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This is the first book I’ve read by Ann Patchett, noted author of the acclaimed novel, Bel Canto. There are so many ways that this book can capture the reader’s interest, it blends mystery and suspense with science, romance, and more. For me, the two women protagonists, both brilliant doctors and medical researchers were fascinating, complex characters whose relationship with each other as mentor and student, and their connection to two powerful men in their lives, made this a compelling page turner. Set in the Amazon, the novel details a search to find a missing scientist, and centers on the search for drugs from rain forest plants that not only can heal but potentially create profound social upheaval. Patchett draws the reader into pondering the role of science and how scientific curiosity, corporate greed and the desire (of some) to do good for others, culminates in a provocative question, of particular relevance for women. To avoid being a spoiler, I won’t say more. I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful, entertaining book.


It’s still a while to wait for his tenth (and, according to himself, the last) film, but Quentin Tarantino is not sitting still. After his novel version of Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood does he have with Cinema Speculation a first non-fiction book. One in which he shows himself to be an enthusiastic, crazy film professor.
“Quentin, I’m more concerned when you watch the news. A movie won’t hurt you.” One of the unsung heroes in film history is Connie McHugh, a single mother who, averse to parental guidelines, repeatedly led her young son to the cinema. That boy’s name was Quentin Tarantino, grew up to be a film nerd and then the celebrated director of films like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood.
In the first chapter of his new book Cinema Speculation Tarantino describes how his mother and her boyfriend took young Quentin on their cinema dates, provided he behaved himself. “I knew this adult time was,” Tarantino writes. “If I wanted to hang around during adult time, my little ass better be fucking cool.It had a quote from Pulp Fiction can be: even if he does not write films but writes about films, the film-maker shows his talent for elevating vulgar colloquialism into witty prose.
Maybe he got that from the movies he saw in the 1970s, from age seven to seventeen. Kind en Gezin would probably not recommend taking your nine-year-old to a double bill from Deliverancein which a fat man from the city is anally raped by a hillbilly, and The Wild Bunch, Sam Peckinpah’s ultra-violent western. But those kinds of films left a deep impression on the young Quentin, who sang about his love for them in the films he made based on references, and in this book – after the novel version of Once Upon a Time his first non-fiction work.
Tarantino’s first movie, Reservoir Dogsopened with a scene in which he himself, in that typical snarling voice, explained what was behind Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ (“It’s a metaphor for big dicks”). In the same way – you almost hear him tell it when you Cinema Speculation reads – he gives interesting and often very idiosyncratic analyzes of films like bullitt (1968), The Getaway (1972) and Rolling Thunder (1977).
They are not reviews, not scientific tracts, but personal reflections in which he often gets carried away by details that others forget: he sings of Andy Robinson, who plays serial killer Scorpio in Dirty Harrya lot more elaborate than protagonist and superstar Clint Eastwood.
order from Cinema Speculation you don’t need to have seen every movie Tarantino discusses, let alone every movie he mentions. There is nothing that doesn’t touch something else, Jeroen Brouwers already knew, and every film Tarantino sets his sights on is like a cluster bomb that explodes anecdotes about thirty-eleven other films.
The chapter about Sylvester Stallones Paradise Alley is as much about that movie as it is about Rocky, Rocky II and The Lords of Flatbush. Tarantino also writes one-sentence reviews about films that are otherwise irrelevant. (“Brewster McCloud is the cinematic equivalent of a bird pooping on your head.”)
Still, it goes without saying that anyone who has never seen a film that came out before Titanic has served little will be of no interest to Cinema Speculation. Tarantino doesn’t pick out the biggest or most obvious films – in the 1970s you might as well have opted for The Godfather, The Exorcist or Star Wars – but those are readers Taxi Driver (1976) may nevertheless be taken for granted. Let that film be your entry into the maze of 70s cinema, and hire Tarantino as your guide. “If you’re reading this book about cinema,” he writes, “and your head is spinning with all the names you don’t recognize: congratulations, you’re learning something.”
Tarantino takes his role as a crazy movie professor seriously enough and sets the historical context where necessary: he devotes an entire chapter to the difference between the cynical “Anti-Establishment Authors” of the late 1960s, such as Arthur Penn and John Cassavetes, and the more romantic “Movie Brats” of the 1970s, such as Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma. Yet it never becomes a dry history lesson, especially when he begins to speculate about how Taxi Driver what would have looked like had it not been Scorsese, but De Palma who had been behind the camera.
Now and then he also lets involved parties have their say: Steve McQueen’s ex-wife Neile McQueen, screenwriter-director Walter Hill and his colleague Paul Schrader have all contributed to his argument about his favorite film decade in conversations with Tarantino. But they all play only striking supporting roles in Cinema Speculation: like the biggest star of any Tarantino movie since Pulp Fiction the director is, that’s how it goes Cinema Speculation around his person, his preferences, his graceful writing style and his unparalleled love for cinema, which jumps off the pages and will infect many readers.
“Some parents didn’t even want me to play with their kids at school because of the wild movies I saw and talked about,” Tarantino recalls. But: “Because I was allowed to see things that other kids weren’t allowed to, I seemed sophisticated to my classmates. And because I watched the most challenging films in the biggest film period in Hollywood history, they were right: I was too.”
Cinema Speculation (400 pp., €29.95) was published by Harper Collins.


Currently I am reading a fascinating book entitled "La Seduction" by Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, Elaine Sciolino. In it the author delves into the art of seduction of the French, and especially that of Parisians, and how seduction plays a very important role in their day to day lives. The book is, above all, a captivating social study that has been extremely well researched...you can feel that Sciolino's journalistic background is in full momentum here.
Being French myself (but I mainly grew up in NYC), I found this book to extraordinarily reveal a lot about me! I was amazed to find that many of my RomBlog tips are touched upon and further explained in this book. It's like the author was picking my brain when it comes to the proper rituals of romance and seduction!!!
Soon I realized that since Goths enjoy romance as it once was: grand, lavish, and even heart-breaking at times, the French do as well -- as back throughout the ages. The French and Goths do hold this in common...it's an understanding and appreciation of Old World mentality. However, if you decide to read the book, you will find that in today's world even the French are starting to fall to the "instant gratification" and fast-paced mundane society that we are accustomed to here in the States.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about true romance and how to incorporate it into your being! I simply cannot put it down! It is as if my entire raison d'etre is detailed throughout these pages. It all makes so much more sense to me now! *in a thick French accent* "Aye am a troo Frenchman, throo and throo! Mais oui!"
If you do read this book, I would love to hear what you think of it or any feedback.
See you in the Dark!
Sir William Welles


A Seat at the Table: Moving from Hierarchy to Harmony
Amber H. Jones
One look at the headlines, or a quick scroll through Twitter, is enough to sound the alarm that a shift is happening in the Body of Christ. As a result of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, more and more women are coming forth with their stories of dreams lost, faith crushed and relationships destroyed. The controversy is pouring over into the church as well, with #ChurchToo gaining momentum and thrusting the debate over female subordination into the limelight like never before. Christians are being forced to examine the stakes, the stances and the theology of gender hierarchy.
Are females created and destined for subordination? Is it God’s true notion that maleness is a requisite for preaching and teaching? What about those complicated passages in scripture that seem to contradict and confuse? What about tradition and family values? A Seat at the Table tackles these questions and more through an interactive and in-depth study of God’s word. Interspersed between chapters of scholarly study, are thought-provoking vignettes highlighting the real-life, everyday consequences of living by doctrine which exalts hierarchy over harmony.


Download Between The World And Me Notes On The First 150 Years In America Kindle - "Everyday Use" is narrated from the point of view of Mama, a big-boned woman who dreams of being the thin, smart, funny mother her daughters seem to want. She waits for them in the yard, thinking. It was between the two super powers after the Second World War, America and the Soviet Union. First we will see some of the reasons why we entered the Cold War. Then we will talk about some conflicts that occurred during the time frame and why the countries choose each side.. Five years later the Boy Scouts of America asked for, and received, permission to use the program as the basis for its own program for older youth, which it decided to name the Explorer program (the Church adopted this name in 1935)..
May 17, 2012 · But as Jim Loewen at the History News Network would like to remind us, even if Obama were gay, he wouldn’t be the first: more than 150 years before the United States had its first black president, it had its first homosexual commander in chief.. World War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies. BBC World Service - Programming From The BBC - Whenever and wherever news breaks, the BBC World Service is there. WPR broadcasts the BBC World Service throughout the night until 6:00 a.m. WPR broadcasts the BBC World Service throughout the night until 6:00 a.m..
You can receive an eMail reminder whenever this page is updated with a new Security Now! episode. Click the "Monitor Changes" button to have the highly-regarded "Change Detection" web site monitor this page and send you a note when it changes.. Jan 23, 1996 · The Color of Water is a memoir told in two very distinct and powerful voices. James McBride told the story about his white mother, raising her twelve mixed race children, caught (as the world was,) in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, set primarily in New Jersey’s Red Hook Projects.. When I clicked on the link, my information request first went to CERN in Switzerland then back to UNC to search the database. The results then left UNC for Switzerland where html was added and then the results sent back to my NeXT. Tim showed me how simple and.
A deep dive into technology's role in saving one of the world's greatest natural wonders. Turned On From Realdoll sexbots to connected toys, CNET explores the intersection of sex and technology.. StudyBlue is the largest crowdsourced study library, with over 400 million flashcards, notes and study guides from students like you. Make and share study materials, search for recommended study content from classmates, track progress, set reminders, and create custom quizzes.. Watch full episodes of your favorite HISTORY series, and dive into thousands of historical articles and videos. To know History is to know life..
Office 365 gives you the power and flexibility to get things done from virtually anywhere. OneDrive is an online storage service that you can use to store documents, notes, photos, music, videos, or other types of files. up to a maximum of 5 years. Note that doing so does not increase the number of devices that you can install Office on. Women’s rights around the world is an important indicator to understand global well-being. A major global women’s rights treaty was ratified by the majority of the world’s nations a few decades ago..


