Wordsworth
ISBN/ISSN: 9626348607
The Great Poets series launched in 2007 has proven very popular, offering many of the best-loved poems by popular poets in an inexpensive 1 CD collection. Here is a selection of the well-known poems by William Wordsworth (1770-1850). One of the major figures of the English Romantic movement, Wordsworth was Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death. In this popular collection are many of his best-known poems, including I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and Tintern Abbey.
The House at Pooh Corner - Milne, A.A.
ISBN/ISSN: 0786181982
For nearly 80 years, the well-known characters of A.A. Milne's Hundred Acre Wood have enchanted young and old alike with their sense of wonder, imagination, and whimsy. Pooh Bear, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, and Christopher Robin all come alive through the talented and magical voice of Peter Dennis, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and a guest star on such varied shows as Friends, Seinfeld, and Star Trek: Voyager. His nuanced, clear pronunciation catches the snort in Piglet's voice, the high-spiritedness of Roo's voice, Eeyore's pomposity, the energetic voice of Tigger, and Pooh's slow, sweet drawl. Don Davis's beautiful clarinet music between each story will delight listeners.
The Invisible Man - Wells, H.G.
ISBN/ISSN: 1400100666
'The stranger came early in February ... He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose.' After being evicted by his innkeeper, the invisible man reveals his "secret" and escapes without being seen by anyone. This eerie beginning develops into the story behind the "disfigured stranger" as he is hunted through the English countryside.
Once a brilliant scientist, Griffin has been gradually consumed by his research. When he finally achieves his goal, the final result is his departure from humanity. He feels no remorse in using his invisibility to gratify his increasing desires. As he gradually loses his mind, it is hard to determine if it is a result of his chemical concoction, or a simple continuation of his moral decline.
At a time when science fiction was depicting what wonders the future would bring, H. G. Wells was one of the first writers to explore the dark side of science, and portray how easily mortal man could be corrupted when tempted by seemingly unlimited power.
The Last of the mohicans
ISBN/ISSN: 1593080654
During the fierce French and Indian wars, an adroit scout named Hawkeye and his companion Chingachgook weave through the spectacular and dangerous wilderness of upstate New York, fighting to save the beautiful Munro sisters from the Huron renegade Magua.
The Last of the Mohicans is the most popular of James Fenimore Cooper’s five Leatherstocking Tales. With its death-defying chases and teeth-clenching suspense, this American classic established many archetypes of American frontier fiction.
An engrossing “Western” by America’s first great novelist, The Last of the Mohicans is a story of survival and treachery, love and deliverance.
The Red Badge of Courage
ISBN/ISSN: 1580495869
Following its initial appearance in serial form, Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage was published as a complete work in 1895 and quickly became the benchmark for modern anti-war literature.
Although the exact battle is never identified, Crane based this story of a soldier’s experiences during the American Civil War on the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville. Many veterans, both Union and Confederate, praised the book’s accurate representation of war, and critics consider its stylistic strength the mark of a literary classic.
This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a little-known section entitled The Veteran, which depicts Henry Fleming as an old man discussing his experiences in the Civil War with his grandson. Additionally, a glossary and reader’s notes are provided to help the reader understand the language of 19th century America.
The Scarlet Pimpernel
ISBN/ISSN: 0743487745
In 1792, during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, an English aristocrat known to be an ineffectual fop is actually a master of disguises who, with a small band of dedicated friends, undertakes dangerous missions to save members of the French nobility from the guillotine.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -1963
ISBN/ISSN: 1858814790
For anyone who hasn't read any of Christopher Paul Curtis' books, this one would be a great to start with. The books tells the story of the Watson family and their visit to Grandma's house in Alabama. A family of three children and their parents go through the funny and familiar routines of school, work, friends and the "wool pooh". It has many moments where the reader can completely relate to the characters and it also gives a side to younger readers about the time era in whic the story takes place. I do agree with other reviews that this book could definately be used in an elementary school setting and it gives children a different perspective on the lives of an African-American family in 1963.
Twain's Humor
ISBN/ISSN: 1584724307
"Old pieces of humor are like antique toys: Some of them still work and some don't, but they all have a certain fascination. Especially if we know that they worked for Mark Twain. And when you find one that does still work after, say, a century and a half, if you are like me you say things like 'Look at that workmanship' to cover your wonderment at sharing inner-child glee with someone who was in the grave when your grandmother was born. To my surprise, I feel that way about a good many pieces in this book." --from the Introduction by Roy Blount, Jr.
"Mark Twain is the Lincoln of our literature."--William Dean Howells
Uncle Tom's Cabin - Stowe, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Call Number: PLY PS 2954 UNC
ISBN/ISSN: 1607755459
Please share your feedback and recommendations
English Playaways
Effective Writing
ISBN/ISSN: 1575450852
International best-selling author William Stanek helps you get the Edge you need! Whether we like it or not, writing is a part of our every day lives and to get by you need an edge. Enter Effective Writing for Business, College & Life: the down in the trenches writing resource you need to be successful! Use this concise guide to help you: * Write essays, papers, dissertations * Create reports, presentations * Develop articles, stories, novels * Publish online, CD-ROM. Business, college and life always give us writing challenges and it is time you took control! This indispensable resource will help you be creative, get organized, be effective and complete the task at hand.
Flocabulary: Shakespeare is Hip Hop
ISBN/ISSN: 1605145041
Learn Shakespeare by listening to hip hop music.
Hamlet - Shakespeare, William
ISBN/ISSN: 9626344172
It's hard for any director to make HAMLET sound new, so Naxos has done the opposite: they've made it sound old. This is a remastered version of a 1948 performance with John Gielgud in the title role. Though the sound quality is better than you'd expect, some of the dramaturgy seems outdated now, and the actress playing Ophelia is noticeably weak. But Gielgud overpowers any shortcomings, demonstrating why he owned this role during his career and why all subsequent Hamlets try to measure up to him. In the music of his voice, all the play's famous soliloquies and witty exchanges that you've heard a dozen times before suddenly sound freshâ an ironic pleasure in a sixty-year-old recording.
