What if you could consciously create the life you want to live, all by mastering four simple steps? In Keep It Simple, Smartypants, life coach Christine Meyer shows you that this is not only completely possible - you already have the roadmap for doing so inside you. Based on the laws of the universe (and delivered with a healthy dose of humor and realism), Keep It Simple, Smartypants is one of those rare and beautiful books that will truly change your life.
In the early days of the Web a need was recognized for a language to display 3D objects through a browser. An HTML-like language, VRML, was proposed in 1994 and became the standard for describing interactive 3D objects and worlds on the Web. 3D Web courses were started, several best-selling books were published, and VRML continues to be used today. However VRML, because it was based on HTML, is a stodgy language that is not easy to incorporate with other applications and has been difficult to add features to. Meanwhile, applications for interactive 3D graphics have been exploding in areas such as medicine, science, industry, and entertainment. There is a strong need for a set of modern Web-based technologies, applied within a standard extensible framework, to enable a new generation of modeling & simulation applications to emerge, develop, and interoperate. X3D is the next generation open standard for 3D on the web. It is the result of several years of development by the Web 3D Consortium's X3D Task Group. Instead of a large monolithic specification (like VRML), which requires full adoption for compliance, X3D is a component-based architecture that can support applications ranging from a simple non-interactive animation to the latest streaming or rendering applications. X3D replaces VRML, but also provides compatibility with existing VRML content and browsers. Don Brutzman organized the first symposium on VRML and is playing a similar role with X3D; he is a founding member of the consortium. Len Daly is a professional member of the consortium and both Len and Don have been involved with the development of the standard from the start. - The first book on the new way to present interactive 3D content over the Web, written by two of the designers of the standard - Plentiful illustrations and screen shots in the full color text - Companion website with extensive content, including the X3D specification, sample code and applications, content creation tools, and demos of compatible Web browsers
Learn how to convert website visitors into customers Part science and part art, conversion optimization is designed to turn visitors into customers. Carefully developed testing procedures are necessary to help you fine-tune images, headlines, navigation, colors, buttons, and every other element, creating a website that encourages visitors to take the action you seek. This book guides you through creating an optimization strategy that supports your business goals, using appropriate analytics tools, generating quality testing ideas, running online experiments, and making the adjustments that work. Conversion optimization is part science and part art; this guide provides step-by-step guidance to help you optimize your website for maximum conversion rates Explains how to analyze data, prioritize experiment opportunities, and choose the right testing methods Helps you learn what to adjust, how to do it, and how to analyze the results Features hands-on exercises, case studies, and a full-color insert reinforcing key tactics Author has used these techniques to assist Fortune 500 clients You Should Test That explains both the "why" and the "how" of conversion optimization, helping you maximize the value of your website.
Sales managers plan, develop and implement compensation plans ripe with incentives to motivate their sales teams. But five minutes after the newest compensation program debuts, salespeople "game" it to maximize their income. As they do, they're finding and using the incentive program's design flaws. That works for them, and now you can make sure it works for your sales targets. With the right incentive plans, salespeople earn maximum pay when they sell at their peak. Sales performance expert Christopher W. Cabrera explains how to use empirical data to develop efficient, effective incentive compensation plans. Even though he promotes his company's software in every chapter, he still provides an outstanding resource. getAbstract recommends his insights and strategies to executives and managers who want to design incentive compensation plans that lead to top sales performance.
She’s a free spirit. He’s bound by the rules. A school trip is going to change everything. Gracie Porter was born an artist. But then her mom goes back to work and Gracie suddenly finds herself taking care of her six younger siblings, with no time for herself. When Gracie is offered a spot on a weeklong school trip, she jumps at the chance. She didn’t count on the cute, but nerdy, Markus Brown being there as well. Markus Brown is too smart for his own good. At least, that’s how everyone else sees him. In reality, he’s living the life his father paved for him. When Markus ends up on the same school trip as Gracie, his secret crush, he finally feels like he has permission to be himself, and to go after the girl of his dreams. But he’s been entrenched in his father’s thinking far too long, and there are some old habits that won’t die without a fight. Gracie and Markus have one week to open their hearts, learn to trust each other, and realize that life is better when they don’t try to do it alone. Off Limits: The Smarty Pants is the second book in the Off Limits series. If you like geeky boys, sweet kisses, and coming-of-age moments, you’ll love this romance. Grab Off Limits: The Smarty Pants and read this sweet YA romantic comedy today! Young Adult, YA romance, Romantic Comedy, Funny, Humorous, Hallmark, Sweet Romance, Clean Romance, Teen Romance, Friendship, Romance Series, Inspirational Romance, Teen Love, Best Friends
Shortlisted for the Business Book of the Year Awards in the Sales and Marketing category. As jobs become increasingly similar, there are two skills that everyone needs if they’re going to thrive. These are the ability to interrogate and make sense of data, and the ability to use insights extracted from data to persuade others to act. Analytics + storytelling = influence. Humans are hardwired to respond to stories and story structure. Stories are how we make sense of and navigate the world. We respond best to stories that are based on evidence. But storytellers need to use data as the foundation of stories, not as the actual stories themselves. To be truly impactful, rational facts need to be presented with a veneer of emotion. The Big Data revolution means more data is available than ever. The trouble is, most people aren’t very numerate or good at statistics. Many find it hard to look at data and extract insights. Meanwhile, those for whom numbers hold no fear don’t always make the best storytellers. They mistakenly believe they need to prove their point by showing their workings. There are some simple and effective rules of data-driven storytelling that help everyone tell more compelling, evidence-based stories, whoever they need to convince. Narrative by Numbers shows you how.