|From Chicago Family History|
I have a cousin, Robert R. Brouk, who served in the American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, in
in 1941-1942. In the summer of 1942 he returned home from his service in China China, to . He had a whirlwind romance with Virginia Schaerer and the two were married in November 1942. A month later, Robert was killed in a training accident in Cicero, IL while serving in the Air Force. Florida
When I began my research I had no idea what happened to his widow so could not obtain much personal information on him. The other members of that branch of the family had passed or were unable to be found. I got in touch with the AVG group online and by a stroke of luck, was able to obtain his Distinguished Flying Cross Medal. These were awarded Posthumously to many members of the AVG. His citation and medal are displayed proudly in my home to honor his service.
Years later his widow did contact me, thanks to her son who somehow stumbled across a post I made about Robert. Thanks to her kindness, I was able to hear the story of their romance and short marriage, her life after his death, and receive photographs of him and the two of them along with a typed copy of his diary, written during his service in
. It is my goal to write a book about Robert so he is forever remembered. China


The triumph of the Avatar did not last long, for in slaying Mondain
he brought the wrath of Minax down upon the land. Minax was the young lover of Mondain and
a sorceress with magical powers even greater than Mondains. She had the power to
command legions of foul creatures, and in her quest for vengeance over the death of her
lover, she brought much misery to the people of Sosaria. Again the hero who would come to
be known as the Avatar returned to Britannia in the first recorded use of the Moongates.
The Avatar slew Minaxs minions and did eventually destroy her as well. While there
have been speculations as to the motivations of the Avatar, there is insufficient evidence
to show that the Avatar was driven to violence by jealousy over Mondains romantic
involvement with Minax. That being said, such theories are hereby denounced and should not
be given consideration.


The Tribes of Man have adopted a variant of the Empire’s Current Era calendar, which is based on the old Anno Domini reckoning of Old Earth. Tribal Reckoning, abbreviated "TR," (aka Terran Reckoning) retains the 24 hour Terran day and the 365 day Terran year. However, that is where the similarity ends. Each of the eighteen TR months consists of twenty days, and a five-day festival called Convergence falls at the end of the year. The parentheses contain the short form of the month’s name for less formal use. The colorful tribal calendar terms are supposed to have come from Phoenix himself, who desired to break with the sterile, overly precise version of the Imperial calendar, which by the time of the Cybrid Wars had become purely a decimal number which tracked the year to the ten-thousandth part. Even today, Imperials prefer to use their chronometers and reckon their year purely numerically. Common Imperial custom still retains days of the week, but all other calendar references have been outmoded.
- Jeweled Door (Jewel) - Month of Openings. This is an auspicious time for swearing oaths of allegiance or making great decisions.
- Burning Swan (Burn) - Month of Glory, a time of music and storytelling among the Tribes of Man.
- Scarlet Bat (Scar)- Month of Passion, considered auspicious for young lovers and secrets.
- Barbed Knife (Barb) - Month of Rites, this is the traditional month for newbloods to join their first raids, and for children to become adults.
- Shadowed Suns (Suns) - Month of Silence, considered a holy time by the Diamond Sword.
- Jaguar's Hunt (Hunt) - Month of Vengeance, some say of Justice. Said to be connected to the Immortal called "the Jaguar."
- Eagle's Oath (Oath) - Month of Honor. Curiously, this is said to be an inauspicious time for bloodfeuds, but auspicious for honorable war. The Blood Eagle celebrate their origins during this month, though some outsiders report that these festivities are more akin to a ritual of penitence.
- Wolf's Passage (Tail) - Month of Journeys. Auspicious time for pilgrimages and other travels. During this month, the Starwolf commonly seek the holy places of the Great Wolf and offer newborn children to the elders for naming.
- Phoenix Wept (Tears) - Month of Sorrow. Said to be named for the reaction of the Immortal Harabec at the outbreak of the first war between the Children of Phoenix and the Blood Eagle. The Children of Phoenix consider this a time to rededicate themselves to unification of the Tribes. The Firetruces always begin on the first of this month.
- Lost Sword (Lost) - Month of Patience. This is an auspicious time for preparation and planning. The Diamond Sword gather before their philosophers during this period, asking questions and receiving riddles as answers.
- Starry Cloak (Cloak) - Month of Vision, this is an auspicious month for dreamers and mystics. Artists also see this as a time for inspiration and appreciation of beauty.
- Void Executioner (Void) - Month of Vigilance. Tales are told of the ancient Cybrid Wars, and children are frightened with the bogeyman of Prometheus, the great enemy.
- Seventh Sky (Sky)- Month of Prosperity. The Free Traders hold their Great Bazaar on the Imperial Legate's world during this month. The time is considered auspicious for repaying debts, inauspicious for incurring them.
- Emperor's Curse (Curse) - Month of Testing. The name of this month is said to come from the ancient Emperor Petresun I, who some believe still lives as an Immortal. The story says he used his dying breath to pronounce a terrible curse: that humanity would endure ten thousand years of chaos before being found worthy.
- Jade Laser (Jade) - Month of Crafting. This is a month said to be auspicious for the making of weapons or the focusing of purpose. Many tribes call it the Month of War.
- Chained Breath (Chain) - Month of Obedience. This is the time of restraint and of submission to authority. Tribal squads use traditionally use this time for drills that focus on cooperation and precise teamwork.
- Cobalt Orb (Orb) - Month of Remembrance. Also known as the Month of the Rooted Tree, the Tribes of Man take this time to look back to a common origin on Sol III, Mother Terra. Traditional celebrations include gathering to listen to the histories and ancient tales of Earth.
- Ashen Scroll (Ashes) - Month of Endings. This is a good time to complete business, close out affairs, and end feuds (one way or the other).


The IX grade history textbook of Georgia, which caused dissatisfaction among the public due to the extract about of the events of 2012, describes historical processes correctly, competently and comprehensively, reads the statement, issued by the Ministry of Education and Science.
“According to the previous national curriculum, the history of Georgia was taught only in the IX grade. Now, there is a change in the history textbook regarding the teaching of Georgian history, and history as an independent subject is taught in the VII, VIII and IX grades - from ancient times to the modern period.
The history of Georgia is unfolded in the context of world history, that is, in parallel, what events took place. Accordingly, the most recent period goes to IX grade and is an attempt to reflect the most recent years, including information on all state rulers during the period of independence - from the first president to the second president, continued European integration and important events such as the loss of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, the period of the August 2008 war, the Russian occupation, etc. It is an attempt to cover all these important events.
We have 2 approved books that were approved in 2021 and these textbooks entered schools this year. We think these stories are conveyed very dryly and competently in both books. It emphasizes European integration, democratic change of government, visa liberalization, etc.”, - reads the statement.


