Unexpected Developments

Book Description

"I'm not sure you really want to get into what I did this summer, Mrs. Westland. Sex. Sex is how I spent my summer vacation."Megan knows twenty different words for "breasts," and can recite them alphabetically-but she can't remember the last time a guy looked her in the eye first, not the chestSize matters, as Megan found out in the 5 th grade, when she developed the largest breasts in the class. Now she's 17 and wearing her twin brothers' baggy sweatshirts can't hide the fact-two facts, really. When her summer job at Pancake Palace puts her in close touch with Jake , who smells like "temptation and Ivory soap," Megan wonders if he can like her for herself, not just her body. Can lusty, busty Megan learn to trust Jake -and herself? Megan tells about her summer of sex in somewhat poignant and very funny journal entries to her favorite teacher.

Customer Reviews:

Irresistible!.......2007-03-22

Are guys only attracted to Megan because of her bra size? Can she trust her crush's attentions and intentions? I absolutely devoured this humorous, touching story. I loved Megan's "in your face" attitude and voice. The author has a gift for creating quirky/delightful characters, and her insightful take on body image is original and inventive. Highly recommended.

A summer of love and growing up ..........2007-03-21

Megan is a funny, insightful girl who can rattle off a couple dozen slang terms for "breasts" because she's heard them all, over and over, well before she started high school. Now she's about to be a senior in a small Iowa town and her long-term crush, Jake, seems to be crushing right back to her. Most guys don't look above Megan's chest, but Jake actually looks in her eyes. Still, she wonders about his motivations. I love the small Midwestern town setting of this novel and how a restaurant called the Pancake Palace is the center of high cuisine. This novel has the perfect blend of wit and angst for me. If you like books by Carolyn Mackler, Rachel Cohn, and Sarah Dessen, then you'll love this!

Are we reading the same book?!.......2007-03-17

I generally do not write book reviews, but this book was so beyond horrible I had to share. What I find so perplexing is that I purchased this book based on the high recommendations of other readers who reviewed it. We couldn't possibly be reading the same book. The dialogue sounds like it was the author's first draft and she never went back to revise it. The characters have no depth, they lack description, the plot does not flow well at all and the main character is so indecisive it's painful to read.
I realize this is the author's first novel, but I question how she ever got it published at all. As a writer of young adult fiction myself, I read young adult material often to keep informed and inspired by what is popular among young adult readers, but I find it hard to believe readers settle for such poor writing. Perhaps I had my expections set higher after recently finishing the novel 'The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things' by Carolyn Mackler. It was well written with intelligent dialogue and detailed characters. It earned several awards and after reading Ms. Perez book, I understand why. I'm perplexed by the fact that both mentioned books received 4 1/2 star ratings. They aren't comparable in any way. I recommend you don't waste your precious reading time on this book.

Refreshing*.......2006-03-27

This book has to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. Not only is it refreshing but it adds a new dimension to the whole writing scheme. It is the typical teen romance story but it has not been done this tenderly in quite some time. It was like a breath of fresh air for myself. Being an avid reader and a teenaged girl I recommend this one to any! I can't wait until Marlene Perez comes out with another. I wouldn't even mind a sequal as cheesy as they are!

Refreshing!.......2005-10-31

The narrator promises in the first few paragraphs that this is a book about sex, which it isn't really (it's about much more). But it IS a funny, franky, and refreshingly honest look at teenagers, and teen sexuality. Recommended!

Re-Imagine Your Business for Breakthrough Results: Discover Unexpected New Opportunities by Understanding Who You Are, How You Got Where You Are, Where You Can Go

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Strategic implications of complexity

Re-Imagine Your Business for Breakthrough Results: Discover Unexpected New Opportunities by Understanding Who You Are, How You Got Where You Are, Where You Can Go
Bruce Abell
Manufacturer: Sunstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0865343748

Book Description

Business successes and failures can almost always be traced to the quality of their fundamental ideas and how they are used in the company. Ideas are always fresh when a business starts, but when they become stale, when they fail to reflect the changes in the world, then the business withers and eventually dies.

