Peaks and Valleys


Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Moved My Cheese?, a brilliant new parable that shows readers how to stay calm and successful, even in the most challenging of environments. A young man lives unhappily in a valley. One day he meets an old man who lives on a mountain peak. At first the young man doesn’t realize that he is talking to one of the most peaceful and successful people in the world. But in the course of further encounters and conversations, the young man comes to understand that he can apply the old man’s remarkable principles and practical tools to his own life to change it for the better. Spencer Johnson knows how to tell a deceptively simple story that teaches deep lessons. The One Minute Manager (co-written with Ken Blanchard) sold 15 million copies and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for more than twenty years. Since it was published a decade ago, Who Moved My Cheese? has sold more than 25 million copies. In fact there are more than 46 million copies of Spencer Johnson’s books in print, in forty-seven languages—and with today’s economic uncertainty, his new book could not be more relevant. Pithy, wise, and empowering, Peaks and Valleys is clearly destined to becomeanother Spencer Johnson classic.




Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys


Book Description

The real-life inspiration for modern-day mystery writer Elizabeth Peters's "Amelia Peabody" novels, celebrated Victorian adventuress Amelia Edwards enjoyed unexpected notoriety, for a woman, as a journalist, political activist, and world traveler. In 1872, she a female companion set off on a "ramble" through the nearly impassable Italian Dolomites, where food and shelter were chancy propositions but the scenery was gorgeous and the people friendly and welcoming. Edwards approached the expedition with humor and enthusiasm, as she regales us with the tale of the journey with the generous, vivacious spirit that made her one of her era's most daring women. - Back cover.




It's Your Ship


Book Description

The legendary New York Times bestselling tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas. When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. How did Abrashoff do it? Against the backdrop of today's United States Navy, Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management including: See the ship through the eyes of the crew: By soliciting a sailor's suggestions, Abrashoff drastically reduced tedious chores that provided little additional value. Communicate, communicate, communicate: The more Abrashoff communicated the plan, the better the crew's performance. His crew eventually started calling him "Megaphone Mike," since they heard from him so often. Create discipline by focusing on purpose: Discipline skyrocketed when Abrashoff's crew believed that what they were doing was important. Listen aggressively: After learning that many sailors wanted to use the GI Bill, Abrashoff brought a test official aboard the ship-and held the SATs forty miles off the Iraqi coast. From achieving amazing cost savings to winning the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, Captain Abrashoff's extraordinary campaign sent shock waves through the U.S. Navy. It can help you change the course of your ship, no matter where your business battles are fought.




Backpacking Washington


Book Description

Now completely updated for a second edition, Backpacking Washington remains the only comprehensive guide to all of the Evergreen State's best extended backpacking trips. Ranging from three days to two weeks, these 28 adventures visit every corner of the state, including the wild beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, the vast interior of the Pasayten Wilderness, Mt. Rainier's famous Wonderland Trail, the volcanic wasteland around Mt. St. Helens, and the little-known Salmo-Priest Wilderness, where hikers may glimpse grizzly bears.




Peaks and Pits


Book Description

Travelers to the Holy Land can all attest ... this truly is a land of “hills and valleys” (Deuteronomy 8:7, 11:11) and so is life! Hills and valleys, highs and lows, peaks and pits—whatever one chooses to call them, every person has some good days and some bad ones. In this inspirational Christian book, Roger D. Mardis, a seasoned pastor, preacher, writer, and traveler, reflects on the many places and locations in Israel (mountains and/or valleys), to take you on a thirty-day journey to learn about the Holy Land—and life. As you read this devotional guide, you’ll consider questions such as: •What is the problem with pride? •When were you tested in life—and what did you learn? •What is the purpose of God’s law? •What does it mean to “abide” in Christ? At the conclusion of each day’s reading, you’ll find questions like the ones above that will help you make your way on your journey—whether you’re enjoying a peak or trying to slog through a pit. Embark on a journey that will challenge your life and bring you closer to the Lord with the lessons in this book.




Architecture of Regionalism in the Age of Globalization


Book Description

The definitive introductory book on the theory and history of regionalist architecture in the context of globalization, this text addresses issues of identity, community, and sustainability along with a selection of the most outstanding examples of design from all over the world. Alex Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre give a readable, vivid, scholarly account of this major conflict as it relates to the design of the human-made environment. Demystifying the reasons behind how globalization enabled creativity and brought about unprecedented wealth but also produced new wastefulness and ecological destruction, the book also looks at how regionalism has also tended to confine, tearing apart societies and promoting destructive consumerist tourism.




Yes or No


Book Description

"Yes" or "No," from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Spencer Johnson, presents a brilliant and practical system anyone can use to make better decisions, soon and often -- both at work and in personal life. The "Yes" or "No" System lets us: focus on real needs, versus mere wants create better options see the likely consequences of choices and identify and then use our own integrity, intuition, and insight to gain peace of mind, self-confidence, and freedom from fear




Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys 70th Anniversary Edition


Book Description

Nestled amidst California's High Sierra peaks, two valleys have captured the imaginations of skiers and mountain explorers year after year. In this account, local author and longtime skier Eddy Starr Ancinas shares the histories of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows as they've never been told before, including the stories of John Reily, Wayne Poulsen and Alex Cushing, the visionaries whose dreams and determination forever transformed North Lake Tahoe. Squaw made a name for itself on the world stage thanks to its surprise nomination as host of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, just one mountain apart, Alpine was built with the support of local skiers and Bay Area families. Today, a new chapter unfolds as the distinct philosophies behind Squaw and Alpine unite under common ownership.




The Power of Moments


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick explore why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work. While human lives are endlessly variable, our most memorable positive moments are dominated by four elements: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. If we embrace these elements, we can conjure more moments that matter. What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember twenty years later? What if a manager knew how to create an experience that would delight customers? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? This book delves into some fascinating mysteries of experience: Why we tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest. Why “we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.” And why our most cherished memories are clustered into a brief period during our youth. Readers discover how brief experiences can change lives, such as the experiment in which two strangers meet in a room, and forty-five minutes later, they leave as best friends. (What happens in that time?) Or the tale of the world’s youngest female billionaire, who credits her resilience to something her father asked the family at the dinner table. (What was that simple question?) Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck—but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences.




Fierce Marriage


Book Description

Ryan and Selena Frederick were newlyweds when they landed in Switzerland to pursue Selena's dream of training horses. Neither of them knew at the time that Ryan was living out a death sentence brought on by a worsening genetic heart defect. Soon it became clear he needed major surgery that could either save his life--or result in his death on the operating table. The young couple prepared for the worst. When Ryan survived, they both realized that they still had a future together. But the near loss changed the way they saw all that would lie ahead. They would live and love fiercely, fighting for each other and for a Christ-centered marriage, every step of the way. Fierce Marriage is their story, but more than that, it is a call for married couples to put God first in their relationship, to measure everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them, and to see marriage not just as a relationship they should try to keep healthy but also as one worth fighting for in every situation. With the gospel as their foundation, Ryan and Selena offer hope and practical help for common struggles in marriage, including communication problems, sexual frustration, financial stress, family tension, screen-time disconnection, and unrealistic expectations.