Harold Franklin Hawkins (an early Christmas present) was born to Icie Hawkins and her husband Alex in Huntington, West Virginia on December 22, 1921 and as a baby, lived for a short while across the Ohio River in Lawrence County, Ohio, where his sister Lena was born 22 months later. The family soon returned to Huntington where his dad worked as a foreman for the Kerr Glass Company. His sister Leona was born there about ten years after Lena, and another sister, Betty was born five years after that. As a youngster, he developed a love for horses, hunting and fishing and had discovered a talent for singing and playing country music.
Since Tom Taylor's 1863 play, "The Ticket-of-Leave-Man" with its famed slueth, Hawkshaw, the term "Hawkshaw" had come to mean a detective. From 1913 to 1922 and again from 1931 to the late 1940's there was a comic strip by Gus Mager called "Hawkshaw, The Detective." Apparently, one day while shooting marbles with friends, a neighbor looking for two fishing rods that had disappeared from his garage asked the boys if they had seen them. Harold told him that he had seen two rods that looked the same in another neighbor's garage. A few minutes later, the first neighbor returned with the purloined rods and flipped a fifty cent piece to Harold, saying. "Thanks, Hawkshaw." Harold kept the nickname as a stage name, despite opposition some years later from his first record company.
Hawkshaw Hawkins was an outdoorsman, to be sure. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and horseback riding. Friends and Grand Ole Opry stars like Grandpa Jones, Charlie Louvin, and Stoney Cooper often joined him on these hunting and fishing trips. Hawk always remembered his old friends, even when they weren't able to participate in the outdoor activities, though. Wilma Lee Cooper fondly recalls Hawkins' visiting her husband, Stoney, after his heart attack, one time bringing a chicken for chicken soup. His friends from the early days in Huntington remember his stopping by to visit them whenever he was in town.
He married Reva Barbour of Huntington in 1940. They were both very young (he was barely twenty, she was only sixteen). The marriage was stormy, and after a number of separations and reconciliations ended in divorce in 1958. Their daughter was Marlene. He later married Grand Ole Opry performer Jean Shepard and they had two sons, Don Robin, and Harold Franklin Hawkins II, who was born on April 8, 1963 about a month after the plane crash that took Hawkshaw's life.
Hawkins was described by friends in the business as having Eleven and a Half Yards of Personality. On March 6th, after news of the accident travelled around the world, a fan from England wrote in a letter to the Country Music Association in part, "...Hawkshaw Hawkins in my opinion was the best singer of country ballads next to Hank Williams. He had a voice of amazing depth, quality and realism which could sing a country song better than anyone else." The universal recollection is that Hawkins was a gentleman who treated ladies properly, who did not smoke for most of his life and never drank alcohol. He had a great sense of humor, and onstage was a performer who could easily steal the show with his personality, a good person to work for who was completely professional, but whose flair was never adequately captured on records. He often ended his shows with the phrase "May the Lord take a likin' to you." His recordings, despite their inability to capture all of the magnetism of his performances bear witness that the man with the rich, smooth voice deserves to be remembered for much more than the fact that he died in the same plane crash as Patsy Cline. His family members, the country music family, the nation and the world suffered a great personal loss on March 5, 1963, "the day the music died." May the great legacy of the recordings he left us help to perpetuate his memory and his rightful place in the history of country music. I hope that in some small way, my tribute pages here on the worldwide web will help to do just that.


While I was pregnant with baby #2, my Princess was always so curious about what was going on inside Mommy’s tummy. I got a weekly email and would tell her little facts about that week. I wish I had The Miracle of Me to sit down and show her each week, what was going on inside Mommy’s tummy. We are thankful to have the book now to read together.
About The Miracle of Me:
Inspired by her own need for a child-friendly resource to explain pregnancy to her young child, Amy Pedersen began her Christian parenting journey with The Miracle of Me from conception to birth. Written from the unborn baby’s perspective, The Miracle of Me is an entertaining, yet medically-accurate, children’s book about how the baby grows and develops each week. Through the simple language and poetry as well as everyday objects like rulers and scales, pregnancy and fetal development are explained in terms that children can understand. The most impacting feature of the book, however, is the beautiful in-utero photography. Children (and adults alike) can visualize and appreciate the little one in the womb as a result.
The Miracle of Me Book Review:
This attractive hard cover book is beautifully written from a Christian perspective. My daughter and I enjoyed looking at it and the photos are so great. Following each week of pregnancy, there are facts for all 40 weeks. This book is one that does not need to be only read during pregnancy. It can be read by adults and children anytime. It is a great reminder of the miracle of childbirth. I cannot wait to show it to my Little Man when he gets older.
Connect With The Miracle of Me:
Buy The Miracle of Me:
Purchase your own copy of The Miracle of Me on Amazon.com. It is the perfect for expecting mothers, grandparents, young siblings, friends who are due – anyone really!
*Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product for review purposes. All opinions are mine alone.


Welcome, and thanks for visiting this page!
I set out to read 26 NEW books in 2016 (one new book every two weeks).
This was my way of staying accountable and sharing some useful recommendations with friends.
I also extracted simple directives from each one that you can apply to your life.
P.S.: If you’d like to see my personal notes for any book in particular, let me know in the comments section.
I finished off 2015 with a number of books on charisma, persuasion, and negotiation tactics. Based on that, this tiny book was one of the recommended reads in my Kindle suggestions; I was skeptical at first (given that it’s only about 30 pages long) but seeing excellent reviews and a price around $3, there wasn’t much to lose.
The author begins by introducing the topic and giving some brief reasoning/science behind persuasion. Without much unnecessary chatter, the reader is presented with the 1 sentence (or 27 words) that represents the basic truth behind every other book you will read on this subject. Simply put, it’s almost like a mantra that can be easily remembered any time you want to become a little more charismatic and persuasive. It may seem obvious once you find out what it is, but it’s something we often forget to do – this book alone will remind you how to be more likable, friendly, and trustworthy. I recommend it and personally find myself always going back through the highlights – especially before important meetings or when reaching out to people via email and LinkedIn.
I’ve read two of Greene’s other books (which I will review in the future) and really enjoyed his style of writing. Those unfamiliar with his work will be amazed by the extent of his research; the man reads hundreds of biographies of remarkable individuals throughout history and observes common character traits and patterns of behaviour. This book analyses what it takes to become a master at a particular skill or subject in general. Some of the notable individuals discussed here include: Mozart, Freddie Roach, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison , Albert Einstein , and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe just to name a few.
Greene describes the steps necessary to achieve mastery, hindrances to reaching one’s full potential, and constantly provides relevant examples of successful individuals.
Not only is this book entertaining and filled with great historical facts, but it may also change the way you see your personal and career development (like it did with me).
Overall, amazing piece of work and I highly recommend it!
We always hear about the importance of first impressions and how we only get one shot to make it count. This book is among my most highlighted and one I’ve taken extensive notes on; what sets it apart from others is the huge amount of practical advice, with tips and tricks that can slide under the radar of those around you but have an enormous impact on their perception of you. The author covers every small detail in an encounter, from the approach and introduction to the establishment of rapport and body language. Things such as stance, the tilt of your handshake, greeting, conversation framing, and even the position of your jacket are all discussed and explained. The slightest improvement of a few of those aspects in the first 10 seconds of meeting someone will have a drastic impact on the quality of the conversation and the long-lasting effect on the other individual. Highly recommend this book and looking forward to re-reading it in the future, give it a try!
Get it and drastically improve your first impressions on people.
This may be one of the best books on marketing ever written. After reading it, you’ll understand why so many successful companies struggle and will be able to trace it back to elementary mistakes described here. From studying business for four years in university, I’ve learned more about marketing and branding in a few hours listening to Al Ries and Jack Trout than every marketing class I’ve taken. There is a reason why it’s the #1 best seller on Amazon in its category and why you may hear so many successful businessmen recommend it. I suggest writing out out all the laws and quick examples for each one for reference in the future.
Make sure to get the original, 1994 version as it presents much better examples than the revised editions.
I would not recommend this book as there are better alternatives in my opinion, although it’s a decent introduction to the topic. Overall it’s poorly structured in terms of listing and describing the laws (unlike 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing mentioned above); furthermore, it lacks applicable advice or concrete examples to explain the subject better. I’ll save you some time and list the few new ideas I was able to extract from it:
– Great persuaders ask 3 times as many questions as the average salesmen (acting as a consultant rather than spit our straight facts)
– Without involvement there’s no commitment; it’s important to get people to start something (test drive, sample, taste, etc.)
– Employees work harder if their opinions/inputs are considered, even if final decision goes against it
– Emotional messages are perceived better than logical (ex: picture a homeless man with a sign that reads ‘I am hungry’ and another with ‘What if your parents were this hungry?‘ – as you may suspect the latter will get more attention)
– A list of persuasive words, especially useful in copy writing (such as: discover, guarantee, benefit, proven, transform, etc.)
After listening a number of podcasts with Peter Thiel as a guest and finding him very intelligent I decided to pick up his book. Suffice to say I truly enjoyed it and finished it in a couple of hours. Peter’s extensive experience in business (notably from co-founding PayPal) and investing in start-ups provides a unique, insider point of view. This book discusses the significance of creating something completely new rather than working on marginal improvements to existing products. Likewise, Peter discusses corporate culture and the importance of assembling the right team from the start. There are many good takeaways in this book and a few ideas I’ve been personally preoccupied with, such as acquiring more technical skills or getting into business with individuals who have an engineering/programming background.
Overall, it’s an excellent book that will make you want to think bigger.
I used to dread my daily commute, until I began listening to this book. It’s one of the most comprehensive, yet compact, accounts of human history bringing back memories of encyclopedias I enjoyed as a kid. The author explains a large variety of topics such as creation, evolution, money, and how formation of larger groups through shared stories made sapiens stand out from the rest.
He also explores fundamental differences between religions and theistic/naturalistic beliefs, ideologies and political systems; in doing so, the author not only presents facts and events, but also provokes deep thought on possibilities and trends of the future. The writing style is engaging and captivating, where Harari often uses humorously constructed scenarios to demonstrate the ridiculousness of some past ideas that humanity held as universal truth. I rarely read non-business related books, but this one’s a keeper and one I’ll gladly re-visit in the future.
Not surprisingly, it’s also #1 best seller in its category.
This book has forced my to do quite a bit of introspection and helped me better understand who I am as a person. It’s funny how you can go on with your daily life without thinking about why you do things a certain way, such as the motivations and impulses that dictate your actions. For example, I’ve learned the difference between shyness and introversion, temperament and personality, pre-dispositions and our ability to stretch like a rubber band in abnormal situations. Most importantly this book will help you understand your own preferred level of stimulation so you can organize your life around your optimal levels of arousal. Susan Cain presents a strong argument that by finding that sweet spot, you can better re-arrange your life to increase happiness and energy levels – something we never seem to have enough of.
There are many more gems in this book and I definitely recommend you grab a copy, you won’t regret it.
Waking Up by Sam Harris ☑
Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy ☑
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini ☑
How to Get Rich by Dennis Felix ☑
Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman ☑
The Millionaire Next Door by Mj DeMarco ☑
7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn ☑
Pre-Suasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini ☑
Vagabonding by Ralph Pots ☑
The Secrets to Closing a Sale by Zig Ziglar ☑
God’s Debris by Scott Adams ☑
The Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant ☑
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman ☑
How To Master The Art Of Selling Anything by Tom Hopkins ☑
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss ☑
Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters by Alan S. Miller & Satoshi Kanazawa ☑
– Elon by Ashley Vancee
– 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
– The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz


