Poems to Learn by Heart

There's a poem to celebrate every moment in life-whether it's hitting a home run, watching a sunset, or laughing with your best friend. A poem is a gift of the heart that can inspire, reassure, or challenge us. Memorize it-share it-it's yours forever.

In this diverse collection, a companion to her New York Times #1 best-seller A Family of Poems, Caroline Kennedy has chosen more than a hundred poems that speak to all of us: the young and young at heart, readers new to poetry and devoted fans. These poems explore deep emotions, as well as ordinary experiences. They cover the range of human experience and imagination. Divided into sections about nature, sports, monsters and fairies, friendship and family, this book is full of surprises. Each section is preceded by Caroline's thoughtful introduction reflecting her own family's engagement with and enjoyment of poetry.

Illustrated with striking watercolor paintings by award-winning artist Jon J Muth, this is truly a book for all ages and interests, and one that families will want to share for years to come.

Life After Life: A Novel

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.

By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.

Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com.

The Five Love Languages is a consistent new York Times bestseller - with over 5 million copies sold and translated into 38 languages. This book is a sales phenomenon, with each year outselling the prior for 16 years running!

Includes a promotional code to gain exclusive online access to the new comprehensive love languages assessment.

StrengthsFinder 2.0

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.

Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself--and the world around you--forever.

Available exclusively in StrengthsFinder 2.0:
(using the unique access code included with each book)

* A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment
* A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide for applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year
* A more customized version of your top five theme report
* 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of your top five themes)

ObamaCare Survival Guide

Congress passed it. President Obama signed it into law. The Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional. And Obama's re-election virtually ensures the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, will be implemented in full, with the prospects of wholesale repeal all but impossible. In fact, many provisions of the new law are already becoming a reality with major new regulations set to start soon. ObamaCare will affect every single American, but few know what exactly the 2,700 page law actually says. Now, the ObamaCare Survival Guide, written in plain, easy-to-read language, makes the law simple to understand and gives you the tools to navigate ObamaCare.

Now, the ObamaCare Survival Guide, written in plain, easy-to-read language, makes the law simple to understand. The ObamaCare Survival Guide reveals:
How currently insured people will be affected, including rising premium costs
Medicare shocker: cuts in benefits, new rules
New protections for the uninsured
Hidden fees and levies
New taxes for the affluent
Small businesses: new requirements, tax credits
Prescription drug users: new fees
A timetable for each part of the healthcare plan
Essential benefits insurance companies must provide
ObamaCare s impact on long-term care
Your responsibilities and penalties under the new laws
How to maximize your future healthcare dollars
The cost to you as a consumer
And much, much more . . .

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Dr. Seuss's wonderfully wise graduation speech is the perfect send-off for children starting out in the world, be they nursery, high school, or college grads! With his trademark use of humorous verse and illustrations, Dr. Seuss addresses the the ups and downs life presents while encouraging readers to find the success that lies within them all.

"Don't be fooled by the title of this seriocomic ode to success; it's not 'Climb Every Mountain,' kid version. All journeys face perils, whether from indecision, from loneliness, or worst of all, from too much waiting. Seuss' familiar pajama-clad hero is up to the challenge, and his odyssey is captured vividly in busy two-page spreads evoking both the good times (grinning purple elephants, floating golden castles) and the bad (deep blue wells of confusion). Seuss' message is simple but never sappy: life may be a 'Great Balancing Act,' but through it all 'There's fun to be done.'"—(starred) Booklist.

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

Uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year by missionary Sarah Young.

Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year. After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her. It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue. She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God. Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages. They are written from Jesus' point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling. It is Sarah's fervent prayer that our Savior may bless readers with His presence and His peace in ever deeper measure.

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife

A SCIENTIST’S CASE FOR THE AFTERLIFE

Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.

Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back.

Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself.

Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition.

This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Reading it will change your life.

Inferno: A Novel (Robert Langdon)

Dan Brown's new novel, Inferno, features renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and is set in the heart of Europe, where Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centred around one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.


As Dan Brown comments: "Although I studied Dante's Inferno as a student, it wasn't until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante's work on the modern world. With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm.a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways."

The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting

There are many ways to lose weight from counting point to micro-managing carbs. But almost all of them involve eating less calories on a daily basis. The result - you lose weight but let's face it the prospect of eating less every day gets old. And in many cases weight that is shed is quickly put back on.

