An electrifying memoir from the acclaimed Nicaraguan writer(“A wonderfully free and original talent”—Harold Pinter) andcentral figure in the Sandinista Revolution. Until her early twenties, Gioconda Belli inhabited an upper-classcocoon: sheltered from the poverty in Managua in a world of countryclubs and debutante balls; educated abroad; early marriage andmotherhood. But in 1970, everything changed. Her growingdissatisfaction with domestic life, and a blossoming awareness ofthe social inequities in Nicaragua, led her to join theSandinistas, then a burgeoning but still hidden organization. Shewould be involved with them over the next twenty years at thehighest, and often most dangerous, levels. Her memoir is both a revelatory insider’s account of the Revolutionand a vivid, intensely felt story about coming of age underextraordinary circumstances. Belli writes with both strikinglyricism and candor about her personal and political lives: abouther family, her children, the men in her life; about her po

A fascinating look at some fascinating people who show howdemocracy advances hand in hand with crime in Japan.--MarioPuzo In this unorthodox chronicle of the rise of Japan, Inc., RobertWhiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa, gives us a fresh perspectiveon the economic miracle and near disaster that is modernJapan. Through the eyes of Nick Zappetti, a former GI, former blackmarketer, failed professional wrestler, bungling diamond thief whoturned himself into "the Mafia boss of Tokyo and the king ofRappongi," we meet the players and the losers in the high-stakesgame of postwar finance, politics, and criminal corruption in whichhe thrived. Here's the story of the Imperial Hotel diamond robbers,who attempted (and may have accomplished) the biggest heist inTokyo's history. Here is Rikidozan, the professional wrestler whoalmost single-handedly revived Japanese pride, but whose ownethnicity had to be kept secret. And here is the story of theintimate relationships shared by Japan's ruling party, itsf

“Parents will line up single file for [this] guide toManhattan’s private schools.”—The New York Observer “The information is on the mark and insightful. . . . Parentswill pass The Manhattan Family Guide to parents as gleefully asthey once passed notes in class.”—New York Magazine “A knowing look at those privileged places of learning.”—Town Country “Parents can turn to . . . objective and informative ManhattanFamily Guide to Private Schools, the first to cover subjects fromadmission to tuition, curriculum, and general atmosphere.”—AVENUEmagazine This guide, written by a parent for parents, is a perennialseller. Expanded and extensively revised in this sixth edition, itis the first, last, and only word for parents on choosing the bestprivate and selective public schools for children. Includinginformation on admissions procedures, programs, diversity, schoolsize, staff, tuition, and scholarships, this essential referenceguide lists over eighty elementary

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot inHawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaiito investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror thatawaits them. LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own researchinto the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for hisnext bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering thekidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets ashocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist dealwith the devil. A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transportsreaders to a chilling new territory where the collision of beautyand murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakablehorrors.

From an award-winning New York Times investigative reportercomes an outrageous story of greed, corruption, andconspiracy—which left the FBI and Justice Department counting onthe cooperation of one man . . . It was one of the FBI's biggest secrets: a senior executive withAmerica's most politically powerful corporation, Archer DanielsMidland, had become a confidential government witness, secretlyrecording a vast criminal conspiracy spanning five continents. MarkWhitacre, the promising golden boy of ADM, had put his career andfamily at risk to wear a wire and deceive his friends andcolleagues. Using Whitacre and a small team of agents to tap intothe secrets at ADM, the FBI discovered the company's scheme tosteal millions of dollars from its own customers. But as the FBI and federal prosecutors closed in on ADM, usingstakeouts, wiretaps, and secret recordings of illegal meetingsaround the world, they suddenly found that everything was not allthat it appeared. At the same time Whitacre was coo

Mustang Designer tells the story of American wartime fighterdevelopment, including engines and armaments, as part of anationwide program of aircraft builders and fliers, focusing onEdgar Schmued, the designer of the Mustang. The P-51 Mustang iswidely regarded as the best propeller-driven fighter that everflew. What many might not realize is that the plane's developer wasa German migrant. This book tells of how Schmued created a weaponthat would ultimately prove lethal to the aspirations of those whohad seized control over his native land.

The Ultimate Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Dorm Dorm life offers you a great chance to meet new people and trynew things. But leaving the comforts of home for the first time toenter the roommate-having, small-room-sharing,possibly-coed-bathroom-using world of the dorms can be overwhelmingand intimidating. The College Dorm Survival Guide offers expert advice and theinside scoop on: ? Choosing the right residence hall for you ? Getting along with your roommate (and handling conflict) ? Bathroom, laundry, and dining hall survival ? Dealing with stress, depression, and safety issues From avoiding the dreaded Freshman 15 to decorating your space,this informative and funny guide gives experts' advice oneverything you need to know to enjoy dorm living to thefullest.

The immediate human toll of the 1994 Flight 427 disaster wasstaggering: all 132 people aboard died on a Pennsylvania hillside.The subsequent investigation was a maze of politics, bizarretheories, and shrouded answers. Bill Adair, an award-winningjournalist, was granted special access to the five-year inquiry bythe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) while itsinvestigators tried to determine if the world's most widely usedcommercial jet, the Boeing 737, was really safe. Their findingshave had wide-ranging effects on the airline industry, pilots, andeven passangers. Adair takes readers behind the scenes to show whomakes decisions about airline safety—and why.