ROUND HILL LIBRARY
- First and second grade students will be allowed to check one book out of the library a week.
- Third, fourth and fifth grade students will be allowed to check out two books a week.
- The students must bring back the book(s) to be able to check out a new book.
- The students will be allowed to renew a book (as long as it is not on hold).
- There are no overdue fines.
Policy for Lost/Missing Books
Lost or damaged books must be replaced either by paying for the cost of a new book, or by providing a new copy of the same title to the library.
1. Return your books when they are due.
2. Keep your books safe. Have a special place where pets and little children cannot access them.
3. Carry your books in a bag. This will protect them from getting damaged.
4. Do not draw or color in your library books.
5. Do not eat or drink near your books.
6. Use a bookmark to save your place.


Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy rooted in the spiritual path to enlightenment through meditation. Throughout the years asanas (physical positions) were developed to mobilize and strengthen the body in preparation for meditation. Over time, however, the positive effects of the physical practice on the overall well-being and the harmonizing of body and soul were acknowledged.
Today, yoga incorporates asanas, pranayama (breathing exercises), relaxation and meditation.
Yoga Kurse und Pilates in Rhein Main Taunus:
Yoga-Studio studioY, Theresenstr. 11, 61462 Königstein


ebook now available at NO CHARGE:
Doing-Good-Work-Matters(pdf will download)
This book is right for you if… (pdf will download)
While Will wrote the book for workers, it can be a useful tool for managers to take a step back and “listen” to the words of employees. He also provided inspirational tips for workers to make their daily lives better (tips I might add that can also help managers in their own lives).
It’s an easy and fast read, but nevertheless requires managers to suspend judgment and re-examine what they’ve accepted as fact.
Linda Gorchels, Author, Management Trainer, Consultant
What people have to say…
Simple and direct. This book should be in the hands so many workers, especially young people who are still trying to figure out how work fits into their lives… It’s about time that the people doing the work have someone talk to them. Construction Crew Member
I’m giving everyone at my business this book – it reminds me to be better and it reminds my workers that they have a reason to do good work. Office Worker
WOW! Just finished your book and it was sharp, hit the mark by not pulling punches and really gave a voice to thousands of workers who believe they are never heard or understood. I really liked the bulls-eye points, because they were simple and direct and gave me something I could do without trying to change anyone else. Librarian


Westark Chess Club
You are on the official club website for the Fort Smith, River Valley area group. Westark Chess Club is a member of the Arkansas Chess Association, a 501.C3 non-profit organization dedicated to furthering chess in the state of Arkansas. As part of the Arkansas Chess Association, and the United States Chess Federation (USCF Affiliate: A6011292) and CXR affiliate: 789
Our goal is to promote interest in and enjoyment of chess at all levels. We operate to further educational, recreational, and social aspects of chess in the state and help our members achieve their chess goals. We have casual play, where beginners are welcome. We have a chess library available, offer chess supplies for sale, and host occasional tournaments.
Casual Club Gatherings
Visit one of the get-togethers to meet the group, hone your skills, and catch a game or two.
Join us for casual play during either of our regular, twice-a-week club meetings in Fort Smith: Mondays at 6pm Burger King (Zero & Hwy 271 South) and Thursdays at 6pm at Denny’s (Rogers Ave. near Hobby Lobby). Players also meet occasional Saturday mornings or afternoons in Van Buren to play. If you are interested in playing in Van Buren, contact Blake Tanner at 479-653-4923.
Meet the Current Board
We are every day people who believe in the benefits of chess within the community so we donate our time and efforts to the group. Feel free to contact us and find out more about joining this amazing group.
Chess Mom who helps with social media, organized the chess library, serves as tournament organizer and club promoter in her role as President.
Member at Large
With over 225 tournaments, Tyler is the most prolific tournament player in the club. He served as the ACA Board member for many years.
A local accountant & entrepreneur, “The Tax Doctor”, is a recent addition to WCC. Joining the club and re-entering competitive tournament play after a hiatus from chess.
Resource Library Coordinator
Houses the club’s chess library and will bring any book a member requests. Contact Sherman to check out a resource.
ACA Board Representative
Young married with two young children who generously serves the club as our representative on the ACA Executive Board.
Member at Large
Among the strongest players in the club, a Lifetime USCF member, been part of Westark CC since its inception, a former AR state champion, and retired school teacher. Bill brings experience and wisdom to the club.
Subscribe and Save!
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, and opportunity to be the first to hear about area tournaments and special resources. Early bird specials will be available through our newsletter!
Westark Chess Club History
Westark Chess Club was founded by Ernest Cialone an instructor at the former Westark College, now University of Arkansas Fort Smith. Ernest shares the story this way, ”
Ernest served as the first president, followed by Joel Gargus, and Karis Bellisario is the current president.


Here There Be Science; Here There Be Dragons!
A gentle hero, a great sage, a wise seeker of beauty and truth
Race: Silver Dragonborn
Alignment: Lawful Good
Weight: 190 lbs.
Skin: Silver scales
Weapon of Choice: Magic, Music, Spoken Word
The only son of a bronze dragonborn monk (who turned out to be a full-fledged gold dragon in disguise), Yarjerit Tinntinabulaar (or Yarjerit, for short) was proficient with words and music from a very young age. In his youth, “Tuneful” was the nickname he often received from other young dragonborn. He was coming of age when his father (still in dragonborn form) was sick on his deathbed. His father had started a library collection of dragon lore, and his dying wish was for his son to continue that work, and perhaps find a lost library full of forgotten history belonging to dragonkind. Yarjerit dedicated his life to this mission.
Yarjerit’s first quest, seeking a wonderfully rare tome through the choking depths of the Underdark, nearly killed him. Luckily, he was able to meet other friendly adventurers, find the tome, and return to the surface. The knowledge and friendships he gained in that first adventure inspired him to carry on and find many more treasures of art and knowledge relating to dragons and dragonborn.
Eventually, Yarjerit, settled in the Capitol and established his library there. His old age prevented him from going on more adventures, so Bahamut, the good dragon god, sent two younger travellers, Arjan and Sporck, to help him as his apprentices.
Wherever he went, Yarjerit looked for beauty even in the darkest places, and sought to inspire hope through inspiring words and music (specializing in the lute, the shawm, and the drums), carried by his profound baritone voice. From his first adventure to the day he disappeared from the Capitol, Yarjerit never sought greatness, only goodness, and in the end he achieves both with gentle grace.


