The Art of the Con: Spotting and Avoiding the World's Classic Scams


R. Paul Wilson - 2014
    In this modern and interconnected world, con-men are lurking everywhere – it’s never been easier for them to dupe us, take from us, and infiltrate our lives.  One of the world’s leading and celebrated experts on con-games takes the reader through the history of cons, how they’ve been updated to the modern age, how they work, how to spot them, and how to protect yourself from being the victim of one.R. Paul Wilson is a con-man who works for the other side – our side. He has spent a lifetime learning, performing, studying, and teaching about the ins and outs of the con world in order to open up our eyes to the dangers lurking about us – and to show us how not to get taken. Paul has never made a living as a con-man, profiting off of marks – he has used his expertise throughout his life to help people avoid cons.In this fascinating book, Paul takes the reader through the history and developments of the con game, what elements from the past are based on basic human psychology and have stood the test of time, what has been updated for the modern era and how it’s getting used in the computer age, the structure of how these cons work, and – most importantly - how to recognize one, protect yourself and your loved ones, and avoid becoming just another sucker.

Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace


David Lipsky - 2010
    Wallace’s pieces for Harper’s magazine in the ’90s were, according to Lipsky, “like hearing for the first time the brain voice of everybody I knew: Here was how we all talked, experienced, thought. It was like smelling the damp in the air, seeing the first flash from a storm a mile away. You knew something gigantic was coming.”Then Rolling Stone sent Lipsky to join Wallace on the last leg of his book tour for Infinite Jest, the novel that made him internationally famous. They lose to each other at chess. They get iced-in at an airport. They dash to Chicago to catch a make-up flight. They endure a terrible reader’s escort in Minneapolis. Wallace does a reading, a signing, an NPR appearance. Wallace gives in and imbibes titanic amounts of hotel television (what he calls an “orgy of spectation”). They fly back to Illinois, drive home, walk Wallace’s dogs. Amid these everyday events, Wallace tells Lipsky remarkable things—everything he can about his life, how he feels, what he thinks, what terrifies and fascinates and confounds him—in the writing voice Lipsky had come to love. Lipsky took notes, stopped envying him, and came to feel about him—that grateful, awake feeling—the same way he felt about Infinite Jest. Then Lipsky heads to the airport, and Wallace goes to a dance at a Baptist church.A biography in five days, Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself is David Foster Wallace as few experienced this great American writer. Told in his own words, here is Wallace’s own story, and his astonishing, humane, alert way of looking at the world; here are stories of being a young writer—of being young generally—trying to knit together your ideas of who you should be and who other people expect you to be, and of being young in March of 1996. And of what it was like to be with and—as he tells it—what it was like to become David Foster Wallace.

For Today & Tomorrow: Daily Encouragement


Daisaku Ikeda - 1999
    Great for the newest member and seasoned practitioners. --sgi-usa.org

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft


Stephen King - 2000
    Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.(back cover)

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows


John Koenig - 2021
    “ —The Washington Post A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express—until now. Have you ever wondered about the lives of each person you pass on the street, realizing that everyone is the main character in their own story, each living a life as vivid and complex as your own? That feeling has a name: “sonder.” Or maybe you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll in and felt a primal hunger for disaster, hoping it would shake up your life. That’s called “lachesism.” Or you were looking through old photos and felt a pang of nostalgia for a time you’ve never actually experienced. That’s “anemoia.” If you’ve never heard of these terms before, that’s because they didn’t exist until John Koenig set out to fill the gaps in our language of emotion. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows “creates beautiful new words that we need but do not yet have,” says John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars. By turns poignant, relatable, and mind-bending, the definitions include whimsical etymologies drawn from languages around the world, interspersed with otherworldly collages and lyrical essays that explore forgotten corners of the human condition—from “astrophe,” the longing to explore beyond the planet Earth, to “zenosyne,” the sense that time keeps getting faster. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is for anyone who enjoys a shift in perspective, pondering the ineffable feelings that make up our lives. With a gorgeous package and beautiful illustrations throughout, this is the perfect gift for creatives, word nerds, and human beings everywhere.

