Manic: A Memoir (Hardcover)

by Terri Cheney
Price: $16.47

Cheney, a former L.A. entertainment lawyer, pointedly dispels expectations of a safe ride through this turbulent account of bipolar disorder. With evocative imagery—time-shuffled recollections meant to mirror her disorienting extremes of mood—Cheney conjures life at the mercy of a brain chemistry that yanks her from soul-starving despair to raucous exuberance, impetuous pursuits to paralyzing lethargy. Caught in a riptide of febrile impulse, she caroms from seductions to suicide attempts while flirting recklessly with men, danger and death, only to find more hazards in the drastic side effects of treatment. More than a train-wreck tearjerker, the memoir draws strength from salient observations that expose the frustrations of bipolar disorder, from its brutal sabotage of romance and friendship to the challenge it poses to the simplest emotions, such as the terrors of being happy that augur mania's onset. Though she sustains an ominous mood and relays horrifying incidents with icy candor, Cheney lightens up at times, as when she marvels at the ease of masking her condition at an office that brings out everyone's manic side. But the narrative hopscotch frustrates readers' need for grounding and context that might clear up Cheney's muddled history and satisfy readers' urge to learn the fallout of her impulse-driven episodes. Her startlingly lucid descriptions of illness merit a more concise chronology. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People ...

by Dan Buettner

Price: $17.16

With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. And in this dynamic book he discloses the recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life.

Buettner’s colossal research effort, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. In the societies he visits, it’s no coincidence that the way people interact with each other, shed stress, nourish their bodies, and view their world yields more good years of life. You’ll meet a 94-year-old farmer and self-confessed "ladies man" in Costa Rica, an 102-year-old grandmother in Okinawa, a 102-year-old Sardinian who hikes at least six miles a day, and others. By observing their lifestyles, Buettner’s teams have identified critical everyday choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research—and distilled them into a few simple but powerful habits that anyone can embrace.

Where Does the Money Go?: Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis

by Scott Bittle
Price: $11.53

from the editors of the award-winning nonpartisan Web site Public Agenda Online comes this irreverent and candid guide to the federal budget crisis that breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about

Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?

Here is essential information that every American citizen needs—and has the right—to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem covers everything from the country's $9 trillion and growing debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on every side of the fence have so far failed to effectively address this issue and explains what you can do to protect your future.

365 Ways to Live Green: Your Everyday Guide to Saving the Environment (Paperback)

by Diane Gow McDilda
Price: $7.95

365 Ways to Live Green will educate, inspire, and motivate you to do your part. With easy-to-implement tips, you'll learn how to:

• Create biodegradable home cleaning products
• Find the hidden ingredients in bad-for-you-foods
• Invest in green technology and stocks
• Buy eco-friendly clothes and accessories
• Choose the right plants to nourish your yard

Saving the world is as easy as changing the way you think-so take the green movement's motto to heart. With 365 Ways to Live Green, you will learn what it really means to "think globally and act locally."

Grayson

by Lynne Cox
Price: $10.40

On a clear California morning when Cox (Swimming to Antarctica) was 17 years old, she had an unusual experience that stayed with her for 30 years, creating a spiritual foundation for her personal and professional success. In this slim and crisp memoir, Cox details a morning swim off the coast of California that took an unexpected turn: returning to shore, she discovered that she was being followed by a baby gray whale that had been separated from its mother. As Cox developed a rapport with the whale, she took on the responsibility of keeping it at sea until it was reunited with its mother. Cox expertly weaves fine details together, from the whale's mushroomlike skin to how other fish react to such a large creature. At times Cox's prose is uneven, alternating from emotional to factual, but her pure joy at connecting with Grayson (her name for the baby whale) overrides any technical inconsistencies. The combination of retelling her once-in-a-lifetime experience with her observations on life ("If I try, if I believe, if I work toward something... the impossible isn't impossible at all") will have timeless appeal for all ages. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Delightful Quilts in Bloom (Paperback)

