He'd heard that the locals constructed jerry-rigged hoops out of any material they could get their hands on-car hoods, driftwood, twisted rebar-and built courts everywhere, from cluttered street corners to the slopes of volcanoes and in the thick of jungles.Allured by the idea of an island nation full of people who love the game as irrationally as he does, American journalist Rafe Bartholomew arrived in Manila to unlock the riddle of basketball's grip on the Philippines. On his unforgettable journey, Bartholomew spends a season inside the locker room of a Philippine professional team, dines with politicians who exploit hoops for electoral success, travels with a troupe of midgets and transsexuals who play exhibition games at rural fiestas, and even acts in a local soap opera. Sweating his way through hard-fought games of 3-on-3, played with homemade hoops for 50-cent wagers, Bartholomew uses a mix of journalistic knowhow and the hard- court ethics he learned from his dad to get in the paint and behind the scenes of Filipinos' against-all-odds devotion to the sport.

    Because it is so thoroughly researched and up-to-date, it is also the kind of indispensable handbook that deserves a place on every early modernist's bookshelf.— American Historical Review

    "Of our journalists, one of the most able in the new style is Jose F. Lacaba. As TV and newsreel do, he puts you right on the scene... [H]e communicates the emotion, even the meaning of what's happening without having to spell it out." - Quijano de Manila

    She has a plan, of course. Phase One: Escape to the beach for a music festival. Phase Two: Deal with what she can’t control. Phase Three: Return to reality whole and ready. Nowhere in that plan is Micah Jacinto, self-proclaimed adventurer and the kind of boy with his head stuck in the clouds and the moon inked on his arm—everything her rational sense tells her to stay away from. And yet Lux finds herself welcoming the distraction. As they spend the entire weekend together, Micah leads her to rediscover the lost pieces of herself amidst the excitement and the confusion of a raving mosh pit.But all weekends come to an end and Lux needs to return to the dreaded reality she’s running away from. Does being brave enough to leave summer behind mean being brave enough to ask Micah to stay?

    Overy's engrossing book provides extensive details of teh slaughter, brutality, bitterness and destruction on the massive front from the White Sea to the flank of Asia.--Chicago Tribune The Russian war effort to defeat invading Axis powers, an effort that assembled the largest military force in recorded history and that cost the lives of more than 25 million Soviet soldiers and civilians, was the decisive factor for securing an Allied victory. Now with access to the wealth of film archives and interview material from Russia used to produce the ten-hour television documentary Russia's War, Richard Overy tackles the many persuasive questions surrounding this conflict. Was Stalin a military genius? Was the defense of Mother Russia a product of something greater than numbers of tanks and planes--of something deep within the Russian soul?

    So the kind and character of his works: very rare, exceptional, unique, maverick, exceedingly original fiction: rara avis that's a quantum leap away and departure... At least three or four in this collection already strike one as veritable classics." - GREGORIO C. BRILLANTES

    A striking, design-led reference book, A-Z Great Film Directors features Andy Tuohy's portraits of 52 directors significant for their contribution to cinema including kings of world cinema Wong Kar-Wai and Akira Kurosawa, arthouse pioneers Fritz Lang and David Lynch as well as the often under-appreciated female directors Kathryn Bigelow and Jane Campion.With text by film journalist Matt Glasby, each director's entry will also have a summary of the essential things you need to know about them, why they're important, a list of their must-see films, and a surprising fact or two about them, as well as images of their key films throughout.So whether you're already a film afficionado, or looking for a helpful cheat to pass convincingly as an arthouse fan, you'll love this guide to international directors, past and present.

    More important, we come to see how this unique Chinese history of the world shapes China's economic policy, attitude toward the United States and the rest of the world, relations with its neighbors, positions on democracy and human rights, and notions of good government.As the Chinese see it, for as far back as anyone can remember, China had the richest economy, the strongest military, and the most advanced philosophy, culture, and technology. The collision with the West knocked China's historical narrative off course for the first time, as its 5,000-year reign as an unrivaled superpower came to an ignominious end.Ever since, the Chinese have licked their wounds and fixated on returning their country to its former greatness, restoring the Chinese version of its place in the world as they had always known it. For the Chinese, the question was never if they could reclaim their former dominant position in the world, but when.