Enter Dr. Michael Mosley with "The Fast Diet". Dr. Mosley a science researcher, investigated how fasting can result in enormous benefits such as increased longevity, lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol and much more. He presented his findings in the British television BBC special documentary "Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer".

Instead of a pure fast Dr. Mosley found that you could enjoy many benefits from eating a reduced calorie diet just 2 days a week and eating normally the other 5. For women about 500 calories and for men about 600 on the 2 lower calorie days. Based on the documentary thousands of British people tried eating this way and found it to be fast, effective and much easier than a traditional diet.

In the book, "The Fast Diet", Dr. Mosley presents the science behind how and why the diet works. His co-author Mini Spencer shares menu plans and tips to make the plan user friendly. The book also includes color photographs so you get a feel for what a low calorie day looks like. And there are inspirational accounts from people who are using the diet, losing weight and enjoying greater health and renewed vitality.

A typical 500 calorie day on the plan might include a small apple, small mango and small boiled egg (223 calories) for breakfast and a tuna, bean and garlic salad for dinner (267 calories). Or you could spread your calories between lunch and dinner or eat them at one main meal. The plan is very flexible. The days you are not on the plan you eat normally, including high fat foods, without counting calories. You might think that on the feed days people would go crazy but research has shown that people eat only a little more than what they would normally eat. Knowing that you can have pretty much what you like most days of the week makes sticking to the plan so much easier than traditional diets.

Based on the documentary (before the book was released in the U.S.) I decided to try the plan making up simple 500 calorie meals and I was amazed at how much easier it is than traditional dieting. Variations of the plan are easy to do also such as every other day, 4:3 etc. And if you miss a day you simply get back on track the next. On fast days, I like to go as far into the day as possible without eating so I have a cup of espresso in the morning, an egg on sandwich thin with berries around noon, small snack mid-afternoon and a protein with veggies for dinner. It has been surprisingly easy to do. I dropped 5 pounds fast!

The benefits of following 5:2 are huge from what we can see visually i.e. weight loss to what we can't i.e. our bodies inner workings. And best of all many find that it is so much easier to diet just a couple days a week than every day. You really do get used to it. Once you have achieved your desired body weight you can adjust the plan to one day a week if desired or eat a few more calories on the diet days.

Side note - I purchased the Kindle version of the book and the formatting is excellent. The menu plan is hyper-linked to the recipes and the color photos are clear.

Overall if you are struggling with traditional diets and want to improve your health, this book, "The Fast Diet" gets my highest recommendation!

A Song of Ice and Fire, Books 1-4 (A Game of Thrones / A Feast for Crows / A Storm of Swords / Clash of Kings

George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has become, in many ways, the gold standard for modern epic fantasy. Martin—dubbed the "American Tolkien" by Time magazine—has created a world that is as rich and vital as any piece of historical fiction, set in an age of knights and chivalry and filled with a plethora of fascinating, multidimensional characters that you love, hate to love, or love to hate as they struggle for control of a divided kingdom. It is this very vitality that has led it to be adapted as the HBO miniseries “Game of Thrones.”

Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun

Relish by Daphne Oz – bestselling author of The Dorm Room Diet, cohost of the hit daytime talk show The Chew, and daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz – offers simple, practical, and personal advice to help you live your better life right now.

Daphne Oz made a splash by sharing her secrets for avoiding the dreaded Freshman Fifteen in the perennial bestseller The Dorm Room Diet. Now, this lifestyle guru shares essential advice on how to relish your food, your home, and your life in order to maximize health and happiness.

Illustrated in full color with beautiful food and recipe photos, images of real-world and aspirational decor examples, and lots of creative lifestyle ideas, Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun will help you envision a life that’s highly desirable and eminently achievable.

The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food and Lose More Weight

Haylie Pomroy has helped countless clients lose up to 20 pounds in just 4 weeks –all through the fat-burning power of food. Hailed as “the metabolism whisperer,” Haylie reminds us that food is not the enemy, it’s the rehab needed to rev-up your sluggish, broken-down metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning furnace.

On this plan you’re going to eat a lot. You’re going to eat three full meals and at least two snacks a day – and you’re still going to lose weight. What you’re not going to do is count a single calorie or fat gram. You’re going not to ban entire food groups. You’re not going to go carb-free or vegan or go cold turkey on the foods you love. Instead, you’re going to rotate what you’re eating throughout each week according to a simple and proven plan carefully designed to induce precise physiological changes that will set your metabolism on fire.