30 Delicious Poke Cake Recipes


Lori Burke - 2012
    They exhibit the 4 key qualities of the perfect dessert: They are Simple, Quick, Incredibly Delicious and Fun! These moist cakes are extremely simple to make. They are made with cake, pudding or Jell-O® gelatin, fruit spreads fresh fruit and a variety of toppings. You are only limited by your imagination in the ingredients you can use. They are really quick cakes to prepare. You can make a simple but delicious Boston Cream Poke Cake in 1-1/2 hours and most of that time is baking time!Poke Cakes are delicious cakes. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Poke cake which is a white cake with homemade strawberry syrup, homemade strawberry filling and sweetened whipped cream with fresh strawberries on top. The cake is a strawberry-whipped cream explosion that melts in your mouth!Finally, making a Poke Cake is fun for both adults and kids. Kids just love to poke holes into the top of these cakes and fill them with Jell-O® gelatin or pudding. Poke cakes are great projects for the entire family.Included in this book are 30 kitchen-tested Poke Cake recipes. There are also recipes for 3 bake-from-scratch cakes for people who don't like to use cake mixes. Finally there are also recipes for homemade apricot jam, homemade lemon curd and sweetened whipped cream.Pick up a copy of 30 Delicious Poke Cake Recipes today and make a delicious Poke Cake this weekend. You won’t regret it.Here are the recipes you'll get:RECIPESApricot Poke CakeBanana Cream Poke CakeBlack Cherry Poke CakeBlack Cherry Jello-O® Poke CakeBlack Forest Poke CakeBlackberry Jell-O® Poke CakeBlueberry Poke CakeBoston Cream Poke CakeButterscotch Poke CakeChocolate Caramel Poke CakeChocolate Chocolate Poke CakeChocolate Fudge Poke CakeChocolate Pistachio Poke CakeChocolate Pudding Poke CakeCoconut Pineapple Poke CakeGrape Jell-O® Poke CakeHot Fudge Caramel Poke CakeLemon Blueberry Poke CakeLemon Coconut Poke CakeLemon Mascarpone Poke CakeOrange Jell-O® Poke CakeOreo® Pudding Poke CakePeach Poke CakePineapple Jell-O® Poke CakePistachio Pudding Poke CakeRaspberry Poke CakeStrawberry Poke CakeStrawberry Banana Poke CakeStrawberry Cheesecake Poke CakeStrawberry Jell-O® Poke CakeBAKE FROM SCRATCH CAKE RECIPESBake from Scratch Chocolate Cake RecipeBake from Scratch White Cake RecipeBake from Scratch Yellow Cake RecipeJAMS, SPREADS & TOPPINGSEasy Homemade Apricot JamHomemade Lemon CurdSweetened Whipped Cream

The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship


Charles Bukowski - 1998
    Bukowski's last journals candidly and humorously reveal the events in the writer's life as death draws inexorably nearer, thereby illuminating our own lives and natures, and to give new meaning to what was once only familiar. Crumb has illustrated the text with 12 full-page drawings and a portrait of Bukowski.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw


Hanadi Falki - 2017
    The first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the five-star rank of Field Marshal, Sam Bahadur continues to be the most admired of our Army Chiefs.

