Optimistic bidders went online to the world's largest flea market in droves, ready to spend cash on everything from garden gnomes to Mercedes convertibles. Among them were art collectors willing to spend big money on unseen paintings, hoping to buy valuable pieces of art at below-market prices. EBay also attracted the occasional con artist unable to resist the temptation of abusing a system that prided itself on being "based on trust." Kenneth Walton -- once a lawyer bound by the ethics of his profession to uphold the law -- was seduced by just such a con artist and, eventually, became one himself. Ripped from the headlines of the "New York Times," the first newspaper to break the story, "Fake" describes Walton's innocent beginnings as an online art-trading hobbyist and details the downward spiral of greed that ultimately led to his federal felony conviction. What started out as a satisfying exercise in reselling thrift store paintings for a profit in order to pay back student loans and mounting credit card debt soon became a fierce addiction to the subtle deception of luring unsuspecting bidders into overpaying for paintings of questionable origins.In a landscape peopled with colorful eccentrics hoping to score museum-quality paintings at bargain prices, Walton entered into a partnership with Ken Fetterman, an unslick (yet somehow very effective) con man. Over the course of eighteen months they managed to take in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling forged paintings and bidding on their own auctions to drive up the prices. When their deception was discovered and made international headlines, Walton found himself stalked by reporters and federal agents while Fetterman went on the lam, sparking a nationwide FBI manhunt. His elaborate game of cat and mouse lasted nearly three years, until the feds caught up with him after a routine traffic violation and brought him to justice.In this sensational story of the seductive power of greed, Kenneth Walton breaks his silence for the first time and, in his own words, details the international scandal that forever changed the way eBay does business.

    On colorfully, sumptuously illustrated pages unfold the mysteries of each card’s symbolic meaning. From the Magician to the Fool, the Lovers to the Hermit, every beautifully presented entry features a picture of the card, as well as keywords and phrases, astrological affinities, and a full interpretation. In-depth advice on laying out spreads for every day, relationships, revelations, and destiny help unlock the secrets of the past, present, and future. With everything from historical background to smart tips for developing skills and knowledge, this truly is the Tarot bible newcomers can depend on!

    Not only essential, they have been an inspiration throughout our history. In breathtaking photographs and stories we are taken on a journey from the boreal forest at the edge of the Arctic to the rainforests girdling the planet; from ancient bristlecones to fresh-leaved seedlings; from the charming and familiar to the scary and rare. An elegantly written and highly accessible text is complemented by an extraordinary collection of images created by some of the world's leading nature photographers.

    They each have some personal meaning. Through the centuries, numerologists have been studying the significance of numbers and perfecting their art in the belief that numbers strongly influence both our behavior and our fate. They have learned that by understanding the meaning of numbers, we can gain greater insight into ourselves.In Numerology: Key to Your Inner Self, world-renowned numerologist Hans Decoz and accomplished writer Tom Monte have teamed together to produce an easy-to-understand guide that introduces the reader to the basic concepts and applications of numerology. Presented here is a technique that relates the major questions of an individual's life -his talents, challenges, career, and personal growth--with the basic numeric facts of his existence--his birth date and name.The book begins with a fascinating explanation of what numerology is and an intriguing look at the philosophy that lies behind it. It then examines how numerology works, focusing on the numeric meanings of personal names, birth dates, and language in general. Included is a step-by-step guide to calculating your own numbers and interpreting them in chart form.

    Illustrated with luscious collages by acclaimed artist Ann Field, this enchanting tribute to the power and symbolism of flowers offers a contemporary introduction to an age-old tradition. The text draws on botanical, historical, and mythological sources worldwide, from ancient Rome to Victorian England, from Asia to the Americas, presenting portraits of almost 50 blossoms favored for all time. In Persia, for instance, the black medulla of the red tulip was said to represent the lover's heart, burnt to a coal by love's passion. To Victorians, lavender signified a broken trust, hollyhocks fertility, and nasturtiums a jest or whimsy. Blending fact, folktale, natural history, and original art, The Meaning of Flowers explores the language and lore of nature's most intimate and beautiful gifts.

    A guide to the Nikon D3100 camera provides information on the camera's scene modes, composition, focus, lighting, and composition to take successful portraits and sports and landscape photographs.

    Use this book to help your child practice cutting with scissors as a way to improve manual dexterity.

