About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers . . .

Some say that's just how boys are--prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues?

Drawing from twenty-five years of counseling boys and working with parents, David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be

● Resourceful--equipped to work through his emotions in constructive ways
● Aware--so that he better understands himself, including his strengths and weaknesses
● Resilient--having the capacity to cope and feel competent
● Empathetic--able to understand the feelings and experiences of others

Helpful also for grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who has a boy in their life, this book shows how a strong emotional foundation leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity that will serve him well his whole life.

Also available Strong and Smart, a companion workbook to help boys understand themselves better and learn how to work through overwhelming emotions--all from a biblical perspective.

The Pragmatic Programmer is one of those rare tech books you'll read, re-read, and read again over the years. Whether you're new to the field or an experienced practitioner, you'll come away with fresh insights each and every time.

Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt wrote the first edition of this influential book in 1999 to help their clients create better software and rediscover the joy of coding. These lessons have helped a generation of programmers examine the very essence of software development, independent of any particular language, framework, or methodology, and the Pragmatic philosophy has spawned hundreds of books, screencasts, and audio books, as well as thousands of careers and success stories.

Now, twenty years later, this new edition re-examines what it means to be a modern programmer. Topics range from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse. Read this book, and you'll learn how to:

• Fight software rot
• Learn continuously
• Avoid the trap of duplicating knowledge
• Write flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code
• Harness the power of basic tools
• Avoid programming by coincidence
• Learn real requirements
• Solve the underlying problems of concurrent code
• Guard against security vulnerabilities
• Build teams of Pragmatic Programmers
• Take responsibility for your work and career
• Test ruthlessly and effectively, including property-based testing
• Implement the Pragmatic Starter Kit
• Delight your users

Written as a series of self-contained sections and filled with classic and fresh anecdotes, thoughtful examples, and interesting analogies, The Pragmatic Programmer illustrates the best approaches and major pitfalls of many different aspects of software development. Whether you're a new coder, an experienced programmer, or a manager responsible for software projects, use these lessons daily, and you'll quickly see improvements in personal productivity, accuracy, and job satisfaction. You'll learn skills and develop habits and attitudes that form the foundation for long-term success in your career. You'll become a Pragmatic Programmer.

One of the most significant books in my life.
--Obie Fernandez, Author, The Rails Way

Twenty years ago, the first edition of The Pragmatic Programmer completely changed the trajectory of my career. This new edition could do the same for yours.
--Mike Cohn, Author of Succeeding with Agile, Agile Estimating and Planning, and User Stories Applied

. . . filled with practical advice, both technical and professional, that will serve you and your projects well for years to come.
--Andrea Goulet, CEO, Corgibytes, Founder, LegacyCode.Rocks

. . . lightning does strike twice, and this book is proof.
--VM (Vicky) Brasseur, Director of Open Source Strategy, Juniper Networks

Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

A richly illustrated atlas of the world's deserts and drylands, their ecosystems, and their environments

Deserts and drylands account for more than 40 percent of land on our planet. Characterized by a lack of water and extreme temperatures, they are the result of atmospheric stability, large landmass characteristics, rain shadows, and cold ocean currents. They appear harsh and hostile, but deserts and drylands are also exceptionally beautiful environments. Desert ecosystems often teem with diverse forms of life that exhibit astonishing ingenuity in the face of such forbidding conditions. The World Atlas of Deserts and Drylands takes readers on a guided tour of some of the most awe-inspiring desert environments on Earth, explaining their environmental and ecological dynamics and describing the techniques used to categorize and map them. From the ever-expanding Gobi of Mongolia and China to the ancient Namib of coastal Africa, this is the ultimate reference book for deserts.

• Features a wealth of color photos, maps, and infographics
• Describes the resilient and complex biodiversity of the world's desert and dryland terrains
• Covers subtropical deserts, continental deserts, rain shadow deserts, and ocean margin deserts
• Addresses the challenges posed by global warming and human activity, and discusses solutions and opportunities
• Written by a team of leading experts

This book helped me know what to do when I am feeling sad or mad or scared.--Ezra

To Parents and Other Caring Adults--
This workbook was created primarily to help elementary-age boys understand themselves better and learn how to work through overwhelming emotions--all from a biblical perspective. This age group spans a lot of reading levels, so with younger boys especially, it's best to read it out loud with him and clarify concepts as needed. Let him take the lead, though.

Your boy will learn for himself what it takes to be strong and smart, tough and tender, loyal and loving through
● relatable stories
● writing and drawing prompts
● easy exercises

To Boys--
Everyone knows you're already strong and smart, like the title of this workbook. School and exercise help develop your brain and body. But did you know it's also important to have strong and smart emotions? That's why David Thomas wrote this book. To help you when you feel sad, lonely, or angry.

Also available: Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, a companion book that provides more in-depth information and strategies for parents and educators.

Owen is a yellow lab who's scared of new places and people and who stands too close and licks too long. But when he visits a children's hospital, a very special boy helps him find his resilience--even as Owen helps the boys and girls at the hospital do the same.