Phase I (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits Phase II (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies Phase III (Friday-Sunday): All of the above, plus healthy fats and oils

By keeping your metabolism guessing in this specific and deliberate way, you’ll get it working faster. This isn’t just a theory, it’s the results-based product of Haylie Pomroy’s successful programs. It’s worked for celebrities, for athletes, and for people with chronic illnesses who need to lose weight, doctor’s orders. Now it’s going to work for you.

In 4 weeks not only will you see the weight fall off, you’ll also see your cholesterol drop, your blood sugar stabilize, your energy increase, your sleep improve, and your stress dramatically reduce. All thanks to the miraculous power of real, delicious, satisfying food!

Plus, by switching up what you’re eating every few days, you’ll get to enjoy a greater variety of foods, so your palate will never feel bored or deprived. Complete with 4 weeks of meal plans and over 50 recipes – including vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options – this is the silver bullet for the chronic dieter who has tried every fad diet and failed, the first time dieter attempting to kick her metabolism into gear, and anyone who wants to naturally and safely eat her way to a skinner, healthier self.
Related Subjects
Diet & Nutrition
What People Are Saying
From the Publisher
“This is not a fad diet. It’s a medically proven method of food as medicine to fight obesity, cure chronic illness, and heal a broken metabolism. Haylie’s years of experience and wisdom blends the perfectly delicious plan to create revolutionary results.” Dr. Jacqueline Fields M.D.

"Without question, Haylie is the biggest celebrity weight loss guru… period. And here's the reason so many stars and athletes flock to her: it works, and it's easy. Unlike all of the "quick-fix" gimmicks and fad diets, the weight STAYS off. I dropped 25 lbs. in the first month, and 10 more after, all with great food, and no counting calories. I call her my witch (the good kind). It's not magic, but it sure feels like it." -David Swift, CEO Swift Entertainment

As I was reading The Fast Metabolism Diet I felt like the kid from Chorus Line who sang 'I can Do That.' So I'm doing the diet and watching the 2O ugly pounds drop…. Buy a case of books and watch your neighborhood shrink to right size. —Albert Clayton Gaulden, founding director, The Sedona Intensive and author of You're Not Who You Think You Are and Signs and Wonders.
Read More
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
“This is not a fad diet. It’s a medically proven method of food as medicine to fight obesity, cure chronic illness, and heal a broken metabolism. Haylie’s years of experience and wisdom blends the perfectly delicious plan to create revolutionary results.” Dr. Jacqueline Fields M.D.

 "Without question, Haylie is the biggest celebrity weight loss guru… period. And here's the reason so many stars and athletes flock to her: it works, and it's easy. Unlike all of the "quick-fix" gimmicks and fad diets, the weight STAYS off. I dropped 25 lbs. in the first month, and 10 more after, all with great food, and no counting calories. I call her my witch (the good kind). It's not magic, but it sure feels like it." -David Swift, CEO Swift Entertainment.

The Great Gatsby

The novel's events are filtered through the consciousness of its narrator, Nick Carraway, a young Yale graduate, who is both a part of and separate from the world he describes. Upon moving to New York, he rents a house next door to the mansion of an eccentric millionaire (Jay Gatsby). Every Saturday, Gatsby throws a party at his mansion and all the great and the good of the young fashionable world come to marvel at his extravagance (as well as swap gossipy stories about their host who--it is suggested--has a murky past).

Despite his high-living, Gatsby is dissatisfied; and Nick finds out why. Long ago, Gatsby fell in love with a young girl, Daisy. Although she has always loved Gatsby, she is currently married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby asks Nick to help him meet Daisy once more, and Nick finally agrees--arranging tea for Daisy at his house.
The two ex-lovers meet and soon rekindle their affair. Soon, Tom begins to suspect and challenges the two of them--also revealing something that the reader had already begun to suspect: that Gatsby's fortune was made through illegal gambling and bootlegging. Gatsby and Daisy drive back to New York. In the wake of the emotional confrontation, Daisy hits and kills a woman. Gatsby feels that his life would be nothing without Daisy, so he determines to take the blame.

George Wilson--who discovers that the car that killed his wife belongs to Gatsby--comes to Gatsby's house and shoots him. Nick arranges a funeral for his friend, and then decides to leave New York--saddened by the fatal events and disgusted by the easy way lived their lives.

