Contrary to popular belief, leadership is not the solution to every business problem or sustained business success. The answer lies in the culture of the organization. Strong business leaders follow their organization's culture and guide with a system of beliefs called Cultureship. Business managers who practice Cultureship know that developing and leading high-performing cultures can be learned and taught. Backed with irrefutable evidence, Cultureship introduces this system of beliefs and illustrates how changing culture can quickly lead to better business results; how every employee wants to grow, serve, and perform; how associates ultimately own the culture; and how successful leaders don't tell, they lead. Once you understand each of the ten beliefs and how they fit together as a unified whole, you will be on your way to becoming a great leader. Applying Cultureship to your own business, whether you're a novice or a more experienced manager, will differentiate your organization, increase productivity, lead to higher profits, and elevate you to a more advanced level of personal leadership success.

Step into a time capsule and explore the flora, fauna, and fishermen of the Isles of Shoals. Originally published in 1873, this book is a firsthand account of shipwrecks, storms, and simple lives 10 miles off the coast of New England. Celia Thaxter was a poet, artist, and noted gardener who spent much of her life on White, Smuttynose, and Appledore islands.She made the acquaintance of such luminous contemporaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Childe Hassam, William Wadsworth Longfellow, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. This book shines with attention to the smallest detail as Thaxter watches the seasons pass, the islanders age, and the times change in a tiny, seemingly abandoned corner of the world.

The ten van Stralen brothers built The Grounds Guys(R), their landscape management company, from the ground up. By establishing a culture of C.A.R.E. as the centerpiece of the organization, the brothers have experienced tremendous success, working together in unity and growing their concept into a multinational franchise brand. C.A.R.E. Leadership shares the van Stralen brothers' extraordinary story and shows how eight simple but powerful leadership principles derived from the code of C.A.R.E. will enable your company to thrive, too. It's all about the culture, author Peter van Stralen argues, and each one of the principles- from Create a Remarkable Experience to Be Humble to Listen Well and Communicate with Respect-gets leaders one step closer to creating a team that is competent, fun, fulfilled, engaged, and committed to giving customers the best service possible.

The pig family is distraught Christmas is coming, and they have no money to buy gifts Whatever shall they do? Luckily for them, Angel Pig pays them a visit, and shows them the true meaning of Christmas. The pigs set about making gifts, baking food, and embracing the holiday spirit.

Jan Waldron is also the author of John Pig's Halloween and two books for adults. She says she was inspired by a drawing on a Christmas card of David McPhail's and by fond memories of holidays my mother gave us. Our kitchen turned into a vivid explosion of colors, smells, and tastes - a tradition I hope I have passed to my children.

David McPhail is an author-illustrator beloved for his many books about wonderful characters, some of whom have been pigs. He says that for a Christmas card one year he drew a little pig with wings and and oversize gown. Someone told me to write about her. I tried but I couldn't. I lamented that fact to Jan. A few days later she said, 'How's this sound?' And that was the beginning of Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas. In my pictures for this book, I've worked very hard to give Angel Pig the life she deserves.

In this lively and irreverent book, Jamie Gerdsen presents hard-learned lessons for inspiring innovation in traditional industries, such as manufacturing or his own heating, cooling, and plumbing company. Through personal stories of trial and error and eventual triumph over the roadblocks to change, you'll discover how to embrace and foster innovation in your own organization. Discussions include hiring, employee motivation, professional focus, coaching, the business cycle, and work-life balance. In traditional industries, you might find more dogs than squirrels, more thoroughbreds than quarter horses. A leader's first instinct might be to work himself into a stupor trying to manage all of the tasks required to make change stick. But with Gerdsen's guidance and relatable tales, you'll see how to get everyone rowing in the same direction to pull the company forward together.

Nick Daggett, a Vietnam veteran in his early forties, has returned to Snow Island to live year-round and run a pirate radio station from the abandoned mansion. Nora Venable, a lesbian in her seventies and owner of the decaying mansion, comes to the island after a fifty-year absence and decides to stay. Ruth Lambert, a photographer from New York, arrives to see what is left of the old Snow Inn, which she has inherited from her aunt. This unlikely trio finds their lives unexpectedly linked after a fire sweeps through the old mansion. Set in the fall of 1990, as the United States prepares to go to war in the Persian Gulf, the final volume of the Snow Island trilogy (after Snow Island and Evening Ferry) brings together characters from the previous volumes with new arrivals in a moving conclusion that completes the saga of island life. This taut tale of love and perseverance evokes the isolation and connection at the heart of every community.

Thirty-one year old Clare Paxton opens the door to her childhood friend Derek and his discovery. Little 4-year-old Mary Martin had been missing and all that was left were her articles of clothing and a large pool of blood. Having interrupted her Criminology Degree for her mother's feigned illness, Clare's unending questioning her own life's choices is heightened by this tragedy. Clare embroils herself in the investigation because of her personal mistrust of Mary's parents while romantically conflicted with the Chief of Police. Adult readers will be both captivated and exasperated by Clare's debut in this 88,000-word novel.

