It breaks down the 5 stages of the service lifecycle into digestible chunks, helping you to ensure that customers receive the best possible IT experience. Whether readers need to identify their customers' needs, design and implement a new IT service, or monitor and improve an existing service, this official guide provides a support framework for IT-related activities and the interactions of IT technical personnel with business customers and users.Understanding how ITIL can help you Getting to grips with ITIL processes and the service lifecycle Implementing ITIL into your day to day work Learn key skills in planning and carrying out design and implementation projects

    The secret to lower scoring is to sink more putts of eight feet or less while consistently lagging long putts close to the hole to avoid three putting. The Bulletproof Putting System teaches you to do exactly that, in five easy lessons. Written for the recreational golfer who has limited practice time and no desire to become a slave to the game, Bulletproof Putting in Five Easy Lessons will help you •Read greens more accurately and visualize the correct roll paths for your putts•Make a dependable putting stroke that hits the ball where you aim•Ingrain your bulletproof pre-shot and in-shot routines to increase confidence•Master the four types of putts: slam dunk, drillable, drainable, and lag•Utilize precious practice and warm up time to your best advantage. Bulletproof Putting in Five Easy Lessons is written in an approachable style by Michael McTeigue, former Northern California PGA Teacher of the Year and author of the popular full-swing instruction classic, The Keys to the Effortless Golf Swing. Michael conducted thousands of golf lessons as a PGA professional at Bel Air Country Club, Riveria Country Club, and Palos Verdes Golf Club in California. His beautifully illustrated new book will improve your putting and enrich your enjoyment of the game. Bulletproof Putting in Five Easy Lessons is certain to become a treasured favorite in your golfing library.

     She was a gifted midwestern beauty, the daughter of Ohio State University's marching band director: to dance on Broadway. Soon after high school graduation, Catherine left Columbus for New York City, determined to be a star. Three years later, she was dead -- murdered in cold blood in her East Side apartment. The shocking revelations that emerged from the police investigation made tabloid headlines: few knew that the struggling artist paid her bills by dancing in a topless club. But there was another hidden facet to Catherine's life -- a shattering love triangle with two men, one of whom would ultimately be convicted of her brutal stabbing death. It's a chilling account of obsession, violence, and the surprising, minute evidence on which the entire case hinged. For a talented young woman reaching for the top, and the heartbroken family she left behind, it is truly the death of a dream.

     China Clipper is filled with fact but reads like a spy novel. In the 1930s the political stability of the U.S. was collapsing. The U.S. was dangerously vulnerable. Through a popular policy of isolationism and international treaty the U.S. had only the most rudimentary and feeble defenses for an inevitable war with Japan. Japan, on the other hand, was ruthlessly storming through Manchuria, Korea and China slaughtering millions. The U.S. was stymied but Pan American Airways' proposed commercial seaplane bases at Pearl Harbor, Midway, Wake, Guam and Manila (all attacked on December 7 and 8 1941) offered the perfect ruse to begin fortifying the Pacific in 1934. You'll discover how the government worked covertly with Pan American to build Pacific island defenses, how Pan American became a monopoly and powerhouse airline. While China Clipper can be read as an exciting war story based on true events, its major power lies in the unique recreation of people and events heretofore previously unknown. Tautly written, filled with vivid characterizations, China Clipper is a compelling and a frightening examination of the forces that eventually caused Pearl Harbor to explode - and - the world go to war. China Clipper also follows the day-by-day flight of American citizen and Chinese patriot, Wah Sun Choy, in July 1938 on the Hawaii Clipper bound for China. A successful New Jersey businessman, Wah Sun Choy had raised over $3 million to help bolster China's war with Japan. But his purpose - to deliver the money to the Chinese Nationalists - clashed with the avowed aims of Japan. Between Guam and Manila, the elegant flying boat completely disappeared. Why the 26-ton flying boat vanished and how is explored in depth - for the first time - in China Clipper. China Clipper breaks new ground and garnered stellar reviews - “… new theory on the mystery of the Hawaii Clipper…” New York Times --- “...compelling, even romantic…” San Francisco Chronicle --- “...this is exciting reading…” San Diego Union --- “…good tale for spy , aviation and WWII buffs…” Nashville Banner