Socio-economic statistical Data of 63 provinces and cities
The book includes figures for 63 provinces/central cities and combined Socio-economic data of the country from 2015 to 2018.
Date of issue: 12/05/2020Reference period: 2015-2018
Vietnam - Main Statistical Indicators in 2019
Main Statistical Indicators in 2019
Date of issue: 17/01/2020Reference period: 2019
Statistical summary book of Vietnam 2018
Overview of socio-economic situation in 2018.
Date of issue: 06/08/2019Reference period: 2018
Vietnam - Main Statistical Indicators of the Second Quarter and the First Half of 2019
This book contain main statistical indicators of the 2nd quarter and the first half of 2019
Date of issue: 29/07/2019Reference period: 6/2019Next release: 29/09/2019
Statistical Yearbook of Vietnam 2018
The Statistical Yearbook is an annual publication by the General Statistics Office
Date of issue: 29/06/2019Reference period: 2018Next release: 30/06/2020


Great classic romantic novels
Who says romantic novels can’t be heady? Romance has its share of literati glittering in its history as in any other writing genre; as romance was among the very first genres within the wonderful world of novels, this history stretches back centuries and includes some of the greatest who ever penned a line.
(Of note: that notorious bunch of classic writers today studied as leading figures in Romanticism of the 19th century – Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, William Wordsworth – just weren’t that romantic in our sense of the word. Which is not to say that works like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are not incredible, just not Rendezvous Books’ idea of romance.)
So check out the Rendezvous Books list of great classic romantic novels, and get ready to visit (or revisit) a read whose prose is as exquisite as it is pleasurable.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782)
We’ll start with an easy one. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses is four novels’ worth of epistolary story that is at once necessarily a product of his time and yet well ahead of it. The story of noble-class frenemies Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont is replete with details of the social mores among decadent elites juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust before the Revolution, witty repartee and, of course, seductive sex. As challenging a read as it is rewarding – and steamy.
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
If these books were listed in qualitative order, Jane Austen’s incredibly deep tale of the Bennet Family. Second-eldest daughter Elizabeth Bennet has become one of the most well-loved characters in all of fiction, but each of her supporting characters is marvelously detailed without bogging down in the purple prose so characteristic of early 19th-century literature. Incredibly, Austen’s prose is so clean, direct and no-nonsense that this 200-year-old work reads not archaic at all. A must-read for book lovers of all stripes.
Wuthering Heights (1847) and/or Jane Eyre (1847)
Two books by two sisters published the same year – and two opposite sides of the coin. Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is a desperate tale of impossible love that was forever after often imitated rarely equaled; Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a lighthearted romp with a fantastic, bubbly central character. Both are worthy of your time, so is the glass half-empty or half-full for you right about now…?
Madame Bovary (1856)
Would you believe a book so racy as to be labeled “obscene” by *French* authorities? So it was with Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, a novel as replete with classically educated characters with (gasp!) active sex lives. Several archetypes of the romance genre would be created here, including man-married-to-old-widow, the sexy doctor and the sexy-yet-naïve college student. Did we mention it’s French? Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334733/
Lady Chatterly’s Lover (1928)
With D.H. Lawrence to their credit, it’s amazing that the British have such a reputation for passionlessness. All of Lawrence’s 12 novels are loaded with steamy sensuality and hot ‘n’ bothered characters aplenty. Lady Chatterly’s Lover – written some 13 years after the petticoat-ruffling Sons and Lovers – was thought to be so overheated by Lawrence himself that he had the novel published by an obscure Italian printer. By the time Lady Chatterly finally came to light in 1960, British prosecutors went to work in labeling it obscene and inspiring bans of the book. This work remains the exemplar of the racy novel to this day. Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH5AWN-c4b8
Another archetype-creator, Rebecca was a best-seller in the late 1940s/early 50s that was usually dismissed as B-grade pulp fiction but, along with several other works, has seen become recognized as a top work by author Daphne du Maurier. Our heroine marries a British gentlemen in a story that soon turns to suspense, replete with a scary-ass matronly housekeeper. Equal parts romantic and suspenseful, Rebecca is the very essence of a novel ready for the screen – if du Maurier were alive today, she’d certainly be taken quite a bit more seriously.
L’Amour/The Lover (1971)
How wonderful is Marguerite Duras? The emotional power and passion nearly literally flow off the pages of her novels – her screenplays as well, for that matter. And the prose style is unbelievably minimalistic, packing so much into every word, into every sparsely laid-out page. As with most truly transcendent art, L’Amour must be experienced to be believed. (Incidentally, if you’re fluent enough, give The Lover a go in the original Franch. Duras’s sparse directness makes it a rare Franch-lanugage literary classic that the non-native speaker can grok.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984)
Those who know the extremely sexy-yet-cerebral work of Milan Kundera know that he’s about the only guy in history who could have made a sexy, compelling fiction despite devoting a good one-third of its pages to riffing on Nietzschean philosophy. In short, Unbearable Lightness brings together a group of characters a few generations descended from Madame Bovary and sets them against the halcyon events of Prague 1968. Brilliant and very hot in spots.
Norwegian Wood (1987)
And while Kundera’s protagonists were uprising in Czechoslovakia in 1968, so were Haruki Murakami’s in Japan. Norwegian Wood is an early novel from Murakami, today probably the most well-known and -loved Japanese author in “The West,” and features the story of a young man’s first experiences with sex and love in two romantic relationships around the time of the Summer of Love.
The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003)
With the preponderance of science-fiction in mainstream art & entertainment, it’s not surprise that the occasional romantically-tinged book comes down the pike. Such is The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger’s astounding mix of the two genres that became yet another unfortunate case for the Book Was Waaaaaaaay Better Than The Movie Department. In the novel, the title character’s love interest possesses a genetic malady which causes him to randomly travel backward and forward through time. Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cza5E9li928


About the Series
In this twisted modern fairytale, the lives of three teenagers, Crescenzo, Rosana, and Zack, collide as they contend with the disappearance of their families and learn a secret that uproots their lives: They are actually the children of Pinocchio, Alice, and Peter Pan, and there are dark forces in the fairytale world that want their parents back. With only a handful of handcrafted wooden figurines to light the way, Crescenzo and his friends set off on an epic quest to rescue their families, making unlikely friends–and relentless enemies–out of the storybook legends they thought they knew. But with the growing threat of the nightmarish Queen Avoria looming over his head, Crescenzo won’t just need a few loyal allies to bring his family back to the world he knows: He’ll need a whole army to save all three.
BOOK ONE: THE CARVER – (Winner of a LitPick Top Choice Award!)
The past is in his carvings. The future is in his hands.
THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers . . .
THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . .
THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . .
Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind.
With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.
BOOK TWO: THE UNSEEN
Through the looking glass and into the shadows.
BOOK THREE: THE HUMMINGBIRD
Fight for the New World; Die for the Old.


Angel Valley Library,
an Experiential Living Research and Exploration Center
The library provides:
The environment of Angel Valley is conducive to take any information found in the library into an embodied living experience. The library invites its visitors to experiment with new ways of acquiring information by activating all of one's senses, rather than absorbing only via the mind.
Through the collaboration with the World Research Foundation the library will contain copies of antique books, many of which offer amazingly provoking thoughts for this day and age.
In the Angel Valley Library the visitors will have access to the wealth of research and information on health issues that the World Research Foundation has collected in its thirty years of existence. Currently there are close to seven hundred information packages available. A search function is being developed, which will accommodate easy finding of specific information.
The library with its current size and location is expected to grow very soon into a most unique metaphysical collection attracting considerable attention.
We thank those who already have contributed or will be donating their time, money and metaphysical books. We welcome you to be part of our Angel Valley Community.


McFarlane - Conan Series 1 - Conan the Indomitable
CONAN THE INDOMITABLE CONAN SERIES 1 Paint: original paint Scale: 6-inch Format: action figure Packaging: clamshell In the year following the destruction of Venarium, Conan made his first journey beyond his homeland. He spent some months among a tribe of the Aesir, fighting the Vanir --- and it was during one of these clashes that he slew Heimdul, father of Skifell. Tired of the crowded cities in the south, teeming with people of politics and the trivial trappings of civilization, Conan longs to see the vast snow-covered expanses of his native north. Now his quest has brought him into the mountainous borderlands between the Vanir and Aesir. Back again in the lands where he was born, Conan now must face the son of his long-forgotten enemy.