    In this book, the authors explain Mao's Machiavellian role in masterminding it, documenting the Hobbesian state which ensued.

    In this landmark book, a gifted Harvard historian puts you in the room with Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt as they meet at a climactic turning point in the war to hash out the terms of the peace. The ink wasn't dry when the recriminations began. The conservatives who hated Roosevelt's New Deal accused him of selling out. Was he too sick? Did he give too much in exchange for Stalin's promise to join the war against Japan? Could he have done better in Eastern Europe? Both Left and Right would blame Yalta for beginning the Cold War. Plokhy's conclusions, based on unprecedented archival research, are surprising. He goes against conventional wisdom-cemented during the Cold War- and argues that an ailing Roosevelt did better than we think. Much has been made of FDR's handling of the Depression; here we see him as wartime chief. "Yalta" is authoritative, original, vividly- written narrative history, and is sure to appeal to fans of Margaret MacMillan's bestseller "Paris 1919."

    Film for stock (you never know when digital will backfire)2. Garbage bags XXL (for all those plastic kubyertos and takeout boxes for one)3. Pills (last time you forgot them, well...)4. Condoms (you can't be too sure - just in case he doesn't have any)5. Calcium supplements (among other vitamins OB-Gyne prescribed)6. Stretchy tops (didn't realize your tummy could balloon so much)7. Maternity pants (never ever succumb to tent-like dresses)8. Disposable diapers (lots and lots of them)9. Breast pump (no, it's not a foreplay trick)10. Infant formula (but breast milk is still best for babies)11. Coke in cans (for your babysitter who makes more money than you, by the way)12. Lipstick (the really nice, luxe kind, to make you feel better because it's not going to be over soon - it's only the beginning)For on-the-go shutterbabe Denise. one night of fun quickly turns into a life extraordinary as she assumes a new title: Mommy. Er, make that: Single Mommy. With a demanding career, a brand new baby girl, and very little breast milk, she needs all the help she can get, including that from Coby: Father of the Child. No one said motherhood was easy but single motherhood sure raises the bar!

    This volume of comparative essays investigates how and why innovation occurred or did not occur, and explains much of the strategic and operative performance of the Axis and Allies in World War II.

    You’re my future partner 2. I’m famous and my writings have been immortalized 3. You’ve violated my privacy and these are not meant for you Let’s hope it’s not the last one. Before this year, I had my life all planned out. This book contains the story of the year that changed my life (well, my life so far). It’s the year I learned how to be invincible. That wasn’t really specific, but I guess you have to read on to see what I’m talking about. Love, Camille

    Jose Francisco C. Syquia# Do ghosts exist?# Are there haunted houses?# How about spirits of the glass, mediums and séances?# Are mangkukulams really powerful?# Can fortune-tellers really see into the future?# Do anting-antings and agimats really work?# Do tikbalangs and manananggals exist?# Does the Catholic Church still perform exorcisms?Warning: You won't be able to put down this book. Because Fr. Jocis Syquia an official exorcist of the Catholic Church will take you into the hidden, dark world of demons and how they intersect our daily world.Speaking from personal experience of haunted houses, demon possession, ghosts, and true-to-life, scientifically unexplainable paranormal activity, Fr. Jocis will also show you the incomparable power of God over spirits.Included in this gripping book of stories is the Exorcism Rite the main weapon of the Catholic Church against demonic assaults, a concise manual of prayers for deliverance, as well as a handbook for dealing with infested locales.This book will change the way you view the world.In the end, Fr. Jocis' mind-blowing stories will not make you fear the devil as much as they will make you love God more.-- Bo Sanchez Catholic Lay Preacher and Bestselling Author

    But their last breakup was devastating. It was enough to make Grace want to run him over in her pale pink Beetle. She even composed 12 steps to quitting him, which wasn’t easy because he admittedly was her first love—the boy she lost her heart to when she was still collecting Hello Kitty stationeries; the boy she never stopped loving since. But something happens that changes Grace’s life forever. Now it’s time for her to reevaluate everything she has going for her and make a decision. Is this the end of Grace’s life as she knows it? Or is she finally going to have the happy ending she so desperately needs?