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake


Steven Novella - 2018
    There really are no ultimate authority figures-no one has the secret and there is no place to look up the definitive answers to our questions (not even Google). But, by thinking skeptically and logically, we can combat sloppy reasoning, bad arguments and superstitious thinking. It's difficult, and takes a lot of vigilance, but it's worth the effort.In this tie-in to their incredibly popular "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe" podcast, Steven Novella, MD along with "Skeptical Rogues" Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths, fallacies and conspiracy theories (Anti-vaccines, homeopathy, UFO sightings, etc.) They'll help us try to make sense of what seems like an increasingly crazy world using powerful tools like science and philosophy. THE SKEPTICS' GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE is your guide through this maze of modern life. It covers essential critical thinking skills, as well as giving insight into how your brain works and how to avoid common pitfalls in thinking. They discuss the difference between science and pseudoscience, how to recognize common science news tropes, how to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy coworker of yours, and how to apply all of this to everyday life.So, are you ready to join them on an epic scientific quest, one that has taken us from huddling in dark caves to stepping foot on the Moon? (Yes, we really did that.) Like all adventures, this one is foremost a journey of self discovery. The monsters you will slay and challenges you will face are mostly constructs of your own mind. With the SKEPTIC'S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE, we can do this together.

We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere


Gillian Anderson - 2017
    It’s about transitioning from a me-first culture and imagining what a we-based world might look like. In We, Anderson and Nadel ask why so many women are locked in cycles of depression, addiction, self-criticism, and even self-harm. How much more effective and powerful would we all be if we replaced our current patterns of competition, criticism, and comparison with collaboration, cooperation, and compassion? Putting these values at the center of our lives allows each of us to be happier and more empowered, and to replace harmful habits with a more positive, peaceful, and rewarding way of being. We is a rallying cry for “every woman, everywhere on the planet. Open to any page. And there you will find a truth that can set you free” (Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom).

Why I Write (Great Ideas #020)


George Orwell - 1946
    Whether puncturing the lies of politicians, wittily dissecting the English character or telling unpalatable truths about war, Orwell's timeless, uncompromising essays are more relevant, entertaining and essential than ever in today's era of spin.Contents:"Why I Write", first published 1946"The Lion and the Unicorn", first published 1940"A Hanging", first published 1931"Politics and the English Language", first published 1946

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy


Jenny Odell - 2019
    Here, Jenny Odell sends up a flare from the heart of Silicon Valley, delivering an action plan to resist capitalist narratives of productivity and techno-determinism, and to become more meaningfully connected in the process.

Steal This Book


Abbie Hoffman - 1971
    Meant as a practical guide for the aspiring hippie, Steal This Book captures Hoffman's puckish tone and became a cult classic with over 200,000 copies sold. Outrageously illustrated by R. Crumb, it nevertheless conveys a serious message to all would-be revolutionaries: You don't have to take it anymore. "All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best." —Studs Terkel

The Grumpy Old Git's Guide to Life


Geoff Tibballs - 2011
    We all know one! They like to groan and grumble, offering their own commentary on the shortcomings of modern life. Whether it is queues at the supermarket, the state of the health system, the price of a pint these days, the hairstyles of teenagers, or the number of Maltesers you actually get in a bag, there is always something that will get their goat. 'The Grumpy Old Git's Guide to Life' is a hilarious celebration of all these grumps, how to identify one, what exactly they find so irritating and why we find their rants quite so amusing.

Paleo Diet Slow Cooker 52 Healthy Gluten Free Recipes


Tracy Daniels - 2012
    Updated the dessert recipe that used baking mixUpdated two recipes that use cheese as an ingredients, since chess isn't strictly paleo.Paleo Diet Slow Cooker Recipes The Paleolithic diet, often called the Paleo diet for short, is sometimes referred to as the caveman diet. Though it is a modern-day nutritional plan, the Paleo diet is based on the presumed dietary habits of early humans living during the Paleolithic era. This diet is said to be one of the healthiest diets in existence and the only diet to which humans are genetically adapted. In addition to being incredibly healthy, the Paleo diet has actually been documented to help control or reduce the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This diet is particularly popular among people suffering from food sensitivities because it completely omits processed foods and focuses on simple cooking methods that preserve the natural integrity of food.My collection of 52 Slow Cooker Paleo Recipes covers the full spectrum of dishes, including:-Soups and Stews-Poultry-Beef and Lamb-Seafood-Vegetarian-Snacks and appetizers-DessertsI hope that you enjoy these dishes as much as we do.Tracy Daniels