Americans are as safe, well fed, securely sheltered,long-lived, free, and healthy as any human beings who have everlived on the planet. But we are down on America. So why do we hateus? According to Dick Meyer, the following items on this (muchabbreviated) list are some of the contributors to our deepdisenchantment with our own culture: Cell-phone talkers broadcasting the intimate details of their livesin public spaces Worship of self-awareness, self-realization, andself-fulfillment T-shirts that read, “Eat Me” Facebook, MySpace, and kids being taught to market themselves High-level cheating in business and sports Reality television and the cosmetic surgery boom Multinational corporations that claim, “We care about you.” The decline of organic communities A line of cosmetics called “S.L.U.T.” The phony red state–blue state divide The penetration of OmniMarketing into OmniMedia and the insinuationof both into every facet of our lives You undoubtedly could add to the list with hardly a moment’

Why is it that even though we might maintain our high schoolweight, few of us maintain our high school belt size? In your twenties and thirties, the layers of fat on top of yourabs were the problem–but once you reach middle-age, the enemyshifts. The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle is the firstbook to deal specifically with the issues we face in the next stageof life, providing a plan for eliminating the unhealthy fat thataccumulates around the organs–visceral fat–that is the true causeof the middle-aged bulge. The good news is that with the right diet, visceral fat can bequickly reduced and eliminated, enhancing both your looks and yourhealth. Even after twenty years researching and refining thescience of weight loss and management, bestselling authors Drs.Michael and Mary Dan Eades fell victim to the middle-aged middlethemselves. Although otherwise fit and healthy, both lost the flatbelly that signals youth. In The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-AgedMiddle, they share the simple d

Following up on The Power of Nice, agent-attorney Shapiro andfellow negotiator Jankowski reiterate that book's tenets:Neutralize your emotions and stay rational; Identify the type ofdifficult person; Control the encounter; and Explore options. Usingexamples from their own lives as well as pop culture, they offeranecdotes and tips for analysis. The "situationally difficult"person may be temporarily overreacting, so empathy can be a sureroad to cordial defusion. The "strategically difficult" arecalculating (passive-aggressive, take it or leave it, etc.), butcan be countered if you pleasantly, even humorously make them awareyou're onto their game. The "simply difficult," using power as animperative (irrational, bullying, duplicitous, etc.) are thetoughest, but those facing them must recognize their ownpower—including the option to just walk away, a decision that mustbe approached carefully. While the title may be the best thingabout the book, its tips on steering toward win-win situations aremore than p

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

Building on the science of nutrition that she outlined in herbestselling book, Potatoes Not Prozac , Dr. KathleenDesMaisons now presents the first complete, in-depth dietary planfor living with–and healing–sugar sensitivity. She explains exactlyhow you can free your mind and body from the tyranny of sugar andshake off the exhaustion, mental fogginess, and mood swings thatsugar dependence causes. Revealing the various ways sugar addictionaffects both men and women, and the unique methods for healing it,Dr. DesMaisons encourages you to custom-tailor her simple programto fit your lifestyle and includes information on ? How to integrate a “slow-carbs not low-carbs” strategy into yourdiet ? Why regular protein is essential and how to get it with everymeal ? What to eat when a sugar craving strikes ? How to get the nutrition you need on the run–even at fast-foodrestaurants ? How to find an exercise program you’ll enjoy ? Ten breakfasts you can prepare in a flash ? Menus and recipes for every lifestyl

Discover the Rewards of Homeschooling Your Teen ?Create unlimited learning on a limited budget ?Discover teaching methods for teens with different learningstyles ?Utilize the best resources and technology ?Prepare your teen for college, career, and adult life The teen years can be the most exciting time in your child'slife. He or she is becoming an independent young adult andbeginning to make decisions for the future. Yet growing concernabout the negative social pressures, safety, and efficiency of ourtraditional high schools has prompted many parents just like you toteach their teenagers at home. With Homeschooling: The Teen Yearsas your guide, you'll discover it's not as daunting a task asyou've been led to believe. Using real-life stories from dozens offamilies, this book reveals the secrets of making homeschoolingwork for you and your teen. You'll discover how to: ?Work with your teen to create a unique, individual learningexperience ?Make coursework intere

