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The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 offers another stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence that traces the roots of the European Renaissance to Chinese exploration in the fifteenth century

The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical Greece and Rome. But now bestselling historian Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, China—then the world's most technologically advanced civilization—provided the spark that set the European Renaissance ablaze. From that date onward, Europeans embraced Chinese intellectual ideas, discoveries, and inventions, all of which form the basis of western civilization today.

Florence and Venice of the early fifteenth century were hubs of world trade, attracting traders from across the globe. Based on years of research, this marvelous history argues that a Chinese fleet—official ambassadors of the emperor—arrived in Tuscany in 1434, where they were received by Pope Eugenius IV in Florence. The delegation presented the influential pope with a wealth of Chinese learning from a diverse range of fields: art, geography (including world maps that were passed on to Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan), astronomy, mathematics, printing, architecture, steel manufacturing, military weaponry, and more. This vast treasure trove of knowledge spread across Europe, igniting the legendary inventiveness of the Renaissance, including the work of such geniuses as da Vinci, Copernicus, Galileo, and more.

In 1434, Gavin Menzies combines this long-overdue historical reexamination with the excitement of an investigative adventure. He brings the reader aboard the remarkable Chinese fleet as it sails from China to Cairo and Florence, and then back across the world. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.

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Price: $13.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Looking for more romance in your marriage? After five, ten, twenty years of marriage, do you and your spouse still have that spark and chemistry?

A follow-up to the best seller Intimate Issues (Waterbrook Press), this book takes you on a verse-by-verse exploration of the Bible's very own manual on sex and intimacy: Song of Solomon The authors show you how this timeless love poem explains that the secret to great sex in marriage begins with a servant heart..
Price: $12.38 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Fascinating, insightful, and wholly engrossing, The Peabody Sisters is a landmark biography of three women who made American intellectual history Though theirs may not be household names, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody had an extraordinary influence on the thought of their day, the movement of intense creative ferment known as American Romanticism. Megan Marshall adeptly brings to life the sisters and the men they loved and inspired, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Horace Mann, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. In a work filled with startling revelations, Marshall presents a vivid and nuanced psychological portrait of a sisterhood rife with shifting loyalties yet founded on enduring affection..
Price: $5.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

They did the dirty work of the American Revolution

Their spontaneous uprisings and violent actions steered America toward resistance to the Acts of Parliament and finally toward revolution. They tarred and feathered the backsides of British customs officials, gutted the mansion of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson, armed themselves with marline spikes and cudgels to fight on the waterfront against soldiers of the British occupation, and hurled the contents of 350 chests of British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor under the very guns of the anchored British fleet.

Cradle of Violence introduces the maritime workers who ignited the American Revolution: the fishermen desperate to escape impressment by Royal Navy press gangs, the frequently unemployed dockworkers, the wartime veterans and starving widows--all of whose mounting "tumults" led the way to rebellion. These were the hard-pressed but fiercely independent residents of Boston's North and South Ends who rallied around the Liberty Tree on Boston Common, who responded to Samuel Adams's cries against "Tyranny," and whose headstrong actions helped embolden John Hancock to sign the Declaration of Independence. Without the maritime mobs' violent demonstrations against authority, the politicians would not have spurred on to utter their impassioned words; Great Britain would not have been provoked to send forth troops to quell the mob-induced rebellion; the War of Independence would not have happened.

One of the mobs' most telling demonstrations brought about the Boston Massacre. After it, John Adams attempted to calm the town by dismissing the waterfront characters who had been killed as "a rabble of saucy boys, negroes and mulattoes, Irish teagues, and outlandish jack tars." Cradle of Violence demonstrates that they were, more truly, America's first heroes..
Price: $12.81 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From an award-winning Yale historian, the fascinating
story of a long-forgotten "war on terror" that has much
in common with our own
On a February evening in 1894, a young radical intellectual
named Emile Henry drank two beers at an upscale
Parisian restaurant, then left behind a bomb as a parting gift.
This incident, which rocked the French capital, lies at the heart
of The Dynamite Club, a mesmerizing account of Henry and
his cohorts and the war they waged against the bourgeoisie—
setting off bombs in public places, killing the president of
France, and eventually assassinating President McKinley in
1900.
Paris in the belle époque was a place of leisure, elegance,
and power.Newly electrified, the city's wide boulevards were
lined with posh department stores and outdoor cafés. But
prosperity was limited to a few.Most lived in dire poverty, and
workers and intellectuals found common cause in a political
philosophy—anarchism—that embraced the overthrow of the
state by any means necessary. Yet in targeting civilians to
achieve their ends, the dynamite bombers charted a new
course. Seeking martyrdom, believing fervently in their goal,
and provoking a massive government reaction that only
increased their ranks, these "evildoers" became, in effect, the
first terrorists in modern history. Surprising and provocative,
The Dynamite Club is a brilliantly researched account that illuminates
a period of dramatic social and political change—and
subtly asks us to reflect upon our own..
Price: $17.16 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In 1947, Texas City was booming, bristling with chemical and oil plants built to fuel Europe's seemingly endless appetite for raw materials In April, two oceangoing freighters holding a combined 3,000-plus tons of ammonium nitrate exploded. The effect was cataclysmic. Thousands of people were wounded or killed, the fire department was decimated, and planes were shot out of the sky. The blast broke windows in Houston, forty miles away, and rattled a seismograph in Denver. Chaos reigned: President Truman dispatched the National Guard, the New York Times sent its war correspondents, and the FBI launched an investigation.

