It's Not All Downhill From Here


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • After a sudden change of plans, a remarkable woman and her loyal group of friends try to figure out what she’s going to do with the rest of her life—from Terry McMillan, the bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE AND GOOD HOUSEKEEPING • “Poignant, funny and full of life, this is a balm for troubled times.”—People Loretha Curry’s life is full. A little crowded sometimes, but full indeed. On the eve of her sixty-eighth birthday, she has a booming beauty-supply empire, a gaggle of lifelong friends, and a husband whose moves still surprise. True, she’s carrying a few more pounds than she should be, but Loretha is not one of those women who think her best days are behind her—and she’s determined to prove wrong her mother, her twin sister, and everyone else with that outdated view of aging wrong. It’s not all downhill from here. But when an unexpected loss turns her world upside down, Loretha will have to summon all her strength, resourcefulness, and determination to keep on thriving, pursue joy, heal old wounds, and chart new paths. With a little help from her friends, of course.




Rolling Rocks Downhill


Book Description

--- It's May, so guess what? We all survived the Scottish winter! --- So ... here's 60% off the Kindle version (and 20% off the paperback) until the end of the week, in celebration.A story that sticks ...Rolling Rocks Downhill is a fast-moving business novel, like Eli Goldratt's classic, "The Goal", where you sit on the shoulders of the characters and quietly watch as they discover the few - but fundamental - principles which underly successful commercial software development. Faster than you ever thought possibleThis is NOT a technical book. It doesn't mention "Agile". It doesn't ram techniques and practices down your throat. There are other books for that. Rolling Rocks downhill is a book about delivering software projects ON TIME or, if you choose, EARLY. It's a book about building quality in and then running as FAST as you can. J. B. Rainsberger, author of JUnit Recipes:I don't know how many of my clients would take the time to read "The Goal", but I insist that they read Rolling Rocks Downhill--it strongly reinforces the essence of Agile software development that has been drowned in an ocean of process manuals, maturity models, and checklists. Just as "The Goal" sought to bring common sense back to manufacturing, so this book seeks to bring common sense back to a software industry that sorely needs it. -- J. B. Rainsberger Johanna Rothman, author of Jolt Productivity award-winning Manage It! Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management:Maybe one of your teammates or someone in management has the bright idea that maybe transitioning to agile or lean will help. Maybe it does in some small way. But, it's not enough. You're on a death march, iteration by iteration. Or, with your board, you can see that you are making progress, but you're not working "fast enough." Or, you're not delivering what your customers need. You're still trying to "do it all." Why? Because it takes you forever to release anything. You know there's another piece to this. You just don't know what. You need to read Clarke Ching's Rolling Rocks Downhill.




How Music Works


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • David Byrne’s incisive and enthusiastic look at the musical art form, from its very inceptions to the influences that shape it, whether acoustical, economic, social, or technological—now updated with a new chapter on digital curation. “How Music Works is a buoyant hybrid of social history, anthropological survey, autobiography, personal philosophy, and business manual”—The Boston Globe Utilizing his incomparable career and inspired collaborations with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and many others, David Byrne taps deeply into his lifetime of knowledge to explore the panoptic elements of music, how it shapes the human experience, and reveals the impetus behind how we create, consume, distribute, and enjoy the songs, symphonies, and rhythms that provide the backbeat of life. Byrne’s magnum opus uncovers thrilling realizations about the redemptive liberation that music brings us all.




"Going Down Hill"


Book Description

This book discusses the legacies of American Revolutionary War in the context of growing American imperial hubris, overreach and permanent war abroad as well as economic and social decay of American homeland. It discusses the less admirable and tragic implications of a national war/civil war that drove many thousands of Americans from their country, destroyed numerous Native American societies, enshrined human slavery in its constitution and lead to several tragic and bloody existential crises in 19th and 20th century American history.




Riding in the Zone


Book Description

Riding motorcycles is fun, but author Ken Condon maintains that there is a state of consciousness to be achieved beyond the simple pleasure of riding down the road. Riding in the Zone helps riders find that state of being. It's the experience of being physically and mentally present in the moment, where every sense is sharply attuned to the ride. Your mind becomes silent to the chatter of daily life, and everyday problems seem to dissolve. You feel a deeper appreciation for life. Your body responds to this state of being with precise, fluid movements, you feel in balance, your muscles are relaxed, and it seems as though every input you make is an expression of mastery. This is "the Zone." Condon identifies all of the factors that affect entering the Zone and addresses each one individually, from the development of awareness and mental skills to mastering physical control of the motorcycle. At the end of each chapter are drills designed to transform the book's ideas into solid, practical riding skills. Riding in the Zone takes riders to the next level in their skill set.




Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms


Book Description

Offers entries for over six thousand idioms, including seven hundred new to this edition, and provides background information, additional cross-references, and national variants.




Downhill Fun


Book Description

Introduces the numbers from one to twelve as skiers, sledders, and snowboarders whiz down a snowy slope. Includes counting activities and fun facts about skiiing.




Bunny Slopes


Book Description

Time to tackle the bunny slope! Shake to help Bunny make it snow, tilt to help Bunny ski down the slope, and turn to help Bunny escape a cliff in his path. Is there any obstacle Bunny can't conquer? Bringing grins and guffaws with each turn of the page, readers will find Claudia Rueda's innovative bookmaking as entertaining as the twists and turns of a ski slope—and as satisfying as a cozy cup of hot cocoa.




Downhill Slide


Book Description

The first investigative analysis of how corporate interests gained control of America's most popular winter sport, and how they are gutting ski towns, the natural mountain environment, and skiing itself in the desperate search for short-term profit.




Tumbling After


Book Description

“I think Ralph fell in love with the uphillness in me. I could keep up with him on windy passes and minor climbing peaks. But I never stayed with him on the downhill. He was always too fast. He’d wait patiently for me at the bottom of a black diamond run, at the end of a long, winding mountain road, or at the foot of a crag. He was happy when I could get to the bottom of anything. I wasn’t with him the day he had the accident that left him a C-4 quadriplegic. Perhaps it’s the uphillness in me that is keeping me with him now. It’s all uphill from here. No more downhills to carve through gracefully or sail down safely; only up, up, up.” —from the Introduction Suzy Parker and her husband, Ralph Hager, spent every free moment together biking, skiing, and hiking. All that changed in a split second when a freak cycling accident left Ralph permanently paralyzed below the shoulders. In that moment, Suzy’s old life fell away and her new one began. In Tumbling After, Suzy chronicles her transformation from carefree outdoorswoman to full-time caregiver, and paints a loving portrait of the impromptu, oddball family of concerned neighbors and friends who become her new lifeline. With Jerry, the tender ex-con; Momma Scott, a guardian angel and force of nature in a feather boa; and Harka, the culture-shocked Nepalese, at their side, Suzy and Ralph weather the loss of old friends and learn to embrace a new way of life with hope and a healing dose of the absurd. This astonishing memoir, devoid of self-pity and told with breathtaking candor and a wry sense of humor, is an inspiring journey that is ultimately a story of survival and second chances—and the unexpected joy and love that can grow out of grief if given the slightest encouragement.