Think the worst won't happen to youDivorce can turn even the most sensible and perfectly nice people into malicious cutthroats. And while divorce is never easy, it can get downright nasty if your spouse wants to turn the process into the ffifiight of his or her life. Whether your spouse is vengeful, abusive, money-hungry, or just plain angry, a divorce can become prolonged, costly, and psychologically and emotionally damaging to your children.Here, Jeffery M. Leving, one of America's most prominent and experienced divorce lawyers, shows you how to win any divorce fair and square, even when your spouse brings out the heavy artillery.By giving real-life examples, Leving provides essential advice on everything from picking the right lawyer and devising a winning settlement strategy to getting the most from your day in court and dealing with an ex-spouse. Divorce Wars will help ensure you are acting wisely and effectively at every stage of the process, and will help you and your children survive even the most painful and difffiicult divorce.

The name Blackwater, the world's largest private military contractor, became infamous early in the Iraq War, when four of its men were seized by a mob in Fallujah, murdered, and hung from a bridge for the world to see. Since then, Blackwater has expanded dramatically; its men have been involved in major scandals, including a shooting spree in Iraq that has now caused the Iraqi government to blacklist the company. As Suzanne Simons reveals in this first-ever inside look, based on extraordinary access to Blackwater founder Erik Prince, and dozens of his key employees, Blackwater is just the tip of Erik Prince's empire. He publicly reassures everyone that Blackwater only works for the U.S., and would never become a mercenary organization for other governments, yet he has another entire company dedicated to doing just that, hiring foreign nationals, working for well over a dozen different governments, and overlapping in crucial ways with Blackwater. In addition, he has a private spying company, run by former top CIA men, employing extraordinarily sensitive methods and technical sophistication, for rent by any interested party, from companies to governments. Finally, he is amassing an air fleet that is large enough to serve as a miniature air force, not just by purchasing planes and helicopters, but also by building his own unmanned drones. In short, the full story of Erik Prince and his now-crumbling empire is a story of one of the modern world's most influential military figures, and it has never been told. Prince is a man who shuns publicity except when absolutely necessary, to tamp down a scandal; even when he has wanted to tell his story, he has been shut down by his clients in Washington who won't stand for it. Instead, he has given Suzanne Simons hours of interviews; access to his staff; invitations to join him on trips to Afghanistan; and more. He is a fascinating figure, part deeply conservative, evangelical patriot; part rebellious, go-it-alone kingpin. He is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and his companies are worth billions. His empire dwarfs all of its competitors, to such a degree that even if the military wanted to wash its hands of him, they wouldn't be able to replace him.

Should you take a much-needed vacation or save money for the kids' educationProtect the endangered owl or maintain jobs for loggersHave a heart-to-heart with a lying employee or fire him on the spotAll of us face ethical choices. Sometimes they're easy: One side is wrong and the other is right. But how do we handle the really tough "right vs. right" dilemmas, where each side has strong moral arguments and we can't do bothThis book helps us build Ethical Fitness a values-based decision-making process so definitive that it's now a registered trade mark.Rushworth M. Kidder, founder of the Institute for Global Ethics, teaches us how to think for ourselves in order to resolve ethical dilemmas ranging from the intimately personal to the broadly philosophical. Unique in its approach and rich with illustrative anecdotes updated with examples of real-world conflicts from today's political realm and from Dr. Kidder's own observations How Good People Make Tough Choices is an indispensable resource for spotting, understanding, and resolving our toughest decisions.

Everybody has that special someone in their life that they can't wait to get rid of. Whether it's a housekeeper, a therapist, or a personal trainer, the time comes when you have to pull the plug on the relationship.Featuring personal stories, useful *s, and interviews with experts such as Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser, funnyman Adam Carolla, and Michael Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, Dump 'Em is a practical guide for giving any bad relationship the boot. Jodyne L. Speyer provides a roadmap to finding your own way of saying "thanks, but no thanks." Written with honesty, empathy, and ruthless wit, Dump 'Em will teach you to conquer your fear of confrontation and master the art of the peaceful and permanent breakup. So what are you waiting forDump 'em!