    to LondonOCothe professional dancer's extraordinaryajourney to the glitzy world of ballroomWith his slick moves, calm demeanor, and brooding good looks, Pasha Kovalev has becomeaa senation as a popular dancer. His talent and determination have taken him around the world, but as he shares here, it was the stark, grey landscape of his Siberian hometown, still reeling from the Communist regime, which provided the unlikely inspiration for his early love of ballroom dancing. With a strongadesire to succeed, he moved to theaU.S. in 2001awith his professional dance partner Anya Garnis and settled in Fort Lee, New Jersey.aHe auditioned for seasonathree of "So You Think You Can Dance "in 2007, amoved to L.A. in 2008, aand heahas since participated in all following seasons as either a choreographer or an All Star. Froma2009-2011ahe joined the cast of Jason Gilkison's production "Burn the Floor," one of the leading ballroom based shows in the world, during its stint on Broadway. In September 2011, Pasha joined the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" as the new professional dancer of the ninth season, abeing partnered in the 10th season with Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh. He speaks candidly in this heartwarming autobiography, on topics from romance to body image to the illness that nearly killed him. Most of all, he gives readers a glimpse behind the scenes of the flashy world of ballroom, and what really goes on beneath the veneer of sparkles and glamour."

    Brodie Seminar Book Series) shows how you can change your mindset and improve your personal motivation. Learning how to remain motivated in your life is essential. Without motivation, you will surely find yourself lacking quality results in life. • Do you have everything you wish to achieve in your life? • Do you have any important goals to accomplish in your life? • Are you really accomplishing your goals and dreams? • Have you ever stopped to actually evaluate the quality of your life? Most people struggle to produce the exact results they want in their life, typically due to a lack of motivation or inspiration to take the necessary actions. If you want to become successful in your life, the secrets are revealed in Motivation 101. These untold secrets will encourage and prepare you to take action. It is these actions that will translate to increasing the results you want. Motivation 101 will help open your eyes, mind, and body and will help teach you how to stay motivated and to take action to accomplish your goals. This is why Motivation 101 is a must-have in every library or home. Here are a few things that you will get out of Motivation 101 • How to start your day on the right note • How to utilize the Power of Music throughout the day • How to realize who your greatest opponent really is • How to create your own environment • How to Just Do It when it comes to accomplishing your goals • How to become a Master of Your Own Universe The perfect way to get motivation is from deep within you. Doing something that will motivate you will surely get the results. This book is intended to help eliminate procrastination and teach you how to be passionate about everything you set out to do, encourage you to do what you really love and help create value for not only for yourself but for others. This is the fundamental success principle that you must aspire to accomplish and Motivation 101 will help your journey. Motivation 101 can help you move toward enjoying your peak level of living. Life is more than mere existence. We only truly exist when we live our lives with purpose. Motivation 101 shows you how you can easily start your own journey towards a healthier mindset – a mindset that you can be proud of and achieve mental freedom. But more than this, Motivation 101 explores what it means to live a truly happy and fulfilled life – to really live the life of your dreams and pursue what you love. It encourages you to examine your own motivations and desires in order to determine your path in life. To get access to the bonus materials and resources (all for FREE), be sure to visit: www.BrodieEDU.com

    A ground-breaking book that sets out to demonstrate that Japanese is “simple, logical and beautiful” and that most of the apparently “arbitrary rules” that you “just have to learn” can be reduced to simple, easily intuitive patterns if you just understand how the language really works.

