Russian Nobel prize–winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008) is widely acknowledged as one of the most important figures—and perhaps the most important writer—of the last century. To celebrate the centenary of his birth, the first English translation of his memoir of the West, Between Two Millstones, Book 1, is being published. Fast-paced, absorbing, and as compelling as the earlier installments of his memoir The Oak and the Calf (1975), Between Two Millstones begins on February 13, 1974, when Solzhenitsyn found himself forcibly expelled to Frankfurt, West Germany, as a result of the publication in the West of The Gulag Archipelago. Solzhenitsyn moved to Zurich, Switzerland, for a time and was considered the most famous man in the world, hounded by journalists and reporters. During this period, he found himself untethered and unable to work while he tried to acclimate to his new surroundings. Between Two Millstones contains vivid descriptions of Solzhenitsyn's journeys to various European countries and North American locales, where he and his wife Natalia (“Alya”) searched for a location to settle their young family. There are fascinating descriptions of one-on-one meetings with prominent individuals, detailed accounts of public speeches such as the 1978 Harvard University commencement, comments on his television appearances, accounts of his struggles with unscrupulous publishers and agents who mishandled the Western editions of his books, and the KGB disinformation efforts to besmirch his name. There are also passages on Solzhenitsyn's family and their property in Cavendish, Vermont, whose forested hillsides and harsh winters evoked his Russian homeland, and where he could finally work undisturbed on his ten-volume dramatized history of the Russian Revolution, The Red Wheel. Stories include the efforts made to assure a proper education for the writer's three sons, their desire to return one day to their home in Russia, and descriptions of his extraordinary wife, editor, literary advisor, and director of the Russian Social Fund, Alya, who successfully arranged, at great peril to herself and to her family, to smuggle Solzhenitsyn's invaluable archive out of the Soviet Union. Between Two Millstones is a literary event of the first magnitude. The book dramatically reflects the pain of Solzhenitsyn's separation from his Russian homeland and the chasm of miscomprehension between him and Western society.

From the 1960s onwards, the clothing industry in the Netherlands and elsewhere in the European Union, experienced a deep crisis. Numerous went bankrupt and, even more so, workers lost their jobs. Imports from low wage countries started providing the bulk of retailers' collections.

Congratulations, baby boomers: You are now officially all middle-aged. ItÕs a book of firsts: My first colonoscopy, my first reading glasses. A book of vital statistics, including married name(s), circumference of abdomen, cholesterol count (HDL and LDL), and home state (Red or Blue). ItÕs a place to keep track of primary care giversÑherbalist, psychopharmacologist. Record favorite expressionsÑIÕm having a senior moment. Dressing on the side, please. 60 is the new 50. Keep track of ÒWhat IÕve Grown,Ó from liver spots to knee flaps. ThereÕs also a place for a lock of hair (if you can spare it) along with the Seven Stages of Hair Loss (men: from minoxidil to shaves head; women: from plucks grey hairs to dyes it champagne blond). Plus essaysÑÒAm I Smiling or Is It Gas,Ó and ÒI Go to School,Ó a parody of Adult Ed classes.

On Islam and Islamic civilization.

Understand the barriers to change and cultivate a reinvention mindset that will make you impervious to disruption In our world of incessant change, we are all threatened by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—at the individual and organizational levels. Undisruptable will give you a new lens through which to consider change as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. You’ll be inspired to consider the big questions of today: What does the future hold? What does the exponential growth of technology mean for the world of work? What does a changing job market mean for future generations? What do waves of disruption mean for business leaders? Society is evolving at breakneck speed. What does this mean for all of us? Read Undisruptable to bridge the chaos and build the resilience you need to move forward. While we cannot see into the future, there are repeatable patterns that we can understand. Undisruptable demystifies the principles of change through a blend of analogies, innovation frameworks and exemplars of change such as Fujifilm and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The first step to becoming undisputable is to realize that evolution is a natural part of life, and nature provides many examples. Undisruptable will help you to: Understand the principles of change Overcome the barriers to change See change as an opportunity and not an obstacle Utilize simple frameworks and examples to guide you on your transformation By the end of this book, you will have the essential tools and techniques to foster a reinvention mindset that will help you and your organization to become Undisruptable. This book is part of a 3-part series. Part 2 looks at the biases and mental obstacles that prevent change. Part 3 examines the best ways to communicate change within an organization. PRAISE FOR UNDISRUPTABLE “Aidan McCullen has lived a fascinating life of major change. In his book, ‘Undisruptable’; he brings us a method for making sense of the external world, and an accessible and visual approach to letting go of the past, and welcoming the future with a mindset of permanent reinvention. It is a timely, thoughtful book, well worth reading.” – Dee Hock, founder and CEO Emeritus of VISA and author of One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization “As the poet Paul Valery said, 'the future is not what is used to be'. Organizations across the board must come to grips with permanent reinvention as their needed way of being. Aidan McCullen's gifted storytelling will inspire you and get you on your way to permanent reinvention.” – Mark Johnson, co-founder Innosight and author Lead from the Future “This book teaches the mindset—the lens of clarity—that we all must develop in order to be undisruptable in a future of chilling disruption.” – Bob Johansen author Full-Spectrum Thinking, Distinguished Fellow, Institute for the Future “The snake may slough off its tail, but there's nothing to be sloughed off with this book. Former professional rugby player Aidan McCullen knows how not to be defeated by victory. He knows how to disrupt himself. He knows what it means to be Undisruptable.” – Whitney Johnson, author of Disrupt Yourself “Aidan McCullen shows us how to embrace a mindset of permanent reinvention. By reading this book, you will learn how to shed o

"One has to be a superb writer to lift the story about the wheelchair that Peter Weisman was confined in from his tenth year and waltz around with it so brilliantly. But that is what Weisman, who vowed that 'Peter's life must grow steadily and bravely upward,' has done. There are time when the power of Weisman's prose squeezes the heart like a sponge, but perhaps the best moments leave you laughing." -Phyllis Theroux, Washington Post

Do 'milestones' feel like millstones? Does the thought ofwaiting at the school gate make you more nervous than yourfive-year-old? Do you find yourself sometimes tempted to just let your childrenfight to the death? And does flicking through childcare books leave you feelingmostly bewildered and blamed? Then TheMumsnet Rules are what you have been waiting for... Drawn from the message boards of mumsnet.com and based onthe assumption that if thousands of parents have found a piece of advice to behelpful then you can be pretty sure it's worth knowing, this book shapes thatcollective wisdom into dozens of dos and don'ts that will lead you through theminefield that is twenty-first-century parenting. From tantrums to teenagers, parasites to parties,competitive parenting to choosing the right school, The MumsnetRules will arm you with the insight that usually only comes withhindsight (as well as teaching you how to make a very classy Easter bonnet outof a KFC bucket).