Discover the secrets of Hollywood storytelling in this fascinating collection, in which fifty screenwriters share the inside scoop about how they surmounted incredible odds to break into the business, how they transformed their ideas into box-office blockbusters, how their words helped launch the careers of major stars, and how they earned accolades and Academy Awards. Entertaining, informative, and sometimes startling, Tales from the Script features exclusive interviews with film's top wordsmiths, including John Carpenter (Halloween), Nora Ephron (Julie & Julia), John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and David hayter (Watchmen). Read along as:Frank Darabont explains why he sacrificed his salary to preserve the integrity of his hard-hitting adapta-tion of Stephen King's novella The Mist.William Goldman reveals why he's never had any interest in directing movies, despite having won Oscars for writing All the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Ron Shelton explains why he nearly cut the spectacular speech that helped cement Kevin Costner's stardom in Bull Durham.Josh Friedman describes the bizarre experience of getting hired by Steven Spielberg to adapt H. G. Wells's classic novel War of the Worlds even though Spielberg hated Friedman's take on the material.Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) analyzes his legendary relationship with Martin Scorsese.Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) reveals why the unrelenting hype around his multimillion-dollar * sales caused him to retreat from public life for several years.Tales from the Script is a must for movie buffs who savor behind-the-scenes stories and a master class for all those who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay, taught by those who made that dream come true.

From the known to the unknown . . . With its spectacular temples, tombs, monuments, and mummies, as well as esoteric metaphysics, legendary historical characters, and connections to the Bible, ancient Egypt has enticed the human imagination for centuries. This search for understanding and drive to uncover a lost civilization has also been the life work of archaeologist Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D. In Beneath the Sands of Egypt, he offers an intriguing personal account of a career spent researching the remains of Egypt's past including his headline-making rediscovery of a lost tomb in the Valley of the Kings containing the mummy of the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut.Since his early childhood, Ryan dreamed of exploration and adventure. Inspired by his plastic dinosaurs, his books including Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki and his father's National Geographic collection, Ryan was determined to become an archaeologist. It is a quest that has taken him from harsh desert digs to the modern comforts of Europe's finest museums to treacherous Alpine peaks and into the lives of his archaeological predecessors, gathering insight from obscure documents and, literally, digging in their wake.Beneath the Sands of Egypt interweaves Ryan's captivating tales from the field with reflections into the arcane world of Egyptology, from the writings of Herodotus to the tools of the trade, the intricacies of obtaining a digging permit to the thrall of popular myths. In addition, Ryan introduces a diverse cast of eccentric colleagues, helpful locals, wily entrepreneurs, and enlightened benefactors who have touched his life, including the legendary Thor Heyerdahl, Ryan's childhood hero who eventually became his friend, mentor, and boss. Throughout, Ryan adds his unique touch, reminding us how an artifact as seemingly insignificant as a piece of rope can unlock invaluable insights and offer its own wonderful tale.Infused with the irrepressible curiosity that has fueled Ryan's journey, Beneath the Sands of Egypt is the extraordinary story of a man who has spent a lifetime embracing adventure whenever and wherever he finds it.

Get revenge on all your annoying coworkers with this guide to 101 awesome office pranks Are your eyes beginning to glaze over from the fluorescent lights in your tiny cubicleHave you had one too many burnt cups of coffeeDoes the guy in the cube next to you insist on pencil-drumming while cranking "Hells Bells" and five-finger discounting your paper clipsIf your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you're in need of some Cubicle Warfare.With Cubicle Warfare, you'll never be bored at the office again. Make your coworkers jump, squeal, and run for cover with hilarious pranks such as the Paper Clip Chain, Bottomless Box, and the Sticky Note Office, as well as the more advanced Freezer Bomb, Chair Chaos, and Textless Keyboard. Even if you're not a prankster yourself, you can still use this riotous guide to recognize the warning signs and defend your desk from conniving coworkers. Bad days at the office will be a thing of the past.