Price: $17.79

Color-Palette Applique: Winter in the Garden (That Patchwork Place) (Paperback)

Price: $10.17

The River Knows

Price: $7.99

The suspense begins with the first sentence of this romantic mystery from the pseudonymous Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz uses this pseudonym for her Victorian novels). Gossip spreads fast about the liaison between "unimportant, unfashionable, excessively dull" Louisa Bryce and wealthy, handsome Anthony Stalbridge. In reality, their first kiss was a spur-of-the-moment coverup when the two are caught snooping around Elwin Hastings's mansion. Louisa, an undercover reporter for the sensational newspaper, Flying Intelligencer, is investigating Hastings's crooked financial dealings, while Anthony seeks the truth about his fiancée, one of three society women who supposedly committed suicide a year ago. Under the guise of their romance, Louisa and Anthony expose Hastings's many criminal schemes. Their relationship isn't all business, however, and Louisa's profession isn't her only secret. Quick's tightly woven tale allows little room for extraneous subplots—every cracked safe and mysterious prostitute plays an important role. Light humor and playful love scenes temper the more gruesome moments for an alluring combination of foggy nights and steamy afternoons. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Careless in Red: A Novel (Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers Novels)

by Elizabeth George

Price: $18.45

6th Target, The (Women's Murder Club)

by James Patterson

Price: $10.19

When a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. And Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies--but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death. And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face--with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success.

Daydream Believers: How a Few Grand Ideas Wrecked American Power

by Fred Kaplan

Price: $17.13

America's leaders have gone from hubris to waking fantasy, according to this caustic critique of the Bush administration's foreign policy. Kaplan (The Wizards of Armageddon) argues that the Cold War's end and 9/11 persuaded President Bush and his advisers to unilaterally impose America's political will on the world, while remaining blind to the military and diplomatic fiascoes that followed. Rumsfeld's Revolution in Military Affairs, a doctrine touting supposedly omnipotent mobile forces and high-tech smart weapons, convinced Pentagon officials that Iraq could be pacified without a large force or a reconstruction plan. Bush abandoned Clinton's diplomatic rapprochement with North Korea, then stood by as Kim Jong-Il built nuclear weapons. And imbued with a mix of neo-conservatism and evangelism that was peddled most flamboyantly by Israeli ideologue Natan Sharansky, Bush backed clumsy pro democracy initiatives that backfired by bringing anti-American and sectarian groups to power in the Middle East. Eschewing Kaplan's favored approach of fostering international security through alliances and consensus building, Bush assumed that by virtue of American power, saying something was tantamount to making it so. The particulars of Kaplan's indictment aren't new, but his detailed, illuminating (if occasionally disjointed) accounts of the evolution of the Bush administration's strategic doctrines add up to a cogent brief for soft realism over truculent idealism. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

9/11 CONTRADICTIONS: An Open Letter to Congress and the Press

by David Ray Griffin

Price: $13.60

"No matter how you feel about who is responsible for the 9/11 attack, at least we need a through independent, unbiased investigation. In this book, Griffin provides 25 useful questions----contradictions worthy of honest answers."

Sex on the Brain: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life

by Daniel G. Md Amen

Price: $11.16

A humanist as well as a medical authority, Daniel Amen has a warmth and storytelling ability that have never been more evident than in this stimulating audio. Patrick Lawlor handles the sexual aspects of the book gracefully and is clearly attuned to the authors desire to improve peoples lives. The 12 lessons are abstracted from the science of how the brain functions when people feel love and attraction and are engaged in sexual activity. The observations and advice are placed in the context of contemporary culture and offer the perspectives of various writers and scientists. This memorable listening experience combines accessible science with a celebration of sexuality.

Lonely Planet USA

by Jeff Campbell

Price: $19.13

A Camera, Two Kids, and a Camel: My Journey in Photographs

by Annie Griffiths Belt

Price: $23.10

In a unique publishing event that’s perfectly timed for Mother’s Day, National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths Belt discloses the secrets of a peripatetic life...revealing in often hilarious detail how she managed to juggle two children, bulky cases of camera equipment and everything needed for a nurturing family life as she traveled to far-flung destinations around the world.

