Simon & Schuster

Hooked on Phonics «Pre-K ABCs Workbook» is packed with learning and fun. Activities are designed to help pre-kindergarten children learn letters. 64 pages of learning and funProvides practice in identifying uppper and lowercase letters, matching and writing. Includes a progress poster and more than 50 stickers. Designed for children ages 3 to 4.

Hooked on Phonics «Pre-K Colors, Shapes & More Premium Edition Workbook» is packed with colorful activities and exercises designed to give kids practice in identifying and naming colors and shapes. 64 pages of learning and fun Reinforces colors, shapes, matching and writing. Includes a set of 54 flash cards, a progress poster and more than 50 stickers. Designed for children ages 3 to 4.

America is the home of the brave and, apparently, the stupid and gullible. Satirist Leland Gregory teaches us a lesson in historical hilarity with Stupid American History. From Columbus to George W. Bush (that's a lot of material, people), Leland leads us through American history's mythconceptions, exposing idiocy and inanity along the time line. He reeducates by informing us about myths. For example, Samuel Prescott actually was the guy to alert us that the British were coming and not that Paul Revere dude. Move over Colbert and Stewart; satire has finally found its rightful place in American history. Excerpt from the book: «John Tyler was on his knees playing marbles when he was informed that Benjamin Harrison had died and he was now president of the United States. At that time marbles was a very popular game for both children and grown-ups.» For reasons still unknown, Texas congressman Thomas Lindsay Blanton, a Presbyterian Sunday school teacher and prohibitionist, inserted dirty words into the Congressional Record in 1921. His colleagues overwhelmingly censured him on October 24, 1921, by a vote of 293-0.»

Hooked on Phonics Pre-K Premium Edition Workbook is packed with colorful activities and exercises designed to help pre-kindergarten children practice skills that will help them become early readers. 64 pages of learning and fun, Reinforces upper and lowercase letters, matching and writing. Includes a set of 54 flash cards with interactive letter games, a progress poster and more than 50 stickers. Designed for children ages 4 to 5.

»The Ultimate Battle» is the full story of the last great clash of World War II as it has never before been told. With the same «grunt's-eye-view» narrative style that distinguished his Brotherhood of Heroes (on the Battle of Peleliu), Bill Sloan presents a gripping and uniquely personal saga of heroism and sacrifice in which at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides were killed, as were nearly 150,000 civilians caught in the crossfire or encouraged to commit suicide by Japanese troops. It is a story set against a panorama of more than 1,500 American ships, nearly two thousand Japanese kamikazes sworn to sink those ships, and two huge armies locked in a no-quarter struggle to the death — the 541,000 GIs and Marines of the U.S. Tenth Army, and Japan's 110,000-man 32nd Army. Woven into the broader narrative, in Band of Brothers style, are the personal stories of men who endured this epic battle and were interviewed by the author. In many cases, their experiences are told here in print for the first time. A few days after Japanese defenders surprised American assault troops by allowing them to land virtually unopposed on April 1, 1945, scouts of the 96th Division stumbled onto the outerworks of formidable Japanese defenses near Kakazu Ridge, where fierce fighting erupted. It would continue without respite for nearly three months as American forces used every weapon and strategy at their disposal to break through three cunningly designed Japanese lines of defense, each anchored by commanding high ground, intricate underground installations, and massed artillery. When one line was about to be breached, the Japanese would slip away to the next one, forcing the Americans to repeat the same exhausting and deadly «corkscrew and blowtorch» assaults all over again. Much of the action in «The Ultimate Battle» unfolds among men pinned down under relentless fire on disputed hillsides, in the ruins of shell-blasted villages, and inside stricken tanks and armored cars. Sloan also takes readers aboard flaming ships and into the cockpits of night-fighter aircraft to capture the horror and heroism of men and vessels besieged by kamikazes. When the battle was over, most of the GIs, Marines, and sailors who survived it were too worn out to celebrate. More than 49,000 of their comrades had been killed or wounded, and they knew that the even more brutal invasion of Japan's home islands loomed just ahead. But as Sloan makes clear, the slaughter at Okinawa helped to convince President Truman to use the atomic bomb against Japanese cities in the hope of shortening the war and averting a far more horrific loss of life. «The Ultimate Battle» is a searing and unforgettable recreation of the Okinawa campaign as it was experienced by men who were there. It is filled with fresh insights that only those men can provide.

Alaska, 1989. In a world where Alaska is still a Russian possession, charter captain Grigorivich Plesnett has a stained past — as a major in the Czar's Troika Guard he was cashiered for disobeying a direct order. Now, ten years later, Grig charters out to a cossack and discovers his past has not only caught up with him but is about to violently change his future, and the future of all nine of the nations of North America as well. Spanning Alaska from the Southeastern Inside Passage to the frozen Yukon, this is an epic tale of one man's journey of redemption and courage to face old challenges and help birth a new nation.

