Before They Changed the World  

Before They Changed the World includes more than 90 archival images gathered from around the world. What drives a fifteenth-century French teenager to wage war against the English army? Why does a novice U.S. president take on the institution of slavery? And how does a Swiss Patent Office worker discover that e=mc2? Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and other extraordinary leaders and revolutionaries are generally revered for what they did while at the top of their game. In Before They Changed the World, historian and prolific author Edwin Kiester Jr. explores the lives of 22 of history’s most authoritative figures and reveals key, and often unknown, events that affected their core beliefs, changed their lives, shaped their paths to greatness, and changed the world. Includes timelines highlighting key points in the lives of each figure.     “This is a really fascinating book. It covers history from Hannibal’s invasion of Italy to the fall of the Soviet Union. There are generals, saints, politicians, and scientists, all of them immensely interesting.” –William Weir, author of History’s Greatest Lies

The War Chronicles: From Chariots to Flintlocks

2 Centuries of Warfare, 22 Wars that Changed the World. All are captured in 400 pages filled with more than 150 archival illustrations gathered from around the world. The War Chronicles acts as a perfect primer for novices while offering seasoned history readers new perspectives on many famous and some not-so-well-known conflicts. Each chapter includes a quick-reference summary, a timeline, an overview of the war, essays on its principal leaders, a series of short, often offbeat features on aspects of the conflict, and a detailed account of a pivotal battle.    Author Joseph Cummins highlights pivotal victories that changed nations, from the Norman invasion of England in 1066 to the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521, and delineates defining moments in the development of political philosophies, from Athens’ defense of democracy against Persian despotism to the championing of equal rights for all in the American Revolution. It recounts the heroism of armies and individuals, from the Spartans’ fight to the death against the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC to the Korean admiral who inspired his country to repel a massive Japanese invasion in the 1590s. Yet it does not shy away from showing the acts of savagery that characterize much warfare, describing, for example, the trail of devastation left by the Mongols as they cut a swath through Asia and Eastern Europe in the thirteenth century, and the atrocities perpetrated on German civilians by all sides in the Thirty Years’ War of the seventeenth century.   “Cummins’ main goal of illustrating the law of unintended consequences is nimbly achieved with gripping stories and lively writing.” –Library Journal

The War Chronicles: From Flintlocks to Machine Guns

A Global Survey of Modern Warfare, from the First Fervid Days of the French Revolution of 1789 to the Bloody Stalemate that Ended the Iran-Iraq War in 1988 In the modern era, warfare entered a new phase. Technological innovation yielded evermore destructive weaponry, international communications and alliances greatly extended the reach of conflicts, and military strategists increasingly targeted infrastructure and civilians, while new media-first photography, then film and television-conveyed the horror and brutality of industrialized combat to those who had the good fortune to live beyond the battle zones. The War Chronicles: From Flintlocks to Machine Gunsadopts the innovative and accessible format of its predecessor, which spanned the period from 500 BC to the American Revolution, to chart the astonishingly rapid evolution of modern warfare. In doing so, it traces the transformation of battle tactics, from the prearranged set-piece encounters of the Napoleonic Wars to the massive naval landings and aerial bombardments of World War II, explains the scientific innovations that yielded the machine gun, the tank, and the atom bomb, and vividly renders the key victories that turned the tide of war, from Waterloo to Gettysburg and D-Day. At the same time, it reiterates the constants of conflict: the slaughters and massacres, including the Holocaust and the little-known Taiping Rebellion, which killed up to forty million Chinese; the personal sacrifices made by those battling tyranny, among them the rebels of revolutionary France, Greece, and Mexico; and the extraordinary influence of charismatic leaders, ranging from Napoleon and Pancho Villa to Mao Zedong and Hitler. Sweeping in its scope, yet intimate in its insights into the motivations of politicians, strategists, commanders, and soldiers, this is a collection that will enhance your understanding of the modern world and your own place in it.

Perfect Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People at Work

This book provides the right phrase for every situation…every time. No matter how much you love your job, you will inevitably run into difficult situations on the job that test your ability to keep your cool. Written by the author of “Perfect Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People”, this handy reference of ready-to-use phrases will help you avoid disasters, steer clear of sticky circumstances with coworkers, and leave you in control. If you’re asked to give an impromptu presentation or you accidentally send a personal e-mail to your boss, you’ll have the best words for every situation, including: handling criticism and being heard criticizing; picking up the ball when someone else has dropped it; getting credit for your project when an associate takes the praise; and deflecting a flirtatious client or coworker. Filled with phrases for every mistake, mix-up, and mishap, this guide will be become your best friend in the workplace. There are no difficult situations…when you have “Perfect Phrases.”

Financial Statements Demystified

Are you considering buying a small business? Do you want to invest in a Fortune 500 company? Are you trying to sell your own business? Balance sheets and income statements are essential to helping you make informed decisions regarding important business transactions. But unless you’re an accountant, these documents can be intimidating hodgepodges of columns, rows, and numbers. Don’t fret. Financial Statements Demystified is just the tool you need.

Devoid of confusing business jargon, this engaging and easy-to-follow guide defines basic financial statement terminology and explains the components of the four most common financial statements: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Stockholders’ Equity, and Statement of Cash Flows. You will learn how to read, interpret, and use pivotal data from these sources–each of which will help you make accurate financial decisions without having to go back to school.

This confusion-busting guide covers:

• An overview of financial statements–what they are and what they tell us
• Easy-to-understand explanations of profit and loss
• Statement of cash flows and special reporting issues
• How to spot fraudulently misstated financial statements
• Quizzes at the end of each chapter to help test your knowledge

Simple enough for a novice but in-depth enough for a seasoned investor, Financial Statements Demystified will help you understand the four main financial statements.

10-Minute Toughness

No psychobabble, no self-help clichés, no touchy-feely theories. Whether you’re striving to get ahead in business or sports, 10-Minute Toughness is the simple and effective mental-training program to help you make the most of what you’ve got and give you the extra push you need to go the distance. You’ll find the competitive edge you have been looking for in this power-packed guide.

Sport psychology consultant Jason Selk offers his potent three-step program to getting focused and staying on target, using just ten minutes of practice per day. He explains exactly what to do and how to do it, coaching you step by step as you learn how to:

• Develop a specifically tailored mental workout to increase ability and consistency under pressure
• Clear mental clutter and improve your competitive focus
• Systematically enhance your work ethic
• Use an effective goal-setting program to achieve solid results daily
• Create a relentless solution-focused approach to overcome any obstacle

Selk has provided unbeatable mental coaching for numerous All-Star professional baseball players, Pro Bowl football players, Hall of Fame coaches, Olympic gold medalists, and other elite athletes, along with the corporate teams of many Fortune 500 companies. He even motivated the St. Louis Cardinals to victory in the 2006 World Series. Now, in 10-Minute Toughness, he makes his scientifically proven routines widely available for the first time. Packed with practical tools, tips, exercises, and activities, it is your complete guide for taking control of your success and beating your opponents-before the competition even gets going.

Turn Small Talk into Big Deals

DON’T JUST NETWORK HARD—NETWORK SMART!

Turn Small Talk into Big Deals presents a revolutionary new approach to the timeless topic of networking. Bestselling author and communications trainer Don Gabor introduces you to four distinct networking styles—Competitive, Outgoing, Amiable, and Analytical—to help you identify, adapt, and respond to other people’s particular styles. With this book, you’ll establish instant rapport with anyone you meet and quickly build a relationship that profits both of you.