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.

    Read Japanese Today is a comprehensible and storylike approach to an often difficult language. Intended for people on the go, this book will teach you to recognize and read the 400 most commonly used Japanese kanji characters.Completely revised and expanded and featuring 25 percent more kanji than previous editions, Read Japanese Today is a fun way to demystify the beautiful language of Japan.

    edition (May 2019)In this book you will find 100 daily life easy short stories in German language on different topics. Each section takes 1-2 minutes. Important words and phrases relevant to each topic were selected carefully.Thanks to this book, you will learn new words and phrases in each story, and you will also be able to use those in your daily encounters. You will be improving your listening and pronunciation skills through included audio files.This book is the ideal choice for:- People with A1 level German knowledge,- People willing to improve their beginner level German (A2),- Ones who would like to easily learn daily phrases and words instead of just memorizing them,- People who would like to understand German grammar rules through easy short stories. What is new in the 2th edition: - Stories were rearranged and content was improved.- Some stories were replaced with more educational stories.- Stories were re-vocalized. All audio files were revised.- Improvements were made on Questions and Vocabulary sections.- 10 Bonus Stories (A2 - B1)Audio Files in MP3 Format - DownloadYou can find the download link at the end of the book.(The page after the 100th story.)

    We finished reading it feeling really inspired and full of new ideas.” —Alex in the U.K.“Looks at bilingual upbringing from a different angle. Full of passion, enthusiasm, positivity, and interesting insights.” —Jana in the U.K.“The most useful, practical, and motivating book on the market.” —Arancha in Spain“If you are a parent looking to raise your child with two or more languages, look no further. This is the book you need.” —Alisa in France“A treasure trove of wonderful practical ideas and creative tips.” —Julia in the U.S.“The perfect guidebook for our family’s ongoing multilingual journey.” —Jonathan in Japan“An ideal read when you’re expecting, and a good present for future parents to a bilingual baby!” —Julie in the U.K.“A very inspirational book. A must-read for bilingual families.” —Gabi in ArgentinaPraised by experts in the field...“A pure gem! Adam Beck has created a truly wonderful and easily readable book that parents everywhere will enjoy and that bilingual families and children will benefit from.” —Dr. Annick De Houwer, leading researcher of child bilingualism and author of Bilingual First Language Acquisition“Who but Adam Beck can tie together the complexities of raising a bilingual child with such wisdom, warmth, and wit? He shows how fun speaking another language at home can be." —Christine Jernigan, PhD in foreign language education and author of Family Language Learning“I have recommended it often to parents raising bilingual children. Without fail, their reaction is ‘Thank you. This is exactly what I need.’” —Jennifer Brunk, longtime educator and founder of the popular site Spanish Playground“If books are food for thought and if continuing to learn about bilingualism is an essential part of a bilingual parent’s mental diet, Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is nutritional superfood…the ideal guidebook for parents who are sure of their commitment to bilingual parenting but in need of ideas and ongoing inspiration.” —Michele Cherie, writer and founder of the blog Intentional MamaMaximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is available at Amazon, the global Amazon sites, and other booksellers including The Book Depository.

    Shipwrecked and his father murdered by ninjas, Jack Fletcher is rescued by the legendary swordmaster Masamoto Takeshi and taken to his samurai school in Kyoto. Hunted by the ninja Dragon Eye, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins . . . In order to perfect his fighting skills, Jack goes on a gasshuku. But nothing can prepare him for the punishment of warrior camp - the climax of which is to enter the Way of Fire, a terrifying ritual that burns away evil. Can Jack overcome his fear and walk the Way of Fire? Part of the award-winning Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford. Visit www.youngsamurai.com for competitions and to find out more about the books.Previously published for World Book Day. 'A fantastic adventure that floors the reader on page one and keeps them there until the end' - Eoin Colfer'Addictive' - Evening Standard

