The Bearer of Bad News


Book Description

Tor finds itself on the brink of turmoil as a god, who spends his days in the bottom of a pit, has decided that he would be better off wreaking havoc on the surface above, and is willing to use any means necessary to accomplish his goal. Gloric, the God of Peace, knows that the only people who can stop this angry deity is a rag-tag group of heroes, consisting of a certain Hunter, a Mythical Theoremist prodigy, a robot that speaks only in word salad, a professional cult murderer, a sarcastic Ice Archer, and an ex-Messenger. The Bearer of Bad News returns with answers to lingering questions, twice the satire, twice the fun, and, for some reason, a profuse amount of references to fish.




The Bearer of Bad News: Book 1 in the Bearer of Bad News Saga


Book Description

"Don't shoot the messenger" is a phrase taken very lightly throughout the World of Tor as the Bureau of Bad News continues to fuel its power by delivering terrible fates from its golden throne in the City of Trig. Anyone who receives such a letter, and is read out loud, will face a terrible demise, and so will the deliverer. These "Messengers" are considered bile as they travel to deliver such misfortunes, so why would James Roger Clemit volunteer for such a job? Be ready to be engaged in a swash-buckling adventure as James finds himself embarking on a journey of self-discovery, including swashbuckling combat, a Hunter with a death wish, trees that fight bears (and win), talking swords, and moose with Pegasus wings. While James cannot fully contemplate why he had been placed in such a world-altering position, a mysterious god notes that everything is going according to plan.




The Bear of Bad News Coloring Book


Book Description

There's no ice cream left. Your condition is inoperable. Everyone you love will die. I have some bad news for you: you don't have this coloring book. It involves an adorable bear that delivers some of the worst news possible in a variety of darkly hilarious scenarios. And sadly, you do not have it. I have some more bad news for you: your children will have lasting scars from your parenting and there is nothing you can do about it. One of those scars might be buying them this book. There's nothing really inappropriate for them in terms of imagery or language, but the content will likely lead to uncomfortable conversations that you will have trouble navigating. Color, laugh, and cry as the waves of reality this bear preaches wash over you like a splash of puddle water from a passing car. Featuring 25 terrible statements about life, all of which are lovingly crafted by Elizabeth Jancewicz, who is the on stage painter in the great piano rock band Pocket Vinyl. Don't let the bad news reach your friends that you passed on this book, which can also just be treated as a comedy comic book. If they hear about this, they will probably judge you harshly. On second thought, you will probably not like this book. It's too dark and not really your sense of humor. Plus, you don't like bears or quality artwork. Best forget about it. Move on and buy something else on Amazon like some dryer sheets or Shopkins.




Statistics Done Wrong


Book Description

Scientific progress depends on good research, and good research needs good statistics. But statistical analysis is tricky to get right, even for the best and brightest of us. You'd be surprised how many scientists are doing it wrong. Statistics Done Wrong is a pithy, essential guide to statistical blunders in modern science that will show you how to keep your research blunder-free. You'll examine embarrassing errors and omissions in recent research, learn about the misconceptions and scientific politics that allow these mistakes to happen, and begin your quest to reform the way you and your peers do statistics. You'll find advice on: –Asking the right question, designing the right experiment, choosing the right statistical analysis, and sticking to the plan –How to think about p values, significance, insignificance, confidence intervals, and regression –Choosing the right sample size and avoiding false positives –Reporting your analysis and publishing your data and source code –Procedures to follow, precautions to take, and analytical software that can help Scientists: Read this concise, powerful guide to help you produce statistically sound research. Statisticians: Give this book to everyone you know. The first step toward statistics done right is Statistics Done Wrong.




Amaze Every Customer Every Time


Book Description

You must deliver an amazing customer experience. Why? It is the competitive edge of new-era business—in any market and any economy. Renowned customer experience expert Shep Hyken explains how consistently amazing customers through stellar service can elevate your company from good to great. All transformations require a role model, and Shep has found the perfect role model to inspire your team: Ace Hardware. Ace was named as one of the top ten customer service brands in America by Businessweek and ranked highest in its industry for customer satisfaction. Through revealing stories from Ace’s over-the-top work with customers, Shep explores the five tactical areas of customer amazement: leadership, culture, one-on-one, competitive edge, and community. Delivering amazing service requires everyone in your organization to step up and be a leader. It doesn’t take a title. It takes the right set of tools and principles. To help you empower employees at all levels, Shep brings the content to a deeply practical level. His 52 Amazement Tools—like “Ask the extra question” and “Focus on the customer, not the money”—are simple, clear, useful for almost anybody, and supported with compelling research and stories. Between these covers, you will find the tools and tactics you need to transform your company into a seriously customer-focused operation that will amaze every customer every time.