This is a practical book about business, ideas, and "complexity." Complexity is a new science that shows how interactions among individuals, environments, chance events, and evolution produce the variety and unpredictable outcomes of the world. In a sense, it is the science of real-world, "messy" systems. Human organizations, and businesses, are the messiest systems. Traditionally, to manage them we've been able to make them less messy and more predictable. But today the world no longer cooperates. Now cultures, markets, and technologies change so fast that businesses must be more adaptive than they had to be in more predictable times.

Human organizations are different from all other adaptive systems because they have, at their cores, ideas, not DNA. They are driven by explicit goals and intentions, not just survival and reproduction, and the organization is the way they pursue the goals. Unique ideas give each human complex system a unique identity, and those ideas are the "glue" that holds it together.

The book includes a set of "diagnostics for emergent strategies" that enable any organization to assess and improve the quality and use of its ideas. These diagnostics, along with over 100 examples, show how to rethink business purposes, to identify sources of confusion or poor performance, to consider options that older mindsets have closed off, to make decisions, and, most importantly, to alter the perspective of your company for markedly better results.

Customer Reviews:

Strategic implications of complexity.......2003-02-18

The author is a founder of the strategy and consulting firm associated with the well-known research center The Santa Fe Institute (for a description of its work on complexity see Waldrop: Complexity). The book is therefore framed within an explanation of the implications of complexity theory for non-human and human systems. The book starts with a brief overview of the development of scientific thought, emergence of the theory of 'complex adaptive systems' and its application to business. The overview includes a useful explanation of the important distinction between non human and human (purposive) systems and the implications for a view of business based on complexity. Businesses, at least those that offer a physical product, necessarily contain both kinds of system, as well as containing both linear and complex systems, and strategy has to recognize this explicitly.

The author then discusses the implications of this fact for the structure and strategy processes of a business, including the distinction between what he calls 'doing' or 'instrumental' processes and 'knowing' or 'strategic' processes, which must be harmonized continuously and adaptively to produce strategies. He argues that strategic processes are concerned with principles and models, while instrumental processes are concerned with rules and behaviors, all of which interact.

From this starting point, the balance of the book is concerned with explaining, developing and applying (through examples) a structure of diagnostics - essentially strategic questions - that a business needs to work through in order to develop strategies and strategic processes that not only meet current competitive needs, but adapt to unpredictably changing circumstances and take advantages of opportunities arising from continually reconceptualising the business within a clear understanding of business purpose.

If you are familiar with any of the business literature that rests on systems thinking, complexity or the primacy of knowledge management in contemporary strategy, do not expect to find dramatically new ideas in this book. It is a well structured presentation of reasonably familiar precepts, laced with relevant examples and good common sense advice on some of the balances required and the pitfalls to be avoided. The questions proposed as diagnostics appear to be thorough and comprehensive, although I would have preferred to see a more user-friendly form of presentation than the largely narrative style that is used.

As ever, the step from knowing what ought to be done and why it is being done to successful implementation is a large one, and the author does not go in any depth into the human issues of bringing plans to fruition. He does however stress the importance of clear purpose, shared understanding and a culture that encourages learning and draws forth the creativity of all participants within the business and across the stakeholder chain.

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It is inspiring in the acknowledgement of human experiences.

An engrossing book; wise and compassionate.

Crossings: Everyday People, Unexpected Events, and Life-Affirming Change
Richard Heckler
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Aging | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0151003416

Customer Reviews:

It is inspiring in the acknowledgement of human experiences........1999-01-22

Richard acknowleges people's subjective feelings and experiences. However ordinary an event can be in the eyes of another person, the interviewees' extraordinary visions are presented with honour. People gain wisdom with their own individual experience. People think, feel and interpret their world in the unique individual sense and their ever-growing wisdom in their life is respected. After reading the book, I feel I'm not alone having the kind of experience that is never talked and thus unexpected.