After a heroic recovery and massive relief effort, the brave residents of what had once been an average American town attempted to restore their lives. But they had to confront the possibility that the tragedy might have been caused by the very government they thought would protect them. And for the first time, average citizens confronted their government in the nation's highest court.

City on Fire is a painstakingly researched saga of one of the most profound, but forgotten, disasters in American history.

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Price: $4.28 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Thompson rolls up his sleeves and provides managers a vision and road map to inspire organizational change and personal success." --Chris Gorog, Chairman & CEO Napster THE BUSINESS BOOK FOR THE REST OF US Ah, the life of a manager. You're squeezed between the needs of your corporation, your team, your customers, and your colleagues. Whatever your day-to-day realities, you can achieve far greater power, purpose, and success--Ignited will show you how. "With a real-world view of what it's like to lead in limited space, Thompson shows middle managers how to access their true power and purpose to achieve the work life they've always dreamed of. This book really delivers on its promise to Ignite the magnificence of all." --Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager (R) and Leading at a Higher Level "Brilliant; this is the best management book of the year. Jammed with vital takeaway value for managers, it should also be required reading and a sobering look-in-the-mirror for every business owner and CEO. This breakthrough work absolutely sparkles!"--Jason Jennings, bestselling author of It's Not the Big That Eat the Small--It's the Fast That Eat the Slow, Less Is More, and Think Big--ACT Small "Ignited speaks to managers in a way that I've seen no other business book do before. With sharp insights and an authentic understanding of our roles, Thompson demonstrates how managers can create the future. With Ignited you'll get the big ideas that spark as well as the fuel to get you there." --Brad Simmons, Senior Director Partnership Marketing, Experian "Like a demolition expert, Thompson craftfully implodes America's old school management chain and shines the light on the hero in American business: the Manager. I was amazed at the immediacy in which you can apply the information in Ignited! Read this book and re-light the fire in your career, your company, and with everyone you come into contact with." --W. Grant Eppler, Divisional Sales Manager--West, Heinz--Portion Pac "If you want to change the world, you've gotta take a stand. With Ignited Vince Thompson does just that, showing managers how, in this time of reinvention and chaos, they can rise above the constraints to put the heart and soul back into business.This book and its lessons have the power to change your life and propel your career. Read it, Live it, and Be Ignited!" --Erin Brockovich, Advocate, Author, and Speaker More Power, More Purpose, and More Success for Managers Have you ever been maligned, misunderstood, downsized, reengineered, reorganized, or even misled? Even in the best organizations, you face brutal competition, non-stop pressure, and relentless change. Ignited reveals the gathering forces that will offer you unprecedented opportunities to reshape your career and organization. It outlines clear, realistic steps for leveraging your networks and resources to transform your vision into reality, and accomplish powerful goals only you can achieve. This is not another diatribe on leadership or grand strategic vision written by those already at the top: the Jack Welches or Rudy Giulianis who can simply dictate their visions to the organization. Ignited is for those leading from the middle: managers who need real tools to make a real difference. If you're ready to take back your business, your career, and your life, Ignited is for you.More Power *Learn how to lead in a limited space*Power up your network, expand your influence*Overcome the traps of time, powerlessness, and negative emotions*Drive meaningful strategic change across your company and industry More Purpose *Harness the power of seven key ignition points for achieving your highest purpose*Accomplish the powerful goals you're uniquely positioned to achieve*Master the new roles of linkmaker, process master, pilot, healer, bard, scout, and translator*Connect your personal passions with your company's goals More Success *Master a system for selling your vision, and succeeding with the projects you're most passionate about*Live your best life, not just your company's INTRODUCTION: LIVING IN QUAKE COUNTRY 1 BASE CAMP: THE IGNITED QUIZ 13 Part I GET MORE POWER 1 ACTION WITH TRACTION 19 2 THE MANAGER'S UNIVERSE 39 3 LEADERSHIP IN LIMITED SPACE 57 4 MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS 79 5 THE DEADLY LACK OF EMPOWERMENT TRAP 97 Part II GET MORE PURPOSE 6 IGNITION POINT 1: THE PROCESS 117 7 IGNITION POINT 2: THE PEOPLE 137 8 IGNITION POINT 3: THE MESSAGE 153 9 IGNITION POINT 4: THE LANDSCAPE 167 10 IGNITION POINT 5: THE STRATEGY 187 11 IGNITON POINT 6: THE STORY 207 12 IGNITION POINT 7: THE SPIRIT 227 Part III GET MORE SUCCESS 13 SELLING FROM THE FULCRUM 247 14 YOUR OWN SENSE OF BALANCE 271 INDEX 281.
Price: $3.30 [Notify me when price goes down.]