Belt was one of the first female photographers hired at the National Geographic Society. When her children were born, she kept right on going—and this book is a loving compendium of the wisdom she gained. It chronicles three decades of international travel, a moveable family, and the art she created along the way. Belt shares intimate moments, lessons learned from other women and men she met, and all the fun and heartache of the experience. Her quirky sense of humor and many touching stories will delight and excite readers who are making and maintaining career decisions for themselves and their families.

In addition to its value as a collection of emotionally rich photographs, A Camera, Two Kids, and a Camel will find wide appeal as a unique and meaningful gift for Mother’s Day, birthdays, and many other occasions.

The Host: A Novel

by Stephenie Meyer
Price: $16.49

The author of the Twilight series of # 1 bestsellers delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake. Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen R. Covey
Price: $9.57

Anyone who thinks the audiocassette adaptation of Stephen Covey's bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a shortcut to reading the book has another thing coming. As a preview, the cassette is worth every one of its 90 minutes; as a substitute for the original, it will only leave you wishing for the rest. There's a reason 7 Habits has sold more than 5 million copies and been translated into 32 languages. Serious work has obviously gone into it, and serious change can likely come out of it--but only with constant discipline and steadfast commitment. As the densely packed tape makes immediately clear, this is no quick fix for what's ailing us in our personal and professional lives.

The tape opens to the silky-smooth, overtrained voice of the female narrator, who's responsible for tying together audio clips from actual Covey seminars. Leaving aside the occasional attempts at promoting Covey and his institute, her script does a first-rate job of making sense of Covey's own intense, analogy-rich style of explaining his habits. There's nothing simple about his approach to becoming an effective person. The first three habits alone--which have to do with personal responsibility, leadership, and self-management--could take years to master. Yet the last four are unattainable, the narrator insists, if you can't acquire the personal security--the "inner core," says Covey--that presumably comes from a mastery of the foundation.

Throughout our lessons, Covey's presence is both learned and thoroughly appealing. He drops references to the likes of Socrates, T.S. Eliot, and Robert Frost with the aplomb of an English professor. And his knack for mixing everyday stories with abstract concepts manages to clarify difficult issues while respecting our intelligence. You could argue that the cassette is nothing more than a clever marketing tool for selling another few million copies of the book. But, even at that, it's worth the investment in time and concentration: in the end, we're moved to learn more about integrating all seven habits in our struggle to become better and, yes, more effective people. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Ann Senechal --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Deeper

by Ronica Black
Price: $10.85

Happiness. Love. Desire. Murder.

Former homicide detective Erin McKenzie couldn't be any happier with her new life and her fiancée Elizabeth Adams--until the not so distant past comes knocking at the door. Erin's former colleague Detective Patricia Henderson--the woman both she and Liz have intimate ties to--shows up with a fresh crime scene photo that looks all too familiar. The body of a man discarded in the desert, genitals mutilated, pants down around his ankles, is a near carbon copy of the murders Elizabeth was previously accused of. To make matters worse, the victim is an actor who works for Liz's movie production company, and she had argued with the young man on more than one occasion.

Erin can't believe it's happening again. Soon the police are all over Liz about her missing sister's whereabouts and the Adams' name is once again at the center of a high-profile investigation. The new murder resurrects old questions and when Liz all but sends her packing, Erin can't help but wonder what her lover is hiding. Lost, alone and frightened, Erin finds herself back at the very place where her emotional journey began, with Patricia Henderson.

When two more murders occur, both implicating the Adams's, Erin is once again caught in midst of it all, and no matter how hard she fights it, she's where she never thought she'd be...deeper.