From veteran counselors and bestselling authors Sissy Goff and David Thomas, The Daystar Dogs series follows Owen and his furry friends at the little yellow house in Nashville. As the puppies, and the kids they help, navigate hard situations, children will discover how to regulate emotions, develop necessary social skills, and discover the difference each puppy--and child--can make. Heartwarming and helpful, these books speak to the heart of what your child needs emotionally, socially, and spiritually today.

Portraiture is one of the most rewarding painting disciplines. In this book, experienced portrait artist David Thomas shows that it need not be intimidating. Learn to use watercolour, pencil and charcoal to produce fresh and approachable portraits invested with life and character.

If you enjoyed Friday Night Lights, this book is a must-read. Remember Why You Play documents the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the players and coaches of Faith Christian School in Grapevine, Texas.
Sports columnist and author David Thomas followed the team for a full season, recording a story that will inspire readers to understand that relationships are more important than winning.
One of the key events was a game that Faith Christian played against the Gainesville State Tornadoes, a school for convicted juvenile offenders. The story of this spectacular game is being made into a movie, titled One Heart, with an anticipated release in November 2010. Reminiscent of Hoosiers and Remember the Titans, this true story makes a strong statement about the impact of compassion and sportsmanship.

When Sarah Hayes television show decides to film an episode down in Mexico it catches the attention of one Eduardo Suarez, Uncle of the late Felix Garcia and ruthless Cartel Leader operating in the same area. Bent on avenging his Nephews death he brings his forces to bear on an isolated mountain hideaway where the television crew is working. Now, it is up to Steven Thomas and a group of Mexican Security Specialists to keep Suarez's forces at bay until they can be rescued.

David Fleming and a group of Delta Force Commandoes are racing ahead of assassins to protect an Iranian Scientist and his family seeking asylum in the United States. They have proof that traitors within the U.S. Government have conspired with the Iranian military to smuggle nuclear weapons into the country to conduct an attack that will bring America to its knees. Now, it's a race against time to find the weapons and stop them from going off.

A weekend trip turns deadly when a hit team attacks Sarah Hayes and puts her into a coma. Enraged by the attack, bodyguard and boyfriend Steven Thomas vows revenge against Eduardo Suarez and forms a plan to strike back at him and put the threat to rest once and for all.

Thomas, in the only combat account of World War II Torpedo Bomber pilot ever published, relates his 25 months of service with Torpedo Squadron 4 (VT-4) on the USS RANGER, USS BUNKER HILL, and USS ESSEX. Thomas served in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters, and in some of the most important World War II battles.

While on the RANGER, he participated in OPERATION LEADER, the most significant attack on Northern Europe by a US carrier during the war. During LEADER, while attacking a freight barge carrying 40 tons of ammunition, Thomas' plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Surprisingly, in spite of the considerable engine damage, the plane made it back to the RANGER, where Thomas crash-landed. That landing was his 13th official carrier landing.

In the Pacific, Thomas participated in the numerous actions against Japanese targets in the Philippines, including strikes on Ormoc Bay, Cavite, Manilla, Santa Cruz, San Fernando, Lingayen, Mindoro, Clark Field and Aparri.

Following these actions, Thomas' squadron made strikes on Formosa, French Indo-China, Saigon, Pescadores, Hainan, Amami O Shima, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Japan. The attack on Japan was the first attack on Japan from an aircraft carrier since the Doolittle Raid.

While on the ESSEX, just after Thomas had returned from a strike on Santa Cruz, the ship was hit by a Kamikaze piloted by Yoshinori Yamaguchi, Yoshino Special Attack Corps. Yamaguchi was flying a Yokosuba D4Y3 dive bomber. The Kamikaze attack killed 16 crewman and wounded 44.

Returning from a strike on Hainan, off the Chinese coast, Thomas' plane ran out of fuel. After a harrowing water landing, Thomas and squadron photographer Montague succeeded in inflating and launching one rubber boat and his crewman Gress another. After a long day in pre-Typhoon weather with 40 foot swells, the three were rescued by the USS SULLIVANS.

In recounting the events in this book, Thomas draws upon his daily journal, his letters home, and extensive interviews and research conducted over 40 years with fellow pilots and crewman. The book cites 20 interviews and 5 combat journals, and contains 209 photos documenting the ships, planes, men, and combat actions of Torpedo Squadron 4. Many of the photographs were collected by Thomas during the war and include gun photo shots, recon photos, and, remarkably, a picture of the tail of Thomas' Torpedo plane as it sinks in the China Sea following his water crash landing.

Don't you find it amazing how we, the human race, have been able to measure the depths of the deepest places on Earth and send a man to the moon? We have been able to crack the very codes of the atom, and we have sent rovers to other planets. Best of all, we strive to go even further than all of that.

However, as advanced as we are becoming, there is still one question that seems to puzzle us. It's the question that divides scientists and society as well. Indeed, where did we, along with the universe, come from? Did we come from nothing that exploded or something supernatural that we have never seen?