Why does popcorn cost so much at the movies? When does it make sense not to recycle? Why are laws against polygamy detrimental to women? Steven Landsburg, noted economist, demystifies the economics of everyday behaviour in these witty and accessible essays. Professor Landsburg examines everything from taxes, unemployment and illiteracy to the mating game, the death penalty and environmentalism to solve the puzzling questions that occur in daily living. Both controversial and humourous, The Armchair Economist is about the things that we find mysterious, and why we find them mysterious, and shows how the laws of economics can reveal themselves in surprising ways. Put your convictions to the test with the Armchair Economist.

The first volume of Anthony Seldon's riveting and definitive life of Tony Blair was published to great acclaim in 2004. Now, as the Labour Party and the country get used to their new leader and a new Prime Minister, Seldon delivers the most complete, authoritative and compelling account yet of the Blair premiership. Picking up the story in dramatic fashion on 11 September 2001, Seldon then brings us right up to date as Blair hands over the reins to his arch-rival, Gordon Brown. Based on hundreds of original interviews with key insiders, many of whose views have hitherto been kept private, BLAIR UNBOUND serves both as a fascinating 'volume two' of this masterclass in contemporary history and a highly revealing and compelling book in its own right.

THE BRO CODE provides men with all the rules they need to know in order to become a bro and behave properly among other bros. THE BRO CODE has never been published before. Few know of its existence, and the code, until now, has been verbally communicated between those in the 'bro'. Containing approximately 150 unspoken rules, this code of conduct ranges from the simple (bros before hos) to the complex (the hot-to-crazy ratio, complete with bar graphs and charts). With helpful sidebros THE BRO CODE will help any ordinary guy become the best bro he can be. Let ultimate bro and co-author Barney Stinson and his book, THE BRO CODE share their wisdom, lest you be caught making eye contact in a devil's three-way (two dudes, duh.) Sample Articles from THE BRO CODE: Article 1: Regardless of veracity, a Bro never admits familiarity with a Broadway show or musical. Article 53: A Bro will, whenever possible, provide his Bro with prophylactic protection.Article 57: A Bro may not speculate on the expected Bro / chick ratio of a party or venue without first disclosing the present-time observed ratio.

THE BRO CODE provides men with all the rules they need to know in order to become a bro and behave properly among other bros. THE BRO CODE has never been published before. Few know of its existence, and the code, until now, has been verbally communicated between those in the 'bro'. Containing approximately 150 unspoken rules, this code of conduct ranges from the simple (bros before hos) to the complex (the hot-to-crazy ratio, complete with bar graphs and charts). With helpful sidebros THE BRO CODE will help any ordinary guy become the best bro he can be. Let ultimate bro and co-author Barney Stinson and his book, THE BRO CODE share their wisdom, lest you be caught making eye contact in a devil's three-way (two dudes, duh.) Sample Articles from THE BRO CODE: Article 1: Regardless of veracity, a Bro never admits familiarity with a Broadway show or musical. Article 53: A Bro will, whenever possible, provide his Bro with prophylactic protection.Article 57: A Bro may not speculate on the expected Bro / chick ratio of a party or venue without first disclosing the present-time observed ratio.

The strange power: Kaitlyn is an artist, but not an ordinary one; everything she draws comes true. When she is invited by Dr Xetes, a scientist who is studying psychic abilities, to join his school of talented individuals in California, Kaitlyn is only too happy to go. There she meets Rob, a healer, and Gabriel, a dark lone wolf, who apparently wants nothing to do with her. But with so much supernatural energy going around, it's hardly surprising that the psychics soon develop a telepathic link that can't be broken. The Possessed: Having learned the dark secrets of the psychic institute, Kaitlyn and her new friends are on the run, not even daring to contact their parents or old friends. As the group hide-out together they grow closer and Kaitlyn finally discovers Gabriel's dark secret: he's a psychic vampire. In order to survive he needs to drain other people's life-force, but he's been holding back to keep others safe. Kaitlyn offers herself as a source — and finds the experience not entirely un-enjoyable. The Passion: Back at the lab, captured like animals, Kaitlyn and her friends are still in danger from the evil Dr Xetes. To escape they will need to face the true meaning of what their psychic link really means. But Kaitlyn is battling with an internal conflict too: Rob or Gabriel? Sunlight or darkness? She'll need to search her heart for the answer.