    You would find yourself closely connected to these stories. They will encourage you to explore your own potential to inspire you, and to achieve your real worth. This book will also help you to understand the traits that keep you from achieving your dreams. The book lays down a process to help you emerge from the clutches of negativity and develop a positive approach towards life.By investing time in yourself, acknowledging your potential, setting a worthy goal, avoiding common traps, surviving bad days and harvesting the power of thoughts, you can be successful.Read this interesting book to Know Your Worth.-------------------------------------------------N.K. Sondhi:N.K. Sondhi’s first book was 'Management of Banking', which draws upon his experiences as a manager in the Punjab National Bank. He then turned to fiction writing, bringing forth the seen and unseen aftermaths of the partition of India in 1947 in his novel 'Cart full of Husk'. He followed it up with a short non-fiction, 'Forgotten City of Delhi (How Delhi became Delhi)'. He wrote his next book, 'A Match Made in Heaven: A 2000-year-old love story', based on the life of an Indian princess, who became first queen of Korea in 48 AD.Working with young people as he pursued social activities after his retirement, he sensed the restlessness among youngsters, who are facing a large number of problems due to stiff neck to neck competition in every field of life. Growing use of advanced technology has further alienated them from the main stream of the society. This has led him to initiate this book 'Know Your Worth' with the young and enterprising writer Ms. Vibha Malhotra.-------------------------------------------------Vibha Malhotra:Vibha Malhotra is the founder of 'Literature Studio' and editor-in-chief of the literary e-journal 'Literature Studio Review'. In the past, she has worked as an editor with Dorling Kindersley (Penguin Random House) where she has edited beautiful coffee table books on subjects such as history, nature, fitness, lifestyle, and travel.She is also a poet and a translator. Her work has been published in literary journals across the world such as Wasafiri, Muse India, Tipton Poetry Journal, The Luxembourg Review, Red Fez, and in dailies such as The Times of India and Ceylon Today. 'Know Your Worth' is her first work as an author.Vibha holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, UK. She teaches creative writing to all age groups. By Profession, Vibha is a Lead Software Engineer at Adobe Systems.-------------------------------------------------CONTENTS1. Acknowledge Your Superpowers2. Invest in Yourself3. Take Charge4. Set a Worthy Goal5. Identify Your Worst Enemy6. Turn Your Fear into an Opportunity7. Avoid the Common Traps8. Harvest the Power of Thoughts9. Watch Your Attitude10. Keep Your Communication Clear11. Be Mindful12. Surviving Bad Days13. Nurture Your Ecosystem14. Stay SuccessfulINVEST IN YOURSELF Now that you know that you have superpowers that are there within you and can be harvested whenever you need them, it is important to take time to really explore all your strengths and weaknesses. Only then can you be fully prepared to achieve your goals. But we are mostly clueless that understanding ourselves doesn’t have to be a slow, tedious process, it can always be sped up.All of us are born with inherent likes and dislikes. Even a fetus in the womb has its own taste preferences, resulting in the seemingly irrational food cravings that expecting mothers experience. These preferences, likes, and dislikes are clues to the things you will be good at. If a child enjoys painting more than singing, chances are that the child will be better at painting than he/she is at singing. You can think of these as clues that nature chose to expose to us so that we can carve a satisfying path for ourselves.Most of us, even as adults, have whims, and mostly we choose to ignore them. Even as children, we are rarely able to indulge in every whim. There are always limitations – in terms of time, finances, facilities etc. – to keep us from fully exploring what we are capable of. But these are not the only factors that stop us. The biggest factor, in fact, is our own inhibitions, especially once we are grown-ups. We are afraid of new experiences, afraid of disappointment, afraid of failure, afraid of making fools of ourselves. And this fear keeps us from taking advantage of opportunities to gather new experiences. Let us try to understand this with the example of a young girl called Shikha. Shikha and the Ideation CompetitionShikha was an editor at a publishing house. She was very good at her job and apart from being an excellent editor, she also often proposed new book ideas to the publishing house.The publishing house announced a competition in which teams would work together and come up with new book ideas that they would then present to a jury comprising of senior publishers from all over the world. The selected idea would then be converted into a book that would be sold all over the world.Shikha had never ever participated in a competition, let alone won it. She wasn’t at all confident of her abilities to work in a team. And the fact that the competition was about new book ideas was making her restless. By proposing new book ideas in the past, she had earned a reputation in that area. Her colleagues and even her boss thought of her as a creative thinker. Shikha was worried that if she participated in this competition and lost it, her reputation as a creative thinker would be tarnished too. Can you guess why she was so full of doubts? It was because she had always attributed her past achievements to good luck, and had never given herself any credit for the book ideas she had come up with. Thus, she was afraid of being exposed as someone who really did not possess any great talent.She was still in this state of dilemma when she discovered that her manager had already nominated Shikha’s name for the competition. Now she had