Does a secure financial life seem to difficult to imagine let alone achieveDoes wealth strike you as an impossible dreamWhether you're living from paycheck to paycheck, or simply confused by the world of stocks, bonds, and brokers, it's never too late to change your situation. All you need is a little help.By spending just ten to fifteen minutes a day with this immensely helpful book, you'll discover that financial security is just steps away. Filled with the wisdom and advice of a seasoned expert, this year-old program for success shows you how to: change your attitude and change your life break out of debt and control your spending choose investments and make your money grow protect your gains and prepare for a comfortable retirement give your children or grandchildren a secure start in life and much more!

Pamela Haag has written the generational "big book" on modern marriage, a mesmerizing, sometimes salacious look at the semi-happy ambivalence lurking just below the surface of many marriages today. The spouses may rarely fight they may maintain a sincere affection for each other but one or both may harbor a melancholy sense that something important is missing. Remarkably, this side of the marriage story hasn't been told or analyzed until now.Meticulously researched and injected with insightful firsthand accounts and welcome doses of humor, Marriage Confidential articulates for a generation that grew up believing they would "have it all" why they have ended up disenchanted. Haag introduces us to contemporary marriages where spouses act more like life partners than lovers; children occupy an uncontested position at the center of the marital relationship; and even the romantic staples of sexual fidelity and passion are assailed from all sides so much so that spouses can end up having affairs online almost by accident.Blending tales from the front lines of matrimony with cultural history, surveys, and research covert-ops (such as joining an online affair-finding site and posting a personal ad in the New York Review of Books), Haag paints a detailed picture of the state of marriage today. And to show what's possible as well as what's melancholy in our post-romantic age, Haag seeks out marriages with a twist rebels who are quietly brainstorming and evolving the *s around career, money, social life, child rearing, and sex.Provocative but sympathetic, forward-thinking and bold, here, at last, is a manifesto for living large in marriage.

Do you believe it's possible for someone to read your mind?Lior Suchard can. He can read your innermost thoughts, and knows what you are going to say before you say it before you even know you're going to say it! As a six-year-old boy in Haifa, Israel, Lior first realized he had an extraordinary mental power. Now he is known throughout the world as a dazzling entertainer and peerless mentalist, astounding audiences everywhere with his singular talent for mind reading, thought influencing, and telekinesis. In Mind Reader, Lior takes us on an incredible journey through the wonders of the human mind, sharing his remarkable personal story while offering invaluable advice. Lior's secrets and lessons, illustrated throughout with interactive elements and brainteasers, will enable readers to achieve phenomenal success by unlocking their untapped mental powers and freely embracing their inner mentalist.

Now in paperback, The Reluctant Parting is a poignant look at the New Testament exploring the forgotten question of intention and identity in Christianity's core writings– How did Jesus's followers stop being Jewish without meaning toWhile other books have demonstrated the "Jewishness" of Jesus, none have grappled with the implications of the New Testament authors' relationship to their own Judaism. The Christian New Testament has led a life never imagined by its Jewish sectarian authors. Through lively and accessible scholarship, Galambush reveals the anguish of the early Christians as they first struggled with, and then left behind, the larger Jewish community. She illuminates the human drama of the split between Jews and Christians, revealing a deep loss at the heart of Christian tradition that continues to cry out for reconciliation between Christianity and the Judaism it so painfully left. Not just another well–credentialed scholar, Galambush is uniquely positioned as both a convert to Judaism and a former associate pastor to identify what is at stake for Jews as well as for Christians. The book's deeply empathic portrayal of the early Christians' struggle with their Jewish identity will allow it to serve as a resource for Jews and Christians alike.

