The story of a girl tempered in a crucible of abuse and neglect, Neecey’s Lullaby is a superbly crafted narrative in the spirit of the bestselling novels Push and Bastard Out of Carolina. Growing up in Chicago in the 1950s, Neecey once felt that her world was perfect. She was loved and protected by her father, Jesse, and lived in relative comfort with her mother, Ruby, her grandmother, Ma ’Dear, and her siblings. But when Ruby and Jesse’s marriage falls apart due to Jesse’s cheating ways and Ruby’s hot temper, the children are eventually abandoned by their father and end up living in poverty in a housing project. Ruby plunges into depression and anger, yelling at and hitting her children without warning. Ruby brings shiftless suitors into her home and gives them her body and her time, leaving Neecey to learn on her own how to cook and care for her five younger siblings, some mere babies. Yet despite the trauma, Neecey’s love for her sisters and brother, and ultimately herself, helps her find the inner strength to succeed. Cris Burks has created a poignant portrait of a child who strives to soar above a world of pain.

A profound portrait of family dynamics in the rural South and “an essential novel” (The New Yorker) “As close to flawless as any reader could ask for . . . The living language [Allison] has created is as exact and innovative as the language of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye.” —The New York Times Book Review The publication of Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina was a landmark event that won the author a National Book Award nomination and launched her into the literary spotlight. Critics have likened Allison to Harper Lee, naming her the first writer of her generation to dramatize the lives and language of poor whites in the South. Since its appearance, the novel has inspired an award-winning film and has been banned from libraries and classrooms, championed by fans, and defended by critics. Greenville County, South Carolina, is a wild, lush place that is home to the Boatwright family—a tight-knit clan of rough-hewn, hard-drinking men who shoot up each other’s trucks, and indomitable women who get married young and age too quickly. At the heart of this story is Ruth Anne Boatwright, known simply as Bone, a bastard child who observes the world around her with a mercilessly keen perspective. When her stepfather Daddy Glen, “cold as death, mean as a snake,” becomes increasingly more vicious toward her, Bone finds herself caught in a family triangle that tests the loyalty of her mother, Anney—and leads to a final, harrowing encounter from which there can be no turning back.

A fully illustrated, modular approach to the features of Access allows readers to proceed at their own pace.

One of the most popular columns in today's hottest magazine for teens is now an attractively packaged gift book with color illustrations and a really cool cover. All of CosmoGIRL's! 1.35 million readers will just love it. Young women are in love with love, and these romantic adventures are their very own. In every issue of CosmoGIRL!, readers share their real-life crazy love stories, and it has become one the magazine's most successful features. Whether it's the tale of a disaster waiting to a happen, true love realized, a mad crush, or a totally wild and wacky date, girls will totally connect with every one of these heartfelt accounts. There's lots to enjoy, with more than 100 stories of what girls have done for love, how far guys have gone for their gals, and a few "Love Bites"--the dirty-rotten tricks played in the name of love. Colorful, fun illustrations add to the pleasure and give the collection a unique and irresistible look.

The Only Windows XP Home Edition Resource You Need—Now Completely Updated Here's the insider knowledge you need to maximize Microsoft's powerful home operating system, whether you're moving straight to XP or upgrading from Windows 98 or Me. This encyclopedic guide delivers full coverage of every topic from installation and multimedia, to security and networking. Beginners can start off by using Windows XP on a stand-alone computer and connecting to the Internet, while experienced users can quickly build and secure a home network, work with the Registry to change XP's behavior, and optimize and troubleshoot Windows XP. Coverage includes: Upgrading from Windows 98 or Me Taking full advantage of XP multi-user support Customizing Windows XP Installing, removing, and running programs Sharing files securely--or keeping them private Adding hardware and installing drivers Connecting your computer or network to the Internet Sending secure e-mail and minimizing spam Communicating via the latest versions of Windows Messenger Using Windows Firewall Getting and giving help via the Internet Enjoying audio, video, and DVDs with Windows Media Player 10 Burning audio and data CDs Building a secure home network Using Microsoft PowerToys Using VPNs and connecting to a company network Setting up wireless networks with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

No young woman could resist these questions about her personality--especially a cool, confident CosmoGIRL! Just like All About You and All About Boys, this enticingly packaged and brightly illustrated collection will be a sure-fire success. You, yes YOU, are the shining star of these 26 quizzes. After all, what subject could possibly be more important or interesting? In addition to being lots of fun, they're wonderfully insightful. Every girl wants to know the answers to these questions: Am I high maintenance? How mature am I? What's my secret strength? Am I motivated? And let's not forget--What kind of prom dress fits my personality? and What color is your aura? Who knows? The answers may surprise you.

A collection of more than twenty lullabies and poems by various authors, including traditional pieces such as Eugene Field's "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" and new ones such as Nancy Willard's "Rock Me."

* Provides everything Web designers need to build cutting-edge applications with Macromedia's new tool suite, which includes Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, ColdFusion MX, Fireworks MX, and Freehand * Covers building data-enabled sites with Dreamweaver MX, creating Flash MX animations, working with ActionScript, creating Web graphics and animations with Fireworks MX, building interactive ColdFusion MX applications, integrating Flash and ColdFusion, and drawing vector art with Freehand * Major changes in the Macromedia MX tool suite mean even veteran developers and programmers are looking for the updates this book provides * CD-ROM includes trial versions of the software, extensions, sample databases, images and applications

Combines scriptural passages with spiritual insights to guide parents through the challenges and rewards of raising children, covering such topics as patience, forgiveness, respect, love, and self-control while explaining how to develop a closer relationship with God.

Saudi Arabia is a young nation with an ancient history. It is one of the most conservative traditional societies in the world grappling with the impact of modernization wrought by the influx of great oil wealth beginning only in the mid twentieth century. Saudi culture is in constant flux, and the culture gap between the West and Saudi Islamic culture is wide. Culture and Customs of Saudi Arabia is the first cultural overview of country and provides timely, authoritative insight into a major Middle Eastern power. The Saudis are a proud people with a closed society, but circumstances have caused them to play an important role in current world affairs. The author has lived and worked in Saudi Arabia and has extensively used his contacts there to provide up-to-date material. Saudi culture developed through age-old interactions between the Arabian peoples and their harsh desert environment. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, and the basic Islamic values of Saudi culture have remained to this day. The themes of an ancient desert society infused with Islam values on a collision course with modernity are interplayed throughout chapters on the land, people, and history, traditional Islamic culture and modernization, the extended family and gender roles, cuisine and dress, social customs, rites of passage, and holidays, communication and mass media, and artistic expression. Color photos and a map, chronology, and glossary round out the narrative.