(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) The three classic novelspublished here in one volume are rich with the crisp prose, subtlecharacters, and intricate plots that made Dashiell Hammett one ofthe most admired writers of the twentieth century. A one-timedetective and a master of deft understatement, Hammett virtuallyinvented the hard-boiled crime novel. In "The Maltese Falcon," SamSpade, a private eye with his own solitary code of ethics, tangleswith a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at thedrop of a dime. "The Thin Man" introduces Hammett's wittiestcreations, Nick and Nora Charles, who solve homicides in betweenwisecracks and martinis. And in "Red Harvest," Hammett's anonymoustough-guy detective, the Continental Op, takes on the entire townof Poisonville in a deadly war against corruption. "DashiellHammett is a master of the detective novel, yes, but also one hellof a writer."--"Boston Globe" "Hammett was spare, hard-boiled, buthe did over and over what only the best writers can ever do.

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Raymond Chandler's first threenovels, published here in one volume, established his reputation asan unsurpassed master of hard-boiled detective fiction. "The BigSleep," Chandler's first novel, introduces Philip Marlowe, aprivate detective inhabiting the seamy side of Los Angeles in the1930s, as he takes on a case involving a paralyzed Californiamillionaire, two psychotic daughters, blackmail, and murder. In"Farewell, My Lovely," Marlowe deals with the gambling circuit, amurder he stumbles upon, and three very beautiful but potentiallydeadly women. In "The High Window," Marlowe searches the Californiaunderworld for a priceless gold coin and finds himself deep in thetangled affairs of a dead coin collector. In all three novels,Chandler's hard-edged prose, colorful characters, vivid vernacular,and, above all, his enigmatic loner of a hero, enduringly establishhis claim not only to the heights of his chosen genre but to thepantheon of literary art.

Isabelle Mimouni est professeur en lettres supérieures auxlycées Chaptal et Jules- Ferry de Paris. Agrégée de lettresmodernes, docteur ès lettres, elle a en particulier travaillé surBalzac (Balzac illusionniste, Adam Biro, 1999). En Folioplusclassiques, elle a rédigé l'accompagnement pédagogique de LaDuchesse de Langeais et L'Elixir de longue vie. Elle est aussiauteur de différents manuels dont Les plus belles pages de lalittérature fran?aise (Gallimard, 2007). Alain Jaubert est écrivainet réalisateur. Il est l'auteur- réalisateur de Palettes, une sériede films diffusée depuis 1990 sur la cha?ne Arte et consacrée à lalecture de grands tableaux de l'histoire de la peinture.

Andrea Sachs goes to work for Miranda Priestly, the all-powerful editor of Runway magazine. Miranda's behaviour is so insanely over-the-top that it's a gas to see what she'll do next, and to try to guess which incidents were culled from the real-life antics of the woman who's been called Anna "Nuclear" Wintour.... How far would you go to change your life in a year? Emmy finds herself single for the first time in years. She vows to find a man on every continent for some pure no-strings-attached fun. Adriana is stunning and can have any man she desires.Yet she wants an eligible bachelor who'll slip a five-carat Harry Winston diamond on her finger. Leigh has a doting boyfriend that most girls would kill for. But when literary bad boy Jesse Chapman asks to work with her, she just can't refuse. Knocking back raspberry mojitos one night, the three friends make a pact - to change one thing in their lives by the end of the year. Game On. The three best friends make a pact over raspberry mojitos one night this year

Stories of famously eccentric Princetonians abound--such as that of chemist Hubert Alyea, the model for The Absent-Minded Professor, or Ralph Nader, said to have had his own key to the library as an undergraduate. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation, who had spiraled into schizophrenia in the 1950s. His most important work had been in game theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game theory, Nash's name inevitably came up--only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in economics for work done some 45 years previously. Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) The only complete edition ofstories by the undisputed master of detective literature, collectedhere for the first time in one volume, including some stories thathave been unavailable for decades. When Raymond Chandler turned towriting at the age of forty-five, he began by publishing stories inpulp magazines such as "Black Mask" before later writing his famousnovels. These stories are where Chandler honed his art anddeveloped his uniquely vivid underworld, peopled with good cops andbad cops, informers and extortionists, lethally predatory blondesand redheads, and crime, sex, gambling, and alcohol in abundance.In addition to his classic hard-boiled stories-in which hissignature atmosphere of depravity and violence swirls around thecool, intuitive loners whose type culminated in the famousdetective Philip Marlowe-Chandler also turned his hand to fantasyand even a gothic romance. This rich treasury of twenty-fivestories shows Chandler developing the terse, laconic, understatedstyle