Every woman wants to eat her best. But eating well can bechallenging during the best of times. During pregnancy it isaggravated with curveballs such as nausea, cravings, or life.Before you ruin your healthful intentions, check out TheWell-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook, which offers a compromise byproviding 100 recipes that meet every mother’s needs by adaptingthem to her moods. Feeling nauseous? Turn Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins into alemony-soup. Craving comfort foods? Modify Asian Cabbage Salad intoa traditional but healthy treat. Ready to shed your baby pounds?Transform Fettucine with Mushrooms and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes into abeautiful salad. Feeling good today? Try some Broiled Salmon withCaramelized Fennel and Sweet Onion paired with Crisp Roasted SweetPotatoes. And the Lemon Cookies and Devilicious Cupcakes are greatfor any mood. Easily customizable recipes also mean that mom-to-be and her familycan sit down and enjoy the same meal, no matter how she’s feeling.With helpful tips and options that mi

Meditate on the Spiritual Significance of Marriage In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this Gold Medallion Awardwinner, Mike Mason goes on a poetic search to understand thewondrous dynamics of committed love. In highly readable,first-person style, Mason’s writing stimulates readers’ thoughtsand prayers and propels couples to deeper intimacy. “A marriage isnot a joining of two worlds,” says the author, “but an abandoningof two worlds in order that one new one might be formed.” Richchapters on “Otherness,” “Vows,” “Intimacy,” “Sex,” “Submission,”and an all-new chapter on “Oneness” lift readers to view theeternal, spiritual nature of this faith-filled, “impossible,”wild—yet wonderful—frontier. “The two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery.” Ephesians 5:31–32 Beautifully written and filled with life-transforming insights,the 20th anniversary edition of Mike Mason’s unparalleled GoldMedallion winner explores the mystical a

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

Esteemed historians of education David Tyack, Carl Kaestle,Diane Ravitch, James Anderson, and Larry Cuban journey throughhistory and across the nation to recapture the idealism of oureducation pioneers, Thomas Jefferson and Horace Mann. We learn how,in the first quarter of the twentieth century, massive immigration,child labor laws, and the explosive growth of cities fueled schoolattendance and transformed public education, and how in the 1950spublic schools became a major battleground in the fight forequality for minorities and women. The debate rages on: Do today'sreforms challenge our forebears' notion of a common school for allAmericans? Or are they our only recourse today? This lavishly illustrated companion book to the acclaimed PBSdocumentary, School, is essential reading for anyone who caresabout public education.

? Lower your risk of metabolic disorders, disease, and chronicweight gain ? Protect yourself against the estrogenic substances in theenvironment, products, water, and food ? Learn how certain foods and herbs can protect you! Estrogenic chemicals—known for causing the near extinction ofvarious living species—are found in some of the most common foodswe eat. In this revolutionary diet book, Ori Hofmekler addresses themillions of overweight and obese individuals who have failed or aredisappointed with other diets—those who suffer from yoyo dieting,weight gain rebounds, or accumulation of stubborn fat in the bellyand other estrogen-sensitive areas. Focusing on our currentover-exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the environment, foods,and water, The Anti-Estrogenic Diet provides a practical solutionto fat gain, estrogen-related disorders (PMS, endometriosis,fibrocystic disease), and increased risk of common cancers in womenand men (breast, ovarian, cervical, prostate). Al

