The hilarious first-person account of life as a hypochondriac-from the critically acclaimed author of Devil in the Details. Jennifer Traig does not suffer from lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, or muscular dystrophy. Nor does she have SUDS, the mysterious disorder that claims healthy young Asian men in their sleep. What she does have is hypochondria. In Well Enough Alone, Traig provides an uproariously funny inquiry into her ailment, as well as a well-researched history of the disorder. While chronicling her life as a hypochondriac and the minor conditions that helped to fuel her persistent self-diagnosis, she offers a literary tour of the disorder's past and present. And by the end, her journey leaves her more knowledgeable, a little less neurotic, and-one might say-healthier.
A new mother is pursued by mysterious men in black. A misguided youth learns the dark secrets of the world from an elderly neighbor on Halloween night. A housewarming party where the guests never leave. A caretaker tends to his rusted relic of a god deep in the desert... In his debut short story collection, Bram Stoker Award finalist Ronald Malfi mines the depths and depravities of the human condition, exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis. Rich in atmosphere and character, Malfi's debut collection is not to be missed.
Raymond Loewy was regarded as the father of modern industrial design. His drawings of the Coca-Cola truck, the Greyhound bus and the package of Lucky Strike cigarettes moulded our vision of 20th century America.
Updated to include a new chapter about the influence of social media and the Internet—the 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone remains a seminal work of social analysis, and its examination of what happened to our sense of community remains more relevant than ever in today’s fractured America. Twenty years, ago, Robert D. Putnam made a seemingly simple observation: once we bowled in leagues, usually after work; but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolized a significant social change that became the basis of the acclaimed bestseller, Bowling Alone, which The Washington Post called “a very important book” and Putnam, “the de Tocqueville of our generation.” Bowling Alone surveyed in detail Americans’ changing behavior over the decades, showing how we had become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social structures, whether it’s with the PTA, church, clubs, political parties, or bowling leagues. In the revised edition of his classic work, Putnam shows how our shrinking access to the “social capital” that is the reward of communal activity and community sharing still poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health, and how these consequences have a new resonance for our divided country today. He includes critical new material on the pervasive influence of social media and the internet, which has introduced previously unthinkable opportunities for social connection—as well as unprecedented levels of alienation and isolation. At the time of its publication, Putnam’s then-groundbreaking work showed how social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction, and how the loss of social capital is felt in critical ways, acting as a strong predictor of crime rates and other measures of neighborhood quality of life, and affecting our health in other ways. While the ways in which we connect, or become disconnected, have changed over the decades, his central argument remains as powerful and urgent as ever: mending our frayed social capital is key to preserving the very fabric of our society.
In this witty, engaging guide, a renowned Vogue editor takes readers through the fundamentals of living alone by showing them how to create a welcoming environment and cultivate home-friendly hobbies, "for no woman can accept an invitation every night without coming to grief." "Whether you view your one-woman ménage as Doom or Adventure, you need a plan, if you are going to make the best of it." Thus begins Marjorie Hillis' archly funny, gently prescriptive manifesto for single women. Though it was 1936 when the Vogue editor first shared her wisdom with her fellow singletons, the tome has been passed lovingly through the generations, and is even more apt today than when it was first published. Hillis, a true bon vivant, was sick and tired of hearing single women carping about their living arrangements and lonely lives; this book is her invaluable wake-up call for single women to take control and enjoy their circumstances. With engaging chapter titles like "A Lady and Her Liquor" and "The Pleasures of a Single Bed," along with a new preface by author Laurie Graff (You Have to Kiss A Lot of Frogs), Live Alone and Like It is sure to appeal to live-aloners—and those considering taking the plunge.
DIVDIVDIVIt’s going to be a brilliant summer for Dorothy—but suddenly, the sun hides behind the clouds and a secret she couldn’t have imagined appears . . ./divDIV While on a class trip to a museum, fourteen-year-old Dorothy Coughlin can’t believe her luck: She practically falls into a summer job as a nanny for a wealthy family in Pennsylvania, in the biggest house she has ever seen. It doesn’t even matter that she’s not experienced with children, or that the family is a little strange. She’ll be paid $400 for the summer—money she can use for college. /divDIV /divDIVBut her employer, Mrs. Hoade, is awkward and anxious. Is she hiding something? Sweet and harmless Mr. Hoade, on the other hand—with his movie-star looks—has a strange personality. And when Dorothy discovers the secret one of the Hoades is hiding in the guest cottage, everything changes. This summer could change the course of her life, that is, if she survives!/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s collection./div/div/div
Bertha Aurora Dominguez is an alluring and provocative woman of considerable wealth. As the United States Delegate to the Organization of American States boards a plane from Santiago, Chile, to Atlanta, no one knows that she is also the leader of an international terrorist network—except perhaps the nun who has strategically seated herself two rows in front of her in first class. Over the years, Dominguez, also known as Big Balls Bertha, has developed a heart as hard as diamonds, a stomach of iron, a tearless eye, and the ability to utilize various disguises and surrogates to outsmart the FBI, CIA, and Interpol agents determined to capture her. She hates trespassers and America. When she contemplates what America’s war forces have done to so many countries that include Kosovo, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, Dominguez’s hatred of America grows. As she slowly transforms her apartment into an arsenal to be used by her mercenaries to rid the world of trespassers, Dominguez unfurls an evil plan that, if she is not stopped, has the potential to destroy America forever. Leave Well Enough Alone shares the heart-stopping journey of a female terrorist as she embarks on a resolute mission to destroy the United States.