no choice, so she decided to go with the flow. With each passing day, her desperation to win the contest increased, and by the time the date of the competition arrived, she found herself unable to sleep. She knew that she would do anything to win this competition. For the first time in her life she was this passionate about something. She wanted to give it her all.On the day of the competition, she was put in a team and the team started with discussing the various ideas that all members had. Shikha had a great idea, but when she saw more merit in the idea proposed by another team member, she voted for it to be taken up for further preparation and the final presentation. She was almost feverish with excitement. And when her team members were of the opinion that they should give their best and not really care if they win or lose, Shikha was single-minded about her goal of winning the competition. Her focus proved to be contagious and soon all her team-members too were bubbling with enthusiasm. Guided by their single goal, the group of strangers really became a team and the initial idea evolved to become something they all believed in. Though the team leader was someone else, everyone could see that Shikha was the driving force for the team. When it was time to present their idea, the team leader proposed that Shikha should do it. And the presentation left the judges mesmerized. When their team emerged the winner, no one was surprised. Their idea and their presentation of it were deemed to be the best.Once she was out of the competition frenzy, Shikha herself was surprised. She couldn’t understand what had come over her during the competition. But she was glad to discover this other Shikha. She had gone into the competition based on her creative thinking, but her team had emerged a winner because of her team spirit and leadership skills. Shikha was surprised to discover these two new skills in herself. She had never thought herself capable of what she had achieved. Most of us are like Shikha – capable, but afraid of failure and public ridicule. And this is why we do not take chances in life. We like to play safe. But one can never really truly understand oneself by remaining in a shell. Unless you experience new things, you can never experience a new you. Unless you take risks, you can never transcend your normal, day-to-day existence.But, what gives us the capacity to take risks? Our confidence on our strengths and abilities. And from where do we get this confidence? Unfortunately, it isn’t a commodity and you cannot buy it from a shop. Money can’t buy you confidence. You need to work hard to develop it. You need to test yourself, which is again done by putting yourself in situations that you feel are beyond your reach. So, this is once again a chicken-and-egg situation. But after you have been through some such cycles and are confident of the situations you can handle, you are in a better position to fix your goals.However, it is easier said than done. Unfortunately, life is not a fairy tale and this means that we will not succeed every time we take up a challenge. There will also be times when we fail. This is inevitable. We will invariably have to face problems, and this may shake our confidence. Dealing with failures is not easy. It is like a double-edged sword. If you take failures too seriously, they may end up crushing you. On the other hand, if you take them too lightly, you will not learn any lessons from them, which means that the risk that you took would go to waste. So, you need to recognize failures for what they are – failures. Nothing more, nothing less. If you fail in a challenge, it does not mean that you yourself are a failure. This is the most common mistake we commit. Failing a challenge means that you failed that challenge. You need to analyze the situation, see what you could have done better, and move on to the next challenge where you can test your learnings.This act of never giving up, will give you confidence and this confidence helps us realize our capabilities. And this, in turn, shows in our personality. We hold our head high. We walk with determination. We talk with conviction, and we are normally in a good mood. Confidence also gives us perseverance – the ability to keep going after a failure. If you haven’t invested in yourself, you are more likely to give up after a failure or two.Confidence helps us stay on our path and not go astray. Many hurdles and problems may block our way and discourage us, but if we have confidence, we will not let these hurdles stop us. Instead we will search for an alternate path to our goal. The Little Bird and the BranchOnce a little bird landed on a branch high up a tall tree. The jungle below was full of dangerous predators but at this height, they posed no danger to the little bird. Feeling safe and protected, the little bird rested, enjoying the beautiful view around, and feeling completely at peace. Just as the bird became used to the branch, a strong wind started blowing, shaking the entire tree. The tree swayed with such intensity that it appeared the branch would break and fall down.To other animals, this could be a matter of great worry, but the little bird was not worried. Do you know why? Because the little bird knew its own powers and strengths. Even if the branch was to fall down, the bird knew that it had wings and the ability to fly. And the bird was also aware that if this branch was to fall, there are many other branches that could be used instead. Therefore, the bird, though tiny in size, sat on the branch, braving the high wind. The animals below, all of them much stronger than the bird, were filled with much admiration for this courageous little creature who was braving difficult circumstances. The story of this small bird tells us a lot about our own self-confidence and courage. If one road is blocked there are others we can follow. And if there are no new roads, there’s always the earth on which we can make a new road.