Veteran New York Times journalist Joseph Berger takes us inside the fascinating, insular world of the Hasidim to explore their origins, beliefs, and struggles. Though the Hasidic way of life was nearly extinguished in the Holocaust, today the Hasidim—"the pious ones"—have become one of the most prominent religious subcultures in America. In The Pious Ones, New York Times journalist Joseph Berger traces their origins in eighteenth-century Eastern Europe, illuminating their dynamics and core beliefs, which remain enigmatic to outsiders. He analyzes the Hasidim's codified lifestyle, revealing its fascinating secrets, complexities, and paradoxes, and provides a nuanced and insightful portrayal of how their all-encompassing faith dictates nearly every aspect of life—including work, education, food, sex, clothing, and social relations—and helps them to sustain a sense of connection and purpose in a changing world. From the intense sectarian politics to the conflicts that arise over housing, transportation, schooling, and gender roles, The Pious Ones chronicles the ways in which the fabric of Hasidic existence is threatened by both exposure to the wider world and internal fissures within its growing population. What lies ahead for the Hasidim, and what lies ahead for American culture and politics as these ultra-Orthodox Jews occupy a greater place in our society?

By July 1914, the ties between Kezia Marchant and Thea Brissenden, friends since girlhood, have become strained by Thea's passionate embrace of women's suffrage and by the imminent marriage of Kezia to Thea's brother, Tom, who runs the family farm. When Kezia and Tom wed just a month before war is declared between Britain and Germany, Thea's gift to Kezia is a book on household management a veiled criticism of the bride's prosaic life to come. Yet when Tom enlists to fight for his country and Thea is drawn reluctantly onto the battlefield herself, the farm becomes Kezia's responsibility. Each must find a way to endure the ensuing cataclysm and turmoil.As Tom marches to the front lines and Kezia battles to keep her ordered life from unraveling, they hide their despair in letters and cards filled with stories woven to bring comfort. Even Tom's fellow soldiers in the trenches enter and find solace in the dream world of Kezia's mouth-watering, albeit imaginary, meals. But will well-intended lies and self-deception be of use when they come face-to-face with the enemy?The Care and Management of Lies paints a poignant picture of love and friendship strained by the pain of separation and the brutal chaos of battle. Ultimately, it raises profound questions about conflict, belief, and love that echo in our own time.

New York Times Bestseller (Education) The Economist Best Books of the Year Selection In this revealing and provocative memoir, the former chancellor of the New York City schools offers the behind-the-scenes story of the city’s dramatic campaign to improve public education and an inspiring blueprint for national reform. In 2002 New York City’s newly elected mayor, Michael Bloomberg, made a historic announcement: his administration had won control of the city’s school system in a first step toward reversing its precipitous decline. In a controversial move, he appointed Joel Klein, an accomplished lawyer from outside the education establishment, to lead this ambitious campaign. Lessons of Hope is Klein’s inside account of his eight-year mission of improvement: demanding accountability, eliminating political favoritism, and battling a powerful teachers union that seemed determined to protect a status quo that didn’t work for kids. Klein’s initiatives resulted in more school choice, higher graduation rates, and improved test scores. The New York City model is now seen as a national standard for meaningful school reform. But the journey was not easy. Klein faced resistance and conflict at every turn. Lessons of Hope lays bare the problems plaguing public education and shows how they can be solved. At its core lies Klein’s personal story: his humble upbringing in Brooklyn and Queens, and the key role that outstanding public school teachers played in nurturing his success. Engaging and illuminating, Lessons of Hope is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of American public education.