    The power of tarot lies in the questions, and now you can discern answers to those questions with fascinating and magical results 365 days a year. Explore a tarot quest on any topic with extensive spread categories, including: Love and Romance Money and Career Health and Well-Being Home and Family Personal Growth Astrology and the Zodiac Multicultural Holidays Rituals and Occult Studies Grief and Moving Forward SpiritualityUse 365 Tarot Spreads year after year with spreads you can apply anytime and in any situation. Each spread is based on a significant historical or magical occurrence on that particular day, and each one is accompanied by a detailed explanation and sample questions to focus on while reading. This wondrous guide provides a magnificent journey to achieve enlightenment every day.Praise: "What tarot needs--right now--is Sasha Graham."--Rachel Pollack, award-winning author of 78 Degrees of Wisdom

    It covers astrological basics: the planets, signs, houses, and aspects. It includes a chapter on putting it all together in interpreting a chart.

    Against a backdrop of more than 250 photographs of nature, wildlife, and landscapes, they share insights and advice about what works and what doesn’t, and how small changes can take an image from ordinary to extraordinary. Throughout, all-new tips from digital imaging expert Tim Grey show readers how to make the most of digital technology, whether by choosing the right color space, understanding sensor size, or removing distracting elements in post-processing. The result is an invaluable collection of expert advice updated for the modern age.

    Her nineteenth-century New England lifestyle is legendary. Gardeners are especially intrigued by the profusion of antique flowers -- spectacular poppies, six-foot foxgloves, and intoxicating peonies -- in the cottage gardens surrounding her hand-hewn house. Until now we've only caught glimpses of Tasha Tudor's landscape. In this gorgeous book, two of her friends, the garden writer Tovah Martin and the photographer Richard Brown, take us into the magical garden and then behind the scenes. As we revel in the bedlam of Johnny-jump-ups and cinnamon pinks, the intricacy of the formal peony garden, and the voluptuousness of her heirloom roses, we also learn Tasha's gardening secrets. How does she coax forth her finicky camellia blossoms in the dead of a Vermont winter? How does she train that fantastic topiary to model for her artwork? How can she keep her crown imperials from tumbling in the winds? Tasha's garden reflects a wealth of family lore, perfected through the years and years of working the soil. We may be dazzled by the beauty of the garden, but we come away from this book with practical ideas about improving our own plots of land. "Paradise on earth" is how Tasha describes her garden, and along with the flowers and the vegetables that provide her food, her paradise is filled with an enchanting menagerie -- corgies, Nubian goats, cats, chickens, fantail doves, and forty or more exotic finches, cockatiels, canaries, nightingales, and parrots, which inhabit her collection of antique cages. Tasha's beautiful watercolors and her enchanting anecdotes color this sublimely beautiful book.

    These 720 lucid delineations are full of insight for both the professional astrologer and the beginner.

    For over 150 years, the Lenormand deck has been a popular divination tool around the world, and it's rapidly becoming a phenomenon in the US. Providing step-by-step instructions and a guide to individual card meanings, leading expert Rana George shows how to use the Lenormand for predictions on any topic: relationships, work, finances, family, and more.From simple inquiries to critical dilemmas, the Lenormand provides a glimpse of the future when you need it most. The Essential Lenormand includes traditional reading methods, Rana George's personal techniques, tips for working with multiple spreads, and ways to use the Lenormand with the tarot. Use the Lenormand to unlock the secrets of your destiny, and reveal the knowledge hidden within.Praise: You won't find a better teacher than Rana George.--Mary K. Greer

    To help you find what you are looking for, Flower Color Guide is the first reference book to organize flower types by color, with an emphasis on seasonality and creative color schemes - and the results are stunning in their sheer variety. What Pantone is to color, Flower Color Guide is to flowers.Showcasing 400 flowers at their peak, with stunning photography taken by Putnam & Putnam in their Brooklyn studio, this guide includes an appendix featuring perforated pages, with tips on flower care, notes on how to prepare vessels and a list of suggested color schemes. A great gift to give, or to have for oneself, the book speaks to the most seasoned flower enthusiasts as well as those just beginning to explore the possibilities of arranging flowers.Michael and Darroch Putnam have built a reputation for romantic, dramatic floral arrangements and installations using color as their guiding principle - here, they share their knowledge with readers worldwide: "This is the book we wished we had when we started doing flowers."

    Each one of the 100 recipes specifies the type and quantity of plants needed; clearly numbered instructions detail each step; and 400 photographs show how to place every stem. Traditional pots and plant containers are used, but so are less conventional vehicles and methods, like shutters and planting under glass. A basic how-to chapter provides planting techniques, a tools and materials list, sourcing and plant care information, and expert advice.