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Sellevision

by Augusten Burroughs
Kindle Price: $8.00

A relentless spoof of cable's home-shopping mania shamelessly borrows from gossip tabloids, TV talk shows and the endlessly loopy world of advertising. This first novel dives behind the scenes of Sellevision, "America's premier retail broadcasting network," as the channel confronts its first juicy scandal. Much-loved and handsome host Max Andrews has accidentally exposed his private parts during a "Toys for Tots" segment, and the flood of invective from outraged viewers forces the network to fire him. Though Max struggles to find another job, he bounces back nicely by segueing into an adult-film career. Meanwhile, another beloved host, prim and perky Peggy Jean Smythe, receives insulting e-mail from a mysterious fan named Zoe, whose snide commentary about Peggy's hairy earlobes and clumpy mascara sends Peggy over the edge into Valium addiction and heavy drinking. Peggy Jean's picture-perfect family is on the rocks, too: her husband, John, is happily seducing the nubile and willing 16-year-old next door. While Peggy Jean seeks solace through the guidance of Debby Boone and rehab, someone else must step in to peddle the Princess Diana memorabilia and the Dazzling Diamonelle merchandise. Either of two lead candidates for the job may also be the creepy e-mail stalker: Trish Mission, the innocent, young newcomer, or Leigh Bushmore, executive producer Howard Toast's mistress. This kaleidoscope of gleefully salacious intrigue aims to titillate and amuse in a purposefully over-the-top way. Advertising copywriter Burroughs throws in some witty zingers but, overall, the energy of this satire of commercial madness almost peters out before the last FuturePop Popcorn Popper or Moisture-Whik Control Panties are sold. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout

by Martin Rooney
Price: $19.77

To be a warrior, you must train like a warrior

Discover the training secrets that have produced World Champions in MMA, Submission Grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Judo. More than 750 color photos will show you how to perform hundreds of exercises designed to specifically target each area of your body. You'll also learn:

• Nutrition and safe weight-cutting tips
• Information on dealing with injuries
• Advice on the warrior mind and mental game
• The ultimate 8-week warrior workout plan

Whether you are a fighter or just want to look like one, Training for Warriors is a proven, comprehensive system to get you fit for whatever battle life throws at you.

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The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess

by Lou Schuler
Price: $17.13

If you believe what most women's magazines tell you, muscles can be "shaped," "toned," and "sculpted" with nothing more than a little dumbbell that weighs less than a can of peas. But muscles aren't modeling clay, and the only way to transform them is to strengthen them. The New Rules of Lifting for Women is for the woman who's ready to throw down the "Barbie" weights and start a strength and conditioning program that will give her the body of her dreams.

The book puts to rest the shop-worn notion that women who train with heavy weights will bulk up. Nonsense! Women simply don't have enough testosterone to pack on muscle like a bodybuilder. Here's the truth: lifting weights not only makes you stronger, it also makes you leaner. In fact, most women would have to run twice as long to receive the same fat-burning benefits as weight lifters.

A better workout in less time may sound too good to be true, but champion trainer Alwyn Cosgrove creates six months' worth of workouts that will build strength, burn fat, and rev up the metabolism. His total body workouts target all the major muscle groups, and each exercise is accompanied by clear black-and-white photographs that illustrate proper technique and form.

A nutrition plan is another key feature of the book. To gain strength you have to feed muscle, and nutritionist CassandraForsythe has designed a regimen to achieve this goal. She strongly recommends small, frequent meals and offers meal plans, along with fifty recipes, to satisfy women's special needs through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The New Rules of Lifting for Women will become the standard for smart women who take their fitness goals seriously.

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100 Days Of Monsters (with DVD)

by Stefan Bucher
Price: $13.59

Designer and illustrator Stefan G. Bucher loves drawing monsters, so he filmed himself drawing an ink-blot monster every day for 100 days and posted the videos online. The result was an overwhelming response from all corners of the globe as fans submitted stories about the trials and triumphs of each unique monster. A companion DVD contains movies of each of the monsters being drawn, as well as additional monster stories. In addition, there is a foreword from Ze Frank.

What's Inside the Book?

