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By Toshimitsu Matsuhashi. 2015
How to Hold Animals is the irresistible guide to holding more than forty critters according to advice from wildlife specialists.…
Learn from the experts—a pet shop owner, a veterinarian, a wildlife photographer, and a reptile handler—how to pick up and hold dozens of species of animals, great and small, furry, scaly, and feathery, including snails, chipmunks, chickens, chinchillas, stag beetles, lizards, hamsters, owls, grasshoppers, mice, and more. Chock full of fascinating facts, interviews with experts, and full-color photos on every page, How to Hold Animals will delight and inform animal lovers of all stripes.By Terry Helwig. 2011
A memoir of a girl’s chaotic childhood as she attends twelve schools in eleven years and is forced by her…
mother’s instability to care for her siblings.“I left your dad,” Mama told me more than once, “because I didn’t want to kill him.”She wasn’t kidding.Mama said she stood at the kitchen counter, her hand touching the smooth wooden handle of a butcher knife. In an argument that grew more heated, Mama felt her fist close around the handle. For a brief moment, she deliberated between slashing our father with the knife or releasing it harmlessly back onto the counter and walking away.My sister Vicki was ten months old; I was two. Mama was seventeen.Terry’s stepfather Davy, a good-hearted, loving man, proudly purchased a mobile home so his family could move more easily from one town to another as he eked out a living in the oil fields.Terry’s mother, Carola Jean, a wild rose whose love often pierced those who tried to claim her, had little interest in the confines of home and motherhood. She’d already walked out on Terry’s father, and in her new husband Davy’s work-related absences, she sought companionship in local bars. She repeatedly left Terry in charge of the household and her five younger sisters.Despite Carola Jean’s genuine attempts to “better herself,” her life spiraled ever downward as Terry struggled to keep the family whole. Amid transience, upheaval, and their mother’s alcoholism and deteriorating mental state, Terry and her sisters forged an uncommon bond that withstood the long, bumpy erosion of Davy and Carola Jean’s marriage. But ultimately, to keep her own dreams alive, Terry had to decide when to hold on to what she loved and when to let go. Unflinching in its portrayal yet rich with humor and compassion, this memoir reminds us that even if others abandon you, you must never abandon yourself.“Interesting and eye-opening . . . no matter what these girls were exposed to, they conquered any obstacle.” —Chicago Tribune“Helwig nimbly conveys her confusion . . . the author’s depiction of her life and her mother’s downward spiral toward parental fatigue is frank.” —Kirkus Reviews“The world needs Moonlight on Linoleum because. . . . it is what redemption looks like.” —Sue Monk Kidd, from the forewordBy John Gierach. 1989
Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers.“In…
the world of fishing there are magic phrases that are guaranteed to summon the demon. Among them are: ‘remote trout lake,’ ‘fish up to 13 pounds,’ ‘the place the guides fish on their days off,’” writes John Gierach in this wonderful collection of thirteen essays inspired by a fishing trip to Rat Lake, a remote body of water in Montana. Once again John Gierach does what he does best—explain the peculiarities of the fishing life in a way that will amuse novices and seasoned fly fishers alike. The View from Rat Lake deftly examines man in nature and nature in man, the pleasures of fishing the high country, and the high and low comedy that occasionally overcomes even the best-planned fishing trip. Some typically sage observations from The View from Rat Lake: “One of the things we truly fish for [is] an occasion for self-congratulation.”“In every catch-and-release fisherman’s past there is an old black frying pan.”“We . . . believe that a 12-inch trout caught on a dry fly is four inches longer than a 12-inch trout caught on a nymph or streamer.”By Maria Shriver. 2010
The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s will be the first comprehensive multi-disciplinary look at these questions at…
this transformational moment. The Report will digest the current trends in thinking about Alzheimer’s, examine cutting-edge medical research, look at societal impacts, and include a groundbreaking and comprehensive national poll. It will feature original photography and personal essays by men and women – some from the public arena with names you know, some from everyday America – sharing their personal struggles with the disease as patients, caregivers and family members.By Henry Beard, Christopher Cerf. 2012
IGNORE THIS BOOK AT YOUR PERIL!Did you know that carrots cause blindness and bananas are radioactive? That too many candlelight…