Late one night, the residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying of what proves to be strychnine poisoning. Hastings, a houseguest, enlists the help of his friend Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the nearby village. On the day she was killed, Emily Inglethorp was overheard arguing with someone, most likely her husband, Alfred, or her stepson, John. Afterwards, she seemed quite distressed and, apparently, made a new will - which no one can find. She ate little at dinner and retired early to her room with her document case. The case was later forced open by someone and a document removed. Alfred Inglethorp left Styles earlier in the evening and stayed overnight in the nearby village, so was not present when the poisoning occurred. Nobody can explain how or when the strychnine was administered to Mrs. Inglethorp. The Mysterious Affair at Styles launched the career of Agatha Christie, and introduced one of the defining literary characters of the 20th Century.

Tennyson once said, Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Tennyson was an idiot. Because heartbreak sucks. If you're breathing, at some point in your life, love has probably bashed you over the head ... and then continued to kick you while you were down until you thought you might die. That's better? Feeling like your heart has been shredded with a cheese grater and then set on fire - that's better? The pain of heartbreak is so massive and all-encompassing, most people believe the torment they experience over love is exclusive to them. But The Sorrows of Young Werther realistically attests to the fact that heartbreak began occurring way before you confessed your love for someone, only to have him or her remove you as a Facebook friend.

About a decade ago, we here at RiverRun began publishing books. Once we held that amazing, Promethean power in our little hands, we decided it would be great fun to put together Piscataqua Poems, a collection of local poets celebrating all the things we love about the Seacoast.

Now, ten years later here is volume 2. A lot has changed about the Seacoast, and about the world, but one thing for certain, we still have an amazing number of talented poets!

The poems in this book are inspired by the region called the Piscataqua watershed: Portsmouth, Kittery, Rye, Eliot, Durham, and so on. We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed making it.

1972 - A time of war and Watergate, of Ms. magazine and consciousness raising. As the post-World War II era of peace, prosperity, and pointy bras gives way to the life-expanding changes of the women's movement, four women meet and over the course of two decades, create a space that allows them all to thrive, with humor and irreverence, as they each struggle to reconcile the realities of adult life with the expectations of youth.

Virginia DeLuca's captivating novel, As If Women Mattered, fuses compelling social drama with page-turning storytelling. Four women, whose consciousness-raising group becomes a life-long, life-saving family of the heart, wrestle with marriage, motherhood, careers and sex, during a time when no one knew the rules anymore, and it was all up for grabs. The entwined stories of these women will keep you up way past midnight, experiencing the extraordinary era when women rose up and found their voices, and each other. Randy Susan Meyers, International Bestselling Author of The Murderer's Daughters and The Comfort of Lies

Virginia DeLuca has published short stories in The Iowa Review and Currents Anthology, and has won several prizes for fiction, including the Seacoast Writing Association and the 2011 Pirates Alley William Faulkner Wisdom Competition. She coauthored the nonfiction book, Couples with Children, and has contributed articles about parenting to various magazines. Ms. DeLuca is currently the director of a violent-offender program in Maine. Throughout her career, she has worked primarily in violence prevention and intervention, assisting women of all ages as they struggle to change circumstances in their lives. This work informs her novel. She lives in Durham, New Hampshire

News reporter to commander: Bataan, the Death March, three POW camps- the war story of Captain Charles Underwood. A Story untold for more than sixty years There are thousands of U.S. soldiers who have never been properly recognized for their actions during the Second World War. This is the story of one of them. Charles Underwood was a young reporter when he was called up to active service in the Philippines. He survived the infamous Death March, and spent over three years as a prisoner of war in Japan, at the end of which time he boldly commandeered a train and traveled through hostile territory to reach the U.S. lines. He is credited with helping to liberate more than seven hundred starving POWs. Using his father's long-forgotten journal as a starting point, Charles Underwood, Jr. has done extensive research to bring to life the important part of American military history.

Setting off from the ghost town of Cloverdale, New Mexico on March 17, 1996, the author picked his way north for seven months until arriving at the ghost town of Almota, Washington near his home on the Snake River. He travelled in the same simple manner as the mountain men of yore, and introduces the reader to the fiber of the differing backcountry cultures through the spirits of those he meets along the journey, as well as the life stories of the ghost towns he stumbles upon. He gracefully shares his fears and struggles as he solves the challenges presented by nature, people and the modern world from the saddle.

On that night my friend Derek Reardon and I went to a bar in Atkinson to start drinking before we moved the partying to an old friend's house. I have no memory of being there, but for some odd reason I decided to drive home. This is still a mystery to me. I wasn't a habitual drunk driver, but that doesn't matter because I know now that one time is all it takes. Jim Scott tells an intense story of Traumatic Brain Injury and the long, grueling journey that follows. A cautionary tale for young drivers, and a source of inspiration for others suffering from a TBI.