Improve Your Speech- American English - Caven, Mark
Call Number: PLY PE 1135 CAV
ISBN/ISSN: 161574780X
Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare - Lamb, Charles and Mary
Call Number: PLY PR 2877 LAM
ISBN/ISSN: 1615747826
Includes: The Tempest - A Midsummer Night's Dream - The Winter's Tale - Much Ado About Nothing - As You Like It - Cymbeline - The Two Gentlemen of Verona - The Merchant of Venice - King Lear - Macbeth - All's Well that Ends Well - The Taming of the Shrew - The Comedy of Errors - Measure for Measure - Twelfth Night - Timon of Athens - Romeo and Juliet - Hamlet - Othello - Pericles
My Antonia
ISBN/ISSN: 0743487699
The moving portrait of an orphan boy and immigrant girl who find hardship -- and love -- on the American prairie.
Othello
ISBN/ISSN: 1932219269
Othello, a Moorish general in the service of Venice, has married Desdemona, beautiful daughter of a Venetian Senator. But Iago, Othello’s malignant ensign, is determined to destroy their happiness. Cunningly bending the greatness of Othello’s nature to his own purposes, Iago persuades the Moor that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Tormented in a hell of jealousy, Othello moves inexorably toward the destruction of his innocent wife and himself. This great tragedy confronts the mystery at the heart of evil and contains some of Shakespeare’s most magnificent dramatic verse. The play is performed by Don Warrington, David Threlfall, and the Arkangel Cast.
Self Development and Motivation Playaways
100 Ways to Motivate Others
ISBN/ISSN: 1564149927
This newly revised, paperback version of 100 Ways to Motivate Others is the culmination of many years of successful leadership coaching and training by best-selling author Steve Chandler and attorney Scott Richardson. Chandler and Richardson have crafted a vital, user-friendly, inspirational guide for executives, managers, and professionals...and those aspiring to reach their level.
25 Things to Say to the Interviewer to Get the Job You Want - Hawk, Dexter
Call Number: PLY HF 5549.5.I6 Haw
ISBN/ISSN: 1433296179
"25 things to say to the interviewer to get the job you want" gives you inspiring, empowering, real-life attributes, real-life skills to take to heart, to own, to use, to impress interviewers with, so you can work, pay your bills, and live your dreams.
If you're looking for a job that let's you do what you're good at, pays you what you're worth, read this book.
And if you want to make your dreams come true, read it over and over again.
It takes a life-time to learn these life-skills. But you don't have that kind of time.
And no one is going to teach them to you. Especially, in school. And not bosses. There just aren't that many good bosses around. Most of them are busy, selfish, or under the gun. Or don't know enough to teach you anything.
Here's a one-of-a-kind book that'll teach you how to get past intreviewers.
But that's the half of it. It'll also teach you the life-skills you need to succeed in business, in your career, in your life.
When you finish reading this book, you'll know what it takes most successful people, at least, half a life-time to learn. Lucky you found it.
4 Diciplines of Execution
ISBN/ISSN: 1929494777
In business, survival depends on meeting objectives. Most failures in organizations today are not the result of a lack of smarts, they are caused by a lack of execution -- things just don't get done. Defining a clear strategy and setting goals is one thing, sticking to strategy and meeting those goals is quite another. The 4 Disciplines of Execution teaches how to focus on your top priorities and get the critical things accomplished. Whether you are a member of a team, lead a team, or lead an entire organization, this workshop will equip you to deliver on your top priorities consistently.
Being in Balance
ISBN/ISSN: 1401910386
In this inspirational work, best-selling author and lecturer Wayne W. Dyer shows you how to restore balance in your life by offering nine principles for realigning your thoughts so that they correspond to your highest desires.
Better Than Good - Ziglar, Zig
Call Number: PLY BV 4501.3 Zig
ISBN/ISSN: 0785289194
Written in Ziglar's trademark style, the book focuses on getting and staying motivated by confronting and transforming the things that stand in the way of making a lasting impact. Offers Zig's practical and spiritual vision for what life can be when we allow the power of purpose and passion to permeate our soul.
Connect
ISBN/ISSN: 006124175X
Success is built on connections we make with people and ideas. Whether it's connecting with customers to improve their service experience, or connecting with the strategic business plan and objectives for the coming year, the foundation for success starts with CONNECT. Here in Connect, Keith Harrell and Hattie Hill reveal the seven core competencies needed to connect individuals and organizations in order to heighten productivity and to maximize personal and professional success.
Commit to win
Open up to opportunities
Notice what's needed and do what's necessary
Navigate by your purpose
Execute ethically
Challenge your challenges
Transcend beyond your best
Conversations with God - Walsch, Neale Donald
ISBN/ISSN: 1597771503
Best of the Best. At a low point in life, Walsch wrote God a letter venting his frustrations. After he finished, he continued writing and got answers. In this audiobook, the author reads his questions, and two noted actors contribute spirited performances as the voice of God.
Execution
ISBN/ISSN: 0609610570
Disciplines like strategy, leadership development, and innovation are the sexier aspects of being at the helm of a successful business; actually getting things done never seems quite as glamorous. But as Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan demonstrate in Execution, the ultimate difference between a company and its competitor is, in fact, the ability to execute.
