One of the keys to the enduring popularity of the British singer Morrissey is his carefully crafted enigmatic persona. This critical book examines the role of enigma in the celebrity's public life, exploring how a level of mystery is maintained through television interviews, videos, reviews and concerts, as well as through his music and lyrics. Of particular interest is the way in which enigma stimulates interest and desire in his audience, and how the artist manipulates traditional modes of masculinity and the conventions of pop music to further cultivate enigma.
The Guyde is the most comprehensive men's dating and self-improvement book ever written, designed to be everything you need to transform into the most confident version of yourself. There are no lines or routines; instead you'll find exercises and information to improve your self-esteem, social skills, and other elements integral to social success. Everything in these pages is backed with scientific evidence, and when I say scientific evidence, I mean cited peer-reviewed literature, not pop evolutionary psychology or the "law of attraction." You won't be reading anecdotes telling you about my "successes" or opinions; you'll be learning the practical steps necessary for the specific changes you want to manifest in your life. The Guyde is divided into four sections: Part I - Psychology Part I focuses on the internal elements of social interaction. How do you overcome your toxic self-limiting beliefs that keep you from being authentic with people? How do you overcome your fears? How can you stay motivated to make your changes? You will learn clinically effective approaches to all of these and more. Part II - Social Skills For many men, the biggest barrier between themselves and social success is a lack of social skills and awareness. In Part II, you'll learn how to shore up this weakness. You will learn how to listen, banter, share stories, and assert yourself with others. You'll learn how to improve your body language and vocal tonality to project confidence and charisma. Part III - Physical Attractiveness Part III will teach you how to improve your physical features. The first two chapters detail the most clinically effective approaches to diet and exercise. We'll also discuss the basics of fashion and how to dress to impress. Master Part III, and when you go out, you will turn heads. Part IV - Dating The final portion of The Guyde deals with dating, in this version, in a heterosexual male context. You'll learn the best places to meet potential dates, how to flirt, and how to ask someone out. You'll learn how to plan brag-worthy romantic evenings and how to address problems like rude cancellations and "ghosting." You'll learn how to interact physically while being sensitive to your date's wishes, as well as how to perform better in bed. You'll learn why relationships fail and how to avoid the pitfalls most couples fall into, and you'll come to understand a bit about what it's like to date from a woman's perspective, including many of the cultural factors they face that most men don't understand. The Guyde is a labor of love. I wrote it to be everything I wish I'd known when I was younger, the sorts of things that turned my life around for the better. I hope it does the same for you.
In a series of interviews this book explores the formative experiences of a generation of critical theorists whose work originated in the midst of what has been called 'the postmodern turn,' including discussions of their views on the evolution of critical theory over the past 30 years and their assessment of contemporary politics.
Nowhere to Now Here is a simple yet engaging story about two students, Vikram and Ram. They are poles apart in everything. Be it studies or sports or their outlook towards life, they have totally opposite opinions about it. Ram is a studious and sincere student whereas Vikram has more of a carefree attitude. Partly due to the pressure from his parents, Ram is forced to study round the clock. Under pressure and over worked, he misses out on the little pleasures of life. Circumstances bring these two together and they embark on a journey seeking a solution to deal with the stress and pressure of student-life. Will they finally be able to solve these issues? Will Ram finally be able to pursue what he really wants? Will Vikram get a clear idea about what he wants to do in future? Keep reading this light hearted and entertaining book as Ram and Vikram take you along with them in their journey in search of answers.
Kate Donnelly, an aspiring writer, has made her way to Los Angeles intending to rub shoulders with celebrities and be a writer. She dreams of walking down the same streets where Alec Baldwin drops of his dry cleaning. She has come to Los Angeles to pick up the fallent standard of her literary hero, F. Scott Fitzgerald, who loved all things that were just out of reach and whose last great obsession had been with Hollywood and its peculiar industry. And so, prepared to immerse herself in all that is Los Angeles, Kate heads straight to Westwood Mortuary, the city's most celebrity-packed cemetery (Marilyn Monroe is there), to attend the celebrtiy-packed funeral of the renowned and despised Hollywood producer Larry Drayco--a man who successfully slept his way to the top. Kate soon finds herself masquerading among strangers who can't distinguish between hemingway and Fitzgerald, and mixing with ex-duchesses, major players, private detectives, scrofulous publishiners, aging enfants terribles, dealmakers, and philosopher/gurus as she makes her way in this foreign land. Perceptive, witty, and wise, West of Paradise is terrific fun.
In this scorching final installment of the Billion $ Bastards trilogy, infuriating billionaire Ulysses White fulfills Morgan Blackwood’s darkest fantasies in bed! I need Morgan. She’s the heart of my business—so when she asks for a vacation, I refuse. But Morgan won’t let it go. She wants a life, a date, to get laid. Happily, I can provide two of those things… Maybe I’m not able to read people’s emotions, but I can satisfy a woman’s every physical craving. And I’m ready to fulfill Morgan’s fantasies, no matter how wicked she thinks they are. When she tells me she wants me—and not in a gentle way—I propose a game: I’ll help her explore her darkest desires, as long as she remains in control. Harlequin DARE publishes sexy romances featuring powerful alpha males and bold, fearless women exploring their deepest fantasies. Discover the other irresistible men of Jackie Ashenden’s Billion $ Bastards series: Dirty Devil and Sexy Beast, available now!
From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together
Create a solid pathway for financial success Millennials often confront greater difficulties—including economic uncertainty and student debt—than those who came before them. This new financial responsibility can be intimidating, and many people are unsure where to begin. Personal Finance in Your 20s & 30s For Dummies will help Millennials to be confident about managing their finances and get on a clear path toward financial security. Inside, trusted financial advisor Eric Tyson shows students and recent grads how to make smart financial decisions in order to pay off student loans, avoid any additional debt, and create a solid plan to ensure their financial success. From avoiding common money mistakes to making informed investment choices, Personal Finance in Your 20s & 30s For Dummies covers it all! Build a foundation through smart spending and saving Rent, buy, or sell a house File taxes the right way Protect your finances and identity in the digital world Get ready to forge your own path to financial security!
“A beautifully written and well-researched cultural criticism as well as an honest memoir” (Los Angeles Review of Books) from the author of the popular New York Times essay, “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do This,” explores the romantic myths we create and explains how they limit our ability to achieve and sustain intimacy. What really makes love last? Does love ever work the way we say it does in movies and books and Facebook posts? Or does obsessing over those love stories hurt our real-life relationships? When her parents divorced after a twenty-eight year marriage and her own ten-year relationship ended, those were the questions that Mandy Len Catron wanted to answer. In a series of candid, vulnerable, and wise essays that takes a closer look at what it means to love someone, be loved, and how we present our love to the world, “Catron melds science and emotion beautifully into a thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation” (Bookpage). She delves back to 1944, when her grandparents met in a coal mining town in Appalachia, to her own dating life as a professor in Vancouver. She uses biologists’ research into dopamine triggers to ask whether the need to love is an innate human drive. She uses literary theory to show why we prefer certain kinds of love stories. She urges us to question the unwritten scripts we follow in relationships and looks into where those scripts come from. And she tells the story of how she decided to test an experiment that she’d read about—where the goal was to create intimacy between strangers using a list of thirty-six questions—and ended up in the surreal situation of having millions of people following her brand-new relationship. “Perfect fodder for the romantic and the cynic in all of us” (Booklist), How to Fall in Love with Anyone flips the script on love. “Clear-eyed and full of heart, it is mandatory reading for anyone coping with—or curious about—the challenges of contemporary courtship” (The Toronto Star).
