Bøger udgivet af St. Martin's Griffin

The highly-regarded author of the first biography of Hugo Chavez brings his considerable expertise to assess the left-leaning regimes in South America. In this insightful and timely examination, Nikolas Kozloff discusses the hot-button issues of energy integration, free trade agendas, culture wars and South America's emerging role as a new political bloc, and how these tectonic political shifts will affect the United States. As Venezuela opposes U.S. militarization in the Andes and Bolivia fights a U.S.-fueled drug war, Kozloff looks to the future and what the U.S. must do to maintain these vital economic and political allies.

This dramatic account weaves together the rich and complex life of the celebrated and controversial film director, Holocaust survivor, and exile, based on a wealth of sources and new material. New revelations about Polanski's life include: -- The connection between his mother's death in Auschwitz and wife Sharon Tate's murder by the Manson family-both women were pregnant -- His radical transition from childhood poverty in a Krakow ghetto to a glamorous Hollywood life among socialites -- The psychological complexity and central thread of sexuality that runs throughout his films and his relationships with younger women -- A culmination of tragedies in Polanski's life, from the Holocaust to the Manson murders to his sexual assault charges and subsequent exile from the U.S. The unique humor of the "rascal genius" that keeps the world watching and awaiting his new projectsAcclaimed biographer Sandford draws on dozens of interviews with actors who have worked with Polanski, as well as previously sealed transcripts of his criminal hearings, testimony before the California grand jury following the accusations that led to his exile, and personal reflections on the murders of Sharon Tate and other friends of the couple. Polanski's films from 1962 to 2005 are contextualized within his life, including such highlights as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and the Oscar-winning The Pianist. Sandford's fascinating biography illuminates the life and work of one of the most important careers in modern cinema.

Are you tough enough? Only for the bravest crossword solvers, this collection contains 75 fiendish Saturday puzzles! Put your solving skills to the ultimate test and see if you're tough enogh for these devious puzzles.Features:-Seventy-five of the Times' toughest puzzles-Portable format is perfect for travel or solving at home-Edited by the biggest name in crosswords, Will Shortz.

KenKen is known around the world as a fun and wildly addictive game but did you know that it was originally created as a teaching tool to hone math, logic, and reasoning skills? So grab a pencil and and enjoy this fun way to strengthen your mind, even while relaxing on the beach!*Refresh and renew the "little grey cells" with 100 easy to hard KenKen puzzles*Introduction by legendary New York Times puzzlemaster Will Shortz *Big grids with lots of space for easy solving

A close look at the controversial command and strategies of the Air Force Chief of Staff, Curtis LeMay--a terrifying, complex, and brilliant general. In World War II, LeMay ordered the firebombing of Tokyo and was in charge when Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths--a fact he liked to celebrate by smoking Cuban cigars. But LeMay was also the man who single-handedly transformed the American air force from a ramshackle team of poorly trained and badly equipped pilots into one of the fiercest and most efficient weapons of the war. Over the last decades, most U.S. military missions were carried out entirely through the employment of the Air Force; this is part of LeMay's complicated legacy.Packed with breathtaking battles in the air and inspiring leadership tactics on the ground, LeMay will keep readers on their edge of their seats.

Alan Axelrod applies his signature insight and compelling prose to the life, strategy and legacy of the general Bradley who remains the model for all commanders today as the man who revolutionized the National Guard, shaped the US army's focus on the individual soldier, and emphasized cooperation and coordination among the military services--a cornerstone of modern U.S. military doctrine. Dubbed by the World War II press as "The GI General" because of his close identification with his men, Omar Bradley rose to command the U. S. 12th Army Group in the European Campaign. By the spring of 1945, this group contained 1,300,000 men--the largest exclusively American field command in U.S. history. Mild mannered, General Bradley was a dedicated mentor, the creator of the Officer Candidate School system, and a methodical tactician who served through World War II. Then, as a five-star general, he lifted the Veterans Administration from corruption and inefficiency to a model government agency, served as U.S. Army chief of staff, first chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of NATO.

Christopher Hibbert draws on every known contemporary source to provide a minutely detailed look at the fascinating writer Samuel Johnson. Using facts and anecdotes, Hibbert delivers intimate glimpses into Johnson's time as a schoolboy, his eccentricities as an undergraduate at Oxford, his struggle as a poor writer in London, and his slow rise to the legendary figure with a court of admirers and a steady stream of visitors. Hibbert combines personal stories with an examination Johnson's writing, offering a compelling and readable account.