First Things first
ISBN/ISSN: 0684802031
What are the most important things in your life? Do they get as much care, emphasis, and time as you'd like to give them? Far from the traditional "be-more-efficient" time-management book with shortcut techniques, First Things First shows you how to look at your use of time totally differently. Using this book will help you create balance between your personal and professional responsibilities by putting first things first and acting on them. Covey teaches an organizing process that helps you categorize tasks so you focus on what is important, not merely what is urgent. First you divide tasks into these quadrants:
Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)
Focus: Achieving your Highest Priorities
ISBN/ISSN: 1929494696
The Focus workshop presents an engaging and inspirational learning experience and will change your life in ways you never thought possible.
With this audiobook, you will begin a process and journey to a new way of thinking about personal and professional focus and accomplishment. You'll learn how to identify -- and focus -- on the tasks and priorities that matter most so that you can deliver maximum results every day.
You'll learn to turn the things you have to do into the things you want to do. Dr. Covey and master facilitator Steve Jones introduce you to the FranklinCovey workshop that has already helped 10 million people become more productive.
Here's the Bright Side of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce and Other Burn Raps - Rollin, Betty
ISBN/ISSN: 1400065658
Award-winning television journalist Rollin, formerly an NBC correspondent and author of Last Wish and First, You Cry, urges readers to see the "bright side" of life's disasters. While there is nothing new about finding a silver lining in a cloud, this thought is only comforting if it comes from a credible source—and here, Rollin's voice is comforting. People know she went through two mastectomies back in the days when breast cancer was an unmentionable disease. The first doctor she saw ignored her cancer, but she shows how that terrible experience opened up new perspectives for her. Even the experts, she reports, find that trauma doesn't just produce stress, but "post-traumatic growth." People who've survived catastrophes may develop better self-perceptions and better relations with others. They may adopt a more meaningful life philosophy. Disaster can be a sort of wakeup call. Rollin is not religious; she never rationalizes bad things happening to good people by referring to God's mysterious ways, but she is relentlessly positive (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
Leadership- Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results
ISBN/ISSN: 160514651X
Great organizations are created by great leaders—leaders who can unleash the highest and best contribution of their team toward their organizations’ most critical strategic priorities.
Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results is FranklinCovey’s flagship leadership-development program. It takes a “mind-set, skill-set, tool-set” approach to developing leaders who can unleash the talent and capability of their team against the organization’s highest priorities.
Louder Than Words - McCarthy, Jenny
ISBN/ISSN: 1433211777
"One morning, Jenny McCarthy sensed something was wrong and ran into her two-year-old son Evan's room to discover he was having a seizure. In that moment, Jenny was thrust into the midst of a medical odyssey. After numerous misdiagnoses and many harrowing, life-threatening episodes, Evan was finally diagnosed with autism. But Jenny didn't know what to do next and soon found herself alone, without any resources except for her determination to help her son. Realizing that she'd have to become a detective, Jenny spoke with many doctors, parents, governmental agencies, and private foundations and became an expert of Google research. At last, she discovered a combination of behavioral therapy, diet, and supplements that became the key to saving Evan from autism. Here, she shares her experiences and knowledge and offers a roadmap for other concerned parents."
Stealing Your Life - Abagnale, Frank W.
ISBN/ISSN: 1441716084
Brimming with anecdotes of creative criminality that are as entertaining as they are enlightening, Stealing Your Life is the practical way to shield yourself from one of today's most nefarious and common crimes.
Talent is Overrated - Colvin, Geoff
ISBN/ISSN: 1608476502
Expanding on a landmark cover story in Fortune, a top journalist debunks the myths of exceptional performance.
The 6 Most Important Decisions you'll Ever Make
ISBN/ISSN: 0743265041
Grade 8 Up—In this practical and lively self-help title, the author argues that teens have six key decisions to make, and that their choices will make or break their futures. The decisions involve getting a good education, choosing true friends, getting along with parents, dating and sex, avoiding addictions, and establishing a healthy sense of self-worth. Covey provides tips for making and following through on each of these areas and delivers concise sound bites of advice peppered with colorful graphics, cartoons, and movie quotes. He supports his arguments with facts, statistics, and analysis. For example, in urging teens to stay in school and keep up their grades, he provides a chart of lifelong earnings based on the highest degree earned, as well as the money needed for a family. The author briefly addresses problems associated with the choices. For example, regarding school, he gives tips on dealing with stress, time management, learning disabilities, and preparing for college. He is frank in discussing sex and dating myths and the dangers of STDs and teenage pregnancy.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families - Covey, Stephen R.
ISBN/ISSN: 1883219442
"What is 'effectiveness' in a family?" asks author Steven R. Covey. He promptly answers with four words: "a beautiful family culture." Building this culture is the primary theme of Covey's parenting guide, a manual based on concepts introduced in his blockbuster, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey, a New-Age business guru and leadership authority, has consulted with the world's top corporate and political leaders, but closer to home he is the father of nine children. Here, Covey reinterprets each of his now famous "habits" (Habit 1: Be Proactive, Habit 4: Think Win-Win, Habit 6: Synergize) to apply to parenting and family-life issues. Covey suggests writing a family mission statement, implementing special family times and "one-on-ones," holding regular family meetings, and making the commitment to move from "me" to "we" as techniques to improve family effectiveness. Covey is a brilliant storyteller. By weaving the voices and anecdotes of his wife and children with his own inspirational and informative stories, exercises, and parables, he has created a book with something for all parents interested in enhancing the strength and beauty of their own families.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
ISBN/ISSN: 0743269519
There's a reason 7 Habits has sold more than 5 million copies and been translated into 32 languages. Serious work has obviously gone into it, and serious change can likely come out of it--but only with constant discipline and steadfast commitment. As the densely packed tape makes immediately clear, this is no quick fix for what's ailing us in our personal and professional lives.
