Mark Latham's passionate attack in The Latham Diaries on many aspects of the Australian Labor Party, especially what he called its 'poisonous and opportunistic culture', generated fierce debate, both outside and inside the Party. Nevertheless, Labor holds power in eight of Australia's nine governments. Only the Commonwealth, the most important of all, is out of reach. Is Australia facing a permanent political realignment in which incumbent governments face weak Oppositions, offering no real alternative at elections? Twelve leading politicians and commentators drawn from across the Party's spectrum, examine post-Latham Labor - analysing its problems and proposing a vision for victory in the 2007 federal election. Many believe the Party can be reformed and democratised, and its message made compelling once again. This book is a valuable contribution to reviving Australian political debate and the robustness of our democracy.

In The Wisdom of the Shire, Noble Smith sheds a light on the life-changing ideas tucked away inside the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien and his most beloved creation—the stouthearted Hobbits. How can simple pleasures such as gardening, taking long walks, and eating delicious meals with friends make you significantly happier? Why is the act of giving presents on your birthday instead of getting them such a revolutionary idea? What should you do when dealing with the Gollum in your life? And how can we carry the burden of our own "magic ring of power" without becoming devoured by it? The Wisdom of the Shire holds the answers to these and more of life's essential questions.

"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play. Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings--conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp--and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue--and how you host and attend them.

In New Orleans in the 1930s, young Sonny Comeaux has to work before school to help his mother make ends meet. When Mama loses her job, Sonny is worried. Rent day is coming soon, and if they miss paying by just one day, the landlord will put them out on the street and sell off their belongings. Sonny wanders sadly through Jackson Square after school one day. His attention is caught by Smilin' Jack, a popular jazz musician. Sonny returns day after day, and soon finds himself explaining his problem to Smilin' Jack. What Smilin' Jack offers Sonny then--how to raise money for the rent while having the world's best party--changes both their lives forever.

The contents of this book are all based on the true story of an experience that happened to two ordinary people, a story that truly seems unbelievable. It is a story of two people who met in midlife, fell in love, and got married. Now all this seems to be pretty ordinary, but in this case, their coming together was anything but ordinary. The beginning of this marriage triggered a most unusual eventan event that changed their beliefs and lives forever. This is a story of a person whose door to the next dimension was involuntarily opened just as she was about to be married. This event not only caused her to come into contact with a great spiritual entity but also transformed her into a great medium who could contact spiritual entities who had passed from this earth into another existence. These spiritual entities could contact her with a clarity that defies explanation. The opening of this psychic door was not done by accident but had a very deliberate purpose. This purpose came with a warning and at the same time came with a call for help.

Take a journey through a life being put to death. Ride along with a serial killer as he tells all. Come inside and explore the darker side of your soul. As you ride along with beauty and brutality, love and lust, undying friendship and the art of death itself. You will have to come inside to find out for yourself. One thing is for sure, once you walk in his shoes, you will never be the same again.

Depraetere and Langford, with 40 years of teaching experience between them, present a grammar pitched precisely at advanced learners of English who need to understand how the English language really works without getting lost in the specifics. Most linguistically-oriented grammars of English can be intimidating and complex. On the other hand, the more basic practical grammars also available are often not advanced enough. This book pulls from linguistic theory all the relevant notions that will enable the language student to fully grasp English grammar. After introducing form and function, the authors cover verbs, nouns, aspect and tense, modality and discourse. Readers are led through the underlying principles of language use, with the book presupposing only a basic grasp of linguistic terminology. It does not get bogged down in huge amounts of detail and focuses on the crucial issues. Full of exercises and with attention paid to moving the reader through their course, this is the desk reference grammar of choice for both native and non-native English speakers.

In "The Birthday Party", a musician becomes the victim of a ritual murder. Everyone implacably plays out the role assigned to them by fate. "The Room" becomes the scene of a visitation of fate when a blind Negro suddenly arrives to deliver a mysterious message.

Based on the Book of Genesis, Dinah shares her perspective on religious practices and sexul politics.