How To Break Bad News


Book Description

For many health care professionals and social service providers, the hardest part of the job is breaking bad news. The news may be about a condition that is life-threatening (such as cancer or AIDS), disabling (such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis), or embarrassing (such as genital herpes). To date medical education has done little to train practitioners in coping with such situations. With this guide Robert Buckman and Yvonne Kason provide help. Using plain, intelligible language they outline the basic principles of breaking bad new and present a technique, or protocol, that can be easily learned. It draws on listening and interviewing skills that consider such factors as how much the patient knows and/or wants to know; how to identify the patient's agenda and understanding, and how to respond to his or her feelings about the information. They also discuss reactions of family and friends and of other members of the health care team. Based on Buckman's award-winning training videos and Kason's courses on interviewing skills for medical students, this volume is an indispensable aid for doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, social workers, and all those in related fields.




The Story Of An Hour


Book Description

Mrs. Louise Mallard, afflicted with a heart condition, reflects on the death of her husband from the safety of her locked room. Originally published in Vogue magazine, “The Story of an Hour” was retitled as “The Dream of an Hour,” when it was published amid much controversy under its new title a year later in St. Louis Life. “The Story of an Hour” was adapted to film in The Joy That Kills by director Tina Rathbone, which was part of a PBS anthology called American Playhouse. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.




Don't Keep Your Day Job


Book Description

From the creator of the #1 podcast "Don't Keep Your Day Job," an inspiring book about turning your passion into profit "Heller pivots effortlessly from encouraging readers to accept “miraculous changes,” find their bliss, and examine their authentic selves to practical tips for building mass marketing email distribution lists and identifying web-based social media and teaching portals that allow small-business owners to capture additional revenue...both approachable and incisive." —Booklist From the creator of the #1 podcast "Don't Keep Your Day Job," an inspiring book about turning your passion into profit The pursuit of happiness is all about finding our purpose. We don't want to just go to work and build someone else’s dream, we want to do our life's work. But how do we find out what we’re supposed to contribute? What are those key ingredients that push those who succeed to launch their ideas high into the sky, while the rest of us remain stuck on the ground? Don’t Keep Your Day Job will get you fired up, ready to rip it open and use your zone of genius to add a little more sparkle to this world. Cathy Heller, host of the popular podcast Don’t Keep Your Day Job, shares wisdom, anecdotes, and practical suggestions from successful creative entrepreneurs and experts, including actress Jenna Fischer on rejection, Gretchen Rubin on the keys to happiness, Jen Sincero on having your best badass life, and so much more. You’ll learn essential steps like how to build your side hustle, how to find your tribe, how to reach for what you truly deserve, and how to ultimately turn your passion into profit and build a life you love.




Motherhood So White


Book Description

The story every mother in America needs to read. As featured on NPR and the TODAY Show. All moms have to deal with choosing baby names, potty training, finding your village, and answering your kid's tough questions, but if you are raising a Black child, you have to deal with a lot more than that. Especially if you're a single Black mom... and adopting. Nefertiti Austin shares her story of starting a family through adoption as a single Black woman. In this unflinching account of her parenting journey, Nefertiti examines the history of adoption in the African American community, faces off against stereotypes of single Black moms, and confronts the reality of what it looks like to raise children of color and answer their questions about racism in modern-day America. Honest, vulnerable, and uplifting, Motherhood So White is a fantastic book for mothers who have read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum, or other books about racism and want to see how these social issues play out in a very personal way for a single mom and her Black son. This great book club read explores social and cultural bias, gives a new perspective on a familiar experience, and sparks meaningful conversations about what it looks like for Black families in white America today.




CivilWarLand in Bad Decline


Book Description

Since its publication in 1996, George Saunders’s debut collection has grown in esteem from a cherished cult classic to a masterpiece of the form, inspiring an entire generation of writers along the way. In six stories and a novella, Saunders hatches an unforgettable cast of characters, each struggling to survive in an increasingly haywire world. With a new introduction by Joshua Ferris and a new author’s note by Saunders himself, this edition is essential reading for those seeking to discover or revisit a virtuosic, disturbingly prescient voice. Praise for George Saunders and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline “It’s no exaggeration to say that short story master George Saunders helped change the trajectory of American fiction.”—The Wall Street Journal “Saunders’s satiric vision of America is dark and demented; it’s also ferocious and very funny.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “George Saunders is a writer of arresting brilliance and originality, with a sure sense of his material and apparently inexhaustible resources of voice. [CivilWarLand in Bad Decline] is scary, hilarious, and unforgettable.”—Tobias Wolff “Saunders makes the all-but-impossible look effortless.”—Jonathan Franzen “Not since Twain has America produced a satirist this funny.”—Zadie Smith “An astoundingly tuned voice—graceful, dark, authentic, and funny—telling just the kinds of stories we need to get us through these times.”—Thomas Pynchon