In the picturesque village of Branscombe, New Hampshire, the townsfolk are all pitching in to prepare for the first annual Festival of Joy. Arriving for the festival, with hopes of an old-fashioned holiday in the country, are: private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband Jack — head of the NYPD Major Case Squad; Regan's mother, the suspense writer Nora Regan Reilly, and her father Luke, the owner of several funeral homes in New Jersey; Alvirah Meehan — the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth; and Alvirah's husband Willy. With preparations for the festival in full swing, a group of employees at Branscombe's local market, who have recently been cheated of their Christmas bonus by their boss's new wife, learn that they have won $160 million in the mega-mega lottery. Acting on dubious advice from a pair of crooks masquerading as financial advisers, one of their co-workers, Duncan, decided at the last minute not to play. He goes missing, and the next day his girlfriend Flower disappears. A second winning lottery ticket was purchased in the next town, but the winner hasn't come forward. Could Duncan have secretly bought it? Alvirah, Regan and Jack are just the people to find out what is amiss. As they dig beneath the surface, they find that life in Branscombe is not as tranquil as it appears...

Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm amulet — and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician's demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life — the magicians — and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter... but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past...

Backed by five years of research, David Marcum and Steven Smith's egonomics informs readers that the key to great leadership is understanding exactly what ego is — and what it should not be. With the aid of real-life examples and persuasive writing, egonomics argues that while most people believe ego is negative, it is actually a healthy, necessary element to management effectiveness and business leadership. Marcum and Smith illustrate that the distinction between a good and a great leader is how humility affects their ambition, and egonomics is full of ideas that help both upper and middle management keep their egos in balance. With a compelling combination of business and psychology expertise, these two specialists explain how (a) being too competitive can make you less competitive, (b) seeking respect and recognition dilutes effectiveness and (c) humility, curiosity and veracity are the essential components to outstanding leadership. Full of the best advice from the experts in the field, egonomics is poised to be the blockbuster business bestseller of the season.

Ben Grant is fed up with always meeting the wrong girl. Having just celebrated his 30th birthday by being dumped by his 30th girlfriend, he decides he can't go on like this. Why can't he be as blissfully happy as his best friend Ashif, about to marry the beautiful Prithi, a bride chosen for him by his parents? Suddenly Ben has a great idea: why not ask his own parents to do the same for him? But while Ben's parents see this as the perfect opportunity to set their son on the right path to matrimonial bliss, it soon becomes clear that Ben's idea of the kind of woman he wants to settle down with is quite different from that of his somewhat traditional mum and dad. Following a series of disastrous dates, Ben starts to realize that he wouldn't let his parents pick him out a shirt to wear, let alone a woman to marry. But when Ben finally meets the girl he thinks might be 'the one' and she's not interested in him, he realizes that maybe he does have something to learn from his mum and dad after all. Can he learn the art of romance from his parents and land the girl of his dreams?

When Natalie Raines, famous Broadway star, is found in her home in Closter, New Jersey, dying from a gunshot wound, her former husband, Gregg Aldrich, whom she was in the process of divorcing, is the chief suspect. What no one knows is that, only days before she was murdered, Natalie accidentally came face to face with the man who killed her former roommate, Jamie Evans. Two years later, career criminal Jimmy Easton, comes forward to claim that Aldrich hired him to kill his wife, but he turned the job down. Based on Easton's testimony, Gregg is charged with the murder of his wife. Handling the case is Emily Wallace, an attractive thirty-two-year-old widowed assistant prosecutor. As Aldrich's trial is making headlines, Emily's boss, Ted Wesley, warns her that this high-profile case will reveal personal matters about her, such as the fact that she had a heart transplant. And, during the trial, Emily experiences sentiments which defy all reason and continue after Gregg Aldrich's fate is decided by the jury. In the meantime, she does not realize that her own life is now at risk.

Greg Gutfeld was a high-achieving New Yorker in therapy when he was posted to the UK to take up the position of editor of Maxim magazine. Once settled in London he had something of a cultural epiphany. Service and transport were poor and slow, food was soggy and came in tiny portions and the beer was warm. The British, he decided, viewed the world through a prism of dreariness but, despite this, they seemed to be more cheerful than his fellow countrymen, who expected to be happy on demand. After two years in the UK, Gutfeld was12 kilos heavier but a lot more content. The key to his new-found contentment lay in adopting the British attitude to life: having diminished expectations reaps its own rewards. His hilarious observations on British culture, rituals and peculiarities at all levels of society are an illuminating insight into the land of pubs and curry, where everyone is called 'mate' and people with pimples and greasy hair can get on primetime TV.