Lisa Kleypas has enthralled millions of readers with her powerfully seductive novels. Now she delivers a story featuring her most unforgettable characters yet.... SHE’S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas---if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn’t need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them. HE’S THE ONE MAN SHE CAN’T HAVE When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon---a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family’s past. WILL THEY FI

The text of this edition is based on the Wessex Edition of 1912, which was revised and corrected by the author. It has been collated with the Mellstock Edition of 1920, for which Hardy submitted final corrections. "Backgrounds and Contexts" provides new and invaluable source material on Victorian Dorset and, in particular, Dorchester, Hardy’s native home and the town upon which Casterbridge is based. Included are six of Hardy’s nonfiction writings, notably excerpts from his essay "The Dorsetshire Laboure" (1883), in which he frankly comments on the social changes he has witnessed in the county. Hardy’s Wessex is further examined in an essay by Michael Millgate, by maps of Casterbridge and Wessex, and by a key to local place names. Christine Winfield discusses the novel’s manu* and its complicated history. "Criticism" collects seventeen wide-ranging assessments of the novel-six new to the Second Edition-from both contemporary and modern critics, including Virginia Woolf, Albert J. Guerard,

The British Empire, wrote Adam Smith, 'has hitherto been notan empire, but the project of an empire' and John Darwin offers amagisterial global history of the rise and fall of that greatimperial project. The British Empire, he argues, was much more thana group of colonies ruled over by a scattering of Britishexpatriates until eventual independence. It was, above all, aglobal phenomenon. Its power derived rather less from the assertionof imperial authority than from the fusing together of threedifferent kinds of empire: the settler empire of the 'whitedominions'; the commercial empire of the City of London; and'Greater India' which contributed markets, manpower and militarymuscle. This unprecedented history charts how this intricateimperial web was first strengthened, then weakened and finallysevered on the rollercoaster of global economic, political andgeostrategic upheaval on which it rode from beginning to end.

Deeply romantic andextraordinarily suspenseful, TWILIGHT, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE andBREAKING DAWN capture the struggle between defying our instinctsand satisfying our desires. This stunning set makes the perfectgift for fans of this bestselling vampire love story. The set willgive existing fans a focus for their devotion and new fans will beentranced as the love story between Bella and the Vampire Edwarddevelops from tentative beginnings in Twilight to its stunningconclusion in the publishing phenomenon that is Breaking Dawn.

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Que reste-t-il des émotions, des rêves, des désirs quandon dispara?t? L'homme d'Aden, l'empoisonneur de Harrar sont-ils lesmêmes que l'adolescent furieux qui poussa une nuit la porte du caféde la rue Madame, son regard sombre passant sur un enfant de neufans qui était mon grand-père? Je marche dans toutes ces rues,j'entends le bruit de mes talons qui résonne dans la nuit, rueVictor-Cousin, rue Serpente, place Maubert, dans les rues de laContrescarpe.Celui que je cherche n'a plus de nom. Il est moinsqu'une ombre ... Lire la suite , moins qu'une trace, moins qu'un fant?me. Il est enmoi comme une vibration, comme un désir, comme un élan del'imagination, un rebond du cSur, pour mieux m'envoler. D'ailleursje prends demain l'avion pour l'autre bout du monde. L'autreextrémité du temps

Zukav questions the Western model of the soul, alleging that the human species is in the midst of a great transformation, evolving from a species that pursues power based upon the perceptions of the five senses--"external power"--to one that pursues power based upon perceptions of the soul--"authentic power." He believes that humans are immortal souls first, physical beings second, and that once we become conscious of this transformation--once we align our personalities with our soul--we will stimulate our spiritual growth and become better people in the process. This insightful, lucid synthesis of modern psychology and new-age principles has been described as the "physics of the soul." Who better to explain such heady concepts than Gary Zukav?

