A school ski trip to France means different things to everyone in Hoomey, Nutty, David and Jean's class. But the adventures that take place over the week make for an unforgettable trip - and none of them will be quite the same by the time they return home.
A bicycling adventure from Le Havre to the Mediterranean Fed up with questions about what he was going to do when he retired, Edward decided to get on his bicycle and ride from the Le Havre region in northwestern France to the Mediterranean. He struggled in Normandy to get directions from old men tipsy on Calvados by 9 a.m., passed by prairies of corn and acres of sunflowers, and hit his stride on the towpath of the Burgundy canal. He explored the mystery of what an "ouvrier" eats for lunch, and was barred from a swimming pool because his trunks were too decent. Through the Rhône and down to Provence and the Camargue, Enfield is witty and informative as always.
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best days are behind her—and she’s determined to prove wrong her mother, her twin sister, and everyone else with that outdated view of aging wrong.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.
Leonard Woolf's recollections of his life with Virginia Woolf during the years when she wrote her major novels; also an account of the growth of the Hogarth Press, as well as portraits of Sigmund Freud, T. S. Eliot, and others. "There is a lucid probity in Leonard Woolf's writing" (Leon Edel, Saturday Review). Index; photographs.
Robert Louis Stevenson spent 12 days with a donkey walking in the Cevennes in France in 1878. His Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes became an instant hit, and his route is now called the Stevenson Trail. Hilary Macaskill and Molly Wood negotiated the whole 212 kilometres of the trail with donkeys, tenacity and a little humour, and lived to write about their adventure, along with loads of local facts about cuisine, flora, fauna and donkey management.
Originally drawn to the game by his father, Carl Hiaasen wisely quit golfing in 1973. But some ambitions refuse to die, and as the years–and memories of shanked 7-irons faded, it dawned on Carl that there might be one thing in life he could do better in middle age than he could as a youth. So gradually he ventured back to the dreaded driving range, this time as the father of a five-year-old son–and also as a grandfather. “What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he’d never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here’s why I did it: I’m one sick bastard.” And thus we have Carl’s foray into a world of baffling titanium technology, high-priced golf gurus, bizarre infomercial gimmicks and the mind-bending phenomenon of Tiger Woods; a maddening universe of hooks and slices where Carl ultimately–and foolishly–agrees to compete in a country-club tournament against players who can actually hit the ball. “That’s the secret of the sport’s infernal seduction,” he writes. “It surrenders just enough good shots to let you talk yourself out of quitting.” Hiaasen’s chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem–culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament–will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart. Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who offers an extraordinary audiobook for the ordinary hacker. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey.
Marla Streb's remarkable metamorphosis from girl next door to Gravity Goddess will change the way you look at extreme sports athletes and your own life. Written for everyone who ever sat at a desk pushing a pencil and daydreamed of glory, Downhill offers hope and inspiration. Just don't let your boss catch you with it. Book jacket.
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.
Ever wondered whether Bob Holness really did play the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street? Or whether a swan can break a man's arm? Or whether computer games are illegal in Greece?! If so, you've probably spent far too much time down the pub, conversing with a mate on the wrong end of four pints of lager. We've all heard them: wild claims, spurious rumours and barely believable 'pub facts'. Don't pretend you've never wondered whether a crocodile really can run faster than a racehorse. Or pondered the possibility that there is only one cash machine in the whole of Albania? If this sort of thing keeps you awake at night, then this book has come to the rescue. Bears Can't Run Downhill... debunks and explains 201 common claims and popular misconceptions. It's the ideal stocking-filler for the quiz fanatic, the trivia buff, the show-off down the pub - or the wife or girlfriend who wants a way to a) get the upper hand and b) put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. So here is the definitive tome - all you will never need (until the sequel at least) - of well-known 'facts' both true and apocryphal.
--- 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.