The tape opens to the silky-smooth, overtrained voice of the female narrator, who's responsible for tying together audio clips from actual Covey seminars. Leaving aside the occasional attempts at promoting Covey and his institute, her script does a first-rate job of making sense of Covey's own intense, analogy-rich style of explaining his habits. There's nothing simple about his approach to becoming an effective person. The first three habits alone--which have to do with personal responsibility, leadership, and self-management--could take years to master. Yet the last four are unattainable, the narrator insists, if you can't acquire the personal security--the "inner core," says Covey--that presumably comes from a mastery of the foundation.
The 9 to 5 Window
ISBN/ISSN: 0830737960
Faith in the workplace-a subject of recent interest in the secular media-is taking the nation by storm. God is using the lives of ordinary men and women to make an impact and transform their workplaces, big and small, for Jesus Christ. Readers of The 9 to 5 Window will learn about this incredible movement and what can take place when people transform their view of work from a means of paying the bills to a means of freeing people in bondage and giving those around them (and themselves) purpose and meaning in life and at work. Using Moses as an example of a person who learned to view his work from an eternal perspective, Os Hillman shows how we all can experience transformed lives, workplaces, cities and nations.
The Dip
ISBN/ISSN: 1591841666
The old saying is wrong-winners do quit, and quitters do win.
Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point-really hard, and not much fun at all.
And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you're in a Dip-a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it's really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.
According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.
Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt-until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you'll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.
Losers, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick out the Dip-they get to the moment of truth and then give up-or they never even find the right Dip to conquer.
Whether you're a graphic designer, a sales rep, an athlete, or an aspiring CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you're in a Dip that's worthy of your time, effort, and talents. If you are, The Dip will inspire you to hang tough. If not, it will help you find the courage to quit-so you can be number one at something else.
Seth Godin doesn't claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to ask the right questions.
The five love Languages
ISBN/ISSN: 1881273156
Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.
The Power of a Positive No
ISBN/ISSN: 0553384260
William Ury is the co-author of the well-known book Getting to YES. In this book he explains how he has come to realize that getting to yes is only half of the picture. Ury even says that "whether and how we say No determines the very quality of our lives." The reason is that word No is indispensible whenever you have to stand up for what really matters to you.Certain situations can create tension between an issue which is important to you and a relatinoship that is also important to you. This tension can make us fall into the three-A trap of Accomodation (saying yes when we mean No), Attacking (responding forcefully) and Avoiding (doing nothing at all). Ury presents the positive No as a way out. In short this means:
1. Yes! -> positively and concretely describing your core interests and values
2. No. -> explicitely link your no to this YES!
3. Yes? -> suggest another positive outcome or agreement to the other person
Ury goes into much detail about how to prepare, deliver, and follow through your positive No.
The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes - Ury, William
ISBN/ISSN: 0739375253
Twenty-five years after the publication of the bestselling Getting to Yes, Ury addresses the other side of the coin, but his version of "No" is not a simple rejection. "A Positive No begins with Yes and ends with Yes," he says, because it defines the nay-sayer's self-interests and paves the way for a continued relationship. Ury delineates this "Yes! No. Yes?" pattern recursively, so that each step is itself another three-part process. In addition to drawing on his own experiences as a negotiator for conflicts in countries like Chechnya and Venezuela, and the historical examples of activists like Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, he shows how his principles can be used in the home and the workplace. He even throws in a few literary precedents, citing Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener, whose repetition of the phrase "I would prefer not to" is cited as a "simple and admirable" method of polite refusal. Some of Ury's advice, like describing how another's actions make you feel rather than attacking the action, may strike the more cynical minded as touchy-feely, but his reminders to consider the other person's perspective while asserting your own position create a clear, unambiguous path to win-win situations.
The Tipping Point
ISBN/ISSN: 0316346624
The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). Gladwell's applications of his "tipping point" concept to current phenomena--such as the drop in violent crime in New York, the rebirth of Hush Puppies suede shoes as a suburban mall favorite, teenage suicide patterns and the efficiency of small work units--may arouse controversy. For example, many parents may be alarmed at his advice on drugs: since teenagers' experimentation with drugs, including cocaine, seldom leads to hardcore use, he contends, "We have to stop fighting this kind of experimentation. We have to accept it and even embrace it."
Walk Away the Pounds
ISBN/ISSN: 0446693359
Twenty-five-year fitness industry veteran Sansone, whose videos have been megahits for the shopping network QVC, shares a nonintimidating, friendly workbook that promises to help overweight adults (she targets women, though men could certainly benefit from her advice, too) drop pounds and pick up energy. "Walking just thirty minutes a day, three times a week," she says, "reduces the risk of death from natural causes by 55%." That being fit will help you live longer isn't news, but Sansone's simple approach is refreshing. She details a six-week program that combines walking and basic strength training, promising readers they'll burn calories, lose fat, firm muscle, boost energy and reduce stress. With its daily log and continual encouragement, the book will best suit those new to exercise who aren't sure how or where to begin and need constant assurance (though Sansone does include a power walk program for readers who are already walking regularly or have completed the basic program). She interweaves her program notes with personal stories from women who've successfully "walked away the pounds" (20, 60 and even 100 pounds). This nonthreatening, accessible exercise plan should be a boon for those who are reluctant or unable to practice more intense exercise.
Whale Done - Blanchard. Ken
ISBN/ISSN: 074323538X
What do your people at work and your spouse and kids at home have in common with a five-ton killer whale? Probably a whole lot more than you think, according to top business consultant and mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. In this moving and inspirational new book, Blanchard explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. He shows how using the techniques of animal trainers -- specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld -- can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.
When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to get these huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior -- all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between "GOTcha" (catching people doing things wrong) and "Whale Done!" (catching people doing things right).
In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how to make accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative the best tools to increase productivity, instead of creating situations that demoralize people. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing readers to become better parents and more committed spouses in their happier and more successful personal lives.
