A teenager discovers racism and romance on his father’s farm For his fourteenth birthday, Joe Pedersen wants a motorbike that costs nearly a thousand dollars. But his mom says the usual birthday gift is fifty dollars, and his dad wants Joe to earn the rest of the money himself and “find out what a real day’s work feels like.” Angry that his father doesn’t think he’s up to the job, Joe joins the Mexican laborers who come to his father’s farm each summer. Manuel, the crew boss, is only sixteen, yet highly regarded by the other workers and the Pedersen family. Joe’s resentment grows when his father treats Manuel as an equal. Compared with Manuel, Joe knows nothing about planting and hoeing cabbage and picking strawberries. But he toughs out the long, grueling days in the hot sun, determined not only to make money but to gain the respect of his stern, hardworking father. Joe soon learns about the problems and fears the Mexicans live with every day, and, before long, thanks to Manuel, his beautiful cousin Luisa, and the rest of the crew, Joe comes to see the world in a whole different way. In her sensitive new novel, Cynthia DeFelice explores our dependency on migrant workers and simultaneous reluctance to let these people into our country and into our lives.   Under the Same Sky is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Price: $7.99 USD

One of the most admired and honored of our contemporary literary artists, author John Crowley now brilliantly re-creates a time in America when ordinary people were asked to sacrifice their comforts and uproot their lives for the cause of freedom. In the early years of the 1940s, as the nation's young men ship off to war, the call goes out for builders of the machinery necessary to defeat the enemy. To this purpose, a city has sprung up seemingly overnight in the windswept fields of Oklahoma: the Van Damme airplane factory, a gargantuan complex dedicated to the construction of the B-30 Pax, the largest bomber ever built. Laborers—some men, but mostly women, many of whom have never operated a rivet gun or held a screwdriver—flock to this place, eager to earn, to grow, to do their part. Many are away from home for the very first time, enticed by the opportunity to be something more than wife and homemaker. In the middle of nowhere they will live, work, and earn their own money, fearing for the safety of their absent fighting men as the world around them changes forever. Vi, with her gun of a pitching arm, finds Van Damme after fleeing a dying ranch and a stubborn, broken father to chase a future built on something stronger than poison earth. Connie, once fragile and helpless, follows an unfaithful husband here with their little boy in tow—and inadvertently discovers who she is and what she's capable of achieving. Before Diane can enter the factory's gates, the restless young woman must leave behind the hot music and soldier boys she followed, taking a sudden, bold, and dangerous step in pursuit of something different, adult, and real. Their journeys will be liberating in ways they couldn't imagine, and will lead each of them to Prosper Olander. Disabled, an artist, a forger, a friend—a surprising lover and compassionate listener—Prosper has followed unlikely opportunity down a painfully twisting path to take his place as the true heart and soul of a temporary city. And before the B-30 Pax takes flight, he will change the lives of four women in profound and unexpected ways. Destined to stand tall among his previous acclaimed fiction—including Little, Big ; The Ægypt Cycle ; The Translator ; and Lord Byron's Novel —John Crowley's Four Freedoms is perhaps his most heartfelt and compelling novel to date. It is a moving, evocative, and unforgettable saga of wives, mothers, and lovers—of strangers, outcasts, and damaged Quixotes—who, unmoored by conflict's unpredictable tides, find community, purpose, identity, independence . . . and one remarkable man who will touch them all.

Price: $9.99 USD

Soloing has two meanings: "going it alone" and being "complete in yourself." . . . But you don't just leave--a company/a career/a paycheck--and cross over to a more satisfying life. There's more to it. There is a mysterious passage to be negotiated, a delicate transition required to go from alone-in-the-desert to complete-in-yourself. Harriet Rubin, bestselling author of The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women, returns with inspiring advice for professionals dreaming of crossing over from a corporate world of prescribed boundaries to the limitless opportunities of soloing. She describes how people can do great things--things they would never be able to accomplish inside the corporate structure--when they manage or lead no one. As one successfully navigates the passage toward a truer sense of self that Rubin describes, four invaluable freedoms await: The first freedom is regaining your sense of identity. Walk out of any big company and who are you, stripped of that mighty identity? Potentially bigger and better than before. Who were you before the corporate you? To get back one's sense of self is why people go solo. The second freedom is independence. Why is working alone so important in doing great work, given that it's also the scariest part? Imagine having complete command and control over your time and the work you do. This is how soloists realize their great strengths: They are reduced to themselves. The third freedom is income. You can earn in one year what you earned in two before. Do you work harder to do this? Yes. Do you enjoy it more? Yes. Solo money is alive. Unlike a salary doled out like an allowance from parents, the money earned by soloing is a true emblem of a person's worth. The fourth freedom is illumination. A professional builds a career, but a soloist builds a portfolio and a life free of boredom, full of challenge. Direct contact with work itself is direct contact with life. With insights as diverse as Henry David Thoreau's "I want to be sure the world doesn't change," and Michael Jordan's response to the statement: "There's no 'I' in team,"--"That's right, but there is an 'I' in win,"--Rubin gives readers the chance to bring their dreams into alignment with reality.