Home » EDI Resources » Sample Training Resources
On this page you will find examples and extracts of resources that members of Housing Diversity Network can access as part of their annual membership. The other benefits of membership are outlined here.
Introduction to Equality and Diversity
The file below is an extract from the trainers pack that is provided along with a powerpoint presentation for HDN members. The full pack provides the resources you need to deliver an introduction to equality and diversity training session. The materials can be adapted to your own organisation and tailored to a range of audiences.
HDN Trainer’s Pack – Introduction to E&D Sample
Diversity and Customer Service Video
The video below is an extract of one of three videos provided to explore customer service in a housing context.
The scenes provide situations designed to provoke discussion around what is appropriate customer service and the potential impacts of getting it right or wrong.
There is an accompanying audio piece and training notes (sample provided below) that provide suggestions for discussions and a structure for the training. These resources were developed with Enact Solutions, a drama based training provider that Housing Diversity Network has worked with for several years.
HDN Diversity Customer Service Video Trainer Pack Sample
Handbooks, Toolkits and Toolbox Talks
In partnership with Places for People we have made available some comprehensive documents and resources. They are intended to complement your own information and adapted to your needs. The extracts below give an outline of the material. Currently, HDN members have access to a Diversity Handbook (213 pages), Language Phrase Book (23 pages), Little Diversity Toolkit (42 pages) and two Toolbox Talks Training packs (75 pages each).
HDN PfP Toolbox Talks – Diversity – Pack 1 Sample
HDN PfP Little Diversity Toolkit Sample
HDN Little Language Phrase Book Sample
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Transparent Oracle Sunday!
52, Guide: Ancestors/Dark Goddess (Below). The direction of Below is not easily associated with spirituality, yet it is a powerful symbol representing the opportunity to create a strong foundation, and to connect to the tools and powers of the Underworld. This card is about the ancestors who came before us, but it is also about the Goddess of the Underworld, and to some, it is about Hecate, the Triple Goddess of the Crossroads. This card can be about death, but it can also be about renewal. Our personal history, where we’ve gone and what we’ve learned, helps us to make choices in the future. This card is telling me these things are important.
43, Sun (Above). The direction of Above takes us up and out of the four traditional elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, and reminds us that we are but a small part of the Cosmos. Above also reminds us that while the Machinery of the Universe is huge, it does have an effect on each of us, and each of us is an important part of the workings of that Machinery. The Sun brings light and warmth into our world, and thus life can exist. The light illuminates truth, and the warmth brings wealth, success and happiness. Our sun has a corona, so The Sun tells of charisma and brilliance.
1, Gateway: Spring (East). East is the direction of the rising sun, and thus of new beginnings and fresh ideas, as well as knowledge, intellectual ideas and thoughts. The Gateway of Spring brings us fresh new beginnings and the first blossoming of creativity. There is an innocence about the energies of this Gateway, and an optimism, and perhaps these lovely energies will bring new insights, as well as new creativity.
I then stacked my cards and created my mandala. This one is a tight circle, and it just screams “time to renew!” at me. The Sun is the center of the mandala, and the six rays shoot outward. Three of the rays are between each of the Ancestors/Dark Goddesses, and three go right over the mouths and right through the hoods of the Ancestors/Dark Goddesses. The Gateway of Spring daffodils connect the edge of each hood, and right in the center of the brow chakra of each Ancestor/Dark Goddess, while the primroses are in the center of the Sun’s rays between each Ancestor/Dark Goddess. This presents to me a validation of everything I am considering and attempting to implement in my life right now, right down to the daffodil blossoms, the first powerful and visible proof that Spring is indeed beginning to manifest, despite the snow still on the ground. Renewal cannot happen effectively unless the foundation is strong, and unless the detritus of life was spread onto the ground as fertilizer, way back in the Fall. Since the work was done correctly in the past, it is time to begin the actual manifestation.


Parenting trips up even the most self-assured among us. The good news is we don’t have to figure it out from scratch or alone. What all these resources have in common is an emphasis on the relationship between caregivers and children, rather an a prescriptive approach telling you what to do and how to do it. No book, podcast or blog can cover every possible challenge that will arise. However, developing a framework for thinking about your identity as a parent is essential to getting to the heart of parenting challenges. These resources include strategies on how to understand and manage your own feelings and reactions – getting yourself anchored gives you the space to get curious about what is actually going on for your child.
The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children by Shefali Tsabary
Podcast Episode: Parenting Approaches from Hidden Brain
Touchpoints: Birth to Three by T. Berry Brazelton
The Birth of a Mother by Daniel Stern and Nadia Bruschweiler Stern
The Longest Shortest Time a Podcast from WNYC on a wide variety of parenting topics
The Simple Guide to Understanding Shame in Children by Betsy De Thierry


Karen Borgemenke, a bus driver for Springboro Schools, is often one of the first to arrive at Clearcreek Elementary with her students in the morning. Being a few minutes early to school allows Karen the time to engage the students on her bus, before they can enter the building. Mrs. Borgemenke uses this time to read to the students on the bus before they start their day at school.
“This particular school year, there are less students on the bus,” said Karen Borgemenke in reference to some students electing to not use the bus for transportation or choosing the district’s at-home learning model, in light of COVID-19. “With less students, my route is shorter, so rather than impact the parents’ schedules and adjust route times, I thought it would be nice to keep the same route times, get to school a few minutes early, and read to the kids with that extra time.”
Karen will visit the Clearcreek Elementary Library every week to select books that interest the students. Once the bus arrives to the parking lot and parks, Mrs. Borgemenke will stand towards the front of the bus, with the students remaining in their assigned seats, and read aloud to everyone. Mrs. Borgemenke will often engage the students, both Kindergarten and 1st Grade, in asking them questions about the particular book.
“As a former teacher and now a parent, it means so much that (Karen) used that down time to show the kids literature, as well as to give their day a positive start,” said a parent of a student on Mrs. Borgemenke’s bus.
“The students all seem to really enjoy it. It’s a great use of time, and I like the idea of getting to know my students more, and for my students to know their bus driver more,” Mrs. Borgemenke said. Mrs. Borgemenke was recently awarded the Clearcreek Elementary “Positive Panther Award.”
In addition to her duties as a bus driver, Mrs. Borgemenke also serves as a FIRST LEGO League Robotics Coach for students at Clearcreek Elementary. FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to children through fun, exciting hands-on learning.


Bibliope is a venture of Calvello Books, which showcases our more interesting, offbeat, and noteworthy material. A bibliophile since childhood, Michael Calvello worked in secondhand & antiquarian bookshops in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Bolerium Books, Libros Latinos, Maelstrom Books, and Diluvian Books. Along with Alan Green, he co-developed the popular desktop cataloging software, BookHound.
Michael is a passionate reader, writer and researcher. He has a background in the Arts, and holds a Master's of Library & Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin, with emphases in History of the Book, Bibliography, and Manuscript Traditions. For several years he owned Owl & Company Bookshop in Oakland. He enjoys making music, being a dad, sailing, walking, and developing new languages.
A bibliope is a paper-eating, text-digesting, ink-imbibing antelope of hyper-literate dimensions.


The art images displayed at the top of pages throughout this site are part of the Images for Academic Publishing (IAP) initiative supported by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Mellink Archive at Bryn Mawr College. Access provided by ARTstor. Details about each image are provided below. All images are © The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
Congratulations to Julia Ng, who has been awarded the prestigious Charles Bernheimer Prize for the best dissertation of 2013, conferred by the American Comparative Literature Association. Julia received her PhD in Comparative Literary Studies this year with a dissertation written under the supervision of Peter Fenves, David Van Zanten, and Samuel Weber entitled "Conditions of Impossibility: Failures and Fictions of Perpetual Peace." Julia is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard, where she is conducting research on her new project,"Body, Force, Right: Towards a Literary Theory of Posthumous Life." If you will be attending the ACLA Conference this year, please stop by the banquet to see Julia receive her award.
Congratulations to CLS Graduate Student Sarah Mann-O'Donnell, who was recognized at The Graduate School's inaugural Awards and Recognition Dinner, celebrating honorees who have made notable contributions to graduate life at Northwestern University. Sarah was presented the student award for Diversity.


Honoring Joan Lucky
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of JLMC Sustainer Joan Lucky. Joan served as JLMC President from 1976 to 1978 and was recognized with the Outstanding Leadership Award in 1974. In addition, she served as Chairman of the State Council of the Junior Leagues of New Jersey and Co-Chaired the JLMC Lochmere Designer Showcase. Joan took her JLMC training out into the community to serve on the Boards of the Two River Film Festival, the Monmouth Museum and Family and Children’s Service, as President of the Fair Haven PTA and the Rumson-Fair Haven Home and School Association, and on the advisory council for the Monmouth Conservatory.
Joan continued to promote the nonprofit community through her professional career as the host of The Monmouth Journal with Joan Lucky and the producer of the people section of the Two River Times.
The Junior League community mourns the loss of a prominent leader and longtime friend. Joan was a tireless warrior on behalf of the League and never failed to promote the JLMC, often returning to help wherever she was needed. Joan Lucky simply exemplified the mission of the Junior League. In 2011, the Joan Lucky Library on the second floor of JLMC Headquarters, at 55 Center Street in Rumson, was named in honor of her extraordinary and devoted service to the League.
The JLMC extends our deepest condolences to her husband Bob, her daughter Karen Katich (JLMC Sustainer) and the entire Lucky family.


