As the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce—a long and hopeless lawsuit over a disputed will—drags slowly on through the courts, it begins to wear down all those caught in its complicated web. Esther Summerson, an orphan placed in the care of the kind and gentle John Jarndyce at Bleak House, can only watch on as the people she loves are consumed by the proceedings. But when Esther's past comes looking for her, will the discovery of her true identity finally lead her to the answers she has been searching for?

How do we make decisions—good and bad—and why are some people so much better at it than others? Thats the question Malcolm Gladwell asks and answers in the follow-up to his huge bestseller, The Tipping Point. Utilizing case studies as diverse as speed dating, pop music, and the shooting of Amadou Diallo, Gladwell reveals that what we think of as decisions made in the blink of an eye are much more complicated than assumed. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, he shows how the difference between good decision-making and bad has nothing to do with how much information we can process quickly, but on the few particular details on which we focus. Leaping boldly from example to example, displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Gladwell reveals how we can become better decision makers—in our homes, our offices, and in everyday life. The result is a book that is surprising and transforming. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

Poetry. "Few volumes of poetry, let alone first collections, achieve the splendid fusion of intelligence and passion that characterizes BODY BETRAYER. Beckian Fritz Goldberg has an amazing command of technique, but more importantly an ability to look unflinchingly at the ironies and cruelties of our mysterious existence. Her poems are visionary in a rare and hardwon sense, for she seems to see more than the rest of us—because of our timidity or some lack of character—are willing to permit ourselves. Yet Goldberg's broodings invariably transform themselves to a stance that is redemptive rather than despairing. BODY BETRAYER is a remarkable first book"—David Wojahn.

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." — Oscar Wilde

A Book Lover's Diary is a journal for noting personal discoveries from the books read and recording the books on a wish list. A Book Lover's Diary is a welcome companion during forays to libraries and bookstores when the titles of books wanted can vanish from memory.

Well-organized and practical, this book features separate sections for: - Books to read - Books read and a personal review - Books to buy - Books loaned out or borrowed - Favorite books - Memorable passages - Addresses of libraries and book stores

Beautifully detailed woodcuts illustrate the pages and quotations describe the joy of books and reading. By keeping track of the books read and noting their effect, this journal becomes a valuable personal history.

Many readers have wished for a way to record their thoughts after finishing a book, or to remember their impressions of their book club meeting. Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Journal is the perfect place to do these things and more. Based on the famous bestseller, this conveniently sized journal is a great place for readers to expand their reading experience. The template offers plenty of room for internal discussion to recall favorite passages of books, or to think about how the book they're currently reading reflects their own life. The template also functions as an easy-access reference tool to return to previous entries they have written. A detailed introduction explains how to make the most of the journal, while The Pearl 100 offers informed suggestions on great reads. Additional templates enable readers to record books on their "To Read" list, notebook passages to remember, and keep tabs on books lent to friends and family.

Commissioned and closely monitored by Milan Kundera himself, this new translation brings a clarity and unmatched fidelity to the author's original text. Widely held as a work of genius, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is the novel that first brought him to the forefront of the international literary scene. Rich in stories, characters and imaginative range, it was written while Kundera was still forbidden to publish in his home country of Czechoslovakia, which was then behind the Iron Curtain. In seven wonderfully integrated parts, different aspects of modern existence from the posthumous erasure of "enemies" of communism from the historical record, to the subtle agony of the fading memory of a lost love, to the bizarre sexlessnes of modern promiscuity are explored with boldness, subversive humor and the magical power of fiction.

Culled from love letters, poetry, fiction, personal essays, and memoirs, this lavish and fascinating anthology celebrates love—humankind's grandest pastime and obsession. Included are more than 200 selections from such noteworthy writers as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Gustave Flaubert, George Eliot, Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and Andrew Marvell Valentine's Day promo. Web site feature.