It is a universal fact that men die before women. But the causes of this have long remained unexplored. Why Men Die First examines the reasons that men are more susceptible to illness and explains what they need to do to live longer. Bestselling author and professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University, Dr. Marianne Legato delves into problems that both men and women care about, including:* How men's reluctance to speak frankly to their physicians can kill them* The hormonal shift called "andropause," the male menopause, and therapies that alleviate its painful symptoms*Men's biological predisposition to infection and how best to protect against it*The real causes of male depression and how to treat it*The risks inherent to the male heart, and ways to correct coronary disease--even late in lifeThrough her appearances on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News, Legato has launched the conversation about why men die young, and what we all can do to reverse the grim trend.

In Your America, award-winning producers John Siceloff and Jason Maloney explore the paths to success of a remarkable group of people, each of whom has appeared on NOW, the popular PBS show, to tell their stories. For everyone interested in change at a local and national level, this book provides a blueprint for working together locally to create a better global community.Your America introduces twelve ordinary citizens who are accomplishing extraordinary changes in their communities. Among them:*Bill Graham, mayor of tiny Scottsburg, Indiana, who took on the telecommunications giants and wired his town to provide Wi-Fi for all.*Katie Redford, a young law student who dusted off the Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789 and ended up changing the way American corporations behave overseas.*Wynona Ward, who drove long-haul trucks as she studied to be a lawyer and founded an organization, Have Justice, Will Travel, that reaches out to abused women in isolated homes and communities.

With passion and wit, Christopher Hibbert details the crucial years that formed Dickens the writer and Dickens the man. He explains how Dickens transferred the smallest fragments of his experience to his fiction, and how he interpreted his youth for both himself and his readers, throwing a clear light on the creative process and sources of literary imagination. An illuminating look at a complex and baffling person, fans of literary biography will relish Hibbert's acclaimed style as he delivers the fascinating tale of Dickens' development.

For the first time, Alan Ayckbourn shares all of his tricks of the playwright's trade. From helpful hints on writing to tips on directing, the book provides a complete primer for the newcomer and a refresher for the more experienced. Written in Ayckbourn's signature style that combines humor, seriousness, and heady air of theatrical sophistication that Noel Coward would envy, The Crafty Art of Playmaking is a must-have for aspiring playwrights and students of drama.

On the tails of an election with the subject of race at the forefront, Wrong on Race uncovers a hidden past that many Democrats would rather see swept under the carpet. Ranging from the founding of the Republic through to today, it rectifies the unfair perceptions of America's two national parties. While Nixon's infamous "Southern Strategy" is constantly referenced in the media, less well remembered are Woodrow Wilson's segregation of the entire Federal civil service; FDR's appointment of a member of the KKK to the Supreme Court; John F. Kennedy's apathy towards civil rights legislation; and the ascension of Robert Byrd, who is current President pro tempore of the Senate, third in line in the presidential line of succession, and a former member of the KKK.

In this insightful book, Microsoft consulting psychologist Anna Rowley draws on fascinating case studies from her twelve years of working with the top levels of Microsoft management, revealing the skills that have helped the company's top executives to maintain market dominance. Rowley's tools have helped her powerhouse clients, who are passionately devoted to their jobs, attain their maximum potential while faced with constant pressure to innovate and excel. In Leadership Therapy, she explains how leaders can develop the characteristics they need to succeed in a demanding environment, including belief, objectivity, insight, connectivity, and ambition.

Five years after her return home from Auschwitz, Piera Sonnino found the courage to tell the story of the extermination of her parents, three brothers, and two sisters by the Nazis. Discovered in Italy and never before published in English, this poignant and extraordinarily well-written account is strikingly accurate in bringing to life the methodical and relentless erosion of the freedoms and human dignity of the Italian Jews, from Mussolini's racial laws of 1938 to the institutionalized horror of Auschwitz. Through Sonnino's words, memory has the power to disarm these unspeakable evils.

Arguably, Nancy Pelosi will be one of the most important political figures for many years to come. Not only has she somehow won the confidence of the boy's club of the House and returned her party to majority status after twelve years of Republican rule, she has managed, in her first 100 hours on the job, to pass much of the legislation she promised. Pelosi is also leading the vocal, in-your-face opposition to the Iraq war, this generation's defining event, and is likely one of the most important political figures of the last few decades. Bzdek chronicles the rise of the country's most powerful woman, shining a light on the nuts and bolts that make up the person who is two heartbeats away from the presidency by line of succession.