Wealth as an Exploration of the Deeper Qualities of Life: The Great Gatsby

The power of Gatsby as a character is inextricably linked with his wealth. From the very beginning of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald sets up his eponymous hero as an enigma: the playboy millionaire with the shady past who can enjoy the frivolity and ephemera that he creates around him. However, the reality of the situation is that Gatsby is a man in love. Nothing more. He concentrated all of his life on winning Daisy back.
It is the way that he attempts to do this, however, that is central to Fitzgerald's world-view. Gatsby creates himself--both his mystique and his personality--around rotten values. They are the values of the American dream--that money, wealth and popularity are all there is to achieve in this world. He gives everything he has--emotionally and physically--to win, and it is this unrestrained desire that contributes to his eventual downfall.

It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great

Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy-Award winning actress and bestselling cookbook author, returns with recipes for the foods she eats when she wants to lose weight, look good, and feel more energetic.

Last spring, after a particularly grueling schedule and lapse of overindulgence, Gwyneth Paltrow was feeling fatigued and faint. A visit to her doctor revealed that she was anemic, vitamin D deficient, and that her stress levels were sky high. He prescribed an elimination diet to clear out her system and help her body heal. But this meant no coffee, no alcohol, no dairy, no eggs, no sugar, no shellfish, no deep-water fish, no wheat, no meat, no soy, nothing processed at all!

An avid foodie, Paltrow was concerned that so many restrictions would make mealtime boring, so, together with Julia Turshen, she compiled a collection of 185 delicious, easy recipes that followed her doctor's guidelines. And it worked! After changing her diet, Paltrow healed totally, felt more energetic and looked great. Now, in IT'S ALL GOOD, she shares the go-to dishes that have become the baseline for the restorative diet she turns to whenever she feels she needs it. Recipes include: Huevos Rancheros, Hummus Tartine with Scallion-Mint Pesto, Salmon Burgers with Pickled Ginger, even Power Brownies, Banana "Ice Cream," and more!

Dreams Come True... All They Need Is You!

An enchanted night reveals what every little girl and boy already knows: that dreams come true, all they need is you! During a nighttime dream, three young friends lift off in a hot air balloon over the moon and past the stars to a wonderland of dolphins, islands, and the simplest of rhyming life-lessons that are easy to learn and fun to share.

From the Author

Have you ever had a project go suddenly and disappointingly off course ... only to end-up exceeding your wildest expectations? Rarely has this been so extreme — both heartbreaking and Whoohoo-inducing- as it was for Dreams Come True.

Over a 3 year period, nothing I said or did could persuade any publisher to take it on.

Over the next year, nothing I said or did could persuade the artists of my choice to take it on.

What?! Is it that bad? What am I not seeing?

Finally, an agency made a timid recommendation, their third.... and suddenly (over 4 years later!) the project fell into a "Twilight Zone" of creative serendipities and divine collaboration with the heaven sent Virginia Allyn, proving once again that by holding onto a vision in spite of appearances, taking action, and never giving up... dreams do come true! Now, however, on the other end of the process, I'd like to remind others what I had too easily forgotten. That while they most certainly do come true...
only in hindsight are the miracles obvious.
only in hindsight can we see how guided we were.
and only in hindsight do we find that all along there was a plan.

To your miracles, guides, and the plans that await,

Mike Dooley

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

YOU WANT LESS. You want fewer distractions and less on your plate. The daily barrage of e-mails, texts, tweets, messages, and meetings distract you and stress you out. The simultaneous demands of work and family are taking a toll. And what s the cost? Second-rate work, missed deadlines, smaller paychecks, fewer promotions and lots of stress. AND YOU WANT MORE. You want more productivity from your work. More income for a better lifestyle. You want more satisfaction from life, and more time for yourself, your family, and your friends. NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH LESS AND MORE. In The ONE Thing, you ll learn to cut through the clutter achieve better results in less time build momentum toward your goal dial down the stress overcome that overwhelmed feeling revive your energy stay on track master what matters to you The ONE Thing delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life work, personal, family, and spiritual. WHAT S YOUR ONE THING?

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked on Fortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

In Lean In, Sandberg digs deeper into these issues, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to cut through the layers of ambiguity and bias surrounding the lives and choices of working women. She recounts her own decisions, mistakes, and daily struggles to make the right choices for herself, her career, and her family. She provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career, urging women to set boundaries and to abandon the myth of “having it all.” She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women in the workplace and at home.

Written with both humor and wisdom, Sandberg’s book is an inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth. Lean In is destined to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can.