Does assigning fifty math problems accomplish any more thanassigning five? Is memorizing word lists the best way to increasevocabulary—especially when it takes away from reading time? Andwhat is the real purpose behind those devilish dioramas? The time our children spend doing homework has skyrocketed inrecent years. Parents spend countless hours cajoling their kids tocomplete such assignments—often without considering whether or notthey serve any worthwhile purpose. Even many teachers are in thedark: Only one of the hundreds the authors interviewed and surveyedhad ever taken a course specifically on homework duringtraining. The truth, according to Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, is thatthere is almost no evidence that homework helps elementary schoolstudents achieve academic success and little evidence that it helpsolder students. Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll onAmerica’s families. It robs children of the sleep, play, andexercise time they need for prop

All those baby boomers who have embarked on the journey ofraising their second and third children have found themselves leftin the lurch by existing child care literature. Now child careexpert Nancy Samalin, who has earned a reputation for her forgivingand empowering approach to parenting, brings her inspiring outlookto this guide to the pitfalls and rewards of parenting two or morechildren. Parents who consider themselves pros after the first child are infor a surprise when the encounter life after the second child isborn and beyond. Suddenly their world is an exhausting haze ofcompeting demands, perpetual squabbling, sibling rivalry,complaints of unfairness and "you love him more" (and sometimes youdo), unrelenting stress, and a pervasive sense of guilt andinadequacy. Culled from her years of workshops with hundreds ofparents, Nancy Samalin shares the trials and joys of parenthood andprovides specific advice on steering your way through the parentingrapids. This is a must-read for today's harri

“There are lives lost in this book, and there are lives saved,too, if salvation means a young man or woman begins to feeldeserving of a place on the planet. . . . What could be moresoul-satisfying? These are the most influential professionals mostof us will ever meet. The effects of their work will lastforever.” –from the foreword by Anna Quindlen Now depicted in a bestselling book and a feature film, theFreedom Writers phenomenon came about in 1994 when Erin Gruwellstepped into Room 203 and began her first teaching job out ofcollege. Long Beach, California, was still reeling from the deadlyviolence that erupted during the Rodney King riots, and the kids inErin’s classroom reflected the anger, resentment, and hopelessnessof their community. Undaunted, Erin fostered an educationalphilosophy that valued and promoted diversity, tolerance, andcommunication, and in the process, she transformed her students’lives, as well as her own. Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writerswent on to establish t

Finally, homeschoolers have a comprehensive guide to designinga homeschool curriculum, from one of the country's foremosthomeschooling experts. , Rebecca Rupp presents a structured plan toensure that your children will learn what they need to know whenthey need to know it, from preschool through high school. Based onthe traditional pre-K through 12th-grade structure, Home LearningYear by Year features: The integral subjects to be covered within each grade Standards for knowledge that should be acquired by your child ateach level Recommended books to use as texts for every subject Guidelines for the importance of each topic: which knowledge isessential and which is best for more expansive study based on yourchild's personal interests Suggestions for how to sensitively approach less academic subjects,such as sex education and physical fitness

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The three Great Premises of Idiot America: · Any theory is valid if it sells books, soaks up ratings, orotherwise moves units · Anything can be true if someone says it loudly enough · Fact is that which enough people believe. Truth is determinedby how fervently they believe it With his trademark wit and insight, veteran journalist CharlesPierce delivers a gut-wrenching, side-splitting lament about theglorification of ignorance in the United States. Pierce asks how a country founded on intellectual curiosity hassomehow deteriorated into a nation of simpletons more apt to votefor an American Idol contestant than a presidential candidate. Buthis thunderous denunciation is also a secret call to action, as hehopes that somehow, being intelligent will stop being a stigma, andthat pinheads will once again be pitied, not celebrated. Eruditeand razor-sharp, Idiot America is at once an invigorating historylesson, a cutting cultural critique, and a bullis