The majority of books in the historic and highly significant library at Arley Hall needed moving so it was the perfect opportunity to check and clean them.
Books are made to be read and loved, but, sadly, anything other than the most careful handling is one of the greatest enemies of any book collection. It therefore makes sense to do any condition checking and cleaning when the books are already being handled rather than subjecting them to additional risk. Hog & Fitch were called in to work with the busy Arley team to help organise the move and ensure that preventive conservation concerns were top priority.
It was a mammoth task and we loved every minute of it.
After training the team in handling and supporting the books correctly, Hog & Fitch set up documentation procedures to ensure that every book could be tracked during the move and replaced in exactly the same position. It was also essential to assess the levels of dust on the shelves, to help ascertain future cleaning frequency.
Once the books were in safe temporary storage, the team checked the bookshelves for problems and cleaned them thoroughly. After a training session on book cleaning and condition checking, the painstaking task of checking, cleaning and documenting the books themselves began.
We dealt with mould, structural issues and substantial accumulations of dust. We ended with a list of recommendations and priorities for monitoring and conservator attention. In any space that is actively used on a regular basis, monitoring for physical damage or structural deterioration really is essential.
Returning clean books to clean shelves was gratifying, as was making minor changes to improve air circulation and support. The best thing was knowing that they had been checked and will be actively monitored– and that there was no accumulation of damage silently occurring in dark hidden corners or between the boards.
It was a pleasure to work with the Arley team again and to spend time in this beautiful room with such a collection.
Main header image: Detail of one of the elaborate carved letters on the library shelving bays Remaining images from top: Margaret preparing documentation before the move; the shelving bays are already identified by these lovely carved letters; detail of books on shelves; location identification; discussing the project; image during packing; temporary book support to prevent damage during packing; assessing dust levels (2 images); book cleaning and checking for mould (3 images) ; tying tapes on damaged books; shelving (2 images) and image during reinstatement
All photos by Hog & Fitch reproduced courtesy of Arley Hall


This is where you’ll find a complete list of guides for applying the information you’ve found on this site.
It will be updated as new guides are added so make sure you return to this page regularly.
- 5 Simple Steps for a Rewarding and Fulfilling Life (Updated 4th May 2014)
- A Beginners Guide to Dependence (Updated 4th May 2014)
- A Beginners Guide to Independence (Updated 4th May 2014)


Hulu has a lot of great movies – here are the 25 best films on the streaming service. In an age of options, less feels like more. While Netflix has an ever-expanding library, Hulu offers a more focused collection of great movies. Because volume isn’t the objective, Hulu succeeds in curating a batch of excellent films.
There are the Academy Awards classics like Apollo 13 and Chinatown, the arthouse darlings like Sorry to Bother You and The Hunt, and the pure entertainment gems like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Terminator 2. Hulu keeps it simple and offers something for everybody. Here are the 25 best movies that you can watch on Hulu right now.
Before we start, first a disclaimer. modern streaming libraries are like carousels, always moving and always changing. The films in this list are available on Hulu at the time of writing. We’ll be updating this top 25 list frequently, so keep an eye out for Hulu’s latest and greatest offerings. Also, the list isn’t ranked from worst to best, so a lower number is not meant to denote higher quality. It’s just a list of 25 great movies.
Last updated: April 5, 2019
While it slipped through awards season without much hype, Detroit remains one of 2017’s best films. Rotten Tomatoes awarded it an 84% for its “gut-wrenching dramatization of a tragic chapter” in American history. Director Kathryn Bigelow tackles the 1967 incident in Motor City with aplomb, deftly guiding a sprawling cast (led by John Boyega and Will Poulter) through a maze of tension, bigotry, and survival. Detroit streams exclusively on Hulu.
24. Batman Begins
The story of a newly orphaned Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman has been told multiple times, whether it be in movies, TV shows, or animated projects. It’s a tale any superhero fan is very familiar with, but arguably its greatest telling to date came in 2005’s Batman Begins, the first entry into Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Christian Bale stars as The Caped Crusader, backed by an excellent supporting cast, including Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy. Katie Holmes also appears as Bruce’s love interest Rachel Dawes, although Maggie Gyllenhaal would take over for the sequel. Comic book fans have every reason to answer Hulu’s Bat-Signal, and stream this terrific film.
Director Denis Villeneuve solidified his reputation with Arrival, perhaps the most intimate science fiction movie in recent years. Critics awarded it a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, and domestic fans boosted its box office to over $100 million, making it one of the most acclaimed films on Hulu. Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker help ground this mind-bending adventure. Should you have any questions about that ending, we’ve got you covered.
Read More: The New Golden Age of Cerebral Sci-Fi Movies
22. Edward Scissorhands
While Tim Burton’s reputation as a director has waned in recent years, there was a time when he was putting out cult classic after cult classic, and perhaps none of his classics are more cult than 1990’s Edward Scissorhands. Johnny Depp plays the titular character, an artificial man created by a kindly inventor (Vincent Price). When his creator dies, Edward has no choice but to meet the outside world, which isn’t easy, due to his titular condition. Winona Ryder, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dianne Wiest co-star in this gem, perfect for a Hulu streaming session.
21. The Shining
Jack Nicholson played many memorable roles over the course of his long career, but few proved quite as iconic as The Shining’s Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic writer who found himself pushed over the edge of madness by the malevolent spirits residing inside the remote Overlook Hotel. Based on Stephen King’s classic novel of the same name, director Stanley Kubrick’s film was never a favorite of the author, but audiences couldn’t disagree more. There are few horror films even on the level of The Shining, and it’s a must watch for Hulu subscribers.
20. Office Space
The workplace comedy is a long-term staple of pop culture, but few of them have even come close to capturing the frustration, boredom, and general malaise often involved in getting through the standard 9-5 office workday as well as Office Space. Ron Livingston leads writer/director Mike Judge’s hilarious ensemble cast as Peter Gibbons, a programmer at a company called Initech that has just about had enough of his daily routine. Gary Cole plays his infamously annoying boss Bill Lumbergh, a man with zero regard for his employees’ wants and needs. Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Diedrich Bader, and John C. McGinley also star in this top Hulu pick.
Read More: The 10 Best Quotes From Office Space
While it took director Martin Scorsese 25 years to make Silence, his commitment and passion are fully evident in every frame of the movie. As the title suggests, this is a quiet and interior film, a study of faith and persecution set in 17th Century Japan. Silence is a deeply transporting experience fueled by actors Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, and Adam Driver. Though largely ignored by the Oscars, Silence garnered an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score, and is very much worth checking out on Hulu.
18. Blue Velvet
If one’s only exposure to director David Lynch is through the TV series Twin Peaks, they owe it to themselves to check out what may be Lynch’s best movie, now on Hulu. Also starring Kyle MacLachlan, Blue Velvet in many ways inspired Twin Peaks’ colorful aesthetic, and its setting of a seemingly idyllic small town with horrors bubbling not far under the surface. The biggest of those horrors is violent madman Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), a villain always seen taking hits off of a container of an unidentified gas. Like any Lynch film, it’s surreal, but it’s also more accessible than much of the director’s work.
Page 2: More Great Movies On Hulu


Amy Kitcher has been a waitress, a teacher, a shop assistant, a lobbyist, and a politician. She has camped in the Sahara, lived in a Parisian apartment reputedly haunted by a monk and survived being run over by a pensioner. She loves travelling, reading and board games – any form of escapism really, which is what lead her, inevitably, to writing. She and her husband live in South Wales with their two children and a rescued Staffordshire Bull Terrier. ‘Blood Will Tell’ is her first novel.


The Treehouse Series
The 156-Storey Treehouse
September 14, 2022
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the treehouse...
It's Christmas Eve at the treehouse, and Andy and Terry are having lots of fun getting everything ready for their annual Christmas party the next day. But when Mr. Big Nose calls to tell them that the deadline for their next book is due Christmas Day, can Andy and Terry get it written and still find time to celebrate?
As always, Andy and Terry's treehouse has been newly-upgraded with 13 brand-new floors, including a lost property office (plus a lost sausage office), a world record breaking level, and a quiz show level featuring Quizzy the quizical quizbot.
There's plenty of laughs in this treehouse Christmas that you'll enjoy reading about, such as when Terry keeps annoying Andy by singing penguin-themed Christmas carols.
And of course, Terry has not only filled the story with heaps of his signature illustrations, but has hidden at least one lost sausage in a lot of the pictures too...
If you've enjoyed reading about the adventures had in Andy and Terry's ever-expanding treehouse, you'll enjoy this one, the latest in the series.
Overall, this is a unique Christmas tale that only Andy and Terry could tell, and destined to become a holiday classic in any household.
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apiron (“API” + “iron”) is a Python wrapper for interacting with RESTful APIs
Read the upgrade guide to make sure you’re prepared for the latest version of apiron.
Welcome to the documentation for
You can use this documentation to orient yourself to the codebase,
search broadly for existing functionality,
or look up the expectations for specific classes and methods.
As with all documentation, this is a living, breathing beast. If you notice something undocumented or misdocumented, feel free to change it in a pull request!
Learn about developing these docs themselves.
You can always find these features in the navigation menu.


La Stéréoscopie Numérique
"La Stéréoscopie Numérique" has its dedicated page on this web site.
"La Stéréoscopie Numérique" is edited by Eyrolles. ISBN : 978-2-212-12988-5.
The book has 350 pages dedicated to technical aspects of the 3D creation workflow, from still and cinema cameras to transmission, printing, display and onlibe publication. You will find lot of information on selection, use, and calibration of a 3D rig; 3D Blu-ray disk authoring; detailed internal working of the HDMI 1.4a interface; and more...
The book web page is here.


