The Predictable Surprise


Book Description

In "The Predictable Surprise", Sylvester J. Schieber shows that forewarnings of the coming retirement crisis have been apparent for decades, but we have never mustered the political will to address the problem. This book explains how we have gotten into the retirement predicament and where we can go from here.




Predictable Surprises


Book Description

"Even the best-run companies can get blindsided by disasters they should have anticipated. These predictable surprises range from financial scandals to operational disruptions, from organizational upheavals to product failures. In Predictable Surprises, Max H. Bazerman and Michael D. Watkins show you how to minimize your risk by understanding and lowering the psychological, organizational, and political barriers preventing you from foreseeing calamity. They then describe the powerful tools--including incentives and formal coalitions--that business leaders can use to ferret out and fend off threats invisible to insiders. Failure to see what's coming exposes your company to predictable surprises. Given the stakes involved, this book should count among every business leader's most trusted resources."--Publisher's website.




Surprise Me


Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life comes a witty and emotionally charged novel that delves into the heart of a marriage, and how those we love and think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most “Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover After ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all. With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered. Praise for Surprise Me “Genuinely funny.”—The New York Times Book Review “A delightful take on the mixed blessings of marital longevity.”—People “Unexpected and wholly satisfying.”—USA Today “In her signature fashion, Sophie Kinsella brings a cast of quirky, funny characters to this new work. [She] keeps the laughs coming. . . . Readers will follow the story with bated breath as the couple struggle to make their marriage right after everything they thought they knew about each other proves wrong.”—Library Journal “Heartfelt . . . What at first seems like a light novel about familiar woes turns into a deeper story about trust, family, and perception.”—Publishers Weekly “Winsome and zesty, Kinsella’s latest delivers all the hallmarks her many fans have come to expect.”—Booklist “Pure fun . . . a hilariously moving look at marriage and the power of mixing things up.”—Kirkus Reviews




Passages


Book Description

Learn how to better navigate the challenges of adult life with Gail Sheehy’s landmark bestseller—named one of the ten most influential books of our times by the Library of Congress. For decades, Gail Sheehy’s Passages has been inspiring readers to see the predictable crises of adult life as opportunities for growth. She charts the stages between 18 and 50 as unfolding in a pattern of adult development: once recognized, more easily managed. Passages is an insightful road map of adulthood that illustrates with vivid stories our continuing personality and sexual changes throughout the “Trying 20s,” “Catch 30s,” “Forlorn 40s,” and “Refreshed (or Resigned) 50s.” One comment is continuously repeated by men, women, singles, couples, and people who recover from a midlife crisis: “This book changed my life.”




Tadpole's Promise


Book Description

Tadpole loves his rainbow friend, the caterpillar, and she tells him she loves everything about him. "Promise that you will never change," she says. But as the seasons pass and he matures, his legs grow, and then his arms - and what happens to his beautiful rainbow friend? As he sits on his lily pad, digesting a butterfly, Tadpole little realises that now he will never know! Follow the predictable changes of a tadpole and a caterpillar to their natural conclusion in this award winning picture book.




Surprise Delivery


Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s fan-favorite story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places… Heather Fitzpatrick is very pregnant, utterly alone and definitely finished with men...until she steps into an elevator with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. Pilot Jim Dyer proves to be a heart-stopping hero, too, when the elevator suddenly stalls—and Heather lurches into labor! Jim’s manly midwifing creates instant intimacy, and he dotes on the baby like the world’s proudest papa. But despite their sizzling chemistry, both heartsore Heather and woman-wary Jim are staunchly barricaded against marriage. Can one tiny newborn break down their defenses…and teach them to believe in love?




Iceling


Book Description

"A story that delivers action, conspiracy, and betrayal alongside a meditation on love, family connection, and humanity." —Publishers Weekly Sasha Stephenson's intriguing debut is a combination road trip story and sci-fi adventure about the strange, strong bond between two sisters. Fans of Under the Never Sky and The Darkest Minds will devour ICELING, the first book in a new and utterly original sci-fi series. Seventeen-year-old Lorna loves her adoptive sister, Callie. But Callie can't say "I love you" back. In fact, Callie can't say anything at all. Because Callie is an Iceling--one of hundreds of teens who were discovered sixteen years ago on a remote Arctic island, all of them lacking the ability to speak or understand any known human language. Mysterious and panicked events lead to the two sisters embarking on a journey to the north, and now Lorna starts to see that there's a lot more to Callie's origin story than she'd been led to believe. Little does she know what's in store, and that she's about to uncover the terrifying secret about who--and what--Callie really is.




The Sheikh's Triplet Baby Surprise


Book Description

If one baby can change your life, how about three? Career-minded Amity Winters has no time for love and marriage; a respected public relations executive, and one of the best in Los Angeles, she’s never put much thought to starting a family. Yearning for a fresh challenge, she accepts an unusual offer: fly to the Middle-Eastern nation of Al-Mabbar, and improve the public image of Sheikh Aziz Al Arin, a free-living monarch and notorious playboy in need of a publicity facelift. To Amity’s surprise, Sheikh Aziz isn’t anything like she expected – charming, suave, wholly irresistible - and the once ever-professional executive can’t help but to fall for her royal boss! Passions that burn so hot can’t be denied, and after one fateful encounter, Amity knows she can’t go on working for the gorgeous, charismatic Sheikh. Returning to the States, Amity thinks she can put their fling behind her and get back to living her life, but little does she know, it’s already too late. She soon discovers she’s pregnant, with not one, not two, but three little bundles of joy!




Mrs. Hen's Big Surprise


Book Description

Mrs. Hen is in for one special Mother's Day when she hatches a big spotted egg that she unearths from the garden! Full color.




Surprise for a Princess


Book Description

It’s Princess Aurora’s birthday, and the good fairies want to prepare a surprise for her without using any magic. Young readers will enjoy the fun and mayhem that ensues in this Step 2 reader based upon the Disney classic, Sleeping Beauty.