Pocket Shop

In this provocative and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell examines everyone from business giants to scientific geniuses, sports stars to musicians, and reveals what they have in common. He looks behind the spectacular results, the myths and the legends to show what really explains exceptionally successful people. Gladwell argues that, when we try to understand success, we normally start with the wrong question. We ask "what is this person like?" when we should really be asking "where are they from?" The real secret of success turns out to be surprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people's life stories - on the culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time. What does Bill Gates have in common with the Beatles? How does your IQ relate to your salary? What can a linguist tell us about airline safety? How does the way your child speaks to an adult affect their success in life? What do rice paddies have to do with maths results? And how can you predict a maths star without even making them take a test? Malcolm Gladwell has the answers. This book really will change the way you think about your life. And it will challenge you to make the most of your own potential.

Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. It is a product of long hours and intelligent design, of meaningful work environments and particular rules and principles. This book shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices and in everyday life. Just as he did with his revolutionary theory of the tipping point, Gladwell reveals how the power of blink' could fundamentally transform our relationships, the way we consume, create and communicate, how we run our businesses and even our societies.You'll never think about thinking in the same way again.

Which is more dangerous: a gun or a swimming pool?
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
How much do parents really matter?

These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to parenting and sports—and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head. Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award–winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more. Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, they show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing.

A national bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us--whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed--he develops a portrait of the American way of eating.

The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet.

*Includes a Suggested Playlist of 20 of Lennon's Greatest Songs.
*Includes detailed descriptions of the origins and recording of some of Lennon's timeless classics, including Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields Forever, and A Day in the Life.
*Includes pictures of Lennon and important people, places, and events in his life.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.

In 1964, girls all across the United States filled venues, almost literally screamed their heads off, and fainted en masse. Almost from the second they played the first note, The Beatles would be hit with the resounding screams, which made it impossible for them to even hear themselves sing. When they made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964, they were greeted by young fans who whipped themselves up into such a frenzy that some of them fainted. Beatlemania had struck North America, creating a musical and pop culture phenomenon unlike anything the world had ever seen.

At the center of it all was John Lennon, the man who founded The Beatles and was instrumental in creating the soundtrack of the 1960s, while producing some of the world’s most timeless classics. Together with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, Lennon became one of the world’s most famous men, and he was also one of the world’s most interesting and outspoken men, a complex figure who survived a turbulent upbringing, addictions to drugs, and unstable relationships, only to be tragically killed just as he was settling into a serene, comfortable life. His loss is still widely felt today like it was in December 1980, as people remain in awe of his music and continue to grapple with the contradictory nature of his life and work, which at any given moment could oscillate from his notoriously acerbic wit to the endless optimism of Imagine.

The incredible highs and lows of Lennon’s life, as well as his untimely death, are all a well known narrative across the universe, but what made one of the world’s most revered musicians and peace activists tick? Legends of Music: The Life and Legacy of John Lennon details Lennon’s life and career while analyzing his lasting legacy, but it also humanizes the rebellious hellion who struggled in school, did well with women, and ultimately became one of rock’s most enduring icons. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about John Lennon like you never have before, in no time at all.

First published in the 1920's, "The Prophet" an inspirational, allegorical guide to living, the book is perhaps the most famous work of religious fiction of the Twentieth Century and has sold millions of copies in more than twenty languages. Gibran's protagonist, called simply 'the "Prophet"', delivers spiritual, yet practical, homilies on a wide variety of topics central to daily life: love, marriage and children; work and play; possessions, beauty, truth, joy and sorrow, death and many more.

The New York Times bestselling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation. Now, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with SuperFreakonomics, and fans and newcomers alike will find that the "freakquel" is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first.

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as: How is a street prostitute like a department store Santa? Who adds more value: a pimp or a Realtor? What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common? Did TV cause a rise in crime? Can eating kangaroo meat save the planet?

Whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically, Levitt and Dubner show the world for what it really is—good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, superfreaky.

David Toussaint takes you on a journey through the center of "his" earth in TOUSSAINT! Satirical and sentimental, biting and bold, Toussaint combines pop culture, the political landscape, a dazzling array of divas, and his own self-indulgent past in ways few authors have ever attempted. Once you stop laughing at the writer's self-deprecation twinged with Chelsea Boy narcissism, you'll recognize an undercurrent of all-too familiar pain. His articles are "…melodies in my head, verses, some short, some long, some happy and some sad. While at times they touch on the world, at other times they are completely fictitious, except to me. Some are documentaries, some are the stuff of nonsense. All of them have been told before. The choruses change and the hook is different, but the rhythms come from the very same place.”

TOUSSAINT! is an insightful, elegant work that offers a window into David Toussaint’s soul – a window familiar to all of us.

"David Toussaint's tremendous wit and sharp social commentary are genius. Fans of David Sedaris will adore Toussaint's charm, edge, and take on life."
-- New York Times bestselling author, Lisa McMann

"David Toussaint is a great writer. I recently came to this conclusion while reading his latest book, TOUSSAINT!, which made me laugh out loud on almost every page."
-- Marc Harshbarger, author of "Deep Dish"

"The next time you lose your bearings amid modern life in or out of your own gay ghetto, David Toussaint's book of columns will get you back on track. With striking wit and wisdom, he'll slap plenty of sense into that pretty little head of yours, and make you think just a little bit more about the decisions you've made and the choices that are coming your way. And don't even get me started on the whole cute-boy-who-seriously-knows-how-to-write thing . . . there are lessons here for all of us."
-- Chris Beakey, author of "Double Abduction"

David Toussaint is the author of Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony published by Ballatine Books, 2004, a columnist and theater critic for EDGE (edgeunitedstates.com) and a former editor and writer for Conde Nast.