For more than three decades, Ed Koch has been one of America's most interesting and outspoken political figures. In this provocative new book, Koch with Rafael Medoff guides readers through the major battles in his life-long fight against anti-Semitism. Interviews, speeches, new essays, never-before published personal correspondence, and more highlight his leadership--on campuses, in the media, on the streets of New York City, and in the halls of power in Washington, DC. The book also features personal letters from Henry Louis Gates, former President George Bush, and other prominent figures. Koch will reveal startling information for the first time here, and his writings are controversial, piercing, teasing, and questioning. This book will ignite discussion for years to come

As the global Jihadist movement grows more complex, the escalating threat to international security demands a clear vision for winning the battle against fundamentalist Islamic violence. Walid Phares's previous books, Future Jihad and The War of Ideas, traced the forces that led to September 11 and the rise of radical Islam and examined the conflicting ideologies that underlie the War on Terror. Now, in The Confrontation, Phares provides global solutions for defeating the forces of jihad and identifies the upcoming battles in the vast world of the Jihadist movement, from the ravaged villages of the Sudan to London's Muslim neighborhoods to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Pointing towards a future that is safe for freedom and democratic societies, this book shows how the world's diverse institutions can come together to defeat the forces of jihad worldwide.

A hurricane strikes a city; terrorists attack a nation; global warming threatens the environment--such problems are too large for any one authority to solve alone. Our increasingly globalized and interconnected world calls for a new type of tri-sector leadership in which business, government and nonprofits work together in a state of permanent negotiation. To be effective, tomorrow's leaders will need to reach across national and sector divisions to form a collaborative "megacommunity." Based on interviews with over 100 leaders from around the world including Bill Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Kenneth Chenault and Richard Parsons, MEGACOMMUNITIES: How Leaders of Government, Business and Non-Profits Can Tackle Today's Global Challenges Together introduces a radically new framework for reaching solutions to today's thorniest problems. Written by four senior consultants from global consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton, and with a Foreword by Walter Isaacson, this important book explains how a megacommunity approach is: COUNTERING AIDS, ALZHEIMER'S AND GLOBAL PANDEMICS In India, a megacommunity battles HIV/AIDS by bringing together both public, private, and civil-sector organizations, including PepsiCo, the Gates Foundation, U.S. healthcare experts, UN development programs, and local NGOs. CONSERVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY In saving the world's rainforests, providers, distributors, sellers, and consumers of lumber team up with local communities, the World Wildlife Fund, and Goldman Sachs. HELPING COMMUNITIES GROWIn changing neighborhoods like Harlem, the megacommunity includes local small businesses, community groups, global companies, and foundations like Bill Clinton's. "What is required are leaders who know how to identify the vital interests they share with others, who are prepared to seek the benefits from which all can gain," write the authors.Visit their website at: www.megacommunities.com

In our service economy, the most important asset is tough to quantify: a company's relationship with its customers. In this must-read examination of customer relations, Claes Fornell draws out a blueprint for understanding this fact of modern business and reveals the unheralded value of customer satisfaction. Drawing on the results of a massive survey of American consumer satisfaction and including examples from companies like Home Depot and UPS, Fornell explains how to quantify and increase the value of a firm's customer relationships--what he calls the Customer Asset. Arguing that exceeding a customer's expectations is risky, and increasing customer complaints can actually be a good thing, his conclusions about outreach strategy are bold and often surprising.

Large-print type may make these puzzles from the pages of The New York Times easy on the eyes, but they will still challenge the brain. This ninth volume in the popular Large-Print Omnibus series features:* 120 easy-to-read crossword puzzles* All levels of difficulty* Edited by crossword maven Will Shortz.

Virtual worlds have exploded out of online game culture and now capture the attention of millions of ordinary people: husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, workers, retirees. Devoting dozens of hours each week to massively multiplayer virtual reality environments (like World of Warcraft and Second Life), these millions are the start of an exodus into the refuge of fantasy, where they experience life under a new social, political, and economic order built around fun. Given the choice between a fantasy world and the real world, how many of us would choose reality? Exodus to the Virtual World explains the growing migration into virtual reality, and how it will change the way we live--both in fantasy worlds and in the real one.

In this clever portrait of the American presidency, Jim Cullen takes ten presidents down from their pedestals by examining key missteps in their careers--and how they transcended them. Examples include Abraham Lincoln smearing a preacher and rediscovering his religious vision in emancipating slaves; Lyndon Johnson's electoral fraud in his 1948 Senate race and his role in the signing of the Voting Rights Act; and Ronald Reagan's subversion of the Constitution in the Iran-Contra affair and affirmation of world peace in helping bring about the end of the Cold War. Targeting Republicans and Democrats alike, Cullen's insights are surprisingly timely and hugely entertaining.