Historical Playaways
11 Days in December - Weintraub, Stanley
ISBN/ISSN: 0786148373
Eisenhower's heroic gloss dims in this portrait of the WWII offensive by the Germans against Allied troops in Belgium and Luxembourg. Patrick Cullen delivers the first-person accounts collected by Weintraub so that listeners share the cold, loss, and sense of doubt plaguing the ordinary soldier. There are higher momentsâ of course, supplied by Patton, whose famous treble Cullen does not attempt. Ernest Hemingway appears as does Marlene Dietrich, as well as memories of lice and men. Well worth hearing are the letters, journals, and recollections of soldiers who fought and celebrated the holiday far from home. Christmas trees in foxholes, orphans feted, celebratory Spam, and Eisenhower and cohorts feasting in Paris make an unforgettable portrait of war
Black Like Me
ISBN/ISSN: 0451208641
Griffin's (The Devil Rides Outside) mid-century classic on race brilliantly withstands both the test of time and translation to audio format. Concerned by the lack of communication between the races and wondering what "adjustments and discriminations" he would face as a Negro in the Deep South, the late author, a journalist and self-described "specialist in race issues," left behind his privileged life as a Southern white man to step into the body of a stranger. In 1959, Griffin headed to New Orleans, darkened his skin and immersed himself in black society, then traveled to several states until he could no longer stand the racism, segregation and degrading living conditions. Griffin imparts the hopelessness and despair he felt while executing his social experiment, and professional narrator Childs renders this recounting even more immediate and emotional with his heartfelt delivery and skillful use of accents.- Brotherhood of the Revolution - Ellis, Joseph
Call Number: PLY E208 ELL
This is the story of the American Revolution, the men who made it and who then secured it. It is the story of an improbable victory by a provincial collection of loosely knit colonies over the dominant military and political power in the world. It is also the story of the creation of a nation founded on principles that no one at the time regarded as viable, and that over time have come to be regarded as the most successful recipe for political success in the modern world. The central theme of the story is that the creation of this nation of laws was only made possible by a small group of men, whom we refer to here as the Brotherhood of the Revolution. 
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Brown, Dee
ISBN/ISSN: 1433293471
First published in 1970, this extraordinary book changed the way Americans think about the original inhabitants of their country. Beginning with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ending 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, it tells how the American Indians lost their land and lives to a dynamically expanding white society. During these three decades, America's population doubled from 31 million to 62 million. Again and again, promises made to the Indians fell victim to the ruthlessness and greed of settlers pushing westward to make new lives. The Indians were herded off their ancestral lands into ever-shrinking reservations, and were starved and killed if they resisted. It is a truism that "history is written by the victors"; for the first time, this book described the opening of the West from the Indians' viewpoint. Accustomed to stereotypes of Indians as red savages, white Americans were shocked to read the reasoned eloquence of Indian leaders and learn of the bravery with which they and their peoples endured suffering. With meticulous research and in measured language overlaying brutal narrative, Dee Brown focused attention on a national disgrace. Still controversial but with many of its premises now accepted, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has sold 5 million copies around the world. Thirty years after it first broke onto the national conscience, it has lost none of its importance or emotional impact.
Common Sense
ISBN/ISSN: 0451528891
In an unrelenting quest to understanding the history of the United States, one obscure name comes to mind, Thomas Paine. Paine helped establish the meaning of democracy and the "united" in United States. His two monumental works, COMMON SENSE AND RIGHTS OF MAN, provided the philosophical and rhetorical building blocks that the founding fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, et al., would emulate with the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Many take for granted the origins of freedom and democracy in the United States, and as with many school history textbooks depict, Paine merely appears in a paragraph or two, and quickly disappears to historical oblivion.
Course of Human Events - McCullough, David
Call Number: PLY E 209 Mcc
ISBN/ISSN: 0743550382
On May 15th, 2003 David McCullough presented The Course of Human Events as The 2003 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities in Washington, DC. The Jefferson Lecture is a tribute to McCullough's lifetime investigation of history.
In this short speech, this master historian tracks his fascination with all things historical to his early days in Pittsburgh where he "learned to love history by way of books" in bookshops and at the local library.
McCullough eloquently leads us through the founding fathers' attraction to history, letting us in on his composition of 1776 as well as the Pulitzer Prize winning John Adams. His obvious affection for history is inspiring, because it encompasses the whole reach of the human drama. In McCullough's able hands, history truly "is a larger way of looking at life."
Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway - Barry, Dave
ISBN/ISSN: 1593556845
Adult/High School-Once again Barry meets the challenge of finding humor in United States politics, beginning with a history of how things seemed to have evolved. His perspective is different from the traditional textbook approach to government, history, and perhaps everything else. He good-naturedly pokes fun at great American documents including the Mayflower Compact and the Constitution and provides a unique view of famous events from our past, such as the Boston Tea Party, where he insists that a giant zucchini had an influence on the resultant events. He spends some time pointing out problems in the government, federal spending, and the legislative branch, but he really hits his stride once he starts retelling Florida's role in the last presidential election. For Barry's fans, this will be another book to enjoy and for those who haven't encountered him before, this is a good place to start.
Encyclopedia Britannica Founding Fathers: Architects of a nation
ISBN/ISSN: 1598954652
Learn all about our founding fathers and what they went through and did to build the united states.
George Washington
ISBN/ISSN: 1406866199
Biographical work on George Washington
Great Authors- Mark Twain
ISBN/ISSN: 1598959824
A selection of stories by Mark Twain.
