Matthew knows how things work. He’s pretty much an expert. For example: friends. Friendship requires both give and take, and Matthew strongly prefers taking. The solution is close acquaintances—people who think you’re their friend because you nod and act interested about whatever the hell they’re talking about. School? Perfectly pleasant as long as you don’t pay attention. Mom? Award yourself a point for each hands on hips or young man. Wear her down until you can get what you want. The general rule: The less anyone knows about you, the better. But even someone as clever as Matthew needs practice. That’s where Michael comes in. See, Michael doesn’t get it. He’s the kind of kid who comes up with the answer before the teacher. He’s the kind of kid who asks questions. He’s the kind of kid who still has the ratty old backpack he should have thrown in someone’s dumpster years ago. Consequently, he’s the kind of kid who gets the crap beaten out of him on a regular basis. So one day, Matthew, seemingly out of the kindness of his heart, decides to help Michael out. Turn his life around. Teach him how to make his life as great as Matthew’s. Before long, Matthew is helping Michael mess with his NASCAR-loving stepfather. He’s spreading rumors to convince the population of Alexander High School that Michael is a serious badass. He weaves his way into the lives of Michael’s estranged dad, and even Chrissy, the half-sister Michael never even knew he had. But what if Michael isn’t grateful for all of Matthew’s hard work? What if he actually likes who he is? Why the hell would he? And for that matter, why should Matthew even care? Changing Michael is an absorbing exploration into the head of one of the most fascinating high school characters since Holden Caulfield. A story of coolness, mischief, and the struggle for identity in an unpredictable world, Jeff Schilling’s remarkably insightful debut presents a story and a narrative voice readers will remember for a very long time to come.
Mired in his last year of high school, Matthew decides he needs a senior project. He chooses Michael, the school punching bag. Matthew's renovation begins with Gut, Michael's stepfather. Phase II addresses Michael's place in the high school pecking order. At first, the renovations seem successful, but when the project begins to unravel around him, Matthew suddenly realizes that he is in too deep to get out before it collapses. Unable to salvage his relationship with Michael, Matthew begins a second, this time with Michael's half-sister, Chrissy. The second collapse, however, is more devastating than the first, and amid the wreckage, Matthew desperately wonders if he will eventually find a way out or remain buried forever.
After only a few days at her grandparents', Katherine is already bored. Deciding to explore the woods nearby, it isn't long before the Blue Man finds her. Some items have been stolen from him, items he would very much like back. Without hesitation, Katherine agrees to find them. After all, it is a chance at magic, a chance she has looked for all her life. The Blue Man sends her to a city where puddles are much deeper and lead to very unexpected places. It is a world where towering dragons fight in the furthest reaches of the sky, where the blue ends and the darkness of the universe begins. It is a place where indoor forests hide under massive domes and are only the entryways to secret, hidden things. And when her journey becomes dangerous, she wonders why she has been given a partner who doesn't want to be there, a guide who is always looking to escape, and an assignment that is next to impossible.
The focus of this study is on Oecolampadius's 1534 commentary on the biblical book of Hebrews, which derived from his theology lectures at the University of Basel in 1529-1530. Jeff Fisher compares his exegesis with more than twenty-five of the most relevant interpreters from the early church to the Reformation. He shows that by recovering and adapting an Alexandrian interpretive notion of Christ as the goal of Scripture, Oecolampadius's Christoscopic reading of Scripture served as an essential step in the shift toward Reformed interpretative approaches, such as that of John Calvin.
From one of Canada's top baseball writers and radio hosts: a retrospective of the Toronto Blue Jays that comes more than 20 years after Joe Carter's World Series-winning home run. A must-have for all Blue Jays fans, and a great read for Toronto and Canadian sports fans in general. In Full Count, Jeff Blair takes us back to the days when the Toronto Blue Jays were "the Cadillac of franchises," and shows us exactly what they did right to become baseball's premier club. Then he explores the disappointing aftermath, when the league's fourth-largest market became an also-ran: seemingly destined to languish behind the big-spending Yankees and Red Sox and free-wheeling Rays--until the offseason of 2012. Full Count will appeal to the casual fans wanting to re-live Blue Jays history, and to the serious fans who relish the nitty-gritty business decisions and behind-the-scenes details that made this team what it is today.
Enchanting . . . An absorbing narrative of politics, ecology, and economics."--New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice) Located between the Great Rift Valley and the Nile, the cloud forests in southwestern Ethiopia are the original home of Arabica, the most prevalent and superior of the two main species of coffee being cultivated today. Virtually unknown to European explorers, the Kafa region was essentially off-limits to foreigners well into the twentieth century, which allowed the world's original coffee culture to develop in virtual isolation in the forests where the Kafa people continue to forage for wild coffee berries. Deftly blending in the long, fascinating history of our favorite drink, award-winning author Jeff Koehler takes readers from these forest beginnings along the spectacular journey of its spread around the globe. With cafés on virtually every corner of every town in the world, coffee has never been so popular--nor tasted so good. Yet diseases and climate change are battering production in Latin America, where 85 percent of Arabica grows. As the industry tries to safeguard the species' future, breeders are returning to the original coffee forests, which are under threat and swiftly shrinking. "The forests around Kafa are not important just because they are the origin of a drink that means so much to so many," writes Koehler. "They are important because deep in their shady understory lies a key to saving the faltering coffee industry. They hold not just the past but also the future of coffee." "A must-read for coffee enthusiasts."--Smithsonian (Best of the Year) "Reads like an engaging multimystery detective novel."--Wall Street Journal "Fascinating . . . How a local crop transformed into a global commodity."--Real Simple (Best of the Month) Coffee is one of the largest and most valuable commodities in the world. This is the story of its origins, its history, and the threat to its future, by the IACP Award–winning author of Darjeeling.
This title contains two novels by Jeff Noon: Vurt - where a possee of hip malcontents are hooked on the most powerful drug you can imagine; and Pollen where people are sneezing and dying all over Manchester, due to exotic blooms flowering all over the city.
If you want real-world solutions to drive monstrous results, like a 25—50% increase or more in revenue and earnings, Stop Whining! Start Selling! is for you! As a business leader, salesperson, CEO, manager, executive, or entrepreneur, get ready to grow your business, enhance your profits, boost your earnings, and improve your life. Quickly, ethically, and dramatically! This book gives you an almost unfair competitive advantage. It’s loaded with powerful insights and how-to success strategies on: Ethics Sales Marketing Negotiations And more! Order your copy today!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.