An engrossing book; wise and compassionate........1998-06-27

This is a gentle, compassionate, and wise description of the paths people have taken after unexpected events have appeared in their lives. Heckler does not build new age theories, but, with respect and clarity, simply reports the fact that many people have had experiences that do not fit easily into everyday reality, and that these experiences have changed their lives. A dozen years ago my life was shattered by a number of otherworldly adventures that occurred over a period of a year and a half, and I've worked on integrating these happenings into my life ever since. I've read a lot, and Heckler's book has been one of the two or three most helpful volumes I've encountered.

The failure of the greatest 20th century conspiracy for the economic & political restructuring of the world & the unexpected incredible developments resulting ... & political world strategic studies book)

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The failure of the greatest 20th century conspiracy for the economic & political restructuring of the world & the unexpected incredible developments resulting ... & political world strategic studies book)
Elliott Wilcox
Manufacturer: American Classical College Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0892660031

Living with the Unexpected: Linking Disaster Recovery to Sustainable Development in Montserrat

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Living with the Unexpected
Montserrat's predicament - the comprehensive picture

Living with the Unexpected: Linking Disaster Recovery to Sustainable Development in Montserrat
Anja K. Possekel
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Disaster Relief | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This study deals with complexity and uncertainty, thereby focusing on appropriate methods which enable vulnerable communities to cope effectively with natural hazards and disasters. The central goal of the study is an applicable combination of hazard management and development planning. Therefore, the reconstruction process following a disaster is understood as an opportunity for structural changes and self-organisation processes that can foster sustainable development. In this context the potential of scenario planning as an evolutionary and participatory learning approach is addressed. The empirical research concentrates on the time before and during the volcanic crisis on the Caribbean island Montserrat. Particular methods used are a systematic analysis of the case study, more than 200 interviews with stakeholders and citizens - concentrating on resource and hazard perception, as well as the organisation and execution of various scenario workshops.

Customer Reviews:

Living with the Unexpected.......2000-09-02

Living with the Unexpected is an interesting attempt to examine the continuing volcanic emergency on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, which began in 1995, within the twin contexts of the latest developments in the social theory of disasters and sustainable development. Anja Possekel was awarded a doctorate from the University of Hamburg in 1998, and Living with the Unexpected represents a development of ideas contained in her thesis.

Following an introductory section, in Chapter 2 the author provides a fine and detailed overview of hazard theory. Some of the material has a familiar ring as the author discusses issues such as: the distinction between hazards and disasters and differing approaches to hazard research. Here a well-known cast list of authors makes an appearance as the author contrasts the approaches adopted by the 'founding fathers' of hazard research (e.g. Burton, Kates and White), with more recent development associated with such authors as Hewitt, Susman, Blaikie, Mitchell and Palm. Since much of this material is probably well known to potential readers, much more severe editing could have been carried out, without any sacrifice in clarity. A welcome innovation is that the author also and for the first time in context of volcanic hazards, examines recent developments in complexity and uncertainty theory and links these to a discussion of chaos. For the present reviewer, this section provided an excellent primer to these increasing prominent themes in disaster theory and of itself would justify library purchase of this volume. Chapter 3, which is devoted to strategic planning in disaster zones, also has a theoretical hue. Again the quality of the reviewing is exemplary and, what is particularly noteworthy, is the careful discussion of both the potentials and possible pitfalls of scenario planning. The latter as many practising hazard analysts can attest are often forgotten.

Much has been written about the 1995 eruption of Montserrat, but much of this literature is located in specialised journals and unpublished reports. Anja Possekel is to be congratulated for compiling and editing this material so effectively. Entitled, Montserrat - A Complex System, Chapter 4 first examines Montserrat before the volcanic crisis using notions of certainty and uncertainty as a framework, the author goes on to look at the severe impact of the disaster on the island and, in Chapter 5, outlines various strategies for reconstruction and recovery. A real and welcome innovation of Possekel's work is that her discussion does not conclude at this point, but continues and examines recovery scenarios through a number of workshops attended by both local citizens and decision makers. The author concludes (page 262), that in the context of Montserrat 'resilience is the normative goal of sustainability, whilst sustainability is the process that eventually leads to resilience'. More specifically what us required is a scenario to: 'reduce vulnerability; improve the quality of life, especially with reference to the environment, education, economy and social health care; encourage the partnership between .... individuals, the private sector, NGOs and governments; (and to) blend planning and management'. The author suggest a scenario to achieve these goals, which is acceptable to local people.