When God receives a request from Fátima to help prevent a war between Fidel Castro and JFK, he asks his son, Jesus, to return to Earth and diffuse the conflict. On his island, Fidel Castro faces protests on the streets and realizes that he is about to be overthrown. Alone, surrounded, and aware that the end is fast approaching, he plays his last card. Meanwhile, Christ arrives on Earth and teams up with Fátima, who is convinced she can create a miracle to avoid the final battle between JFK and Fidel Castro and save the world as we know it. At the end, something really extraordinary happens! Humorous, rich with metaphor, and refreshingly imaginative, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro was chosen as the book-of-the-month and book-of-the-year by Os Meus Livros magazine. Joao Cerqueira's Tragedy of Fidel Castro is a phantasmagoric odyssey through a highly imaginative prose universe of discovery and inquest. It's a magic realism hybrid of sacrificial lambs and Revolution, capitalistic decadence, and celestial consequence--in a dimension where the cogs of time got jammed. I expect that this rich and unique narrative voice will illuminate a phosphorescent trajectory in the future annals of the New Millennial World Lit! - Mark Spitzer - Toad Suck Review Editor, Professor of Writing at the University of Central Arkansas a smart, energetic and funny piece of writing. - Bethany Gibson, Fiction Editor of Goose Lane Editions Brilliant satire, playfully serious [...] do not waste even a single paragraph - Rita Bonet, Os Meus Livros João Cerqueira rewrote history, and did so with great inspiration! - Cita-Livros João Cerqueira shows a great imagination and a sense of humor far from innocent [...] - Blogue Bela Lugosi is Dead In my opinion there was only one Portuguese novel that had all the conditions to win the style of magical realism: The Tragedy of Fidel Castro - Blog Fanzine Tertuliando an imaginative author who masters metaphorical discourse and who can debate on national and international events, as well as both sacred and profane figures'' Livros & Leituras.

Contrary to popular belief, leadership is not the solution to every business problem or sustained business success. The answer lies in the culture of the organization. Strong business leaders follow their organization's culture and guide with a system of beliefs called Cultureship. Business managers who practice Cultureship know that developing and leading high-performing cultures can be learned and taught. Backed with irrefutable evidence, Cultureship introduces this system of beliefs and illustrates how changing culture can quickly lead to better business results; how every employee wants to grow, serve, and perform; how associates ultimately own the culture; and how successful leaders don't tell, they lead. Once you understand each of the ten beliefs and how they fit together as a unified whole, you will be on your way to becoming a great leader. Applying Cultureship to your own business, whether you're a novice or a more experienced manager, will differentiate your organization, increase productivity, lead to higher profits, and elevate you to a more advanced level of personal leadership success.

A Texas Destiny: The Saga Begins is the prequel to Joe Bax's award-winning Reconstruction-era epic, The General and Monaville, Texas. The intoxicating notion of free land draws characters to Texas during the early period of Stephen F. Austin's colony, including the family of young Leander Wilhite. When a yellow fever epidemic takes his family, Leander finds himself the owner of over six thousand acres of cotton-growing land. The responsibility matures him beyond his years. The community of Monaville looks to Leander for leadership. He becomes a ranger, chasing Comanches and attempting to protect his neighbors. With the fall of the Alamo, his company joins Sam Houston at San Jacinto. Later, Leander and his community become embroiled in the national debate over slavery issues. The birth of his mulatto son intensifies long-strained friendships, and the American Civil War heats to a boiling point. A Texas Destiny: The Saga Begins dusts off old tales that were long ago dropped from the history books. It follows the beloved characters the General, the Colonel, Momma Mae, and Blue, and reveals what made them the individuals they later became. Fictional and historical figures are imaginatively intertwined as Austin, Houston, Bowie, Rose, Zuber, the notorious Pamela Mann, and the entire cast play out their parts on a giant stage called Texas.

Ken Lindner is the founder of Life-Choice Psychology(TM) and the author of the groundbreaking book, Your Killer Emotions: The 7 Steps to Mastering the Toxic Emotions, Urges, and Impulses That Sabotage You (www.yourkilleremotions.com). For three decades, Ken has built a stellar reputation as one of this country's premier Life-Choice coaches and career counselors. He's learned that even everyday decisions have the power to become crucial turning points in life, and that what separates those individuals who achieve their goals and realize their dreams from those who don't is the process by which their decisions are reached. Crunch Time gives you Ken's 8 foolproof Steps to making constructive and self-enhancing decisions, in addition to the specific Strategies that will bring this process to life. With compelling and insightful case studies, Ken illustrates how to live a life focused on your true values and goals in order to achieve what you want for your career and in your life. Infused with Ken's trademark enthusiasm and ability to inspire, this book's heartfelt advice serves as the ultimate beacon for every defining moment. Ken graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. He later graduated from Cornell Law School, where he focused on conflict resolution. Ken lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Melinda, and their two children, Mary and Tristan.