    Laura M. Ahearn shows that young Nepalese people are applying their newly acquired literacy skills to love-letter writing, fostering a transition that involves not only a shift in marriage rituals, but also a change in how villagers conceive of their own ability to act and attribute responsibility for events. These developments have potential ramifications that extend far beyond the realm of marriage and well past the Himalayas.The love-letter correspondences examined by Ahearn also provide a deeper understanding of the social effects of literacy. While the acquisition of literary skills may open up new opportunities for some individuals, such skills can also impose new constraints, expectations, and disappointments. The increase in female literacy rates in Junigau in the 1990s made possible the emergence of new courtship practices and facilitated self-initiated marriages, but it also reinforced certain gender ideologies and undercut some avenues to social power, especially for women. Scholars, and students in such fields as anthropology, women's studies, linguistics, development studies, and South Asian studies will find this book ethnographically rich and theoretically insightful. Laura M. Ahearn is Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Rutgers University.

    Easy-to-find answers to the most common (and obscure but fascinating) baseball questions." - USA Today"A great starting point for newbies of the game." - Ron Kaplan, "501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read Before They Die""Surprisingly, there is no other book so comprehensive, concise or readable." - St. Paul Pioneer-Press"Instructive and fun." - Chicago Sun-Times**Selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame Bookstore in Cooperstown**Lose yourself in all the marvelous memories and hallowed history of America’s national pastime with "The Book of Baseball Literacy: 3rd Edition." From the gloveless pioneers of the 1840s to the strife-ridden headlines of the 2000s, this comprehensive reference offers nearly 700 important baseball yarns, stats, and stories—cross-referenced and hyperlinked—in a style as lively as the game itself. Incredibly thorough, never dull, the book answers these and countless other questions:- Who was Ray Chapman, and why is he important?- Did Abner Doubleday really invent baseball?- What is sabermetrics?- Who set off the Pine Tar Incident?- Where was the first organized baseball game?- Were the Cubs cursed by a billy goat?- What are waivers and options?Written by SABR member and former college baseball broadcaster David H. Martinez and even selected as required reading for a college course on baseball history, "The Book of Baseball Literacy: 3rd Edition" puts over a century and a half of legends and lore, right in your mitt. It will settle arguments and provoke them, answer questions and ask them. It’s a must for veteran baseball fans—and a perfect way to get up to speed on baseball history for newcomers.

