Optimal Cupid: Mastering the Hidden Logic of OkCupid


Christopher McKinlay - 2014
     Christopher McKinlay has been featured in Wired Magazine for his groundbreaking analysis of OkCupid. For the first time he’s showing non-experts how to turn Internet dating on its head. This concise guide will show anyone (straight, gay, male or female) the procedure McKinlay used to meet his fiancee and how the same ideas can transform their lives and bring them from browsing to contact. One summer evening while logged into a supercomputer in Colorado waiting for a large computation, McKinlay was killing time on OkC when he was troubled by a problem: what if large groups of people responded to OkCupid’s personality questionnaire in statistically similar ways? He created custom software to scrape data from the site, collecting over 6,000,000 answers to OkC’s “match questions” from more than 20,000 real users. This data made clear he’d been using the site the wrong way. Based on his findings, McKinlay (a mathematics PhD), optimized his own profile. The transformation was profound. He went from showing a “match percentage” of 90% with a few hundred women in the L.A. area to showing 90% or higher with over 30,000 local women. Unsolicited messages from attractive strangers began flooding his inbox. With a foreword by Jon Finkel, McKinlay’s insightful how-to will teach you how to benefit from the buried statistical patterns of online romance.

Get Your Sleep On: A no-nonsense guide for busy moms who want to preserve attachment AND sleep through the night


Christine Lawler - 2017
    People talk about it like it’s so easy. But how do you do it in a way that fits your style, protects your relationship with baby and actually works? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. In this quick and easy guide, I’ll distill all the basics from the best resources out there on baby sleep. I skip the parent shaming and a ton of fluff that the other books are filled with, and I’ll give you the best cliff’s notes version out there so that in an hour or so you can be a sleep-expert, too. I'll explain why sleep is so important, and tell you the biggest secret out there about smooth sleep training (hint: it has nothing to do with how much crying you can tolerate). Parenting isn’t one size fits all, so I give you three solid options that can fit anyone’s paradigm and I'll walk you through a 14-day plan to revolutionize sleep for everyone. What are you waiting for? Let's get your sleep on!

Life Can Be Cruel: The Story of a German P.O.W. in Russia


H.R.R. Furmanski - 2017
    Originally published in 1960, this compact book tells the true story of a German soldier: from his early childhood during the First World War, through to his harrowing experiences on the frontline during the Word War II, culminating in his capture by the Red Army on 20 December 1942…An astonishing first-hand account.

The Totally Awesome Book of Crazy Stories: Crazy But True Stories That Actually Happened!


Bill O'Neill - 2020
    

Veronica's Bird: Thirty-five years inside as a female prison officer


Veronica Bird - 2018
    Life was a despairing time in the 1950s, as Veronica sought desperately to keep away from his cruelty. Astonishingly, to her and her mother, she won a scholarship to Ackworth Boarding School where she began to shine above her class-mates. A champion in all sports, Veronica at last found some happiness until her brother-in-law came into her life. It was as if she had stepped from the frying pan into the re: he took over control of her life removing her from the school she adored, two terms before she was due to take her GCEs, so he could put her to work as a cheap option on his market stall. Abused for many years by these two men, Veronica eventually ran away and applied to the Prison Service, knowing it was the only safe place she could trust. This is the astonishing, and true story of Veronica Bird who rose to become a Governor of Armley prison. Given a ‘basket case’ in another prison, contrary to all expectations, she turned it around within a year, to become an example for others to match. During her life inside, her ‘bird’, she met many Home Secretaries, was honoured by the Queen and was asked to help improve conditions in Russian Prisons. A deeply poignant story of eventual triumph against a staggeringly high series of setbacks, her story is filled with humour and compassion for those inside.