JAKARTA – Cosmetics mogul Datuk Seri Vida yesterday launched a book on her secrets for business success titled “I Am Me: Rahsia Niaga DS Vida” at the Indonesia International Bookfair (IIBF) here.
Vida, whose real name is Hasmiza Othman, said the book contained valuable guides and advice for those who wanted to start a business as it chronicled her journey in building her multimillion ringgit business empire.
“Those new to startup businesses need to get this book to help them make the right business decisions and avoid bad investments,” she told the audience during the launch held at the Jakarta Convention Centre.
Also present were the Deputy Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Zamsari Shaharan, Malaysian Institute for Translation and Books (ITBM) chairman Budiman Mohd Zohdi and chief executive officer Mohd Khair Ngadiron.
The book reveals the numerous struggles, failures and setbacks the multimillionaire had faced before launching into stardom through her product advertisement that went viral in 2015.
A true businesswoman with her own unconventional ideas about marketing, Vida built the recognition for her book by launching a music video to her debut single, “I Am Me” a month ago.
The contagious tune, eye-catching visuals and catchy-but-simple lyrics of the song quickly went viral and the music video, uploaded on YouTube a month ago, has since garnered 7.7 million views.
Vida said she was pleased with how the book turned out as her packed schedule prevented her from spending too much time on it.
“The author did a good job. She managed to capture the spirit of what I wanted to convey and the book is exactly how I envisioned it to be.
“Many publishers have approached me but, I went with ITBM because I liked the fact that they had a clear idea and direction of where the book was going as I did not have much time to spend on it. I clearly made the right choice,” she told the Malaysian press earlier.
Author Zinitulniza Abdul Kadir told Bernama that the interview took six hours and the entire book was put together from cover to cover in just a little over two weeks.
“It was not easy as she (Vida) had her own idea about how everything should be done. During the photoshoot, she was skeptical that she would look good in the corporate attire we had picked out for her but when she saw the proofs, she changed her mind and got onboard.
“We were very lucky as we had a good, supportive team that worked hard to put everything together within the given deadline. Everything just fell beautifully into place,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Khair said that pre-order sales had been highly encouraging with over 5,000 copies ordered through Vida’s Facebook account.
The book is priced at RM68 each and will be available in major bookstores in Malaysia within the next two weeks.
The book can also be purchased online through ITBM’s store at itbm.com.my. — Bernama


By Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
I have enjoyed a lifetime love affair with children, particularly newborns, infants, and toddlers. If a baby is in the room, it’s almost as if there is a magnetic connection that draws my attention and I must make contact. Being the father of eight children, I have spent countless hours simply gazing into the eyes of a brand-new arrival into our family. In these private moments, I often send silent inquisitive messages asking them to tell me about God and what the formless spiritual world is like.
I have passed many, many hours of my life lying on the floor making direct contact with our new arrivals. I’ve long been fascinated by the fact that children just show up here with personality traits. I love to ask little toddlers who are only beginning to communicate with language to tell me what they remember about their experiences before coming here for this earthly incarnation. In fact, the entire book Memories of Heaven: Children’s Astounding Recollections of the Time Before They Came to Earth was created because my co-author, Dee Garnes, engaged in such a conversation with her little boy, Marcus, who was just learning how to communicate in single words.
I have asked adults from all walks of life to share the wisdom of their little ones, and I have included many of my own experiences with my children’s recollections in this book. After reading through the responses that Dee and I received from people all over the planet, I am more than convinced that there is much more to our lives than the few short years we are allotted here on Earth.
Our young boys and girls are the ones who can offer us a glimpse into the unfathomable, infinite, invisible world that is for all of us to discover.
After all, they haven’t had much time to truly forget.
I have always loved the poem written by the English poet William Wordsworth, titled “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” One of the lines says:
“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.”
As I would look into the eyes of one of my own newborns, I would frequently contemplate what the poet is saying here. This entire human experience is like a dream: we sleep, we dream, and then we awaken, forgetting all of those wondrous experiences in our dream state. But sometimes we can recall some tidbits of that dream, particularly if we have very recently emerged from sleep. As I would look at this newly arrived miracle in my lap, I’d feel the truth of Wordsworth’s words.
Our birth may indeed be a sleep, but not all of it is forgotten by children, and it was thanks to that idea that this compilation book was born. Every remembrance cited within came from children who seem to have these recollections, just as we adults do when attempting to explain what has taken place in that mysterious dream world we enter every night, and live in for at least one-third of our time here.
Dee and I have gone through thousands upon thousands of entries that were sent to us when we asked for personal anecdotes about young children’s memories of heaven. So many of the stories that my own children relayed to me when they were just learning to talk, which I thought were unique to me and our family, have actually turned out to be quite universal in nature—countless people gave us almost identical stories about children reporting how they remembered choosing their parents for this journey, how they had invisible friends that only they could see, memories of past lives in the same family, visitations with God, and on and on.
Today there is an entire literature filled with rigorous scientific evidence of past lives and the presence of angels among us. I myself have had a very powerful journey to a previous life, and I have had my mind expanded by my close association with many highly respected scholars who have provided convincing testimony for the reality of the infinite spiritual realm. But it is out of the mouths of these babes, who have recently shown up here and still have some remnants of heaven clinging to them—which they talk about unequivocally—that we are all provided with clues to the world beyond. It is to those voices that this book is dedicated.
In Wordsworth’s “Recollections of Early Childhood” he gives us this to chew on as well: “The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star, / Hath had elsewhere its setting, / And cometh from afar . . . From God, who is our home. “
Know that these little beings are drenched in the heaven that is our home. They have so much to teach us all.
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Memories of Heaven: Children’s Astounding Recollections of the Time Before They Came to Earth by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Dee Garnes (Hay House; October 13, 2015)
Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., who passed away August 29, 2015, was an internationally renowned author and speaker in the fields of self-development and spiritual growth. Over the four decades of his career, he wrote more than 40 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers. He created many audio and video programs, and appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.
He also starred in 10 National Public Television specials—featuring his books Manifest Your Destiny, Wisdom of the Ages, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and the New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, Inspiration, Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, Excuses Begone!, Wishes Fulfilled, and I Can See Clearly Now—which raised over $250 million for public television. Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Wayne received a doctorate in educational counseling from Wayne State University and was an associate professor at St. John’s University in New York. Visit his Website: www.DrWayneDyer.com.


“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
At my office book club, we finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. On the whole, I found this book disappointing. I respect Malcolm Gladwell as a storyteller, but as a philosopher his ideas are deeply misguided.
In the first two chapters, Gladwell says the book is about the concept of success. I think the thesis is that conditions predict success more than ones’ individual determination does. That part of the book is compelling.
After that, Gladwell uses the rest of the book as a rambling argument for racism. The book’s penultimate chapter is called “Rice Paddies and Math Tests,” which — you may have guessed — is about how Chinese people are good at math because of rice farming. That’s as crass as a stereotype can be. Gladwell never feigns any attempt at subtlety or caution. Gladwell’s coup de grace in the final paragraph of the chapter is that the world’s hardest working students and the countries with the world’s best math students are all in East and Southeast Asia: Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan.
What those five have in common, of course, is that they are all cultures shaped by the tradition of wet-rice agriculture.
Gladwell leaves it to a footnote to clarify that China (the primary country discussed in the chapter) is omitted from this list for technical reasons, and he completely ignores that neither Signapore nor Hong Kong produce any rice at all. In fact, the other three countries don’t even produce that much rice. Per person, they rank below Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nepal, Mali, Madagascar, India, and Peru — all countries that have miraculously avoided the good-at-math stereotype.
But Gladwell asserts that Asian readers should take no offense at the bizarrely unsubstantiated stereotype.
Go to any Western college campus and you’ll find that Asian students have a reputation for being in the library long after everyone else has left. Sometimes people of Asian background get offended when their culture is described in this way, because they think that the stereotype is being used as a form of disparagement. But a belief in work ought to be a thing of beauty… Working really hard is what successful people do, and the genius of the culture formed in the rice paddies is that hard work gave those in the fields a way to find meaning in the midst of great uncertainty and poverty. That lesson has served Asians well in many endeavors but rarely so perfectly as in the case of mathematics.
Gladwell acts as if he misses the obvious facts here:
- anyone would be offended if you described them as if they had just walked out of a peasant farm,
- millions of East Asians feel uncomfortable as strange assumptions about their skills and interests follow them through their whole lives, and
- billions of people from thousands of cultures in dozens of countries compose the group that Gladwell describes as “Asian” and reduces to the concepts of rice.
But more than that, he also ignores the wrongness of assuming character traits about people based on their ethnicity. On the contrary, he argues that to do so is logical — a lazy intellectual trap that puts Gladwell squarely in the same category as the eugenicists and phrenologists of days past.
I won’t comb through the rest of the book, but I had similar qualms with almost every chapter. This raises the question: is Gladwell deliberately oblivious, or just unwise? In this case, I think he’s probably just unwise. Towards the end of the book, he loosely logics that Caribbean slavery was ultimately a good things because it led to himself (a descendent of slaves) being born. We don’t need a Philosophy 101 class to understand that consequence doesn’t justify cause, but Gladwell seems to genuinely miss this fact.→