In Talkin’ Big, Tom Dittmer—former CEO of Refco, the United States’ first world-renowned futures firm—recalls how with hard work, determination, optimism, and some good old-fashioned luck, he was able to able to achieve his greatness. Growing up as a farm boy in small-town Iowa, Dittmer first made a name for himself as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His industry and potential were quickly noticed, and Dittmer rapidly rose to become a White House aide under Lyndon B. Johnson. After an honorable discharge, Dittmer moved to Chicago with his new wife, Frannie, where he, from the Chicago Union Stockyards, first learned of the wealth of potential that that the Chicago Stock Exchange held. In 1969, he got into the business world himself, forming Ray E. Friedman & Co., (Refco) with this father. And from there, Dittmer’s fortunes only rose. Making millions, taking Refco to the international stage, and hobnobbing with celebrities, Dittmer became a legend in his own right, all while staying true to himself and his Midwest roots. Brimming with fascinating business insights and incredible inside stories, Talkin’ Big is a true rag-to-riches story of one of America’s greatest businessmen.

An exciting new stationery and humor line for young adults. Get to know yourself better by reflecting on and writing down answers to the questions inside this fun fill-in title.

Provides young readers with a colorfully illlustrated picture book of poems about conversation, talk, and gossip.

A fun educational book designed to promote language development, and imitation of gestures, sounds, words, and phrases.

Little tips and techniques for big success in business.

"The writing lessons in this book are organized to quickly unpack the detail move, explain when and why the strategy works well, share how I have taught it to my students, and offer ways to make it your own." -Rozlyn Linder Have you ever told a writer to add more details, only to see their writing get longer not better? That's why Roz Linder wrote The Big Book of Details. "To help our students use details and elaborate effectively," she writes, "we need to find out what they want their writing to do, and then show them explicit moves to make it happen." Roz breaks elaboration into 5 categories and shares 46 lessons based on the moves that professional writers use. With if-then charts that connect student needs to just-right strategies, you'll help writers master details that: Describe: for people, places, and things Dance: for showing action and sequencing events Convince: for questions, persuasion, and arguments Inform: for defining, comparing, and clarifying Speak: for conversation and speech. The Big Book of Details supports planning and on-the-go teaching for one-on-one conferences, whole-class instruction, or commercial writing programs. Its lessons are organized to help kids understand each move quickly. Roz's strategy lessons include: examples from real-world writers the reason writers use the strategy advice for introducing it to writers ideas for guided practice with writers examples of one of Roz's famous classroom charts "This is what I want for my students," writes Roz Linder, "to use details in their writing in a meaningful way that conveys their ideas and their purpose." If you want that too, then make her Big Book of Details part of your teaching toolkit.

The definitive history of writing and producing the"Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous, told through extensive access to the group's archives. Alcoholics Anonymous is arguably the most significant self-help book published in the twentieth century. Released in 1939, the “Big Book,” as it’s commonly known, has sold an estimated 37 million copies, been translated into seventy languages, and spawned numerous recovery communities around the world while remaining a vibrant plan for recovery from addiction in all its forms for millions of people. While there are many books about A.A. history, most rely on anecdotal stories told well after the fact by Bill Wilson and other early members—accounts that have proved to be woefully inaccurate at times. Writing the Big Book brings exhaustive research, academic discipline, and informed insight to the subject not seen since Ernest Kurtz’s Not-God, published forty years ago. Focusing primarily on the eighteen months from October 1937, when a book was first proposed, and April 1939 when Alcoholics Anonymous was published, Schaberg’s history is based on eleven years of research into the wealth of 1930s documents currently preserved in several A.A. archives. Woven together into an exciting narrative, these real-time documents tell an almost week-by-week story of how the book was created, providing more than a few unexpected turns and surprising departures from the hallowed stories that have been so widely circulated about early A.A. history. Fast-paced, engaging, and contrary, Writing the Big Book presents a vivid picture of how early A.A. operated and grew and reveals many previously unreported details about the colorful cast of characters who were responsible for making that group so successful.

A very accessible, step-by-step guide that provides simple yet meaningful ways to discuss this crucial subject. Makes talking about sex easy and opens lines of important communications between parents and children. Bravo!" —Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben, Ph.D. author of Children of Character: Leading Your Children to Ethical Choices in Everyday Life. "Comprehensive, dignified, conscientious, and nurturing...Very worthwhile for teens and their parents." — Irving N. Klitsner, M.D., F.A.A.P., Founder and former Director, Teen and Young Adult Health Care Center, Kaiser-Permanente of Southern California and Professor of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, USC and UCLA. You know that it's important to talk with your kids about sex. But if you're like most parents, you get tongue-tied just thinking about having "the big talk." Even if you know exactly what you'd like to say, you may have no idea when or where to begin, or how to get your message across. This book can help. The Big Talk shows you how to have warm, nurturing conversations about puberty, dating, relationships, and sex. Drawing upon hard-won personal experiences and the experiences of teens and parents whose stories appear throughout this book, Laurie Langford makes communication easy. She shows you how to talk about values and self-respect, setting high standards and sticking to them, and having fun with members of the opposite sex without being pressured into sex too soon. She also supplies sample dialogues, games, role-playing exercises, and other useful tools for breaking the ice and keeping the lines of communications open.

In Turning Small Talk into Big Talk, Jan Janura helps readers move below the surface and experience deep, meaningful conversations that are not only interesting, but even life-changing. Small talk is awful, awkward, and ultimately useless—and everyone knows it. When is the last time you had a significant conversation with your spouse, your kids, your best friend, your neighbor, or a close business associate? No, not small talk. We do enough of that with our fingers in five-word text “conversations” or in dull, surface-level, face-to-face interactions. Small talk isn’t getting us anywhere. What we need today more than ever is “Big Talk,” real conversations in which we dig deep into our souls and discuss intriguing topics that truly shape the world and impact our daily lives. Conversation is undoubtedly the most important part of a relationship, whether it’s business, personal, or spiritual. It’s the only way to truly get to know someone, and it’s the best method in strengthening your bond with a business partner, spouse, friends, your children, and even God. Each of us wants to interact with others, and all of us want to be heard. The conversations we each have can truly change the world—or destroy it—and the words, questions, and answers each of us use (or don’t use) can alter our own life and the lives of everyone around us. So, why wouldn’t we choose to make our conversations as impactful and memorable as we can? In Turning Small Talk into Big Talk, Jan Janura unpacks the simple, easy-to-apply method he’s used throughout his career to turn dinner parties and other gatherings into fun, interesting, sometimes life- and career-changing experiences. If you find yourself desperate for deeper connection in your most important relationships, or if you find yourself responsible for regularly hosting clients or co-workers, this book is the missing tool in your tackle box!

Overview: "Small Talk, Big Impact: The Art of Effortless Chat" is crafted to help you practice the vocabulary and structures frequently used in everyday informal conversations. Structure: The book features thirteen chapters, each focused on a specific conversational function. Each chapter starts with a sample conversation, followed by a detailed discussion of key vocabulary and structures relevant to that type of conversation. Common expressions are repeated in different chapters to reinforce your familiarity with them in various contexts. Content: Chapter Layout: Begins with a typical conversation. Discussion Section: Explores important vocabulary and structures. Exercises: Includes multiple sets of exercises to ensure comprehension and practical application of new vocabulary and structures. Usage: Utilize this book to practice English in conversations with your English-speaking friends, enhancing your confidence and enjoyment of the language.