Unlike many academic texts, I enjoyed reading Living with the Unexpected and, indeed, read most of it in one session. Although probably too expensive for purchase by any but the most affluent academic, Anja Possekel's book is an essential library purchase for institutions of higher education and government departments. It is a ground breaking work of applied scholarship and is highly recommended.

Montserrat's predicament - the comprehensive picture.......2000-04-08

This carefully written, 287-page hardback book illustrated with many photographs, maps, and charts - a factual book which will appeal particularly to those with a professional, academic, or personal interest in Montserrat's economy, geography, and future development, as well as to people who may be involved in preparation for other potential disasters elsewhere. I don't think it is possible to find a better comprehensive summary of Montserrat's current situation anywhere.

It opens with three chapters which set the stage, rather than being focused on Montserrat specifically. These are of more interest to professional geographers, social scientists, or economists. First, it places Montserrat in the context of the United Nations' International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. The second chapter outlines the theoretical basis of the study, discussing the principle of sustainable development, the nature of complexity and uncertainty, the uses of systems theory, and the tasks of hazard management and hazard planning. Chapter 3 discusses strategic planning in general, and the use of the scenarios in this - the heading to this chapter quotes Pericles: "It is less important to foresee the future than to be prepared for it" - a dictum which would serve everyone well who lives in areas at risk of hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods!

The fourth chapter gets into the meat of the subject of Montserrat, starting with a comprehensive description of Montserrat. It quotes Davy (John Davy from 1854? The reference is not included in the bibliography):

"No island in these seas is bolder in its general aspect, more picturesque and I think I might add without exaggeration, more beautiful in the detail of its scenery - indeed might be tempted to say considering its fortunes, that it has the fatal gift of beauty".

The settlement, geological, and ecological maps of Montserrat are excellent, and the summary of Montserrat's history from pre-Columbian times, through a detailed description of the recovery from Hugo, up to the present, is very informative - it includes details and histories of the social, demographic, economic and political structure of Montserrat which are summarized better than I have ever seen elsewhere (where else can you find a diagram of the political structure of Montserrat, with the names and village of origin of every senior civil servant and the location of the 23 departments under the four ministries?). This chapter, like much of the book, also reports the findings of surveys and interviews conducted with a substantial number of people in Montserrat.

The chapter gives a blow-by-blow (or should I say flow-by-flow?) account of each stage of the volcanic crisis, with reproductions of every one of the series of risk zone maps produced by the MVO, together with an account of the economic, social, and political upheavals, and several photographs by the author, Doug Darby, David Lea and others. For anyone who wants a review and summary of the events, this must be the best account yet, and it combines on-island and off-island sources in a very useful way - with quotations from interviews with ordinary people, lyrics by Arrow, Cupid, and Rachel Collis, poems, and charts to boot!

Chapter 5 sets the scene for the author's "scenarios" methodology in hazard management, and Chapter 6 starts by describing a "dry run" of this methodology using a group in Hamburg, before it gets down to the nitty-gritty, exploring the different development scenarios envisioned for Montserrat by a varied group of Montserratians who were convened for the purpose. The scenarios included such varied vision as Montserrat as "the small Caribbean Jaguar", "Business as usual" (if only that were possible! It is accompanied by a drawing of taxi drivers playing dominoes by the War Memorial) and "Sustainable Development". Political scenarios, including independence or closer integration with the UK are also explored.

I'm not a geographer, an economist, or a planner, so I don't feel equipped to pass judgement on this book in any way. I'm left with the feeling that there are some great techniques and great ideas out there, but that the powers that be in Montserrat - and indeed the people as a whole - are just going to "muddle through", and that without deciding on even one of the possible scenarios or road maps outlined in this book, Montserrat will just flounder, economically, politically, socially, and environmentally. If a country does not know where it wants to go, it is unlikely to get there, and I see no sign that there has been much thought to where the country wants to do, all the platitudes of the Strategic Development Plan notwithstanding. A book of this sort does not have the immediacy or focus of something as specific as the Wadge report, but that makes it no less important, but I think it will be relegated to the same dusty shelf as the Wadge report was, and with the same kind of consequences.