Wind Shadow Chronicles is a profound and imaginative fantasy book-series that challenges the proverbial questions of faith, science and morals. It meticulously depicts a dark and unforgiving world where hope must be restored. The story moves with tenacious pace, unveiling heightened mysteries and revelations that capture a reader’s imagination. The first book, Secrets of the White Lake takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where a mysterious aurora hovers in the sky like a beacon, silently, eloquently. To some the mysterious lights were nothing more than a natural phenomenon while others saw religious manifestations. But for an old Indian shaman it was a prophetic sign that his seventh year has passed. Reluctantly, he must return the children back to a ravaged world—this is their journey home.
The nineteen stories that this memorable collection comprises are a powerful testament to the continuing vitality of the literary tradition in Louisiana. Something in Common includes work by such well-known Louisiana writers as Walker Percy, Ernest Gaines, Shirley Ann Grau, and André Dubus, as well as stories by younger writers whose reputations are still being established. Together the stories provide a remarkable record of the vigor of fiction in Louisiana as the twentieth century draws to a close. Though contemporary, these stories are a result of the habit of telling tales that goes back to the earliest days of the state’s history. They come from writers who may now live in Maine or California but who remember that our stories become a mirror in which we can see ourselves and know who we are, and where we have come from. The stories have in common a fundamental belief in the power of the written word to define a particular place and time. They testify to the rich culture of the past, when Louisiana’s ways set it apart, and to present that is pulling the state to be part of social forces once foreign to its ways. They reveal a society of several races and many histories, with fading definitions of traditional roles and changing family patterns. Additionally, these stories depict the changes brought on by merging the old with the new. They rehearse the familiar themes of good, evil, freedom, and reality with a voice not heard in the Louisiana of the past. To establish tradition they bring a fresh point of view. Something in Common remembers the past, shows us the present, and points the way to the future. List of Stories and Authors The Pearl, Stella Nesanovich The New Orleans of Possibilities, David Madden Blue Cat Club, Elton Glaser Mr. Bo William Mills Because I Was Naked, James H. Wilson The Peaceful Eye, Martha Lacy Hall Reunion, John William Corrington The Man Outside, Shirley Ann Grau The Goose and the Thorn, Dev Hathaway When The Bang Comes, She’ll be Lying in Bed Dreaming, Patrick Andrews The Turtles, Ernest Gaines Sieur Iberville, Walker Percy A Father’s Story, André Dubus Piccadilly, John S. Tarlton Beach Balls, Gold Stars, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hell, Frederick Barton The Auctioneer, Carl Wooton There Are No Birds in Hoboken, James Knudsen Annie, Listening, Nancy Richard The Mississippiman’s Son, Albert Belisle Davis
How many times have you and your friends asked one another these questions without ever coming up with any good answers? Your girlfriends just tell you what you want to hear. At the end of the day, the only person who can give you insight into man problems is—that’s right—a man! But guys have hidden agendas. What guy would give up all his dating advantages by spilling the goods? Steve Santagati would. A self-confessed serial dater and Bad Boy, Steve is telling all for the benefit of womankind. Every guy is at least part Bad Boy, and in The Manual, this prime specimen reveals what every woman needs to know to counter Bad Boy tactics, both amateur and professional. Steve is never condescending or callous, but honest, perceptive, and street-smart. His guidance is straightforward and his insights are dead-on, giving women tools they can immediately put to work. Discover what you may not want to know but need to know about: •The Heart of the Bad Boy (i.e., the nature of the beast) •The Male Mind: how he sees you and how you can make this work to your advantage •Guys on the Hunt: the male modus operandi, from the grocery store to Home Depot •When Boy Meets Girl: how to handle dating, from flirting to “sext” messaging to learning his weaknesses •Mating: so you’ve got him . . . should you keep him? Why learn from a Bad Boy instead of, say, a psychologist? Because there’s no replacement for “in the field” experience. You’ll benefit from (and laugh at) stories of real things Steve has done in relationships with women as well as of women turning the tables on him when he least expected it. The book also includes a question-and-answer section, in which Steve explores some of the toughest dating issues. To understand Steve is to understand the Bad Boy, and that will take you a long way in understanding all men. Find out how much more fun dating can be when you get the upper hand on Bad Boys . . . for good.