Listening is an Act of Love - Isay, Dave
ISBN/ISSN: 0143142615
Four years ago. StoryCorps set out to record an oral history of America with the voices of everyday people. This book is a collection of the most compelling excerpts from more than 10,000 interviews recorded, compiled by StoryCorps founder Isay (Flophouse), a radio documentary producer and MacArthur fellow. And they are compelling. Each one captures a moment in time—historical, emotional or personal—that make us who we are. As simple stories of humanity, each one has its own potency, with themes of family, love, dedication and struggle. In one of the most emotionally wrought stories, a father sits down with his daughter and remembers her late mother and older brother, who both died of cancer within months of each other. To gather the stories, StoryCorps provides a facility, recording equipment and a facilitator, then waits for people to invite loved ones, friends, grandparents to sit down for a 40-minute session. A copy of the tape is filed in the Library of Congress, and parts have aired on NPR. As Isay says, I realized how many people among us feel completely invisible, believe their lives don't matter, and fear they'll someday be forgotten.
Major Presidential speeches
ISBN/ISSN: 1598953508
A collection of the major and most famous presidential speeches from the past.
NPR Trips- Postcards from Around the Globe - Adams, Noah
Call Number: PLY PN 1991.15 NPR
ISBN/ISSN: 1615747931
Meet Colin Angus and Julie Wafael, who spent two years circumnavigating the globe using their hands and feet. Turn on the radio in Katmandu and hear music from the 70s. Learn how robot jockeys are solving a human rights problem in Dubai. (It has to do with camel races.) Get ready for carnival in Rio. And walk through old Beijing before it’s demolished for high-rise development.
Stones Into Schools - Mortenson, Greg
ISBN/ISSN: 0143144960
From the author of the #1 national bestseller Three Cups of Tea, the continuing story of this determined humanitarian and the schools he has established.
Team of Rivals
ISBN/ISSN: 0743270754
The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates.
The Greatest Speeches of all time
ISBN/ISSN: 1885959591
A collection of the most important and well-known speeches of modern times. Dramatic words from world leaders that changed the course of history and inspired millions worldwide, including: FDR, Richard Nixon, JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Mario Cuomo, Jesse Jackson, George H.W.Bush and William Jefferson Clinton.
The History of Classical Music
ISBN/ISSN: 9626341408
A superb crossover title of enormous appeal to the vast selection of the population that enjoys classical music, but would like to know more about it. From Gregorian Chant to Henryk Gorecki, the first living classical composer to get into the pop album charts, here is the fascinating story of over a thousand years of Western classical music and the composers who have sought to express in music the deepest of human feelings and emotions. Polyphony, sonata form, serial music - many musical expressions are also explained - with the text illustrated by performances from some of the most highly praised recordings of recent years (all but a few taken from the Naxos and Marco Polo catalogues).
The Story of My Life: Helen Keller - Keller, Helen
ISBN/ISSN: 1400101298
Before she was two years old, a scarlet fever destroyed Helen Keller's sight and hearing. At seven, alone and withdrawn, she was rescued by Anne Sullivan, her teacher and friend. She learned to read (in several different languages) and speak so well that she graduated with honors in 1904 from Radcliffe, where she authored The Story of My Life.
Twice Toward Justice - Hoose, Phillip
ISBN/ISSN: 0374313229
Nine months before Rosa Parks’ history-making protest on a city bus, Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, high-school student, was arrested and jailed for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Hoose draws from numerous personal interviews with Colvin in this exceptional title that is part historical account, part memoir. Hoose’s lucid explanations of background figures and events alternate with lengthy passages in Colvin’s own words, and the mix of voices creates a comprehensive view of the Montgomery bus boycott and the landmark court case, Browder v. Gayle, that grew from it. At the center of the headline-grabbing turmoil is teenager Colvin, who became pregnant during the boycott; and her frank, candid words about both her personal and political experiences will galvanize young readers. On each attractively designed spread, text boxes and archival images, including photos and reproduced documents, extend the gripping story. As in Hoose’s We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History (2001), this inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make, even as it demonstrates the multitude of interconnected lives that create and sustain a political movement.
Twilight at Monticello - Crawford, Alan Pell
ISBN/ISSN: 1400106184
"Much has been written about Thomas Jefferson, with good reason: His life was a great American drama -- one of the greatest -- played out in compelling acts. He was the architect of our democracy, a visionary chief executive who expanded this nation's physical boundaries to unimagined lengths. But Twilight at Monticello is something entirely new: an unprecedented and engrossing personal look at the intimate Jefferson in his final years that will change the way audiences think about this true American icon. It was during these years -- from his return to Monticello in 1809 after two terms as president until his death in 1826 -- that Jefferson's idealism would be most severely, and heartbreakingly, tested. Based on new research and documents culled from the Library of Congress, the Virginia Historical Society, and other special collections -- including hitherto unexamined letters from family, friends, and Monticello neighbors -- Alan Pell Crawford paints an authoritative and deeply moving portrait of Thomas Jefferson as private citizen, the first original depiction of the man in more than a generation.
Up from Slavery
ISBN/ISSN: 1595475281
Nineteenth-century African American businessman, activist, and educator Booker Taliaferro Washington's Up from Slavery is one of the greatest American autobiographies ever written. Its mantras of black economic empowerment, land ownership, and self-help inspired generations of black leaders, including Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and Louis Farrakhan. In rags-to-riches fashion, Washington recounts his ascendance from early life as a mulatto slave in Virginia to a 34-year term as president of the influential, agriculturally based Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. From that position, Washington reigned as the most important leader of his people, with slogans like "cast down your buckets," which emphasized vocational merit rather than the academic and political excellence championed by his contemporary rival W.E.B. Du Bois. Though many considered him too accommodating to segregationists, Washington, as he said in his historic "Atlanta Compromise" speech of 1895, believed that "political agitation alone would not save [the Negro]," and that "property, industry, skill, intelligence, and character" would prove necessary to black Americans' success. The potency of his philosophies are alive today in the nationalist and conservative camps that compose the complex quilt of black American society.