A Step-by-Step Guide to Healing Your Heart and RebuildingYour Marriage Discovering that your husband has beenunfaithful can be emotionally devastating, leaving you reeling inpain and confusion. But take heart—this survival guide for womenoffers compassionate and practical solutions for coping with theaftermath of an affair. Drawing on their years of experience asprofessional therapists, authors Marcella Bakur Weiner and Armand DiMele explain how to heal the marriage bond andrestore trust between partners. Written with empathy andunderstanding, this book addresses such vital topics as: ·Coming to terms with the sense of loss and betrayal ·Coping with feelings of suspicion and the specter of "the otherwoman" ·Dealing with the children during and after the affair ·Understanding character traits of men who have affairs—and howdifferent women's personalities interact with them ·Finding the best sources of emotional support Also included are helpful exercises for self-healing andredeveloping mutual t

"Dr. Gundry has crafted a wise program with a powerful trackrecord.” –Mehmet Oz, M.D., professor and vice chair of surgery, NYPresbyterian/Columbia Medical Center Does losing weight and staying healthy feel like a battle? Well,it’s really a war. Your enemies are your own genes, backed bymillions of years of evolution, and the only way to win is tooutsmart them. Dr. Steven Gundry’s revolutionary book shares thehealth secrets other doctors won’t tell you: ? Why plants are “good” for you because they’re “bad” for you,and meat is “bad” because it’s “good” for you ? Why plateauing on this diet is actually a sign that you’re onthe right track ? Why artificial sweeteners have the same effects as sugar onyour health and your waistline ? Why taking antacids, statins, and drugs for high blood pressureand arthritis masks health issues instead of addressing them Along with the meal planner, 70 delicious recipes, andinspirational stories, Dr.

As an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,William Queen must tackle a number of challenging cases. In thewinter of 1985, he faces his toughest mission to date: He mustapprehend Mark Stephens, a notorious narcotics trafficker who hasbeen terrorizing the communities around Los Angeles with frequentrampages involving machine guns and hand grenades. A recluse livingin the treacherous backwoods outside the city, Stephens is a wilysurvivalist. Nobody has been able to catch him, but Queen isdetermined to take him down. Queen’s unique expertise is not taughtin any police academy or ATF training seminar–he honed hisoutdoorsman abilities as a kid. He is adept at hunting and trappingand living for weeks in the wild. Queen will use these skills–alongwith surveillance, confidential informants, and intelligencegathering–as he doggedly tracks his dangerous quarry, a chase thatculminates in a gripping showdown high in the San BernardinoMountains.

In this signal work of history, Bancroft Prize winner andPulitzer Prize finalist Lizabeth Cohen shows how the pursuit ofprosperity after World War II fueled our pervasive consumermentality and transformed American life. Trumpeted as a means to promote the general welfare, massconsumption quickly outgrew its economic objectives and becamesynonymous with patriotism, social equality, and the AmericanDream. Material goods came to embody the promise of America, andthe power of consumers to purchase everything from vacuum cleanersto convertibles gave rise to the power of citizens to purchasepolitical influence and effect social change. Yet despiteundeniable successes and unprecedented affluence, mass consumptionalso fostered economic inequality and the fracturing of societyalong gender, class, and racial lines. In charting the complexlegacy of our “Consumers’ Republic” Lizabeth Cohen has written abold, encompassing, and profoundly influential book.

Get out! No matter what your age, MaryJane Butters walks youto the door and OUT you go. Wilderness ranger turned Idaho organicfarmer, MaryJane is a woman OUTSIDE . . . the norm. Drawing fromher own diverse background, she’ll show you exactly HOW to getoutdoors—and what to do once you’re there. Think and get inspired in her OUTTHINKING chapter. Head to yourporch, yard, or rooftop, using the innovative and easy suggestionsyou’ll find in OUTBOUND. Kick up a little sass with her ideas inOUTRIGGED, joining the ranks of “reel” women who go tramping(trailer camping), or wily huntresses who take the kind of “heartshots” that knock ‘em dead and into the freezer. In OUTSTEPPING,learn to load a backpack with her unique high-protein meal planthat won’t break the bank or your back. And throughout these pages you’ll encounter the inspirationalstories of OUTSPOKEN women who’ve blazed the trail and beyond. Bythe time you turn the last page, you’ll be going flat-OUT for allthe worl