Christopher Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his forty-seven years of growing up with, working with and understanding the most famous woman of our time. Throughout most of the iconic star's kaleidoscopic career, Christopher played an important role in her life: as her back-up dancer, her personal assistant, her dresser, her decorator, her art director and tour director. If you think you know everything there is to know about Madonna, you're wrong — only Christopher can tell the full and riveting story behind her carefully constructed mythology, and reveal the real woman behind the glittering facade. From their shared Michigan childhood and the early days in Manhattan, when he slept on her roach-infested floor and danced with her in clubs all over town, Christopher was with her every step of the way, experiencing her first-hand in all her incarnations. The punk drummer, the raunchy Boy Toy, Material Girl, Mrs Sean Penn, loving mother, Mrs Guy Ritchie, English grand dame — Christopher witnessed and understood all of them, as his own life was inexorably entwined with that of his chameleon sister.He tangled with a cast of characters from artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Demi Moore and, of course, Guy Ritchie, whose advent in Madonna's life splintered the loving relationship Christopher once had with her. The mirror image of his legendary sister, with his acid Ciccone tongue, Christopher pulls no punches as he tells his astonishing story.

Cornelius Hedge finds it difficult enough to talk to people he does know let alone people he doesn't. So he's plunged into gloom when he is dragooned into driving the female friend of a colleague's wife through France. How on earth is he expected to make small talk from Boulogne to Montelimar? First impressions are not auspicious: the moment he introduces himself, the woman inexplicably bursts into tears. But by the time they've reached their destination, Cornelius has grown increasingly fond of the unassuming Katrina. She is interesting, entertaining, amusing; he'd actually like to see more of her. At their age however, the past has a habit of intruding on the present. Ex-husbands, ex-wives, selfish sisters and sulky teenagers all seem to conspire to thwart the budding romance. What's worse, both Katrina and Cornelius are hiding secrets from their past. Secrets that burst into the open — with rather surprising results.

Three high-powered Hollywood couples, two hot affairs, one underage Russian ex-hooker, a passionate murder — and the players lives are changed forever.

Michael Jackson was one of the greats, an icon of the highest order whose talent and legacy remain indelibly etched in the memories of his fans. In a fitting tribute to his extraordinary, influential work, The Michael Jackson Treasures will showcase 180 images and 15 to 20 items of removable memorabilia to offer fans a hands-on exploration of his day-to-day struggles and triumphs. The text will trace the evolution of his career from The Jackson 5 all the way through his early solo work, to the runaway success of Thriller, his legal troubles, and the outpouring of support and memories from fans and friends after his death. With an elegant, eye-catching foil cover treatment and vellum envelopes to house the removable items, the complete package will become a celebration of Michael Jackson's complicated, fascinating life.

On 30 September 1938 Neville Chamberlain flew back to London from his meeting at Munich with the German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler. As he paused on the aircraft steps, he held aloft the piece of paper which bore both his and the Fuhrer's signature, the promise that Britain and Germany would never go to war with one another again. He had returned bringing 'Peace with honour — Peace for our Time.' Drawing on a wealth of original archival material, David Faber sheds new light on this extraordinary story, tracing the key incidents leading up to the meeting at Munich and its immediate aftermath: Lord Halifax's ill-fated visit to Hitler; Chamberlain's secret negotiations with Mussolini, and the Berlin scandal that rocked Hitler's regime. He takes us to Vienna, to the Sudetenland, and to Prague. In Berlin, we witness Hitler inexorably preparing for war; and in London, we watch helplessly as Chamberlain makes one supreme effort after another to appease Hitler.

Sidonie Wolf never wanted the traditional life of a female vampire — with her favours fought over by powerful Prime males — but she must accept her duty to her kind, even if she's already given her heart to a werewolf she can never have. Erasing Joe Bleythin's memories of their blistering affair was necessary to keep him safe, but he sees her betrayal as unforgivable. So Sid's new assignment to work with Joe to track down supernatural terrorists is sheer torture... a shockingly delicious torture. Joe can't believe his new role with an elite military team known as the Dark Angels has drawn him into an uneasy alliance with the woman who deceived him. Ignoring Sid, even hating her, should be easy. Instead, he wants her more fiercely than ever. Now, partnered with Sid on a dangerous mission, he'll discover just how deep desire can be — and just how far he'll go to keep her...

The struggle for wealth and power that has surrounded oil for decades continues to shake the world economy, dictate the outcome of wars, and transform the destiny of men and nations. The Prize is as much a history of the twentieth century as of the oil industry itself. The canvas of this history is enormous — from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm. The cast extends from wildcatters and rogues to oil tycoons, and from Winston Churchill and Ibn Saud to George Bush and Saddam Hussein. The definitive work on the subject of oil and a major contribution to understanding our century, The Prize is a book of extraordinary breadth, riveting excitement — and great importance.