The Best American Infographics 2013

by Mariner Books   ( Find this book)
The rise of infographics across virtually all print and electronic media--from a striking breakdown of classic cocktails to a graphic tracking 200 influential moments that changed the world to visually arresting depictions of Twitter traffic--reveals patterns in our lives and our world in fresh and surprising ways. In the era of big data, where information moves faster than ever, infographics provide us with quick, often influential bursts of art and knowledge--on the environment, politics, social issues, health, sports, arts and culture, and more--to digest, to tweet, to share, to go viral.
"The Best American Infographics" captures the finest examples from the past year, including the ten best interactive infographics, of this mesmerizing new way of seeing and understanding our world. -- Publisher Marketing

Roth Unbound: A Writer and His Books

by Claudia Roth Pierpont    (Find this book)
In 2012, acclaimed novelist Philip Roth famously declared that he was retiring, sending shudders of disbelief through the literary world. Drawing on conversations with Roth and featuring insightful close readings of his entire oeuvre, longtime New Yorker staff writer Pierpont (Passionate Minds: Women Rewriting the World) offers a dazzling chronicle that traces moments from the author's life and explores the "life of his art." Pierpont develops the story of Roth's writing chronologically, summarizing the plots and critical reception of each of his many novels, from Goodbye, Columbus (1959) to Nemesis (2010). For example, "When She was Good is a book as harsh and plain as the world that Roth depicts.... Roth was no longer standing outside the Americans' he'd been observing... he was burrowing within them, even if only to discover a resistance to admitting depths." Pierpont declares Sabbath's Theater "a masterpiece of twentieth-century American literature: coursing with life, dense with character and wisdom, it gives the deepest experiences we face dying, remembering, holding on to each other the startling impact of first knowledge." Exit Ghost is about the "mystification between young and old, " while Nemesis is about "conscience and duty as much as it is about the randomness of fate." Her luminous and graceful study achieves what all good criticism should: it drives us to reread Roth's work anew. Agent: Robert Cornfield, Robert Cornfield Literary Agency. (Oct.) Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

7 Myths about Women and Work

by Catherine Fox    (Find this book)
Australian journalist Fox investigates common misconceptions and biases that prevent women from reaching high level employment. She begins with the insidious myth that workplaces are meritocracies with an "even playing field" and those with top jobs are "simply better equipped." In reality, studies show that women are paid less than men, are underrepresented in accelerated development programs, and blatantly discriminated against at all levels. Fox questions the belief that women lack ambition and have a "natural inclination to focus on their family," noting that women internalize these sexist messages and equate ambition with selfishness and lack of femininity. High profile women are attacked by the media as either too cold or too emotional. Meanwhile, working mothers are responsible for child-rearing and most housework in 70% of households, resulting in underemployment for many highly skilled, well-educated women. Fox deconstructs the fraudulent "pipeline myth," which asserts that as more women graduate with higher degrees the imbalance in upper level jobs will correct itself, and also presents "Case Studies" featuring businesses working on solutions to the gender gap. This book is a terrific resource for those who seek real solutions to diversity problems or even a better understanding of the often subtle psychology of discrimination. (Mar.) Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Robert's Rules for Dummies

by C. Alan Jennings    (Find this book)
Discover why Robert's Rules "rule"
If you belong to any type of organization--from school board to garden club to bowling league to trade association--chances are this book can save you many boring meeting minutes. This friendly guide translates "Robert's Rules of Order, " the essential guide for conducting meetings of all types, into principles you can understand and apply the next time "Billy Bully" tries to dominate the discussion or "Debbie Dictator" issues another edict.
If you've ever been frustrated at the way condominium association business was (or wasn't) conducted or fidgeted while PTA members debated whether to have goldfish or pencils as prizes for the elementary school carnival, this is the book for you. Written by a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, it covers everything from the basics of bylaws that establish the real framework of your organization to the requirements for a legal meeting, from how to use an agenda to plan your next meeting and keep things on track to voting procedure and putting ideas into motion--and so much more.This new edition is published in response to the revised 11th edition of "Robert's Rules of Order" Techniques for following parliamentary procedures to effectively manage meetings of any size.  Helps you stay current with the latest updates to the rules of order and parliamentary procedure.
Complete with a glossary of parliamentary terms and sample agendas, reports, and minutes, this guide has everything you need but a gavel. Whether you belong to an elite country club or a civic organization, an investment club or a volunteer fire department, when you use the principles in this book, meetings won't be dominated by the loudest or pushiest member or go on and on and on and on and on . . . -- Publisher Marketing

Robert's Rules of Order

by Henry M. Robert    (Find this book)
"Robert's Rules of Order" is "the" book on parliamentary procedure for parliamentarians and anyone involved in an organization, association, club, or group and the authoritative guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings and assemblies. This newly revised edition is the only book on parliamentary procedure to have been updated since 1876 under the continuing program of review established by General Henry M. Robert himself, in cooperation with the official publisher of "Robert's Rules." The eleventh edition has been thoroughly revised to address common inquiries and incorporate new rules, interpretations, and procedures made necessary by the evolution of parliamentary procedure, including new material relating to electronic communication and "electronic meetings."  Publisher Marketing

Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words

by John W Pilley    (Find this book)
The amazing story of a very smart Border collie who is redefining animal intelligence.
Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them--more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation.
John's ingenuity and tenacity as a researcher are as impressive as Chaser's accomplishments. His groundbreaking approach has opened the door to a new understanding of animal intelligence, one that requires us to reconsider what actually goes on in a dog's mind. Chaser's achievements reveal her use of deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving skills to address novel challenges.
Yet astonishingly, Chaser isn't unique. John's training methods can be adopted by any dog lover. Through the poignant story of how he trained Chaser, raised her as a member of the Pilley family, and proved her abilities to the scientific community, he reveals the positive impact of incorporating learning into play and more effectively channeling a dog's natural drives.
John's work with Chaser offers a fresh perspective on what's possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. His story points us toward a new way of relating to our canine companions that takes into account our evolving understanding of the way animals and humans learn. -- Publisher Marketing

Fix-It and Forget-It New Cookbook: 250 New Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes!

by Phyllis Good    (Find this book)
*Starred Review* Fans of Good's best-selling slow-cooker recipe books won't be disappointed with her latest installment. Good provides plenty of practical tips about what she calls a near miracle appliance. For example, take time to get acquainted with a new slow cooker, fill it two-thirds full for best results, and try out recipes for the first time when at home for the day. And she dispels two big myths: that her beloved machine is a winter-time appliance and that it's mainly just for beef stew. Fuggedaboutit. True, many of the 250 recipes are for main dishes made with chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. But she gives even more space to pasta, soups, quiches, appetizers, breakfasts, breads, and desserts. Why not wake up to steel-cut oatmeal that's been slow cooking overnight? The slow cooker can even bake peach cobbler or a fudgy chocolate cake. Each recipe comes with a photo, some (such as mashed potatoes) get a quick and easy label, and several get a bonus tip from Good (such as cooking wine is wine with salt added). With good recipes and good vibes, the latest Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook is bound to be a best-seller.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)