Voices of Black America
ISBN/ISSN: 962634248X
Grade 9 Up-Unique in what it offers, Voices of Black America allows listeners to hear the actual voices of such luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, and Paul Robeson. They are joined by lesser-known personalities such as Bert Williams and Charley Case who are among the public figures from the first half of the 20th century. In all, there are nine men from various walks of life presented. Unfortunately, no women are included, and, with the exception of Hughes giving the name of his poems, no one is introduced. Sound quality is variable because some segments include the sounds of earlier recording devices. The producers have not taken advantage of the rich music of the time to clarify breaks between performers. The lengthy liner notes include a picture and biographical information on each person as well as the location of each selection and its place on the CD. That will enable teachers to have easy access to Hughes reading "I Too Sing America" or Robeson as Othello.
Walden
ISBN/ISSN: 046087635X
A few brief but unaltered excerpts, carefully placed in context by an introduction and with ellipses scrupulously indicated, touch on the activities of a year's cycle and give the young reader a first taste of this beloved 19th-century author's account of his solitary stay in a pond-side cabin. With their dramatic use of black combined with the subtle tones of nature, Sabuda's handsome linoleum-cut illustrations recall Tejima's work in wood; quietly reflecting Thoreau's own reverence for his surroundings, they are sure to attract readers. Whether such abridgments are worthwhile is always debatable, but this one is done with such sensibility to its source that it's worth consideration.
Learn all about Playaways
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Computer Playaways
Internet Explorer 7 Classroom-to-go
ISBN/ISSN: 1605145874
Learn all about Internet Explorer 7.
Wikinomics
ISBN/ISSN: 1591841933
Anyone who has done even a modest amount of browsing on the Internet has probably run across Wikipedia, the user-edited online encyclopedia that now dwarfs the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. This is the prime example of what is called the new Web, or Web 2.0, where sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, and even the Human Genome Project allow mass collaboration from participants in the online community. These open systems can produce faster and more powerful results than the traditional closed proprietary systems that have been the norm for private industry and educational institutions. Detractors claim that authentic voices are being overrun by "an anonymous tide of mass mediocrity," and private industry laments that competition from the free goods and services created by the masses compete with proprietary marketplace offerings. The most obvious example of this is Linux, the open-source operating system that has killed Microsoft in the server environment. But is this a bad thing? Tapscott thinks not; and as a proponent of peering, sharing, and open-source thinking, he has presented a clear and exciting preview of how peer innovation will change everything.
Business Playaways
Elephant and the Dragon
ISBN/ISSN: 0393331938
Meredith, who covers India and China for Forbes, upends conventional wisdom in this well-reported book, arguing that the U.S. shouldn't fear these two rising economic powers. The U.S. (buyer to the world) and China (factory to the world) have, respectively, the largest and fourth largest economies, but they will reach parity in 2015. Though American politicians tax Chinese goods, Meredith points out that Americans actually gain from the undervalued yuan: our companies profit from the cheap goods the Chinese manufacture. Meanwhile, India (backoffice to the world) has picked up most of the one million white-collar jobs that moved out of the U.S. by 2003. But Meredith notes that for every dollar that goes overseas, $1.94 of wealth is created—all but 33 cents of which returns to the U.S. Protrade and antiprotectionist, she makes a compelling argument that China is doing better than India because it moved toward a market economy in 1978, while India began to liberalize in 1991. She also looks critically at each country's plans for the future, noting that China's citizens save more, while India's infrastructure and education system are falling behind. She concludes that if inward-facing India and communist China can transform themselves, so can the United States of America.
Four Imperatives of Great Leaders - Covey, Stephen
Call Number: PLY BF 637.S9 COV
ISBN/ISSN: 1615747869
Goal - Goldratt, Eliyahu
ISBN/ISSN: 0884271781
"Alex Rogo is the manager of a failing manufacturing plant who receives an ultimatum from corporate headquarters: Turn the situation around in three months or the plant will be scrapped. With help from a mysterious mentor, Rogo discovers a revolutionary new way to do business -- a way for people in any field of endeavor to increase productivity, profitability, and personal fulfillment. A business book disguised as a novel, a love story about the manufacturing process, and an exhilarating adventure in human potential, The Goal is changing how America does business. First published in 1984, it became an underground bestseller; today it's used by thousands of companies and taught in hundreds of business schools. Includes the author's personal story, ""My Saga."" This third edition includes case study interviews. Professional readers recreate interviews that David Whitford, Editor at Large with Fortune Small Business, conducts with the author Eli Goldratt and with business professionals from General Motors, Thomson-Shore, Security Federal Banks and others who put the principles of The Goal into action. Eliyahu M. Goldratt is an Israeli physicist, inventor, and philosopher whose unconventional approach to business management has made him one of the most sought-after consultants in the world today. His reputation as a ""slaughterer of sacred cows"" was born in 1979, when he devised a computerized production scheduling system that revealed serious shortcomings in certain long-cherished manufacturing methods.
Growing and Managing a Business - Allen, Kathleen R.
Call Number: PLY HD 31 ALL
ISBN/ISSN: 0618705090
Growing and Managing a Small Business provides students with a comprehensive introduction to business ownership and management from the start-up phase through growth and harvest. Decidedly entrepreneurial in focus, this book departs from the traditional small business management text by incorporating themes and principles appropriate to managing small companies in a dynamic, global environment. In addition to up-to-date coverage of risk management and strategies for "harvesting the business," the Second Edition introduces several new chapters that examine topics such as ethics and social responsibility, family businesses, and technology. New boxed features illustrate the author's real-world approach through case studies and profiles of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Influencer - Switzler, Al
Call Number: PLY BF 774 INF
ISBN/ISSN: 007148499X
"Everyone wants to be an influencer. We all want to learn how to help ourselves and others change behavior. And yet, in spite of the fact that we routinely attempt to do everything from lose weight to improve quality at work, few of us have more than one or two ideas about how to exert influence. For the first time, Influencer brings together the breakthrough strategies of contemporary influence masters. By drawing from the skills of hundreds of successful influencers and combining them with five decades of the best social science research, Influencer shares eight powerful principles for changing behaviors -- principles almost anyone can apply to change almost anything. Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler are the cofounders and leaders of VitalSmarts, an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance that has taught more than two million people worldwide and worked with more than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies."