Everyone has a little dirty laundry. Especially the delectable divas who live on Wisteria Lane...With its darkly comedic take on suburban life, and its unconventional heroines, Desperate Housewives has got the world buzzing. Audiences have been captivated by ill-fated Susan Mayer, ever-perfect Bree Van De Kamp, harried mother-of-four Lynette Scavo, and beautiful but unhappy Gabriela Solis. And in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, we go behind-the-scenes to get the dish and dirt on everyone's favourite homemakers. Inside you'll discover: hundreds of revealing photographs; in-depth interviews and profiles of the cast; the original pilot *, including unaired scenes; the inspiration behind the housewives' fashions; sizzling quotes from the show; how guest stars are chosen; delicious recipes from each housewife; a comprehensive episode guide to Season One; an exclusive look at the plot lines abandoned in Season One, including some that might still make it to Season Two or Three...; a foreword by the show'

America's story has always been best told in its newspapers.From the local and mundane-crime blotters, crop prices, and Sundaysermons-to the Federalist Papers and Watergate, the press hasplayed an outsized role in our nation's culture and history.Newspapers in America have always been the crucible where ourpassions and debates are tried by the only judge this nationrespects: public opinion. At a time of great transition in the newsmedia, Deadline Artists celebrates the relevance of the newspapercolumn through the simple power of excellent writing. It is aninspiration for a new generation of writers--whether their mediumis print or digital-looking to learn from the best of theirpredecessors. Contributors include: Jimmy Breslin, Mike Royko, Murray Kempton,Ernie Pyle, Peggy Noonan, Thomas L. Friedman, David Brooks, MitchAlbom, Dorothy Thompson, Ernest Hemingway, Benjamin Franklin, FannyFern, Richard Harding Davis, Grantland Rice, Will Rogers, OrsonWelles, Langston Hughes, Woody Guthrie, Ambrose Bier

Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth? Detractors will be appalled by this as well as when the book argues that fleeting negative thoughts are powerful enough to create terminal illness, poverty and even widespread disasters. The audio version of this controversial book, read by Byrne and contributing authors such as John Gray and Neale Donald Walsch, is uneven at best. The cheesy, obvious sound effects will not do much to add intellectual respectability to a work that has been widely denounced as pseudoscience. Mostly, this audio is hampered by its confusing and disjointed organization—techniques that worked reasonably well in the print version and the movie, such as cutting every few seconds from one enthusiastic expert to another, make for a choppy and somewhat bewildering list

"Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning. Geisha, a Life is her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.

Chine, juillet 1405. La plus grande armada del'histoire, une escadre colossale de jonques géantes, quitte lesrivages de l'empire du Milieu sous le commandement du titanesqueeunuque Zheng He. Son ma?tre, Yong Lo, troisième empereur de ladynastie des Ming, a décidé que l'univers entier le reconna?traitcomme Fils du Ciel et lui ferait allégeance. Cette gigantesqueflotte aux trésors doit y contribuer. A bord, le truculent Li Ying:grande gueule, ripailleur goulu, soiffard impénitent, féru d'artsmartiaux et familier du monde des courtisanes. Mais ce colosse,plus fin qu'il n'y para?t, est fidèle en amitié. De petitboutiquier il se retrouve mandarin et croise sur sa route unemultitude de personnages: aigrefins, entremetteurs véreux, héta?resredoutables...

Once second fiddle to Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility,Jane Austen's first published novel, has grown popular among scholarly as well as general audiences and is now scrutinized by a wide range of critics in complex and rewarding interpretations.The text of this Norton Critical Edition is based on the 1813 second edition, which includes Jane Austen's latest revisions and corrections. It is accompanied by explanatory footnotes, tex-tual notes, and a map of early-nineteenth-century England. "Contexts" explores the personal and social issues that loom large in the novel--sense, sensibility, self-control, judgment, ro-mantic love, family, and inheritance--in works by Adam Smith,Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, Mary Woll-stonecraft, Hannah More, Maria Edgeworth, and an anonymous contributor to Lady's Magazine. In essays on topics such as language, sexuality, power, and movies, "Criticism" collects six early and twelve modern assess-ments of Sense and Sensibility including, among others

Wedding cake baker Laurel McBane appreciates a strong,intelligent man--a man just like Parker's older brother, Delaney.But Del is out of her reach and too protective of Laurel to evercross the line with her, or so she thinks. After a mind-blowingkiss, Laurel will have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn amoment of passion into forever.