Average customer rating:

Very helpful

An amazing DVD if you want to raise teens without all the power struggles.

Oh Great! What Do I Do Now: Parenting Remedies for When Kids Cook Up the Unexpected
Charles Fay
Manufacturer: Penton Overseas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Child Development | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Parenting Teens With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1930429304

Book Description

Parenting Remedies For When Kids Cook Up The UnexpectedWritten and told by Charles Fay, Ph.D.Dr. Charles Fay brings you lots of giggles and plenty of easy to use strategies to help you handlethe unexpected. Have a ready-made answer for that classic question. This new audio program is guaranteed to lower parents stress level and make life fun again.It works on kids of all agestoddler to teen.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2007-02-17

I thought this CD was great. It has many different points and each time I listen to it I get another idea. It is often humorous and gives ways to repond to the most difficult child. Would recommend.

An amazing DVD if you want to raise teens without all the power struggles........2006-08-18

Not sure what the other reader was talking about. I am an agnostic so I am pretty aware of that kind of thing. I was also a special needs teacher in high school. Not only does Love and Logic work in the classroom but it does amazing things with my kids. I have 2 toddlers and I think the Love and Logic books and videos are an indespensible resource. It seems to me that the previous reviewer was just looking for a forum to rant about something totally unrelated to these books. He also wasn't reviewing this book - I guess some people will actually mislead people to try and get their voice heard. If click on "see my other reviews" under his name you will see that he has reviewed every book in the Love and Logic series with this rhetoric that is based on complete ignorance. Charles Fay and Foster Cline (founders of Love and Logic) are from Evergreen Colorado - not Colorado Springs and have nothing to do with the whole "family first" thing. There is no affiliation whatsoever. Again, not sure what the other reviewer was talking about - but it is a shame that he may turn people away from a resource that is the most effective tool I have come across to raise children who are responsible, able to make choices effectively, have great self-esteem, and to avoid all the arguments and power struggles that come with parenting.

ACTION trial resolves nifedipine safety debate: an unexpected benefit seen in the study was a 29% reduction in new-onset congestive heart failure.(Cardiovascular ... An article from: Internal Medicine News

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ACTION trial resolves nifedipine safety debate: an unexpected benefit seen in the study was a 29% reduction in new-onset congestive heart failure.(Cardiovascular ... An article from: Internal Medicine News
Bruce Jancin
Manufacturer: International Medical News Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 672 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: ACTION trial resolves nifedipine safety debate: an unexpected benefit seen in the study was a 29% reduction in new-onset congestive heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
Author: Bruce Jancin
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 37 Issue: 19 Page: 40(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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Don't miss 'unexpected osteoporosis'. (Test Bone Density in All Women Over 65).(Brief Article): An article from: Family Practice News

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Don't miss 'unexpected osteoporosis'. (Test Bone Density in All Women Over 65).(Brief Article): An article from: Family Practice News
Sherry Boschert
Manufacturer: International Medical News Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 545 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Don't miss 'unexpected osteoporosis'. (Test Bone Density in All Women Over 65).(Brief Article)
Author: Sherry Boschert
Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 32 Issue: 5 Page: 18(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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Expect the unexpected: financing the Orange County Convention Center expansion in the wake of recession and terrorism.(Tourist Development Tax): An article from: Government Finance Review

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Expect the unexpected: financing the Orange County Convention Center expansion in the wake of recession and terrorism.(Tourist Development Tax): An article from: Government Finance Review
Sharon Donoghue , Eric Gassman , Stephanie Taub , and Fred Winterkamp
Manufacturer: Government Finance Officers Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Government Finance Review, published by Government Finance Officers Association on August 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2716 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Expect the unexpected: financing the Orange County Convention Center expansion in the wake of recession and terrorism.(Tourist Development Tax)
Author: Sharon Donoghue
Publication: Government Finance Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2004
Publisher: Government Finance Officers Association
Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Page: 23(5)

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