Ladies who Launch
ISBN/ISSN: 0312359543
Ladies Who Launch is the first company to define the feminine approach to launching a business and to make the connection between starting a business and bringing creativity into your life with self-esteem and happiness. The nationally acclaimed Ladies Who Launch program has enabled thousands of women across the country to break out of 9-5 and thrive in entrepreneurial enterprises that reflect their true passions, skills, and desires. Located in more than 40 cities in the United States, the Ladies Who Launch incubators – workshops that give women the support and encouragement they need to embark on making their dreams reality – have inspired women to start businesses, grow existing companies, and tap into their creativity to develop essential services and products and enjoy the lifestyle of their dreams while doing it.
Managing Brand You - Wilson, Jerry S.
Call Number: PLY BF 637.S8 WIL
ISBN/ISSN: 0814410685
Whether we realize it or not, we are all brands. We all have qualities that shape and influence how the people in our lives see us—and how we see ourselves. Nationally respected brand experts Jerry Wilson and Ira Blumenthal have helped some of the most exceptional companies and individuals in the world perfect their images. Now, in Managing Brand You, they reveal their proven seven-step process for personal brand building.
Using illuminating examples from successful corporations like Coca-Cola and Starbucks as well as high-profile celebrities like Bono and Oprah, Managing Brand You gives readers a step-by-step guide for conducting a self analysis, creating a unique identity, defining their objectives, discovering their passions, creating a plan, putting that plan into action, and monitoring their progress. Wise and insightful, this book will help readers identify what it is that makes them unique and communicate it in a way that guarantees them success.
Meatball Sundae - Godin, Seth
Call Number: PLY HF 5415.13 GOD
ISBN/ISSN: 1591841747
Rich Dad Poor Dad
ISBN/ISSN: 0762434279
Anyone stuck in the rat-race of living paycheck to paycheck, enslaved by the house mortgage and bills, will appreciate this breath of fresh air. Learn about the methods that have created more than a few millionaires. This is the first abridged miniature edition of Rich Dad Poor Dad. The full-length edition has sold millions as a New York Times bestseller. As proven by the runaway success of The Secret and like titles, changing one’s thinking to influence one’s fortune sells big, and forms the basis of rich dad’s advice. Learn to think like a rich dad and let your money work for you!
Speed of Trust - Covey, Stephen
Call Number: PLY HF 5387 COV
ISBN/ISSN: 1608475654
The Emyth Revisited
ISBN/ISSN: 0887307280
In this first new and totally revised edition of the over two million copy bestseller, The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. Next, he walks you through the steps in the life of a business -- from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed -- and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether it is a franchise or not. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have read The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.
The Joy of Selling
ISBN/ISSN: 1931741581
Steve Chandler delivers over 50 powerful ideas guaranteed to stimulate fantastic sales success. Drawing on his extensive experience in the field, and using the most up-to-date psychological tools available, Chandler illustrates ways for both the novice and the seasoned pro to reach new heights of business prosperity. Strong sales skills have universal application. Sales create civilisation, promote progress, and form relationships between people. "The Joy of Selling" invites you to make a conscious commitment to innovation, adventure, and clear communication. You can become extraordinary not only in sales, but in all areas of your life!
The Ultimate Question
ISBN/ISSN: 1591397839
Almost everyone appreciates the importance of customer satisfaction in business, but this book takes that idea to two extremes. First, it claims that customer satisfaction is more important than any business criterion except profits. Second, it argues that customer satisfaction is best measured by one simple question, "Would you recommend this business to a friend?" Pressure for financial performance tempts executives to seek "bad profits," that is, profits obtained at the expense of frustrating or disappointing customers. Such profits inflate short-term financial results, Reichheld writes, but kill longer-term growth. Only relentless focus on customer satisfaction can generate "good profits." One unambiguous question, with answers delivered promptly, can force organizational change, he claims. Reichheld makes a strong rhetorical case for his ideas, but is weaker on supporting evidence. The negative examples he gives are either well-known failures or generic entities like "monopolies," "cell phone service providers" and "cable companies." When presenting statistics on poor performers, the names are omitted "for obvious reasons." On the other hand, the positive examples are named, but described in unrealistically perfect terms. Believable comparisons of companies with both virtues and flaws would have been more instructive.
Tribes - Godin, Seth
ISBN/ISSN: 1423374096
Short on pages but long on repetition, this newest book by Godin (Purple Cow) argues that lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a tribe: a group of people connected to each other, to a leader and to an idea. Smart innovators find or assemble a movement of similarly minded individuals and get the tribe excited by a new product, service or message, often via the Internet (consider, for example, the popularity of the Obama campaign, Facebook or Twitter). Tribes, Godin says, can be within or outside a corporation, and almost everyone can be a leader; most are kept from realizing their potential by fear of criticism and fear of being wrong. The book's helpful nuggets are buried beneath esoteric case studies and multiple reiterations: we can be leaders if we want, tribes are the way of the future and change is good. On that last note, the advice found in this book should be used with caution. Change isn't made by asking permission, Godin says. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later. That may be true, but in this economy and in certain corporations, it may also be a good way to lose a job.
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