    Have you ever stopped to think about what it is that will make your life worth living? Is it the large amount of money that you have in the bank? The prestigious education that you have? The family and friends that surround you? Or your spiritual belief that there is someone greater than you in the world? Most people will spend their entire lifetimes trying to figure it out, but only a few will have the privilege of really understanding and experiencing themselves what it means to live a fulfilled life. Over the past years, we’ve seen many life philosophies take center stage, all claiming to hold to secret to happiness and fulfillment. While all of them may have very convincing premises, only one truly stands out. Ikigai, or the Japanese concept of finding your purpose, is the key to living a meaningful life. If there’s one people group who have mastered the art of living - and living well, it’s definitely the Okinawans of Japan. Famous for being the world’s longest-living people, they attribute their joy and contentment to finding their ikigai. It’s the reason why they live longer, happier, and better lives than the rest of us. So how does knowing your ikigai change your life? And what should you do to help you uncover your ikigai? Well, you’ll discover all that and more after you’ve listened to this audiobook. This audiobook is packed with helpful insights that will change not just the way you think, but also the way you live. You’ll learn how to slow down and let go of the things that stop you from finding your ultimate purpose. This audiobook will also give you the blueprint to living the life that you always wanted so you won’t have to feel your life is meaningless ever again. I hope that through this audiobook, you will see joy, meaning, and purpose in every single day of your life.©2018 Zen Mastery (P)2018 Zen Mastery

    and Japan learn Japanese successfully.Japanese has two basic writing systems, hiragana and katakana, in addition to the one that uses Chinese characters or Kanji. This handy book teaches you a new mnemonics—based method to read and write the basic 92 hiragana and katakana characters.Memorable picture mnemonics help you to learn the characters by associating their shapes and sounds with combinations of images and English words already familiar to you.Clear examples and entertaining exercises offer opportunities to read, write, use and practice all 46 basic hiragana and 46 basic katakana characters, plus the remaining kana that stand for more complex sounds.Polish your knowledge with word searches, crossword puzzles, fill–in–the–blanks, timed recognition quizzes, and other interesting activities.The CD–ROM allows you to print out your own flash cards (featuring the same mnemonic images taught in the book) to help you review and practice, even while you're on the go.

    Even the smallest effort to speak to locals in Japanese will be warmly received!Get More From Your Trip with Easy-to-Find Phrases for Every Travel Situation!Lonely Planet Phrasebooks have been connecting travellers and locals for over a quarter of a century - our phrasebooks and mobile apps cover more than any other publisher!Order the right meal with our menu decoderNever get stuck for words with our 3500-word two-way dictionaryWe make language easy with shortcuts, key phrases & common Q&AsFeel at ease, with essential tips on culture & mannersCoverage includes: Basics, Practical, Social, Safe Travel, Food!Lonely Planet gets you to the heart of a place. Our job is to make amazing travel experiences happen. We visit the places we write about each and every edition. We never take freebies for positive coverage, so you can always rely on us to tell it like it is.Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Yoshi Abe, and Keiko Hagiwara.About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places they find themselves in.TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

    Designed specifically for native-English speakers approaching Japanese as a second language, this book presents 142 essential Japanese sentence patterns, first by giving equivalents in English, then following with Japanese translations. Each pattern is accompanied by a concise, easy-to-follow explanation and several Japanese example sentences that demonstrate its usage. In addition, practice sections for each pattern allow the student to test his or her understanding of the material presented.Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication is organized into twelve chapters according to communicative function, including such tasks as making simple, declarative statements about people and things in the world; making comparisons; talking about events in the past, present and future; expressing desire, conjecture and intention;stating causes or reasons; making requests; asking and giving permission; and using the passive and causative-passive voices. Extensive charts at the back of the book outline the rules for inflecting and conjugating adjectives and verbs-essential to fluent communication.

    Whether one is just starting out or is already in business and need s to refocus, this practical guide will clearly instruct how to prepare a winning business plan. This book will become a valued ersource for any entrepreneurs and business owners on their path towards future success.

    As much a travel book as a tour of words at play, The Prodigal Tongue goes beyond grammar and vocabulary to discover how language is irrevocably changing the people of the world in far-reaching ways. On his travels, Abley encounters bloggers, translators, novelists, therapists, dictionary makers, hip-hop performers, and Web-savvy teens. He talks to a married couple who corresponded passionately online before they met in “meatspace.” And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Everywhere he goes, he asks what the future is likely to hold for the ways we communicate. Abley balances a traditional concern for honesty and accuracy in language with a less traditional delight in the sheer creative energy of new words and expressions. Provocative, perceptive, and often hilarious, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use.