dinners can cause cancer? And not only is bottled water a veritable petri dish of biohazards (so is tap water, by the way) but riding a bicycle might destroy your sex life? In Encyclopedia Paranoiaca, master satirists Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf have assembled an authoritative, disturbingly comprehensive, and utterly debilitating inventory of things poised to harm, maim, or kill you—all of them based on actual research about the perils of everyday life. Painstakingly alphabetized, cross-referenced, and thoroughly sourced for easy reference, this book just might save your life. (Apologies in advance if it doesn’t.) Beard and Cerf cite convincing evidence that everyday things we consider healthy—eating leafy greens, flossing, washing our hands—are actually harmful, and items we thought were innocuous— drinking straws, flip-flops, neckties, skinny jeans— pose life-threatening dangers. Did you know that nearly ten thousand people are sent to the emergency room each year because of escalator accidents, and, despite what you’ve heard, farmers’ markets may actually be less safe than grocery stores? And if you’re crossing your legs right now, you’re definitely at serious risk. Hilarious, insightful, and, at times, downright terrifying, Encyclopedia Paranoiaca brings to light a whole host of hidden threats and looming dooms that make asteroid impacts, planetary pandemics, and global warming look like a walk in the park (which is also emphatically not recommended). *** The Definitive Compendium of Things You Absolutely, Positively Must Not Eat, Drink, Wear, Take, Grow, Make, Buy, Use, Do, Permit, Believe, or Let Yourself Be Exposed to, Including an Awful Lot of Toxic, Lethal, Horrible Stuff That You Thought Was Safe, Good, or Healthy; All Sorts of Really Bad People Who Are Out to Get, Cheat, Steal from, or Otherwise Take Advantage of You; and a Whole Host of Existential Threats and Looming Dooms That Make Global Warming, Giant Meteors, and Planetary Pandemics Look Like a Walk in the Park (with Its High Risk of Skin Cancer, Broken Bones, Bee Stings, Allergic Seizures, Animal Attacks, Criminal Assaults, and Lightning Strikes)By Kit De Waal. 2024
Kit de Waal and her brother and sisters had a hard childhood in the West Midlands. Her Irish mother didn't…
feed them, didn't believe in Christmas or birthdays, and thought the world would end in 1975. Her father saved all his money to return to the Caribbean, where he planned to make a new life without them. At school, their faces just didn't fit in. This is the story of how Kit and her brother and sisters helped each other escape, and what gave Kit the strength to keep living.By Yifat Eitan-Persico. 2024
This book updates the Oedipus complex for a contemporary audience in the light of social and cultural changes and explores…
its implications for psychoanalytic treatment and our understanding of queer families.Growing evidence during the past few decades indicates that children who grow up in same-sex families adapt well. These findings, which do not conform to the predictions of Oedipal theory, expose the theory’s biases, and call for reexamination of its premises. This book based on ground-breaking research and pursues a methodical investigation of the characteristics of the same-sex families that defy the expectations of Oedipal theory. Furnished with vivid illustrations, it invites the reader to engage actively in the interpretive effort and presents a diverse and complex story about kinship, opening a window onto a rich world of infantile phantasies and parents’ psychological conflicts, at the fascinating intersection of the personal and the social.Oedipal Experiences in Same-Sex Families will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, educators and policymakers, same-sex parents, and parents who were assisted by gamete donation.By Jill Conner Browne. 2008
When does 1 + 1 = 3 (or more)? When you've got a baby on the way. Part of that…
new math, says #1 New York Times bestselling author Jill Conner Browne -- whom USA Today calls "just plain funny" -- includes the addition of an outsize sense of humor to balance the equation of your growing family. The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit is a hilarious (though not scientifically tested) wink at the time-honored mysteries of parenting, because anybody who has ever had a kid or has ever known one knows that the experience is neither fun nor profitable -- so you might as well laugh! As each generation begins its hopeful, happy, and, yes, sometimes harrowing journey as Parent and Child, together they spawn a new body of "knowledge," the nuances of which will elude the Experts every time. Here are stories of the things we do for Mother Love -- or, the most incredibly full-time volunteer job ever -- and tips guaranteed not to be found in any other parenting guide. How to talk to a pregnant womanHow the diamonds on delivery policy can speed up the labor nature intendedWhy a good mother is always adept at subterfugeThe list of things you wouldn't think you would have to tell kids not to doWhy mothers of sons can never retireWhy, for parents, it's just a short drive to the poorhouse The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit will have everyone who's ever been a parent -- or has ever thought of becoming one -- or has ever been a child -- or is still one -- giggling and grinning (no small feat) through those childbearing years...and beyond.By Maria Garcia-Kalb. 2010
He forgot your birthday.He always leaves his socks on the floor.He&’s glued to the tube all weekend for every game.Let&’s…
