Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed!


Book Description

How to get the best of shoddy shops, crooked car-dealerships, and heartless HMOs--without having to hire an attorney. The Miss Manners of the consumer kvetch shows readers how to go postal, with complaint letters designed to melt the heart and sting the conscience of the most obdurate, negligent, or customer-hostile corporations. Drawing on her experience as a pen-for-hire for irate consumers--and on the advice of clients, attorneys, and CEOs--Ellen Phillips shows readers: - Who to write to, what to say, what to ask for - The names and addresses of over 600 major companies - How to draft personal petitions covering everything from tenant-landlord disputes to workman's compensation - Suggestions on what steps to take to avoid litigation - Consumer Smarts for automobile buyers - How to protect yourself from fraudulent business solicitations - Navigating the courts to ensure the well-being of your family and children - Help in getting proper coverage from your HMO - And--because sometimes the world is on your side--how to write the perfect thank- you note. Delightfully readable, easy to use, and filled with the addresses of hundreds of corporate customer relations offices and state and federal agencies, Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed! is an essential resource for anyone who wants to reach out and scold somebody.




Power versus Law in Modern China


Book Description

Today 700 million Chinese citizens—more than fifty-four percent of the population—live in cities. The mass migration of rural populations to urban centers increased rapidly following economic reforms of the 1990s, and serious problems such as overcrowding, lack of health services, and substandard housing have arisen in these areas since. China's urban citizens have taken to the courts for redress and fought battles over failed urban renewal projects, denial of civil rights, corruption, and abuse of power. In Power versus Law in Modern China, Qiang Fang and Xiaobing Li examine four important legal cases that took place from 1995 to 2013 in the major cities of Wuhan, Xuzhou, Shanghai, and Chongqing. In these cases, citizens protested demolition of property, as well as corruption among city officials, developers, and landlords; but were repeatedly denied protection or compensation from the courts. Fang and Li explore how new interest groups comprised of entrepreneurs and Chinese graduates of Western universities have collaborated with the CCP-controlled local governments to create new power bases in cities. Drawing on newly available official sources, private collections, and interviews with Chinese administrators, judges, litigants, petitioners, and legal experts, this interdisciplinary analysis reveals the powerful and privileged will most likely continue to exploit the legal asymmetry that exists between the courts and citizens.




Live Your Life for Half the Price


Book Description

"It's the money you don't spend that ultimately gives you the freedom to live the life you love!" You work hard for your money. You know you should save some, but it seems like every month something comes up that sets back your best laid plans. If you're tired of working hard just to get by, this user-friendly guide shows you that you can slash the cost of nearly everything you need without sacrificing joy and quality of life. Mary Hunt shows you how to get off the monthly money roller coaster. She offers the specific techniques, resources, and motivation you need to keep more of your money every month, including •finding money you didn't know you had •cutting your grocery bill by 50% •controlling the mother of all budget-busters •avoiding fees •paying off your mortgage •saving on bills •preparing for disaster •paying less for your dream car •planning family vacations •and more It's time to start saving, giving, and finally making financial progress, and with humor and compassion, Mary Hunt is leading the way!




Ask!


Book Description

It's the simplest technique imaginable, and it can save you hours of your time, hundreds of headaches, and thousands of dollars. Barbara Rollin has saved a small fortune by using a technique that is so simple, so easy, that anyone can do it. By using the power of "Asking," Barbara Rollin has gotten refunds, discounts, deals, lower prices, and customer satisfaction beyond her wildest dreams. In Ask! you will learn her strategies to: -Get credit card companies to lower your interest rates -Make stores pay for your time when deliveries are late -Get hotels to lower their room rates upon check-in -Receive refunds for disappointing merchandise-even years later -Learn to ask for and get better medical care -Stop accepting anything less than a totally satisfying restaurant meal -Return anything to a store-even if they have a "no returns" policy -And much more! Barbara Rollin has learned in her years of steadily more audacious "Asking" that companies will comply-usually with a smile. Everyone has the power to "Ask" for satisfaction, without whining or complaining. The stories and anecdotes in Ask! will demonstrate that power to you, so that you can begin getting more than you ever dreamed possible through these simple techniques.




Love's Labor Won


Book Description




How To Say It


Book Description

This practical guide features comprehensive lists of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that allow you to express yourself on any subject in your own voice and style. It teaches what to include and what to leave out when writing. Whether you want to sound formal or casual, traditional or contemporary, businesslike or lighthearted, distant or intimate, you’ll find here the words for every letter writing occasion, including: - Business letters - Personal letters - Get-well cards - Invitations - Resumes - And more! With helpful grammatical appendices and sample letters, say goodbye to your writing etiquette worries!




Chinese Complaint Systems


Book Description

Despite the rich heritage of numerous complaint systems in Chinese history, most Western as well as Chinese studies of one or more complaint systems in the PRC and earlier periods have paid little systematic attention to the origins, development, practices, impact, and nature of similar institutions in the longue durée of Chinese history. This book fills this gap, providing the reader with a comprehensive study of complaint systems in Chinese history from early times to the present. As such it will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Chinese history, politics and law.




The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit


Book Description

When does 1 + 1 = 3 (or more)? When you've got a baby on the way. Part of that new math, says #1 New York Times bestselling author Jill Conner Browne -- whom USA Today calls "just plain funny" -- includes the addition of an outsize sense of humor to balance the equation of your growing family. The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit is a hilarious (though not scientifically tested) wink at the time-honored mysteries of parenting, because anybody who has ever had a kid or has ever known one knows that the experience is neither fun nor profitable -- so you might as well laugh! As each generation begins its hopeful, happy, and, yes, sometimes harrowing journey as Parent and Child, together they spawn a new body of "knowledge," the nuances of which will elude the Experts every time. Here are stories of the things we do for Mother Love -- or, the most incredibly full-time volunteer job ever -- and tips guaranteed not to be found in any other parenting guide. How to talk to a pregnant woman How the diamonds on delivery policy can speed up the labor nature intended Why a good mother is always adept at subterfuge The list of things you wouldn't think you would have to tell kids not to do Why mothers of sons can never retire Why, for parents, it's just a short drive to the poorhouse The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit will have everyone who's ever been a parent -- or has ever thought of becoming one -- or has ever been a child -- or is still one -- giggling and grinning (no small feat) through those childbearing years...and beyond.




Love's labor Won


Book Description

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.




The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner)


Book Description

They’re wild, beloved, and all-around fabulous, but with the Sweet Potato Queens, there’re just never enough good times—or enough good eats. Well, now all fabulous women everywhere can have their own mountains of royal fun and food, because bestselling author and Boss Queen Jill Conner Browne is revealing her big-ass top secret recipes—and the events that inspired them—in The Sweet Potato Queens’ Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner). And, of course, she’s dishing up plenty of hilarious stories, including: • Queenly adventures in mothering • The tiniest bit of plastic surgery • The all-true story of the Cutest Boy in the World And, oh yes, as promised: Sound financial planning. Tip number one: Hope that Daddy lives forever.