In this vivid and timely history, Juan Cole tells the story of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. Revealing the young general's reasons for leading the expedition against Egypt in 1798 and showcasing his fascinating views of the Orient, Cole delves into the psychology of the military titan and his entourage. He paints a multi-faceted portrait of the daily travails of the soldiers in Napoleon's army, including how they imagined Egypt, how their expectations differed from what they found, and how they grappled with military challenges in a foreign land. Cole ultimately reveals how Napoleon's invasion, the first modern attempt to invade the Arab world, invented and crystallized the rhetoric of liberal imperialism.You can visit Juan Cole's Blog, Informed Comment at http://www.juancole.com/

Few world cities have a record as long, as fascinating, or as well-documented as Beijing's. A capital almost continuously for more than a thousand years, the city has been Khubilai Khan's Mongol headquarters, home to emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the main stage for Communist-era achievements and upheavals. "Beijing" is the first book in English to trace this vibrant city's history from its earliest days to the present. It highlights recent changes in the city as its more than fifteen million people live through record-level economic growth and intensive preparations for the 2008 Olympics. Focusing on the lives of ordinary residents and rulers alike, the authors examine the controversial destruction of historic districts as well as the construction of new residential and business districts and Olympic venues. Extensive photographs and paintings, many not previously published, offer a window onto Beijing not only in major phases of its past, but also in its startlingly different present. Compelling and revealing, Beijing arrives just in time for the city's turn in the Olympic spotlight.

Since it first declared independence six decades ago, Israel has endured constant threats to its existence. Though the Palestinian conflict continues to hold the world's attention, it is in fact only one of the nation's long-term concerns. Aside from terrorists seeking to destroy it, Israel must contend with tensions between secular and religious Jews, the demographic challenges posed by a quickly growing Arab population, internal political divisions, and disputes over the water sources that are critical to its survival. In the face of these many challenges, the country's future can seem precarious indeed.

American policymakers have wrestled with the Syria question for years, but it has gained particular urgency in light of the war between Hezbollah and Israel and the country's continued support for the Iraq insurgency. With its mix of competing religious and ethnic groups, radical ideologies, and ferocious political repression, the growing tension surrounding Syria presents an increasingly serious problem for the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. Yet surprisingly, very little is known about this country and its role in shaping the destiny of the region. In this bold investigation, Middle East expert Barry Rubin looks at how the country has become the powderkeg of the Middle East and offers an insightful analysis of recent developments.

Alfredo José Estrada's intimate ties to Havana form the basis for this "autobiography," written as though from the city's own heart. Covering the island's five hundred year history, Estrada portrays the adventurers and dreamers who left their mark on Havana, including José Martí, martyr for Cuban independence; and Ernest Hemingway, the most American of writers who became an unabashed Habanero. Deeply personal and affecting, Havana is the accessible and complete story of the city for the history buff and armchair traveler alike.

From the controversial expert who brought Iran's nuclear program to the attention of the world in 2002 comes a searing exposé of the inner workings and plans of Iran's mullahs. With access to dissident groups inside Iran, Alireza Jafarzadeh traces President Ahmadinejad's radical roots and involvement in terror attacks to his impact on Iran's weapons program. He reveals new details on Iran's meddling in Iraq and its broader goals for the future of the Middle East. This is the most authoritative account to date of the looming threat Iran poses to the United States and the Gulf region.Readers will learn for the first time:*President Ahmadinejad's radical past as a feared torturer of political prisoners and his zealous mission to deliver the regime its first nuclear bomb*The chilling trend of the military's increasing control of the nuclear program *How Ahmadinejad was handpicked by Iran's mullahs to help create an Islamic Republic in Iraq *The latest covert actions to bury nuclear facilities in tunnels*The story of the front companies Iran used to buy its nuclear technology undetected*The author's original and insightful policy options to end the Iranian threat

Based on his first-hand experiences and observations of how the Department of Homeland Security is failing to make America safe, Ervin shows the real threats we face--from nuclear attack to homegrown terrorism. Pushed out by the White House for refusing to sugarcoat its failures, Ervin candidly discusses the circumstances of his departure. He takes the reader inside the decision-making councils of this newest department of the U.S. government, and shows how his team's prescriptions for urgent change were ignored--leaving the US vulnerable to another terrorist attack.