Why do some initiatives take off while others founder? How have some communities managed to achieve so much while others struggle? What distinguishes the good companies from the bad? Looking at some of the world's greatest success stories, Hamish McRae sheds a fascinating light on 'what works' and why.

The veteran comedian and co-host of "The View" uses her trademark humor to examine the growing disrespect and rudeness in society and discusses how a loss of civility diminishes the quality of life.

In this memoir, single mother Paula Munier takes on the world's worst beagle--and loses every time. She tries everything to fix Freddie--but nothing really works. As her youngest son grows up and prepares to leave her soon-to-be empty nest, Paula's worst fear is that after more than thirty years of raising kids, she'll be left all alone--with Freddie.

"Environmental issues often span long periods of time, far-flung areas, and labyrinthine layers of complexity. In Greening through IT, Bill Tomlinson investigates how the tools and techniques of information technology (IT) can help us tackle environmental problems at such vast scales. Tomlinson describes theoretical, technological, and social aspects of a growing interdisciplinary approach to sustain ability, "Green IT," offering both a human-centered framework for understanding Green IT systems and specific examples and case studies of Green IT in action." "Tomlinson contrasts the broad ranges of time, space, and complexity against which environmental concerns play out with the relatively narrow horizons of human understanding; it's hard for us to grasp thousand-year projections of global climatic disruption or our stake in melting icecaps thousands of miles away. IT can bridge the gap between human scales of understanding and environmental scales." "Tomlinson offers many examples of efforts toward sustainability supported by IT - from fishers in India who maximized the sales potential of their catch by coordinating their activities with mobile phones to the installation of smart meters that optimize electricity use in California households - and discusses three detailed studies of specific research projects that he and his colleagues have undertaken: EcoRaft, an interactive museum exhibit to help children learn principles of restoration ecology; Trackulous, a set of Web-based tools with which people can chart their own environmental behavior; and GreenScanner, an online system that provides access to environmental-impact reports about consumer products. Taken together, these examples illustrate the significant environmental benefits that innovations in information technology can enable."--BOOK JACKET.

Interviews a number of prominent women--including comedian Susie Essman, writer and director Nora Ephron, and TV personality Joy Behar--to reveal how all women can achieve their deserved recognition and financial worth in the modern professional world.

Bo Novikov--part polar bear, part lion, and all man--takes Blayne Thorpe to Maine, despite her protests, in order to protect her from stalkers who are trying to force shape-shifters into dog fights.