      Just after Jean Baur adopted a rescue dog, Bella, she lost her job at sixty-five. She decided to enroll Bella in a certified therapy-dog class. This new work, visiting hospital patients with her therapy job, gave Jean hope and purpose.   As Bella’s work expanded to nursing homes and elementary schools, the journey into the world of therapy-dog work allowed Jean and Bella to help others. They met an Alzheimer’s patient who learned to smile again after Bella took a treat from her hand. They befriended a six-year-old boy with autism who previously had a deep fear of dogs. Bella also coaxed an uncommunicative hospital patient to open up again after she jumped into bed with him.   National award-winning author Kim Kavin says Joy Unleashed “isn’t just another book about a dog and a person rescuing one another. It’s about how, together, Jean and Bella share their beautiful gift with countless other people who so desperately need to smile.”

    Her father was charming, but a monster. Lauren Jayne’s riveting memoir transports you into her roller-coaster life from page one. Travel with Lauren from her parents’ topless jazz club in Australia to her wild-child years growing up in the heart of Seattle’s grunge scene in the 1990s. She was a girl on a mission: ditching the chaos-filled life she was born into to find love In Seattle, Lauren finds the family she has always longed for in her tight group of friends. Here she experiences her first love, first loss, and finally, through a deeply rooted internal strength, a boundless determination to have the life she has always longed for and deep faith. She finds that what she has been looking for was closer than she ever knew. Dealing with life head-on, she fights her way through abandonment and self-loathing, a debilitating eating disorder and suicide. You cannot escape this addictive memoir without being personally affected - you will feel as if you are right by her side the whole way through, rooting for her. Sydney, Rome, and Israel: a lifelong journey of pain, loss and learning This captivating memoir will transport you into Lauren Jayne’s bizarre and larger-than-life world. You will journey around the world ping-ponging from Vegas where you will fall in love with her zany Mafia-drenched grandparents, Israel where she will discover a deeper faith, Rome where her love of culture is ignited, and back to Seattle where a suicide crumbles her world, only to finally bring it back together. You cannot read this evocative and beautifully written true story without gaining a new perspective on life. Scroll up to grab your copy of Pretty Things Don't Break: A Memoir now

    The second essay appears in Springsteen's forthcoming releases, The Promise and The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story.

    Many of our most hotly debate topics are shaped by Davos power brokers, woke college professors, TV talking heads, social media activists and feckless Washington swamp monsters who want you to only follow their narrative. Your teachers, your politicians, and your local paper are not likely to ever tell you: Racial minorities fare far better in the absence of race-based affirmative action policies. Latinos make up a little more than 50% of the Border Patrol, according to 2016 data. The U.S. settled more refugees in 2017 than any other nation. Between 2011 and 2016, the IRS documented 1.3 million identity thefts by Illegal aliens. Half of federal arrests are immigration-related. Welfare recipients in 34 states earn more than a person making minimum wage. Taxpayers doled out $2.6 billion in food stamps to dead people in less than two years. 1,700 private jets flew to Davos to discuss the impact of global warming. Google could swing an election by secretly adjusting its search algorithm, and we would have no way of knowing. Once you’re done reading 50 Things They Don’t Want You to Know, you’ll never trust the powers that be to give you the whole truth again.

    Tens of millions of Americans solve crossword puzzles regularly, but few know a thing about their genesis. Who writes crosswords, how--and for God's sake, why? Matt Gaffney is one of two dozen people who earns a living as a cruciverbalist. In Gridlock he provides an insider's look at the people who put that puzzle in your paper every day. With verve and gusto, Gaffney traces his own starving-artist struggle to find paying puzzle gigs, including marketing hip crosswords to the Gen-X market. He then moves on to topics like the effect of computers on crossword writing, including a man versus machine battle he stages to see who writes better crosswords; the ever-evolving crossword puzzle book market, where a top-selling series now has books shaped like a toilet seat; and a trip to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where the "Cru" (collective slang noun meaning "the crossword puzzle writing community") hangs out in person once a year. Gridlock also features an interview with crossword rock star Will Shortz.