Price: $10.99 USD

He’s at it again, but this time he’s not alone.  America’s Ultimate Cheapskate is back with all new secrets for how to live happily below your means, á la cheapskate.  For The Cheapskate Next Door , Jeff Yeager tapped his bargain-basement-brain-trust, hitting the road to interview and survey hundreds of his fellow cheapskates to divulge their secrets for living the good life on less.    Jeff reveals the 16 key attitudes about money – and life – that allow the cheapskates next door to live happy, comfortable, debt-free lives while spending only a fraction of what most Americans spend.  Their strategies will change your way of thinking about money and debunk some of life’s biggest money myths.  For example, you’ll learn:  how to cut your food bill in half and eat healthier as a result; how your kids can get a college education without ever borrowing a dime ; how to let the other guy pay for deprecation by learning the secrets of buying used, not abused ; how you can save serious money by negotiating and bartering ; and how – if you know where to look – there’s free stuff and free fun all around you.   The Cheapskate Next Door also features dozens of original “Cheap Shots” – quick, money saving tips that could save you more than $25,000 in a single year!  Cheap Shots give you the inside scoop on:     • How to save hundreds on kids’ toys;    • What inexpensive old-fashioned kitchen appliance can save you more than $200 a year;    • How you can travel the world without ever having to pay for lodging;    • What single driving tip can save you $30,000 during your lifetime;    • Even how to save up to 40% on fine wines (and we’re not talking about the kind that comes in a box).    From simple money saving tips to truly life changing financial strategies, the cheapskates next door know that the key to financial freedom and enjoying life more is not how much you earn, but how much you spend.     Jeff Yeager is the author of The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches, and has appeared as a guest correspondent on the NBC Today Show and Discovery’s Planet Green network.  He is also the author of the popular blog The Green Cheapskate , www.TheDailyGreen.com   Visit his website www.UltimateCheapskate.com   From the Trade Paperback edition.

Price: $11.99 USD

This book can save you over $100,000 These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma. But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty . From his unique double perspective-he's a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans. Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child's financial future. You'll discover, for instance, that: * Student loans are NOT a necessary evil. Ordinary middle class families can- and must -find ways to avoid them, even without scholarships. * College "rankings" are useless-designed to sell magazines and generate hype. If you trust one of the major guides when picking a college, you face a potential financial disaster. * The elite graduate programs accept lots of people with non-elite bachelors degrees. So do America's most selective employers. The name on a diploma ultimately won't help your child have a more successful career or earn more money. Zac can prove every one of those bold assertions - and more. No matter what your current financial situation, he has a simple message for parents: "RELAX! Your kid will be able to get a champagne education on a beer budget!"

Price: $12.99 USD

Professional blackjack player Kevin Blackwood shares his million-dollar winning strategies for mastering the odds and consistently beating the house at their own game. Play Blackjack Like the Pros is the requisite introduction to the modern game of blackjack, including high and low stakes casino, shoe games (several decks shuffled together), online, and tournaments. Blackwood begins with the basic rules of play and then moves on to teach his proven card-counting method, broken-down into three levels: novice, recreational, and professional. He also covers camouflaging techniques (it's perfectly legal to count cards, but if the house catches you they will kick you out), money management, and team play. Blackwood includes many stories of his and other professionals' triumphs at the tables and keeps the highly technical language that bogs down most gaming books to an absolute minimum. Play Blackjack Like the Pros is written in the style of Phil Hellmuth's Play Poker Like the Pros using easy-to-understand lessons that all levels of players can quickly benefit from. Blackwood is one of the world's top card counters. He began with only a few hundred dollars and has won over a million playing blackjack. In Play Blackjack Like the Pros he demonstrates how to earn over $10,000 a month from just a few days work. Blackjack is set to balloon in popularity. Ben Mezrich's book on the MIT card counting team Bringing Down the House was on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks and is being made into a movie staring Kevin Spacey. Blackjack Tournaments are growing in popularity with many of the top casinos offering large prize pools. Online Blackjack is currently a multi-million dollar industry. Blackwood keeps the highly technical language that bogs down most gaming books to an absolute minimum. Foreword by Stanford Wong, author of Professional Blackjack and the master of modern card counting.

Price: $12.99 USD

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EARN OR HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE—THERE IS A SIMPLE WAY FOR YOU TO GIVE YOUR KIDS $1 MILLION EACH—AND IT WON'T COST YOU A CENT! Based on the original bestseller and now fully updated, this simple plan is building wealth for thousands of families all over Australia. Follow this step-by-step guide to help you and your kids generate wealth and financial security. How to Give Your Kids $1 Million Each! Is a simple plan that just about anyone can follow. But you can give your children something even more valuable than $1 million—you can also provide them with the knowledge and skills to be able to manage their money and make it grow. Packed with useful tips, How to Give Your Kids $1 Million Each! doesn't involve any tricks, complex products, get-rich quick schemes or trading systems; just simple, actionable steps for you and your family. Using low-cost, tax-effective share and property investments—that you control—let compounding work its magic. And you only need to spend one hour per month on the plan. You can start the plan with as little as $1 per day and give your children a financial head start in life. So what are you waiting for—the earlier you start, the better!