• 100 Daily Monsters
• 257 monster stories
• 1 dvd featuring all 100 Daily Monster video clips, 701 bonus comments and stories, one Real Time Monster, a special video message from the author, and 10 Open Source Ink Blots(tm) that let you make your own Daily Monsters

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Batman: The Killing Joke

by Alan Moore
Price: $12.23

The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.

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Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals

by Shane Claiborne
Price: $11.55

Here is the must-read election-year book for Christian Americans. What should Christians do when allegiances to the state clash with personal faith? Haw and Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution) slice through politics as usual and well past the superficial layers of the culture wars with their lucid exploration of how Christians can and should relate to presidents and kings, empire and government. Their entertaining yet provocative tour of the Bible's social and economic order makes even the most abstruse Levitical laws come alive for our era. They also provide a valuable political context for Christ's life, reminding readers that Jesus did not preach the need to put God back into government—he urged his followers to live by a different set of rules altogether, to hold themselves apart as peculiar people. The compelling writing is enhanced by a lavish, eye-popping layout. The pages are a riot of textured callouts, colors, photos and fonts—the perfect packaging for a message that must compete in a world of sound bites. With this second book, Claiborne emerges as an affable, intelligent, humorous prophet of his generation, calling people out of business-as-usual in a corrupt world and back to the radically different social order of the biblical God. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

by David Hajdu
Price: $15.60

Starred Review. After writing about the folk scene of the early 1960s in Positively 4th Street, Hajdu goes back a decade to examine the censorship debate over comic books, casting the controversy as a prelude to the cultural battle over rock music. Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, the centerpiece of the movement, has been reduced in public memory to a joke—particularly the attack on Batman for its homoeroticism—but Hajdu brings a more nuanced telling of Wertham's background and shows how his arguments were preceded by others. Yet he comes down hard on the unsound research techniques and sweeping generalizations that led Wertham to conclude that nearly all comic books would inspire antisocial behavior in young readers. There are no real heroes here, only villains and victims; Hajdu turns to the writers and artists whose careers were ruined when censorship and other legal restrictions gutted the comics industry, and young kids who were coerced into participating in book burnings by overzealous parents and teachers. With such a meticulous setup, the history builds slowly but the main attraction—EC Comics publisher Bill Gaines's attempt to explain in a Senate committee hearing how an illustration of a man holding a severed head could be in good taste—holds all the dramatic power it has acquired as it's been told among fans over the past half-century. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict

by Joseph E. Stiglitz
Price: $15.61

Apart from its tragic human toll, the Iraq War will be staggeringly expensive in financial terms. This sobering study by Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard professor Linda J. Bilmes casts a spotlight on expense items that have been hidden from the U.S. taxpayer, including not only big-ticket items like replacing military equipment (being used up at six times the peacetime rate) but also the cost of caring for thousands of wounded veterans—for the rest of their lives. Shifting to a global focus, the authors investigate the cost in lives and economic damage within Iraq and the region. Finally, with the chilling precision of an actuary, the authors measure what the U.S. taxpayer's money would have produced if instead it had been invested in the further growth of the U.S. economy. Written in language as simple as the details are disturbing, this book will forever change the way we think about the war.

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The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great

by Pam Anderson
Price: $16.20

The best-selling author of "The Perfect Recipe" shares her secret for dumping pounds without dietingand the 250 recipes for her new way of eating. To millions of citizen cooks, Pam Anderson is a trusted friend who does all the work for them, testing and retesting until she arrives at the best version of classic favorites and simple dishes for company. But gradually, Pam found herself standing with the two thirds of Americans who are more than a few pounds overweight. Fed up with whipsaw cycles of losing and gaining, she vowed to changebut not if it involved dieting, hunger pangs, or saying no to the foods she loved. Complicated recipes were out. She streamlined, creating meals as satisfying as they are quickpizzas that take just thirty minutes, big-bowl combos, and gratifying snacks to forestall cravings. She discovered a few simple habits that make all the difference. Four years later, shes still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss. "The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great" is a way to eat for life. Its filled with voice-of- experience tips for curbing appetite, no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving prono compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.