face it: Even the best of husbands are a real pain in the ass sometimes. And when all the &“talks,&” counseling sessions and self-help books fail, there&’s only one viable recourse: torture. In this hilarious collection of clever tricks and tactics, you will learn how to put your husband in his place when you:Bury the remote in the backyardHave lunch with an exPick a fight during the gameBook a male masseuse for your next massageDelete his DVR recordingsAnd many more!Risk factors rank damage done as well as how long it&’ll take him to get over it. With the creatively wicked methods outlined in this manual, he&’ll never misbehave again!By Brian Frazer. 2007
Does your blood pressure surge if the car in front of you turns without signaling? Do your neck veins pulsate…
when a cashier takes too long to ring you up? Does relaxing seem like it'll have to wait until you're dead? Then your name could very well be Brian Frazer. On paper, Frazer is the world's healthiest guy. He eats right, exercises regularly, gets plenty of sleep, has never smoked and has missed only one day of flossing in the last five years. But inside he's a swirling vortex of angst, capable of contracting a new malady every month. Once Frazer realized that all his ills were tied to stress, he went on a quixotic quest for calm, venturing into everything from Tai Chi, serotonin blockers and Kabbalah to an unfortunate incident involving pineapple-chicken curry at a Craniosacral therapy session. Never has the road to wellville taken so many unforeseen turns. Achingly funny, uncomfortably true and always entertaining, Hyperchondriac is just the medicine for anyone who wants to take it down a notch.By Jane Feather. 2011
The New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather delights with the second in the scintillating and sexy Blackwater Brides trilogy…
featuring three noble brothers who must marry a fallen woman in order to inherit their eccentric uncle&’s vast fortune.Lady Serena Grantley was born to the nobility, but fate&’s whim placed her in control of her gamester stepfather, who uses her beauty to lure young men to his gambling tables. Serena even dismissed her first love, the Honorable Sebastian Sullivan, at her stepfather&’s command. But when he attempts to force her into a liaison with a dissolute earl, Serena resolves to do his bidding no more. Sebastian is the only man who ever captured her heart, and it is to him she turns.Torn between family loyalty and the woman he loves, Sebastian faces a devilish dilemma. His uncle is ailing, and time is running short. Desperate to find a solution, Sebastian conceives a dangerous plan—a wager that could bring him and Serena happiness at last…or separate them forever.By Gary Hartley, Maryann Brownell. 2008
By Claire Belton, Susanne Ng. 2020
Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pusheen—the internet&’s favorite cartoon cat—with this colorful and fun collection of recipes that is filled…
with cookies, cakes, and other delicious treats.The ultimate cookbook for Pusheen fans and cat lovers alike, Let&’s Bake features forty vibrant recipes for sweet treats and savory snacks, inspired by the adorably plump and mischievous kitty. Each recipe is either Pusheen-shaped, or features Pusheen&’s face or the faces of her friends so these treats will satisfy your taste buds and tickle your funny bone. With recipes for home chefs of every skill level—from fruit tarts to donuts and beyond—there is something delicious for everyone in Let&’s Bake.Yes, world domination and eternal adoration can be yours!"The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion."Attributed…
to L. Ron Hubbard, founder of ScientologyWouldn't you like to control countless worshippers with a single word? To call forth bountiful offerings of gold and silver? Wouldn't you love to make your acolytes bow in awe of your greatness?Starting a new religion can be fun and profitable. You'll laugh along with Philip Athans (founder, leader, and sole member of the Church of Phil), as he shows you how to:Gather the flock and keep 'em coming back for moreOrganize mysterious and complex ritualsInterrogate (or just ridicule) the hell out of nonbelieversRecruit celebrity spokespeople, from Tom Cruise to Uma Thurman If you've ever felt the need to sacrifice on an altar beneath a blood-red moon, or just make Friday a holy day (three-day weekend, anyone?), this is the only sacred creed you need.Live long and prosper.By Dan Zevin. 2012
A coming-of-middle-age tale told with warmth and wit, Dan Gets a Minivan provides the one thing every parent really needs:…
comic relief. Whether you’re a dude, a dad, or someone who’s married to either, fasten your seat belt and prepare to crack up. The least hip citizen of Brooklyn, Dan Zevin has a working wife, two small children, a mother who visits each week to “help,” and an obese Labrador mutt who prefers to be driven rather than walked. How he got to this point is a bit of a blur. There was a wedding, and then there was a puppy. A home was purchased in New England. A wife was promoted and transferred to New York. A town house. A new baby boy. A new baby girl. A stay-at-home dad was born. A prescription for Xanax was filled. Gray hairs appeared; gray hairs fell out. Six years passed in six seconds. And then came the minivan. Dan Zevin, master of “Seinfeld-ian nothingness” (Time), is trying his best to make the transition from couplehood to familyhood. Acclimating to the adult-oriented lifestyle has never been his strong suit, and this slice-of-midlife story chronicles the whole hilarious journey—from instituting date night to joining Costco; from touring Disneyland to recovering from knee surgery; from losing ambition to gaining perspective. Where it’s all heading is anyone’s guess, but, for Dan, suburbia’s calling—and his minivan has GPS.By Karen Quinn. 2010