Price: $16.95 USD

This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. “After 21 years of giving advice about your wallet on the radio, I thought I had heard it all and read it all. Then I read Living Rich by Spending Smart . Greg Karp has a clear roadmap to wealth that is yours for the taking. Follow his simple steps and you will take control of your financial future. Get FIT now!” –Clark Howard, The Clark Howard radio show   “The book is full of practical information for trimming and redeploying spending, which is often given short shrift in other personal finance books. The author provides solid advice and solid writing on a topic that benefits from a fresh voice.” –Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money columnist and author of Easy Money   “Greg Karp offers well-researched, practical strategies that can help anyone save big money on everyday expenses, and his entertaining writing style makes the book a fun read.” –Stephanie Nelson, editor of CouponMom.com and frequent guest on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America   “Greg Karp gets it and you will too. His research and tips will help you keep more of the money you earn. Reading Living Rich by Spending Smart is the best way to give yourself a raise.” –Steve & Annette Economides, New York Times Best-Selling Authors of America ’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right On The Money   “Wise people have always known it. Now Greg Karp lets everyone in on the secret. The surest way to living well is to manage your spending. Living Rich by Spending Smart is a simple roadmap that anyone can follow. And should!” –Gary Foreman, editor of TheDollarStretcher.com   “For every consumer who consistently fails to engage brain before operating pocketbook, this book provides simple, concrete steps to immediately take control of your spending.” –Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org   As The Millionaire Next Door revealed, building wealth isn’t just about working harder or what you choose to invest in: it’s about spending smarter. Now, award-winning Tribune Company personal finance columnist Gregory Karp shows how to do just that. This book isn’t about depriving yourself. Instead, Gregory Karp shows how to build real, long-lasting wealth by plugging the money leaks you’re barely aware of and making sure you spend with a purpose. Karp’s surprisingly painless techniques will help you eliminate wasteful spending in every area of your financial life. You’ll discover how to focus spending on what you really care about...spend less on gifts without becoming a cheapskate...s

Price: $17.99 USD

There is nowhere else in the world quite like Chungking Mansions, a dilapidated seventeen-story commercial and residential structure in the heart of Hong Kong’s tourist district. A remarkably motley group of people call the building home; Pakistani phone stall operators, Chinese guesthouse workers, Nepalese heroin addicts, Indonesian sex workers, and traders and asylum seekers from all over Asia and Africa live and work there—even backpacking tourists rent rooms. In short, it is possibly the most globalized spot on the planet. But as Ghetto at the Center of the World shows us, a trip to Chungking Mansions reveals a far less glamorous side of globalization. A world away from the gleaming headquarters of multinational corporations, Chungking Mansions is emblematic of the way globalization actually works for most of the world’s people. Gordon Mathews’s intimate portrayal of the building’s polyethnic residents lays bare their intricate connections to the international circulation of goods, money, and ideas. We come to understand the day-to-day realities of globalization through the stories of entrepreneurs from Africa carting cell phones in their luggage to sell back home and temporary workers from South Asia struggling to earn money to bring to their families. And we see that this so-called ghetto—which inspires fear in many of Hong Kong’s other residents, despite its low crime rate—is not a place of darkness and desperation but a beacon of hope. Gordon Mathews’s compendium of riveting stories enthralls and instructs in equal measure, making Ghetto at the Center of the World not just a fascinating tour of a singular place but also a peek into the future of life on our shrinking planet.

Price: $18.00 USD

Based on a decade of exclusive research, Lowell Bryan and Claudia Joyce of McKinsey & Company have come up with a simple yet revolutionary conclusion: Your workforce is the key to growth in the 21st century. By tapping into their underutilized talents, knowledge, and skills you can earn tens of thousands of additional dollars per employee, and manage the interdepartmental complexities and barriers that prevent real achievements and profits. This can only be accomplished through organizational design and redesign. That's the new model for survival in the modern, digital, global economy. With the right design, your organization will have the capabilities to pursue whatever strategy is necessary to compete on any scale, react to any market change, leverage any opportunity, and sail past the competition. In Mobilizing Minds , the authors distill their research into seven strategic ideas that shatter the complexity frontiers, have the potential to unleash enormous profits, and enable long-term success for every company. Bryan and Joyce outline innovative principles that enable corporations to: Manage complexity, bureaucracy, and redundancy; Use hierarchical authority to strengthen the authority of key managers and drive performance; Deliver operating earnings while implementing wealth-creation strategies; Allow formal networks, talent, and knowledge marketplaces to work in a large company; Motivate and reward wealth-creating behavior; Pursue organizational design as a corporate strategy; Increase worker satisfaction. It is imperative for corporations to put the same energy used for new products and processes into organizational design. That's where the money is. That's where the opportunities lie. That's the key to surviving and prospering in the 21st century.

Price: $29.95 USD