    Despite--or perhaps because of--this and other familial forces pushing on them, each has a personality and direction of life distinct from her cousins. Celie is the top saleswoman in an upscale dress shop; Cecily is a playwright; Cecilia is a poet; Celine finds her expression in the seduction of men; and Celeste died as an infant. Ceci, the eldest of the Slaughter grandchildren and daughter of the admired and envied family beauty, Rose, died as a young adult and she serves as narrator of the novel from the afterlife. Through reflection, and with the counsel of Lao Tzu, she gradually attains a greater understanding and acceptance of Earthly human weakness, even as the lives of her living cousins lead inexorably to a violent and tragic conclusion. Set in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, this unusual page turner utilizes poetry and a sense of theatrical staging to original and haunting effect, rending a family saga with both distance and intimacy.

    Set in a facetious near-future that is both mind-bendingly bizarre and achingly familiar. Sayonara, Gangsters is an inventive novel about language, expression and the creative process that unfolds through hilarious sketches. The peaceful if bizarre life of a poetry teacher is forever transformed by a group of terrorists called "the gangsters" in what is, incredibly, a semi-autobiographical novel. On this literary gonzo trip in which a man of letters finds out, too late, that flirting with extremist politics can have unsavoury consequences for one's mind, we encounter the likes of Virgil, the refrigerator (a memorable three-dimensional character) and "Henry IV" the feline aficionado of books. Endlessly resourceful, relentlessly erudite, but always accessible, Sayonara, Gangsters is a unique masterpiece of literary postmodernism that aims to entertain rather than to intimidate. From the outrageous beginning, which reads like an oblique reference to the war on terror but is no such thing (it was written more than twenty years ago), to the sobering, devastating end, through the lyrical, poignant middle, Takahashi's legendary first novel is candy for your brain. Sayonara, Gangsters is a must-read for all fans of world literature, available for the first time in English.

    The spellbinding world of Hiromi Kawakami; the hair-raising horror of Otsuichi; the haunting, poignant prose of Banana Yoshimoto; even the poetic word-play of Yoko Tawada whatever a readers taste, he or she is sure to find something of interest and value in this book, suitable for students at the intermediate level and above. As in real Japanese novels, the text on each page runs from top to bottom and from right to left. Each double-page spread features translations of all the difficult passages. In the back of the book, moreover, is a built-in Japanese-English learners dictionary and a notes section covering issues of nuance, usage, grammar and culture that come up in each story. Best of all, the books comes with a free audio CD containing narrations of the stories, performed by a professional voice actress.

    Regardless of what actions are taken, progression is slow or limited.Here is a checklist to see if this guide is for you. You Are an Advanced English Speaker If.. ✔ You can understand 70% of an English speaking movie.✔ You can answer simple questions in a conversation, but you have a hard time elaborate your points when trying to explain in more details.✔ You can have a short conversation, but you stutter sometimes when you speak.✔ You can write better than you speak.✔ You stutter when you try to speak fast.✔ You can speak quite well, but you have a strong accent.If one of those sounds familiar to you, perhaps you have found the right book. This book is essential for you to break through and not only improving your spoken skills but developing them so well that you can speak like a native English speaker.Armed with the proven tips, tricks, and techniques in this book, you’ll discover that you’ll be soaring to an entirely new and exciting level of learning within days. On top of that, these guidelines can be used nearly effortlessly. Proven Technique That Works You’ll discover what “shadowing” is and how it can painlessly take you to a supreme status in your studies. You’ll also learn about a related method of learning to pronounce English fearlessly. It’s called the “scriptorium method.” Once you try it you’ll realize why so many people praise its effectiveness.English is not an easy language to learn. But if you are using proper methods to learn and speak, you’ll find that your next level of learning is just a click away. Learn and adopt these techniques, tips, and many more secrets revealed in this book, and your English fluency will be on a whole different level in 60 days !Remember: Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.Download Now and Start Speaking Fluent English!