Discover the story behind these and more in this delightful collection of the wild, the weird, and the wonderful, culled from The Wall Street Journal's popular and long-standing A-Hed column.One of the The Wall Street Journal's most popular features for more than seventy years, the daily A-Hed column named for a headline that looked like a letter A has diverted readers from the more glum news of war, economic woe, natural disasters, and man-made malfeasance. Covering a wide range of lunacy and the unusual from across the nation and the world, the A-Hed continues to enchant longtime readers.Now, the best A-Hed stories from recent years have been bundled into this entertaining volume. There are romantic tales, including the Japanese "infidelity phone" (it keeps trysts secret) and the story of "wingmen" and "wingwomen" who escort wallflowers to nightspots and maneuver them into the arms of prospective catches. Lovers of dogs, cats, and fish will learn how a Marine Corps bulldog got promoted to sergeant, how a grumpy cat acquired a Hollywood agent, and will be left wondering if a sixty-three-pound carp named Benson died of natural causes in England or was the victim of foul play. Funny, moving, and charming, these stories will make you laugh and keep you entertained.

Marge Piercy, a writer who is highly praised as both a poet and a novelist, turns her gaze inward as she shares her thoughts on life and explores her development as a woman and writer. She pays tribute to the one loving constant that has offered her comfort and meaning even as the faces and events in her life have changed -- her beloved cats.With searing honesty, Piercy tells of her strained childhood growing up in a religiously split, working-class family in Detroit. She examines her myriad friendships and relationships, including two painful early marriages, and reveals their effects on her creativity and career. More than a reminiscence of things past, however, Sleeping With Cats is also a celebration of the present and the future, as Piercy shares her views on aging, creativity, and finding a lasting and improbable love with a man fourteen years younger than herself.A chronicle of the turbulent and exciting journey of one artist's life, Sleeping With Cats is a deeply intimate, unforgettable story.

In Safe at Home, Alyssa Milano actress, blogger, and the mind behind the bestselling Touch sports-clothing line tells the story about her lifelong obsession with baseball, revealing what the game has meant to her and why everyone should take a chance on nine innings. Her baseball story begins in Brooklyn, New York, where her father scorned the Dodgers for abandoning his beloved city. When he and his young daughter later moved out west for a fledgling TV show called Who's the Boss?, Alyssa learned one of the fundamental truths of the game: No matter where you are, no matter how old you are, baseball connects you to your past.From arguing about the importance of baseball history to criticizing Major League Baseball's response to the steroid scandal, Alyssa brings an intelligent, wry, and entertaining female voice to the world of baseball writing. The end result is a unique and unexpected book that is equal parts memoir, manifesto, and love letter to America's game.

Have you ever found yourself looking up at the starry night, wondering and wanting to know more?Congratulations! You're a stargazer. Unlike its more scientific sister astronomy, stargazing requires no equipment except perhaps something comfortable to sit on and a star map. The Stargazer's Guide provides these maps and shows you what there is to see in the sky, why it's interesting, and how previous generations viewed and interpreted it. Organized by month, The Stargazer's Guide takes you through the night sky's stories mythological, historical, and scientific offering simple diagrams that enable you to easily identify the constellations. Let expert stargazer Emily Winterburn enthrall you with true stories of romantic and scientific endeavors, and mythic tales of beasts and battles that led to the naming of the stars. With this enchanting, accessible, and fun guide to the heavens, you'll discover and revel in the beauty and wonder of the night sky.

In this inspiring memoir, internationally beloved actress Jane Seymour shows how she has learned to embrace and learn from the many changes in her life Now fifty, Jane Seymour the eternally beautiful star of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and countless other television shows and films is a living testament to the rewards of embracing midlife and its challenges eagerly and gracefully. In Remarkable Changes, she leads the reader through the challenges of those years from the physical changes that come with the territory to the emotional transformations that accompany this passage of life. From understanding the stages of change, to making every moment significant, she helps us find the true value in our life transitions, from marriage and divorce to career changes to milestones in the lives of our parents and children. Whether we initiate change in our life or it is thrust upon us by circumstances beyond our control, Jane shows that we should stop coping with change and start actively incorporating it into our lives, using the hard won wisdom weall gained through the years. Holding up as an example her own life and the lives of those closest to her, Seymour empowers us to accept life shifts and teaches us how to take even the toughest situations and turn them into strengthening tools. She talks about her own experiences with divorce and remarriage, children and stepchildren, and her new twin boys, and she describes her indomitable mother's difficult years in a World War II prison camp in Indonesia. Her best friend faced her own challenges when learning to understand her son's mental illness, and another friend started a grief recovery organization when his wife and son were murdered. We all need to face the beginnings and endings that make up our constantly changing lives. And this warm, inspiring book shows that we can all learn how to make each change remarkable.

