There is a fundamental disconnection between the way business people speak and real people communicate. From advertisers, big business and CEOs - the blather is coming at us in waves. The International Language of Business is no longer English - it's gobbledygook. The authors blindly discovered the enormity of the problem in June 2003 with the launch of Bullfighter, an anti-jargon software tool. But jargon is just one symptom in a larger problem afflicting corporate communications today: the wholesale inability to connect with an audience. In the form of admirably straight-talk, we discover how to avoid the 'obscurity trap', 'the anonymity trap', the 'hard-sell trap' and most importantly, 'the tedium trap'. In this witty and practical new book readers are given all the tools they need to fight the 'spin' and learn to speak like the rest of us.

The National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author delivers a collection of essays that serve as the perfect “antidote to mansplaining” (The Stranger). In her comic, scathing essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don’t, about why this arises, and how this aspect of the gender wars works, airing some of her own hilariously awful encounters. She ends on a serious note— because the ultimate problem is the silencing of women who have something to say, including those saying things like, “He’s trying to kill me!” This book features that now-classic essay with six perfect complements, including an examination of the great feminist writer Virginia Woolf’s embrace of mystery, of not knowing, of doubt and ambiguity, a highly original inquiry into marriage equality, and a terrifying survey of the scope of contemporary violence against women. “In this series of personal but unsentimental essays, Solnit gives succinct shorthand to a familiar female experience that before had gone unarticulated, perhaps even unrecognized.” —The New York Times “Essential feminist reading.” —The New Republic “This slim book hums with power and wit.” —Boston Globe “Solnit tackles big themes of gender and power in these accessible essays. Honest and full of wit, this is an integral read that furthers the conversation on feminism and contemporary society.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Essential.” —Marketplace “Feminist, frequently funny, unflinchingly honest and often scathing in its conclusions.” —Salon

HOW TO SELL TO AN IDIOT Selling to customers looking to get the most bang for their buck is a difficult feat. The only customers tougher than hagglers are the ones so uninformed about what they are buying, they don't even realize when they are getting the deal of a lifetime. In How to Sell to an Idiot, authors John Hoover and Bill Sparkman show you how to ignore your own inner idiot and start selling more by doing less of what doesn't work and more of what does. Along with a wealth of proven sales guidance and effective techniques, you'll learn how to: Use idiot-proof planning and preparation to make prospecting far more effective Use idiot-speak to connect with prospects and gather vital information that makes selling easy Spice up your sales pitch for faster closings and larger sales Wring referrals out of clients like water from a sponge And much more! "Selling is an act of compassion. Sales professionals must believe that their products and services will improve the quality of their customers' lives. Hoover and Sparkman get that. Selling must also be fun-for the salesperson and the customer. How to Sell to an Idiot makes it clear that the first laugh of the day must be at ourselves." —Roger P. DiSilvestro, former Chairman and CEO, Athlon Sports Publishing and coauthor of The Art of Constructive Confrontation "How to Sell to an Idiot hits the bull's-eye. Great practical steps that will help anyone in sales reach the goal line. Truly a creative approach with fresh new ideas delivered with humor." —Charles S. Dreyer, Director of Sales-Southern California Coastal Region, K. Hovnanian Homes, a Fortune 500 company "How to Sell to an Idiot provides an entertaining and creative look at the formula for sales success. Insightful and fun, you'd have to be an idiot not to add this book to your resource library!" —Chip Cummings, international speaker, marketing expert, and author of Stop Selling and Start Listening

The 10th anniversary edition, now with a new preface by the author "A wonderfully smart, lively, and culturally astute survey." - The New York Times Book Review "Grand entertainment...fascinating for anyone curious about the perplexing miracles of how great television comes to be." - The Wall Street Journal "I love this book...It's the kind of thing I wish I'd been able to read in film school, back before such books existed." - Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and co-creator of Better Call Saul In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows on cable channels dramatically stretched television’s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and creative ambition. Combining deep reportage with critical analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of this artistic watershed - a golden age of TV that continues to transform America's cultural landscape. Difficult Men features extensive interviews with all the major players - including David Chase (The Sopranos), David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire), David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), and Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) - and reveals how television became a truly significant and influential part of our culture.

A delectable guide that's in good taste The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Wine & Food Pairing will help readers find the perfect pairings beyond the truism of red going with red and white going with white, noting the similarities and differences in intensity, acidity, and sweetness of the wines in relation to the tastes of the cuisine. • Includes a glossary, a master pairings list for more than 100 foods and wines, wine menus for special dinners, and wine and food resources • Breaks down white, red, sparkling, and dessert wines into flavor profiles for pairing • Matches wines with international cuisine

Read Larry Winget's posts on the Penguin Blog The Pitbull of Personal Development and New York Time bestselling author is back with advice on the dumb things people do to sabotage their success What do people really want? They want what they've got. It's a simple formula. You have what you want because your actions produced your results. Not your words and certainly not your wants. In his signature caustic yet lovable style, Larry Winget dishes out straight talk on what he calls "life's messes", and offers sound, simple solutions. Taking on business, family, health, being fat, being stupid, success, money, and more, Larry Winget points out exactly which changes have to take place in order for people to turn their lives around. A little bit of business, a little bit of personal development, a little finance, a little parenting, a little health and wellness, The Idiot Factor will help anyone identify his or her own "areas of stupidity" and take action to finally achieve real success.

"Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents gets you past the slush piles and into the hands of the right people. This one-of-a-kind reference gives you the names, addresses, and phone numbers of hundreds of top editors and agents and includes essays by savvy "insiders" who reveal the secrets to winning them over. More comprehensive than ever before, this year's edition gives you everything you need to know to get published, from writing the knockout book proposal to turning initial rejection into ultimate success. This deluxe edition includes a CD-ROM that contains the entire database of agents and publishers along with systems for tracking submissions, expenses, titles, and copyrights. In addition, direct links to Web sites mentioned in the book and an additional 50 links to writing-related sites give writers immediate access to the people they need to know. Includes over 15 utilities for writers such as Grammar Slammer, the Thinking Man's Thesaurus, and WriteExpress Rhymer! About the Author Jeff Herman is the owner of the Jeff Herman Literary Agency, one of New York's leading agencies for writers. Among his clients are the bestselling authors of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He frequently speaks to writer's groups and conferences on the topic of getting published and can be reached at /www.jeffherman.com.