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Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share

by Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Price: $13.72

The perfect cookie for every occasion.

Cookies are the treat that never disappoints. Whether you’re baking for a party or a picnic, a formal dinner or a family supper–or if you simply want something on hand for snacking–there is a cookie that’s just right. In Martha Stewart’s Cookies, the editors of Martha Stewart Living give you 175 recipes and variations that showcase all kinds of flavors and fancies. Besides perennial pleasers like traditional chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, there are other sweet surprises, including Rum Raisin Shortbread, Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches with Chocolate Filling, and Lime Meltaways.

Cleverly organized by texture, the recipes in Martha Stewart’s Cookies inspire you to think of a classic, nostalgic treat with more nuance. Chapters include all types of treasures: Light and Delicate (Cherry Tuiles, Hazelnut Cookies, Chocolate Meringues); Rich and Dense (Key Lime Bars, Chocolate Mint Sandwiches, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies); Chunky and Nutty (Magic Blondies, Turtle Brownies, White Chocolate-Chunk Cookies); Soft and Chewy (Snickerdoodles, Fig Bars, Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies); Crisp and Crunchy (ANZAC Biscuits, Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti, Almond Spice Wafers); Crumbly and Sandy (Cappuccino-Chocolate Bites, Maple-Pecan Shortbread, Lemon-Apricot Sandwiches); and Cakey and Tender (Lemon Madeleines, Carrot Cake Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing).

Each tantalizing recipe is accompanied by a lush, full-color photograph, so you never have to wonder how the cookie will look. Beautifully designed and a joy to read, Martha Stewart’s Cookies is rich with helpful tips and techniques for baking, decorating, and storing, as well as lovely gift-packaging ideas in standout Martha Stewart style.

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Ultimate Power (Marvel Comics)

by Brian Michael Bendis
Price: $23.09

The Fantastic Four's leader, Reed Richards, has accidentally punched a hole into an adjacent universe in a desperate bid to gain the knowledge he needs to cure his friend Ben Grimm - The Thing. But something has come through the aperture from a realm known as the Supremeverse: The Squadron Supreme! They are angry and here to arrest young Reed for high crimes against their world! Collects Ultimate Power #1-9.

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21: Bringing Down the House - Movie Tie-In: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

by Ben Mezrich
Price: $10.20

The long-running New York Times bestseller that has become a cultural phenomenon, Bringing Down the House is an action-filled caper carried out by the unlikeliest of cons -- supersmart geeks. Gambling pervaded the M.I.T. campus, and genius kids with money and glittering futures were just as likely to be found in a Paradise Island casino as in the school library. A highly elite group of mathletes was recruited to join The Club, a small, secret blackjack organization dedicated to counting cards and beating the major casinos across the nation at their own game. As a successful ring of card savants, backed by a mysterious ringleader and shadowy investors, they infiltrated Vegas and won millions. The Boston Herald acclaimed it as "a suspenseful tale that portrays the players as Davids going up against Goliaths." And Bill Simmons of ESPN magazine exclaimed, "This book made me want to gamble! Vegas! Vegas!" Filled with tense action, high stakes, and incredibly close calls, Bringing Down the House is a nail-biting chronicle of a real-life Ocean's Eleven. It's one story that Vegas does not want you to read.

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Norman Hall's Police Exam Preparation Book

by Norman Hall
Price: $10.17

If you are planning to join the hundreds of thousands of applicants who take the police officer exam each year, you need to score high. In this updated and revised edition of his #1 police exam book, Norman Hall guarantees that you’ll score between 80% and 100% on the exam—or your money back! With Norman Hall’s Police Exam Prep Book, you’ll have everything you need to ace the test, including:

·7 practice tests
·3 full-length police officer exams
·Answer keys and self-scoring tables

·Pointers on avoiding common trouble spots
·Tips for meeting the physical requirements
·Plus: the most up-to-date test-taking strategies

Still worried that you might miss a vital test or question? Relax! Norman Hall’s Police Exam Prep Book includes new test questions and sketch art, and gives you complete coverage of all test subject areas:

·Basic mathematics
·Directional orientation
·Grammar, vocabulary, and spelling
·Memory
·Reading comprehension
·Report writing
·Situational judgment and reasoning

With the help of Norman Hall’s Police Exam Prep Book, you’ll be able to score high and achieve your dream of becoming a law-enforcement official!

