Grade 5–8—What if just outside of Earth's known atmosphere there sat another layer that was actually a different dimension? Such is the premise for this novel. For as long as she can remember, orphan Hayley has lived sequestered away with her strict grandmother and mysteriously busy grandfather. A chance meeting on an outing lands her in big trouble and she finds herself shipped off to stay with relatives in the country. Here Hayley meets dozens of cousins who invite her to play a strange game. Its object is to go to different places in the mythosphere and retrieve various items while dodging mythological creatures. The plot thickens when she meets her father and learns that he and her mother are both trapped in the mythosphere as punishment for their illicit marriage. Hayley frees them and discovers that she, like all of the other characters in the story, is really a mythological figure who can live in either realm. Meanwhile, the frightening family patriarch, Uncle Jolyon, finds out about the game and c

Although American companies spend a staggering $500 billion onadvertising annually, many fail to establish an emotionalconnection with consumers. "Married to the Brand" examines why somecompanies develop this most desirable consumer connection, and whyothers don't. Using Gallup's 60 years of global consumer data andtons of consumer stories, William McEwen shows that many marketersare great at wooing a "first date" with consumers, but only thebest can create a lasting marriage between buyer and brand. Thebook explores how emotions such as confidence, integrity, pride,and passion can make consumers want to stand by a brand, and showshow skilful brand management can keep a consumer-brand marriagefresh and satisfying.

A budget is a financial action plan for an organization. "ThePocket Mentor Series" offers immediate solutions to the challengesmanagers face on the job every day. Each book in the series ispacked with handy tools, self tests, and real life examples to helpyou identify strengths and weaknesses and hone critical skills.Whether you're at your desk, in a meeting, or on the road, theseportable guides enable you to tackle the daily demands of your workwith greater speed, savvy, and effectiveness.

B2B presents the first definitive blueprint for creating a profitable business-to-business e-commerce strategy. Showcasing successful initiatives designed by industry leaders such as Cisco Systems and Dell Computer, as well as lesser-known trailblazers such as VerticalNet and eCredit.com, Michael Cunningham clearly identifies the key issues in assessing opportunities, building technological and organizational capabilities, and designing a successful business-to-business strategy using the full power of the Internet.

Nobel-Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman argues thatbusiness leaders need to understand the differences betweeneconomic policy on the national and international scale andbusiness strategy on the organizational scale. Economists deal withthe closed system of a national economy, whereas executives live inthe open-system world of business. Moreover, economists know thatan economy must be run on the basis of general principles, butbusinesspeople are forever in search of the particular brilliantstrategy. Krugman's article serves to elucidate the world ofeconomics for businesspeople who are so close to it and yet arecontinually frustrated by what they see.

Often managers need to assess both financial and non-financialperformance. What process would you use to measure things that arenot easily quantifiable?

Wondering how the most accomplished leaders from around theglobe have tackled their toughest challenges? Now you can find out- with "Lessons Learned". Concise and engaging, each volume in thisnew series offers 12-14 insightful essays by top leaders inindustry, the public sector, and academia on the most pressingissues they've faced. The contributors share surprisingly personalanecdotes and offer authoritative and practical advice drawn fromtheir years of hard-earned experience. The series launches withthree volumes, each of which centers on a timely topic: "Leading byExample"; "Managing Your Career"; and "Managing Change". A crucialresource for today's busy executive, "Lessons Learned" gives youinstant access to the wisdom and expertise of the world's mosttalented leaders. 50 Lessons' digital library holds more than 500individual lessons from over 100 high-profile leaders fromindustry, the public sector, and academia from companies andinstitutions around the world.

Managing up is not political game playing. Rather, it's aconscious approach to working with your supervisor toward goalsthat are important to both of you. Through managing up, you build aproductive working relationship with your boss and create a way touse the complementary strengths of you and your boss to delivervalue to your company. This volume helps you: Understand the business results you produce by learning how tomanage up Cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with yourmanager Communicate effectively with your boss about priorities andproblems Negotiate win-win solutions to on-the-job challenges with yoursupervisor

Making persuasive presentations isn't just amatter of charisma and fancy charts: it requires concrete skillsthat are vital to keeping your audience engaged and involved. Thishandy guide contains key information on how to customize yourpresentations to keep people focused and produce the results youwant.

In 1984, The LittleKingdom told the story of Apple's first decade alongside thehistories of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Now Moritz revisits hisclassic biography in light of what Apple has become, offering forthe first time in paperback the only from the ground up account ofApple's early years.