Karen Quinn has successfully taught hundreds of parents how to prepare their children for testing, and Testing For Kindergarten is…
her ultimate, comprehensive guide to having fun while teaching to the underlying abilities every test assesses.Whether your child is going to a private kindergarten or a public school, he or she will most likely be tested—and placed in classrooms according to those results. But information about intelligence tests is closely guarded, and it can be difficult to understand what your kids need to know. As an expert who has successfully taught hundreds of parents how to work with their own children, Karen Quinn has written the ultimate guide to preparing your child for kindergarten testing. The activities she suggests are not about “teaching to the test.” They are about having fun while teaching to the underlying abilities every test assesses. From the “right” way to have a conversation to natural ways to bring out your child’s inner math geek, Quinn shares the techniques that every parent can do with their kids to give them the best chance to succeed in school and beyond. It’s just good parenting—and better test scores are icing on the cake.Help your child feel confident and capable!If your child has been given a diagnosis of anxiety, you may be feeling…
overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. With The Conscious Parent's Guide to Childhood Anxiety, you will learn how to take a relationship-centered approach to parenting that engages your child and ensures that he succeeds behaviorally, socially, and cognitively. Conscious parenting is about being present with your child and taking the time to understand how to help him flourish. By practicing this mindful method, you can support your child emotionally and help nurture his development.This easy-to-use guide helps you to:Communicate openly with your child about anxietyBuild a supportive home environmentDetermine your child's anxiety triggersLearn strategies that will help your child release anxiety and feel calmTeach your child long-term coping skillsDiscipline your child without increasing his anxietyEducate and work with teachers and school officialsWith The Conscious Parent's Guide to Childhood Anxiety, you will learn to create a calm and mindful atmosphere for the whole family, while helping your child feel competent, successful, and healthy.By Cyndi Targosz. 2009
Remember back when women traded on their beauty and men traded on their wealth and power? Well, the times, they…
are a changin&’. As women grow more successful and financially independent, they are abandoning their mothers&’ &“marry rich&” mantra in favor of &“it&’s as easy to fall in love with a handsome man as an ugly one.&” In this book, the sensational Cyndi Targosz teaches women of all ages the ins and outs of these lusty, and surprisingly long-lasting, affairs. Sprinkled with real-life stories of successful alliances, readers learn the truth about relationships with the sometimes younger, always sexier, hunky men women increasingly love to call their own.By Jude Angelini. 2013
A collection of autobiographical stories, told with brutal honesty and dark humor, from one of the top hip-hop radio hosts…
on SiriusXM.Taking you on a journey of heartbreak, depravity, and hilarity, Hyena deftly moves between Jude Angelini&’s adult life to his childhood growing up in a factory town outside of Detroit. Exploring drugs, sex, and the human condition, these stories also captures the hardscrabble culture, language, and landscape of post-industrial Detroit, from which came some of pop culture&’s most compelling artists.By Meredith Masony. 2020
From the founder of That&’s Inappropriate—one of the most popular parenting blogs on the web—comes a hilarious, genuine, and relatable…
essay collection on the ups and downs of motherhood. Meredith Masony founded That&’s Inappropriate in 2014 as an innocent and humorous way to chronicle her chaotic days as a working mom, child wrangler, and busy wife. It soon evolved into a massive, dynamic community of parents—now nearly three million strong—brought together by their shared belief that parenthood and marriage don&’t have to be perfect.Now, in Ask Me What&’s for Dinner One More Time, Meredith shares her collection of witty essays on the universal frustrations of being a mom in today&’s world, presenting her laugh-out-loud perspective on sex, aging, anxiety, friendship, and much more. Perfect for fans of Jenny Lawson, Laura Clery, and Jen Mann, these essays provide laughter, relief, validation, and &“a metaphorical hug for all of those moments you spend crying on your bathroom floor, thinking that you are failing at the hardest job on the planet.&”