Ingrid Betancourt, a senator and a presidential candidate in Colombia, grew up among diplomats, literati, and artists who congregated at her parents' elegant home in Paris, France. Her father served as Colombia's ambassador to UNESCO and her mother, a political activist, continued her work on behalf of the country's countless children whose lives were being destroyed by extreme poverty and institutional neglect. Intellectually, Ingrid was influenced by Pablo Neruda and other Latin American writers like Gabriel García Márquez, who frequented her parents' social circle. She studied at ?cole de Sciences Politiques de Paris, a prestigious academy in France. From this charmed life, Ingrid Betancourt -- not yet thirty, happily married to a French diplomat, and a mother of two children -- returned to her native country in the late 1980s. On what was initially just a visit, she found her country under internal siege from the drug cartels and the corrupt government that had allowed them to flourish. After seeing what had become of Colombia's democracy, she didn't feel she could leave. Until Death Do Us Part is the deeply personal story of a woman who gave up a life of comfort and safety to become a political leader in a country being slowly demolished by terrorism, violence, fear, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness. It is a country where democracy has been sacrificed for the well-being of the few, where international criminals determine policy, and where political assassinations are a way of life. Now forty, Ingrid Betancourt has been elected and reelected as a representative and as a senator in Colombia's national legislature. She has founded a political party that has openly confronted Colombia's leaders and has earned the respect of a nation. And now she has become a target of the establishment and the drug cartels behind it. Forced to move her children out of Colombia for protection against death threats, Ingrid Betancourt remained and continued to fight the political structure that has crumbled under the destructive power of the paramilitary forces, the financial omnipotence of the drug cartels, and the passivity of governmentfor-sale. Here is a political cocktail that has destroyed countless lives in Colombia and has spread to countries beyond its borders. A memoir of a life in politics that reads like a fastpaced political thriller, Until Death Do Us Part -- already an international bestseller -- is a hair-raising account of one woman's fight against the establishment. It is a story of a woman whose love for her country and faith in democracy gave her the courage to stand up to the power that has subjugated, intimidated, or corrupted all those who opposed it. A chilling account of the dangerous, byzantine machine that runs Colombia, it is also an inspiring story of privilege, sacrifice, and true patriotism.

Sure, he's an excitable guy. Sure, he loves to complain. But Regis Philbin loves life . . . and with the wildly unpredictable one he's led so far, who wouldn'tAfter five decades in show business and nearly 17,000 unforgettable hours on television he has a lifetime’s worth of stories to share. In this entertaining memoir, the irrepressible Reege consummate talk-show host, man-about-town, loving husband, father, and yes, obsessive sports fan looks back at his years in show business. How I Got This Way is filled with stories of lessons learned and elbows rubbed with extraordinary, and often unsuspecting, teachers: David Letterman; Donald Trump; George Clooney; Howard Stern; Jack Nicholson; legendary Notre Dame coaches Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, and Lou Holtz; and, of course, longtime cohosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Pippa” Ripa; as well as his own lovely wife, Joy to name just a few.Whether he's revealing what really drove him bonkers on the set of Seinfeld, how he survived the first known bomb scare on live TV, what Jack Nicholson said about his beautiful leading ladies during their guys night out together, or poignant memories of his last moments with his idol and dear friend, Jack Paar, Regis packs every page with his signature heart, wit, dynamic energy, and gratitude for everything life has brought him.