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Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To

by Melanie Cullen
Price: $14.95

"Offers a detailed, step-by-step process for gathering records and key documents and organizing them for future use."

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A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2)

by Jan Karon
Price: $10.19

A Light in the Window is the second installment in this enormously popular series about a small-town rector, Father Tim, and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him. This time Father Tim, a lifelong bachelor, finds his heart distracted by his free-spirited neighbor Cynthia, but his stomach and the rectory cash box are distracted by Edith, a wealthy widow who is wooing the rector with love potion casseroles. At every turn, including when a brooding Irish cousin decides to move in, Father Tim must decide whether he will practice what he preaches. Fans of the series say they long to buy real estate in Mitford, just so they can live next door to these funny and endearing characters and feel the embrace of such a loving community. But what author Jan Karon probably knows, and many readers are starting to figure out, is that the integrity and solid Christian values that these characters possess can be found in just about every neighborhood, and with inspiration like this book, anyone can build their own Mitford community.

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Lady Sophia's Lover

by Lisa Kleypas

Against the grit and glamour of London's crime-fighting Bow Street operation, Kleypas weaves an exceptional early-Victorian-era romance that is driven by much more than mere sexual attraction and sizzling loves scenes (of which there are plenty here). Political, social and familial conflicts heat up this story, and not all of the resolutions come easily. Ever since her younger brother died in prison, Sophia Sydney has had one goal in mindto find the magistrate who sent her brother to prison, worm her way into his office and his heart and then destroy him both politically and emotionally. Handsome Ross Cannon, London's most powerful and irreproachable magistrate, is not the hard-hearted devil she had expected, however. Known as the Monk of Bow Street for his celibacy following his wife's death, Ross is fair and forgiving, which Sophia soon learns when she takes up a position as his office clerk and housekeeper. The chemistry between the pair is palpable, but several obstacles stand in the way of their happiness, not the least of which is the shadow of Sophia's brother. With the exception of Sophia, who is given to histrionics, Kleypas's characters are well drawn and refreshingly levelheaded. Even her villain, a famed thieftaker, displays surprising dimensions. Through deft plotting and simple yet stylish prose, Kleypas distinguishes herself as a master of her craft.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual

by Barbara Brundage
Price: $29.69

After more than two years, Adobe has finally released a new version of Photoshop Elements for the Mac. Version 6 packs a lot more editing firepower than iPhoto, and this Missing Manual puts every feature into a clear, easy-to-understand context -- something that no other book on Elements does!

Photoshop Elements 6 is perfect for scrapbooking, making fancy photo collages, and creating Web galleries. It has lots of new features such as Guided Edit for performing basic editing tasks, an improved Photomerge feature, a handy Quick Selection Tool, and much more. But knowing what to do and when is tricky. Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual explains not only how the tools and commands work, but when to use them. With it, you will:

• Learn to import, organize, and fix photos quickly and easily.
• Repair and restore old and damaged photos, and retouch any image.
• Jazz up your pictures with dozens of filters, frames, and special effects.
• Learn which tools the pros use -- you'll finally understand how layers work!
• Create collages and photo layout pages for greeting cards and other projects.
• Get downloadable practice images and try new tricks right away.

This full-color guide starts with the simplest functions and progresses to increasingly complex features of Elements. If you're ready for the more sophisticated tools, you can easily jump around to learn specific techniques. As always, author Barbara Brundage lets you know which Elements features work well, which don't, and why -- all with a bit of wit and humor.

Don't hesitate: Now that Adobe's outstanding photo editor has been updated for the Mac, dive in with Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual right away.

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