My Bloody Efforts: Life as a Rating in the Modern Royal Navy


Stephen Bridgman - 2012
    Daysearlier, while traversing the Straits of Sicily the crew had discovered a crack in one ofthe nuclear reactor pipes, requiring the immediate shutting down of the reactor toprevent a potential reactor accident, an operation never before conducted on a Britishsubmarine at sea.Th e previous six days had been a difficult time for the crew of the submarine. Initialindications of a nuclear reactor defect had quickly escalated into a full scale potential nuclearreactor accident at sea, requiring decisive action by the crew to make the reactor safe, toidentify the defect and attempt to repair the reactor, and then to surface the submarine andto sail her safely back to the nearest safe harbor using emergency propulsion machinerydesigned for very limited use. The resulting lack of electrical power resulted in the crewhaving to sacrifice lighting, air-conditioning, bathing facilities and even hot food until theirreturn to harbor, and to suffer in the excessively hot interior of the boat. Throughout,there remained the fear of exposure to deadly radiation and the uncertainty that the reactormight still be one step away from a major accident.For one man onboard, this episode formed the culmination of a 25 year navalengineering career almost fated for this moment. Charge Chief Stephen Bridgman,the senior nuclear propulsion technician, had needed all of his engineering knowledgeand experience in the identification and eventual repair of the submarine reactor,subsequently being awarded an MBE together with a colleague for his services to navalengineering for his actions.This book provides an insight into a remarkable naval career starting as a 16 year oldStoker on the final proper British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in 1977, throughthe Falklands War, being selected for naval technician training and submarine service,submarine training, submarine patrols in the supposed post cold-war period, theKosovo conflict, progression through the ranks, submarine refi t and refueling throughto the nuclear reactor accident onboard HMS Tireless.While there are countless accounts of naval life during wartime, this book tells theunique story of life as a British naval rating in the modern era, starting from the lowestlevel at a time of decline for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s, and paralleling the majorpolitical and military events of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ivory Gleam


Priya Dolma Tamang - 2018
    A potpourri of musings assembled with a hint of practical spirituality, to be savoured passably as an oracle of hearts to the many answers, whose questions our minds are yet to comprehend. Ivory Gleam is split into three chapters of learning, longing and loving. Each chapter is a journey traversing a different road to the ultimate destination of self-reflection.

My Broken Vagina: One Woman's Quest to Fix Her Sex Life, and Yours


Fran Bushe - 2021
    Unsurprisingly, neither worked.After a visit to Sex Camp and many attempts to fix her 'broken' vagina, Fran decided to share her own hilarious, excruciating, and sometimes upsetting experiences. With the help of her 16 year old self's diary, expert advice,  candid and enlightening interviews with others about sex,  and some self-care exercises, Fran sets about trying to make herself, and other people, feel like they're not being gaslit by their own vaginas.

On Love and Sex


Khushwant Singh - 2014
    Also included are selections from his works of fiction: ‘A Mixed Marriage’, a moving account of a Hindu-Muslim union in Mughal times; and ‘The Rooftop Massage’, in which the masseuse Molly gives Mohan Kumar an experience which she recommends he never try to repeat.Funny, instructive and titillating in equal measure, On Love and Sex is a celebration of two of the most enduring leitmotifs of Khushwant Singh’s oeuvre of work. This volume will delight Singh’s fans everywhere.

Just Fuck Me! - What Women Want Men to Know About Taking Control in the Bedroom (A Guide for Couples)


Eve Kingsley - 2008
    Act Like One!" Look, I know you're not a mind reader, so I'm going to be blunt... The majority of women like to be fucked. And I mean really fucked. Yes, the media has lied to you. Sure, there are some women that want to lay on their backs, look into your eyes, and gently rock back and forth, but most of us want you to channel the power of the Sun through your penis and give us a good, solid pounding. Act like you want it, for God's sake! In this book, I'm going to lay out exactly what the majority of women want and show you exactly how to give it to them. I've got a section just for you and one for your female partner, so you can feel 100% comfortable letting loose on her vagina in the way she's secretly craving. Some of the topics we'll cover... The Alpha Male - It's more than just being an ex-fratboy douchebag, who still thinks he's on the high school football team. I'll clue you in. Dirty Talk - Trust me, she wants it. If she didn't, she'd fuck a mime. Speaking of, did you know Marcel Marceau was divorced three times? Enough said. Role Playing - How she really feels about pretending to be the babysitter, a whore, and a student looking for a little "extra credit." I'll take you through the top 11 Alpha Male fantasies...including one so controversial, I can't even mention it here. The Art of Being Assertive - Sack up and take control! What to do...and what not to do. Sexual Communication - Both you and your partner have needs and good communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is crucial when it comes to getting them on the table. I'll show you how to communicate "Alpha Male Style." You'll learn what to say...and how to say it. Now that I've got you all hyped up and extremely aware of the need to please your woman, let's go about succeeding at it. Let's get down to brass tacks. What are you waiting for? Buy the book already! Eve Kingsley is a feminist writer based in San Francisco. She teaches couples how to push the boundaries of a sexual relationship to create new levels of honesty, intimacy, and trust.

