Up the Agency: The Funny Business Of Advertising


Peter Mayle - 1994
    Up the Agency is his caustic valentine to the culture of Madison Avenue, where the tribal customs and rituals are as wondrous to behold as the sights on any anthropological expedition. Treading fearlessly and wittily where no one without a customized BMW and matching Armani suit has gone before, Mayle dissects this odd and endlessly fascinating industry - where the speed of a new talent's ascent can be matched only by his shocking fall months later. Whether describing the perfect ad man, the frenzy and desperation of putting together a new campaign, or the treachery of the fickle product-buying public, Mayle brings his insightful eye to bear on this very funny business, which brings both pleasure and pain to millions - and millions to a few.

Behind the Book: Making The Death of Dulgath


Michael J. Sullivan - 2016
    It's intended for readers and writers who want to learn more about Michael's writing process as well as information about contracts, beta reader programs, and editing. NOTE: If you haven't read The Death of Dulgath, this ebook has MAJOR spoilers. It's intended to read AFTER that novel. Also, this ebook is being made available for free. To get your copy, just email Michael at michael.sullivan.dc@gmail.com with the subject "BEHIND THE BOOK: Making the Death of Dulgath, and Michael (or his wife, Robin) will send you a copy. Here is the Table of Contents:PrologueContracts and DeadlinesThe IdeaDeveloping the ConceptTools Starting the BookThe Writing ProcessProblems and SolutionsThe Curious Case of Stanley NeckerThe Climax The RainbowEditingPost Writing ProcessBeta ReadingKickstarter & HardcoversThat’s All Folks

Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers


Nancy Pearl - 2010
    Book Lust To Go connects the best fiction and nonfiction to particular destinations, whether your bags are packed or your armchair is calling. With stops from Texas to Timbuktu, Nancy Pearl's reading recommendations will send you on your way.

What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers


Anne Bernays - 1990
    With more than twenty-five years of experience teaching creative writing between them, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter offer more than seventy-five exercises for both beginners and more experienced writers. These exercises are designed to develop and refine two basic skills: writing like a writer and, just as important, thinking like a writer. They deal with such topics as discovering where to start and end a story; learning when to use dialogue and when to use indirect discourse; transforming real events into fiction; and finding language that both sings and communicates precisely. What If? will be an essential addition to every writer's library, a welcome and much-used companion, a book that gracefully borrows a whisper from the muse.

Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World


Benny Lewis - 2014
    Lewis is a full-time "language hacker," someone who devotes all of his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World is a new blueprint for fast language learning. Lewis argues that you don't need a great memory or "the language gene" to learn a language quickly, and debunks a number of long-held beliefs, such as adults not being as good of language learners as children.

The Present: The Secret to Enjoying Your Work and Life, Now!


Spencer Johnson - 1981
     As the young boy becomes a man, he grows disillusioned with his work and his life.  So he returns to ask the old man to help him find The Present. The old man responds, “Only you have the power to find The Present for yourself.” Heeding the old man’s advice, the young man embarks on a worldwide search for this magical gift that remains unchanging in a changing world, and holds the secret to personal happiness and lifelong success. It is only after the young man has searched high and low and all but given up his relentless pursuit that he discovers The Present—and all of the promises it offers. Like the young man, you may find that it is the best gift you can ever give to yourself — and to those you care about.

The Little Black Book of Style


Nina García - 2007
    Here, in one indispensible volume, are Nina’s ultimate rules of style to help you uncover your own signature look.

Lonely Planet Greek Islands


Lonely PlanetHelena Smith - 2010
    Marvel at clifftop sunsets in Santorini; get lost in the twisting, cobbled alleyways of Rhodes’ Old Town; and indulge in Crete’s unique cuisine -all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of the Greek Islands and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet Greek Islands: Colour maps and images throughout Highlightsand itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including customs, history, art, literature, music, dance, architecture, politics, wildlife, cuisine Free, convenient pull-outAthens map (included in print version), plus over 105 local maps Covers Athens, Crete, the Ionian Islands, the Cyclades, Santorini, the Saronic Gulf Islands, Dodecanese, the Northeastern Aegean Islands, Evia, the Sporades, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Greek Islands, our most comprehensive guide to the Greek Islands, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled Looking for more coverage? Check out our Lonely Planet Greeceguide for a comprehensive look at all the country has to offer. Looking for a guide focused on Crete? Check out our Lonely Planet Crete guide for a comprehensive look at all the island has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing

The Art of Travel


Alain de Botton - 2002
    With the same intelligence and insouciant charm he brought to How Proust Can Save Your Life, de Botton considers the pleasures of anticipation; the allure of the exotic, and the value of noticing everything from a seascape in Barbados to the takeoffs at Heathrow. Even as de Botton takes the reader along on his own peregrinations, he also cites such distinguished fellow-travelers as Baudelaire, Wordsworth, Van Gogh, the biologist Alexander von Humboldt, and the 18th-century eccentric Xavier de Maistre, who catalogued the wonders of his bedroom. The Art of Travel is a wise and utterly original book. Don’t leave home without it.

Personal History


Katharine Graham - 1997
    Katharine's account of her years as subservient daughter and wife is so painful that by the time she finally asserts herself at the Post following Phil's suicide in 1963 (more than halfway through the book), readers will want to cheer. After that, Watergate is practically an anticlimax.

You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters


Kate Murphy - 2020
    So do our politicians.We're not listening.And no one is listening to us.Despite living in a world where technology allows constant digital communication and opportunities to connect, it seems no one is really listening or even knows how. And it’s making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before. A listener by trade, New York Times contributor Kate Murphy wanted to know how we got here.In this always illuminating and often humorous deep dive, Murphy explains why we’re not listening, what it’s doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend. She makes accessible the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology of listening while also introducing us to some of the best listeners out there (including a CIA agent, focus group moderator, bartender, radio producer, and top furniture salesman). It’s time to stop talking and start listening.

Get a Freelance Life: mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing


Margit Feury Ragland - 2006
    Learn how to:• Write compelling pitch letters • Network with the best in the magazine and newspaper industry• Understand the freelance market and detect its changes• Self-edit and rewrite your work• Manage tight deadlines• Negotiate contracts• Survive the financial ups and downs of the freelance lifeWith plenty of insider advice and tips from the most successful freelance writers and editors in the country, Get a Freelance Life is a must-have resource for turning your freelance gigs into a full-fledged writing career.

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia


Michael Booth - 2014
    In this timely book, he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another.Why are the Danes so happy despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way, a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades.

The Writer's Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Impress Agents, Engage Editors, and Captivate Readers


Paula Munier - 2016
    

Honeymoon with My Brother


Franz Wisner - 2005
    Just days before they were to be married, his fiancée called off the wedding. Luckily, his large support network of family and friends wouldn't let him succumb to his misery. They decided Franz should have a wedding and a honeymoon anyway- there just wouldn't be a bride at the ceremony, and Franz' travel companion would be his brother, Kurt.During the "honeymoon," Franz reconnected with his brother and began to look at his life with newfound perspective. The brothers decided to leave their old lives behind them. They quit their jobs, sold all their possessions, and traveled around the world, visiting fifty-three countries for the next two years. In Honeymoon With My Brother, Franz recounts this remarkable journey, during which he turned his heartbreak into an opportunity to learn about himself, the world, and the brother he hardly knew.