The first in-depth biography of The Black Eyed Peas explored their rise from back-street gangsta rap to globally famous group. Tells the full story from the backstreets of Los Angeles in the mid 1980s to the formation of the Black Eyed Peas and a record deal in the mid 1990s.

Get Started, Foundations in English provides true beginners with the skills needed for confident communication. Learners build a solid foundation in the grammar, vocabulary, and skills needed to achieve everyday communicative tasks like greeting people and asking for directions. --Publisher's website.

This marvelous guide begins where other books on writing and the writing life leave off. Delving deep into the creative process, Bret Lott reveals truths we scarcely realized we needed to know but without which we as writers will soon lose our way. In ten intimate essays based on his own experiences and on the seasoned wisdom of writers including Eudora Welty, E. B. White, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James, and John Gardner, Lott explores such topics as • why write? why keep writing? • the importance of simple words • the finer points of character detail • narrative and the passage of time • the pitfalls of technique • making a plan–and letting it go • risking failure–and reaping the benefits • Accepting rejection Writers travel alone, but Bret Lott’s book makes the journey less lonely and infinitely more rewarding. Before We Get Started will help you make your work as good as it can be: “Pay attention recklessly. Strain to see through the window of your own artistic consciousness in the exhilarating knowledge that there is no path to the waterfall, and there are a million paths to the waterfall, and there is, too, only one path: yours.”

A modern, easy-to-use, and authoritative guide to painting with gouache, including the basics on this exciting and centuries-old medium, techniques for all skill levels, and practice projects from an experienced author and illustrator. This charming and contemporary step-by-step guide to gouache (pronounced "gwash") is perfect for creative people who have dreamed of painting inspiring subjects from everyday life. Gouache is a water-based paint similar to watercolor that has the opacity and layerability of acrylic paints. It creates wonderful washes, allows for layering and texture, and dries quickly with a unique matte finish. Illustrator Emma Block presents everything you need to know about this whimsical and fun medium, including expert guidance on tools and materials and techniques that will make it easy to use. Thirty lessons cover subjects from simple, such as your morning coffee cup and bright lemons, to advanced, such as fluffy animals and portraits of your friends and family. All of this is accompanied by her workshop-honed instructions and step-by-step illustrations, which will help you build the skills and confidence to finish beautiful pieces of your own.

The party room. On Manhattan's Upper East Side. Everybody's fabulous. No one gets carded. Then someone dies. The Party Room is where the prep school crowd goes to drink up and hook up. The cocktails are chill and the bartender's hot. Everyone knows everyone -- except the guy that Samantha Byrne leaves with one night. The next day Sam's missing. Then she's found dead in Central Park, murdered brutally. It looks like a copycat killing of another girl who was murdered years earlier. By someone from Talcott Prep. The killer is one of them. He knows where they live. And where they play....

The ideal companion for all creative minds - The Art of Getting Startedis the long missing piece of the creative puzzle. As a self-professed procrastinator, illustrator Lee Crutchley knows the 'first blank page' all too well and has used his expertise to devise a unique variety of impulsive habits to kick start the brain. Through a series of hand-written tasks and challenges Lee leads the reader through a range of lively prompts to shift the perspective and get those creative juices flowing again in new and surprising ways. Quick fire questions encourage impulsive decisions, tapping instantly into creative instincts, learning the best way to engage the mind into getting that all important start. Be prepared to write, draw, cook and explore as this stimulating, witty and hands-on guide takes readers to inspirational heights and as a capable right-hand-man, it will be tough to be without it. Taking 'back to basics' to a new level, Crutchley wants readers to immerse themselves, creativity in its purest form. In answer to the procrastination nation is a new technique, and creative method: The Art of Getting Started.

There are currently 35,000 franchisee businesses operating in the UK in a variety of different sectors, but choosing, evaluating and securing the right franchise is often the hardest part of the process. Get Started in Franchising is an indispensable guide that tells you how to achieve this - saving time and money in the process! As well as focusing on practical ""how to"" aspects of franchising, the book also provides help on UK financial and legal implications, priming you with the best advice possible before making your move. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of franchising. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Blake and Mom explore WHY Blake doesn't want to get started, and they go through a few simple steps on how to take initiative and get things done. Will Blake be able to use these steps to get started on his work at home and school? Find out in the very popular Executive FUNction series.

Now in a new edition, World Link helps adult learners communicate fluently and confidently in English. It develops language skills through use of dynamic vocabulary, essential grammar, engaging topics and fascinating images. Learners will experience the topics and language come alive through an expanded video program!

Kate Clinton’s first book of irreverent humor Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not. I’m out and proud. My closet was huge, complete with a foyer, turnstile, a few dead bolts, and a burglar alarm. It wasn’t until I had lived and slept with a woman for a year that it occurred to me to ask, “Do you think we’re lesbians?”