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

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.

You've just been promoted to a managerial position for thefirst time - congratulations! But beware: the managerial rolediffers markedly from the individual contributor role. Go into thejob with mistaken assumptions about what to expect, and you justmay be blindsided by surprising realities. This book helps you laythe foundation for succeeding in your new role, explaining howto:

In this remarkable New York Times bestseller, Joel Osteenoffers unique insights and encouragement that will help readersovercome every obstacle in their lives.

Book De*ion In his phenomenal bestseller, Emotional Intelligence, DanielGoleman mapped the territory where IQ meets EQ, where we apply whatwe know to how we live. Spending over a year on the New York Timesbestseller list, Emotional Intelligence provided the evidence forwhat many successful people already knew: being smart isn't just amatter of mastering facts; it's a matter of mastering your ownemotions and understanding the emotions of the people aroundyou.Now, in Working With Emotional Intelligence, Goleman shows whyemotional intelligence has become the new yardstick for success forCEOs and junior hires alike. Drawing on both unparalleled access tobusiness leaders and in-depth research, he documents that starperformance in every field depends more on emotional intelligencethan IQ or technical skills. And the impact of emotionalintelligence is even greater at the top of the leadershippyramid.Goleman vividly shows how self-awareness, motivation,influence, conflict management, and team-building pl

On December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar will end. Manysee it as an apocalyptic sign. But is it? In The Twelfth Insight, the long-awaited fourth book in thebeloved Celestine Series, we again follow our Hero and his closefriend Wil. They have just received a portion of another ancientand mysterious manu* that describes a secret approach tospirituality that is silently arriving in the second decade of the21st Century. But the manu* is only available in fragments. To understand its full meaning for mankind, our Hero and Wilbegin an urgent search to find the message in its entirety. As theyembrace the power of Synchronicity and begin their search, they areconfronted by powerful political forces and religious extremiststhat stand in the way of these spiritual revelations. Utilizing what he calls the "parable effect," and based on hisown sources, James Redfield explores the similarities anddifferences that exist among the world religions, revealing theessential

Closing individual sales, in most businesses, is not enoughfor success. Success depends on developing profitable lifetimerelationships with customers. But gaining customer loyalty requireshard work, care, and attentiveness. In this book, you'll learn toassess the lifetime value of a customer, and why it makes sense tobuild loyalty among your target customers. You'll also learnto: - Understand the service-profit chain - Leverage the interrelationships among customer satisfaction,customer loyalty, employee capability, and companyprofitability - Build and refine a process for delivering extraordinaryvalue to your customers

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 thisseries offers 12-14 insightful essays by top leaders in industry,the public sector, and academia on the most pressing issues they'vefaced. The contributors share surprisingly personal anecdotes andoffer authoritative and practical advice drawn from their years ofhard-earned experience. A crucial resource for today's busy executive, Lessons Learnedgives you instant access to the wisdom and expertise of the world'smost talented leaders.

Meetings are unavoidable--but they don’t have to beunproductive. This tool-packed guide will help readers transformmeetings from time-sinks to springboards for effective action bylearning how to: - Set smart agendas - Keep meetings on track - Handle problem behaviors and time-wasters - Motivate participants to take action

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.

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.

What do Martha Stewart, genetically cloned sheep and the scandalous Piss Christ artist Andres Serrano have in common? They're all manifestations of "high tech/high touch," an unwieldy concept pulled from Naisbitt's bestselling 1982 Megatrends and here dusted off as a cautionary paradigm for the technologically addled 1990s. Written collaboratively with Naisbitt's daughter, Nana, with additional help from artist Douglas Philips, the book draws on Naisbitt's indefatigable research techniques to spot trends in newspapers, television shows, magazines and the Internet. Naisbitt is concerned with the conundrums that technology has presented to American culture. Children soak up violence from video games like Redneck Rampage, while the specter of eugenics looms over the burgeoning biotech industry. A final section lightens the cautionary tone of much of this book, delivering an eloquent survey of artists who are probing the ethical questions raised by evolving medical practices. Naisbitt sees Americans trapped in wh

Even if you aren't a marketer, you need tounderstand the essentials of marketing and how they relate to yourbusiness. This book helps you: grasp and navigate the basicelements of a marketing strategy and plan; understand your markets;and, plan effective marketing programs, advertising campaigns, andsales promotions.

Judging by all the hoopla surrounding business plans, you'dthink the only things standing between would-be entrepreneurs andspectacular success are glossy five-color charts, bundles ofmeticulous-looking spreadsheets, and decades of month-by-monthfinancial projections. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.In fact, often the more elaborately crafted a business plan, themore likely the venture is to flop. Why? Most plans waste too much ink on numbers and devote toolittle to information that really matters to investors. The result?Investors discount them. In How to Write a Great Business Plan, William A. Sahlman showshow to avoid this all-too-common mistake by ensuring that your planassesses the factors critical to every new venture: ?· The people--the individuals launching and leading the ventureand outside parties providing key services or importantresources ?· The opportunity--what the business will sell and to whom, andwhether the venture can grow and how fast ?·

Mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and celebrated businessleaders Don Hutson and Ethan Willis present an inspiring story thatreveals the secrets to becoming a successful entrepreneur. In THE ONE MINUTE ENTREPRENEUR, Ken Blanchard (coauthor of the #1bestselling business classic The One Minute Manager), Don Hutson,CEO of U.S. Learning, and Ethan Willis, CEO of Prosper Learning,tell the inspiring story of one man’s challenges in creating hisown business. Through a powerful and engaging narrative, weconfront many of the typical problems all entrepreneurs face instarting up their business, from finding new sources of revenue tosecuring the commitment of their people and the loyalty of theircustomers. More important, we learn the secrets to becoming asuccessful entrepreneur, including how to build a firm foundation,how to ensure a steady cash flow, and how to create legendaryservice. In addition, the book offers invaluable advice, deliveredthrough One Minute Insights, from such entrepreneurs and t

Meet a genuine American folk hero cut from the homespun clothof America's heartland: Sam Walton, who parlayed a single dimestore in a hardscrabble cotton town into Wal-Mart, the largestretailer in the world. The undisputed merchant king ofthe late twentieth century, Sam never lost the commontouch. Here, finally, inimitablewords. Genuinely modest, but always sure if hisambitions and achievements. Sam shares his thinking in acandid, straight-from-the-shoulder style. In a story rich with anecdotes and the "rules of the road" of bothMain Street and Wall Street, Sam Walton chronicles the inspiration,heart, and optimism that propelled him to lasso the AmericanDream.

Negotiation is the process by which people resolve their differences. Whether those differences involve the purchase of a new automobile, a labor contract dispute, the terms of a sale, or a complex alliance between two companies, resolutions are typically sought through negotiations. This guide will help you prepare, conduct, and close a negotiation successfully.

A revolutionary guide to earning power and personal budgetingshows readers how to spend wisely, streamline their finances, anddevelop a budget that puts their money where they want it to go.Reprint.