When A.P.J. Abdul Kalam wrote India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium with Y.S. Rajan in 1998, little did they expect the magnitude of the response they would get. The idea that India could actually be a developed nation in a short time rather than remain condemned to a subsistence diet of marginal improvements and promises struck a chord among readers. The book continues to be a bestseller.

Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India goes the logical next step and examines why, given all our skills, resources and talents, we, so obviously capable of being the best, settle so often for the worst. What is it that we as a nation are missing? For at the heart of Ignited Minds is an irresistible premise: the people of a nation have the power, by dint of hard work, to realize their dream of a truly good life.

Kalam offers no formulaic prescription in Ignited Minds. Instead, he takes up different issues and themes that struck him on his pilgrimage around the country as he met thousands of school children, teachers, scientists and saints and seers in the course of two years: the necessity for a patriotism that transcends religion and politics; for role models who point out the path to take; and for confidence in ourselves and in our strengths.

Who was he to write on so large a theme, he wondered as he started writing this book. But at the end, Kalam's humility notwithstanding, this may well prove to be the book that motivates us to get back on the winning track and unleash the energy within a nation that hasn't allowed itself full rein..
Price: $4.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

After the Ball is that rare true story that reads like an epic novel, a sweeping chronicle of an era, and an intimate account of the hope and betrayal of a son whose father gave him everything -- except the training to find his way in territory ruled by the rapacious.

James Hazen Hyde was twenty-three in 1899 when he inherited the majority shares in the billion-dollar Equitable Life Assurance Society. Only five years later, he fell from grace in a Wall Street scandal that obsessed the nation and commanded 115 front-page articles in the New York Times.

Hyde was intelligent, cultured, and ambitious, but he was no match for an older generation that had mapped the backstreets of high finance. Vying to control the Equitable's vast investment pool, the most famous financiers and industrialists of the era -- among them E. H. Harriman, Henry Clay Frick, and J. P. Morgan -- put Hyde on forty-eight boards and included him in deals that shook Wall Street. And then, at the pinnacle of social success, he made a fatal miscalculation.

On the last night of January 1905, James Hyde held a fabulously flamboyant, eighteenth-century, Versailles-themed costume ball. His enemies used the party as the hook to hang him on, claiming that he was too frivolous to run a company dedicated to protecting widows and orphans; and spread the rumor that he had spent two hundred thousand dollars of Equitable money on a night's entertainment. By the time a government investigation established that Hyde had paid the bills himself, his reputation was ruined.

The bitter campaign to wrest control of the Equitable and its vast investment capacity from Hyde followed on the heels of the ball. As the fight escalated, clandestine alliances between insurers and Wall Street burst to the surface, exposing techniques that are the stuff of twenty-first-century scandals: self-dealing, insider trading, accounting malpractice, and corporate funding of private pleasures.

After the Ball tells a tale that riveted millions of Americans a century ago. Its themes are as fresh today as they were in 1905: greed and chicanery, the flawed love between fathers and sons, and contradictory American attitudes about wealth -- all unfolding against a setting of magnificence, excess, and corrupting glamour.

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Price: $6.49 [Notify me when price goes down.]