A monument to the literary genius of women throughout the ages, A Book of Women Poets from Antiquity to Now is an invaluable collection. Here in one volume are the works of three hundred poets from six different continents and four millennia. This revised edition includes a newly expanded section of American poets from the colonial era to the present.

From Pulitzer-Prize-nominated author Susan Griffin comes an unprecedented, provocative look at the dazzling world of the West’s first independent women, whose lively liaisons brought them unspoken influence, wealth, and freedom.

While they charmed some of Europe’s most illustrious men honing their social skills as well as their sexual ones, the great courtesans gained riches, power, education, and sexual freedom in a time when other women were denied all of these. From Imperia of sixteenth-century Rome, who personified the Renaissance ideal of beauty; Mme. de Pompadour, the arbiter of all things fashionable in eighteenth-century Paris and Versailles; Liane de Pougy, known in France during the Belle Epoque as “Our National Courtesan”; to Sarah Bernhardt, who, following in her mother’s footsteps, supported herself in her early career with a second profession, The Book of the Courtesans tells the life stories and intricacies of the lavish lifestyles of these women. Unlike their geisha counterparts, courtesans neither lived in brothels nor bent their wills to suit their suitors. They were strong- willed, autonomous, and plucky.

An open secret, their presence can be felt throughout our culture. The muses who enflamed the hearts and imaginations of our most celebrated artists, they were also artists in their own right. They wrote poetry and novels, invented the cancan at the Moulin Rouge, and presented celebrated acts at the Folies Bergères. They helped to influence and shape the sensibility of modern literature, painting, and fashion. When Greek sculptor Praxiteles wanted to depict Venus he used a famous courtesan as a model, as in later centuries Titian, Veronese, Raphael, Giorgione, and Boucher did when they painted goddesses. When Marcel Proust was a young man it was the courtesan Laure Hayman who took him under her wing, introducing him to the right people, and providing inspiration for one of literature’s greatest masterpieces. And they often had considerable political influence too. When King Louis XV needed advice on foreign affairs or appointments of state he turned to Jeanne du Barry as well as Pompadour.

In her witty and insightful prose, as Griffin celebrates these alluring and fascinating women, she restores a lost legacy of women’s history. She gives us the stories of these amazing women who, starting from impoverished or unimpressive beginnings, garnered chateaux, fine coaches, fabulous collections of jewelry, and even aristocratic titles along the way. And through a brilliant exploration of their extraordinary abilities, skills, and talents which Griffin playfully categorizes as their virtues "Timing, Beauty, Cheek, Brilliance, Gaiety, Grace, and Charm" her book explains how, while helping themselves, through their often outrageous, always entertaining examples, the great courtesans not only enriched our cultural heritage but helped to liberate women from the social, sexual, and economic strictures that confined them.

Intensively researched and beautifully crafted, The Book of the Courtesans delves into scintillating but often hidden worlds, telling stories gleaned from many sources, including courtesans’ memoirs, presented along with stunning rare photographs to create memorable portraits of some of the most pivotal figures in women’s history.

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

"An important and valuable study that will define research agendas for years to come. It is also hugely fun to read."
—Boston Globe

Why do people raised in the same families often differ more dramatically in personality than those from different families? What made Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, and Voltaire uniquely suited to challenge the conventional wisdom of their times? This pioneering inquiry into the significance of birth order answers both these questions with a conceptual boldness that has made critics compare it with the work of Freud and of Darwin himself.

Frank J. Sulloway envisions families as ecosystems in which siblings compete for parental favor by occupying specialized niches. Combing through thousands of biographies in politics, science, and religion, he demonstrates that firstborn children are more likely to identify with authority whereas their younger siblings are predisposed to rise against it. Family dynamics, Sulloway concludes, is a primary engine of historical change. Elegantly written, masterfully researched, Born to Rebel is a grand achievement that has galvanized historians and social scientists and will fascinate anyone who has ever pondered the enigma of human character.

"Daring . . . a stunning achievement. "

—The New York Times Book Review

Over 100 traditional bread recipes from cuisines around the world