Real Sex for Real Women


Laura Berman - 2008
    Laura Berman shows how it is possible to combine the reality of everyday life with fantastic sex. Sex in real life is not the sex we see in the media, and this book's images and advice reflect life and sex naturally. This book helps the reader to connect with her own sexuality, looking at physical and emotional health, and how she feelsabout herself and sex. Dr. Laura then provides information on techniques and tips on how to maximize your sex life, including how to express your needs and explore new positions.Best-selling author and renowned sex therapist, Dr. Laura Berman is America's leading expert in female sexual health. She is the founder and director of the Berman Center in Chicago, which specializes in sexual health and therapy, and she is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology atthe Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

Money for Something: Sex Work. Drugs. Life. Need.


Mia Walsch - 2020
    Look where we are. What else do we have to hide?'When nineteen-year-old Mia is fired from her job at an insurance company, she answers an ad in the newspaper. The ad says: 'Erotic Massage. Good Money. No Sex.'Mia takes to her new job with recklessness, aplomb and good humour. Over the next few years, as she works her way through Sydney's many parlours, she meets exquisite and complex women from every walk of life who choose sex work for myriad reasons. While juggling the demands of her new job, she battles her problematic drug use, and the mental illness that has shaped her life.But rather than needing saving from sex work, it is the work that sometimes helps to save Mia from herself.A raw and honest memoir about surviving, sex work, friendships, drugs and mental illness.

Dusty: An Intimate Portrait of a Musical Legend


Karen Bartlett - 2014
    Never one to be shy of the spotlight, Dusty broke the mould as the first female entertainer to publicly admit she was bisexual, and was famously deported from South Africa for refusing to play to segregated audiences during apartheid in 1964, just a year after the launch of her solo career. Combining brand-new material, meticulous research and frank interviews with friends, lovers, employees and confidants, journalist Karen Bartlett reveals sensational new details about the soul diva’s unconventional upbringing, tumultuous relationships and unbridled addictions, including a lifelong struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. Named one of the Sunday Times’s best musical biographies of 2014, this is the intimate portrait of an immensely complicated and talented woman – the definitive account of one of music’s most legendary figures.

The Low Down on Going Down: How to Give Her Mind-Blowing Oral Sex


Marcy Michaels - 2004
    When it comes to performing oral sex, most people fall somewhere between fumbling and clueless. But now, in The Lowdown on Going Down you'll find practical, easy-to-master techniques that will give you the confidence and skills you need to become an expert in the delicate art of cunnilingus.Inside you'll find:- Exercises to whip your tongue, lips, and jaw into shape so you can perform with exquisite control - An anatomy class you need to pass - Sensual kisses to get you both ready for the main event - Sure-fire methods for getting her to climax again and again - Advice on how to keep your mind from spoiling your head - Advanced techniques to wake up the neighbors - Positions that will make her purrRead The Lowdown on Going Down alone or with the companion edition, Blow Him Away for mind-blowing oral sex--every time.

Conversations with a Pedophile: In the Interest of Our Children


Amy Hammel-Zabin - 2003
    The mind of a pedophile who confessed to sexually abusing more than one thousand boys is revealed in a series of letters to the author, a music therapist he met while incarcerated and a victim of childhood sexual abuse herself.