Bias aside, the answer is quite simple. Many people have disregarded the truth for their own propaganda, and these false conclusions have slowed down the progress of society. It is a shame, but today you will see for yourself that you are more than just a pawn in society's chess game. You will find that the answer lies within the glorious skies above and that they are not silent.

When fiormer Army Ranger Steven Thomas is hired as a Bodyguard to an actress being threatened by her ex-boyfriend he thought it would be a dream job. He never counted on the Ex being a Hitman for a Mexican Drug Cartel, or that he'd fall in love with his client.

When former Soldier turned Dive Ship Captain Matt Ritter gets involved with Mercedes Khalid, a beautiful Politician with a checkered past, he and his crew of former Soldiers fall into a web of violence when she becomes a suspect in a DEA Task Force investigating her former employer and boyfriend Manuel Serna. Serna: the one of the largest importers of Heroin and Cocaine in Miami fights back against the DEA and kidnaps Khalid in an effort to escape the country using her as a hostage. Now Matt Ritter and the crew of The Deuce must muster up their own deadly skills in an effort to rescue Mercedes Khalid from Serna's yacht in Havana, Cuba.

THE FUTURE OF WORK IS IN YOUR HANDS Want to inspire and motivate your employees to greatness, create an award-winning corporate culture, and build tomorrow's workplace today? From attracting and retaining top talent to unleashing your ability to adapt, grow, and stay one step ahead of industry change, FUN AT WORK(TM) reveals how tomorrow's business leaders can consistently create a roadmap to ongoing success by leveraging the transformative power of play. A crash course in cutting-edge business leadership and management methods, it demonstrates how to design the workplace of the future - and leverage new corporate and workforce strategies to turn your organization into a powerhouse of creativity, productivity, and innovation. Inside the pages of FUN AT WORK, you won't just discover how to craft winning HR strategies and solutions, and create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workspaces. You'll also learn how to radically boost organizational output and performance - not to mention employee motivation and engagement. Offering a fresh and inspired take on leadership, it explains how to: - Lead, Inspire, and Motivate a Next-Generation Workforce - Unlock Creativity and Innovation in Your Business - Build an Award-Winning Workplace and Working Model - Recruit and Retain Tomorrow's Leaders - Adapt to Ongoing Change and Disruption - Reimagine the Shape of Corporate Culture - Craft Winning HR Strategies and Solutions Brought to you by Professor of Play David Thomas, and Scott Steinberg, the world's leading business strategist, FUN AT WORK reveals the core business principles and practices that you need to implement to deliver game-changing workforce strategies - and explains how to lead these initiatives.

After awakening from her coma, Sarah Hayes is offered the lead in a television series being filmed in Colorado. Steven Thomas, now working for the same studio on the same series ends up going to a remote film site in the middle of a blizzard to pick up two stranded members of the cast, but an accident leaves them stranded in the middle of the mountains. Discovered by a group of men in a hunting lodge, they stumble onto their secret: they've just robbed a bank and are waiting out the storm to make their escape.

Now, with their lives in the balance, Steven Thomas must use all of his survival and military skils to survive the storm and take on the gunmen.

After a string of political assassinations takes place, the FBI leads a Joint Task Force to track down and stop those involved and stem a tide of rising violence. What they discover is a plot beyond anything they could have concieved: a plan that would destroy the government and plunge the nation into a second civil war.

The purpose of this book is twofold: first, to teach profound relaxation, an extremely useful skill and for most people, an easy one to learn; and second, to discuss differential relaxation, the relaxation of everyday life.

The first two chapters focus on profound relaxation. Their purpose is to teach you to relax deeply-body and mind-in a single session of fifteen to twenty minutes. Like meditation, profound relaxation is considered an anti-stress response as it leads to an overall calming or quieting of the nervous system.

In addition to profound relaxation, this book-beginning with Chapter 3-introduces the notion of differential relaxation, what might be called the at ease with yourself mode of relaxation. Differential relaxation is not so much a skill as it is a way of being and doing. It means: Using only the tension and energy required to perform a given act properly, not over-doing and not forcing.

Perhaps the most important question posed by this book is: How do you deal with the issues, situations, and factors that bring tension and anxiety into your life, the factors that threaten your wellbeing? This book provides exercises for identifying those factors and a strategy for addressing them. However, there are no quick fixes. Wellbeing is a journey. This book will help you with the path forward.

Relaxation and the Pursuit of Wellbeing is designed for use by individuals, but can also be of use to therapists, counselors, and trainers when working with individuals or groups interested in reducing the tension and anxiety operating in their lives.

Among homiletical commentaries this one stands supreme for many reasons. The author opens doors and challenges the reader to a vigorous investigation. His conclusions, often startling, illuminate the Gospel clearly. Instead of verbosity, he expresses much in few words. Dr. Thomas is practical and provides excellent stimulus for sermon preparation. His powerful, yet restrained imagination, presses into its service all nature, life, science, art and history. After thoroughly grasping his theme, he pours his soul into it, develops it in a logical manner, and enunciates his 123 discourses with thrilling effect.