Download or read book Gone Viral written by Justin Hart and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Data and marketing consultant and statistical sage to presidential candidates, governors, businesses, and the real powers-that-be, epidemiologists, Justin Hart catalogs in a terrifying-but-sprightly manner the folly and psychosis produced by the pandemic and diagnoses the societal destruction that the massive overresponse to the COVID virus has wreaked, as well as what can be done to stop the madness and bring the world back to a modicum of rationality. WORST. DISEASE. EVER. Someone broke America. In this nightmare, neighbors have turned into agoraphobes, teachers fear their students, children are muzzled, citizens are censored, dystopian fictions have become reality, and unelected officials are creating a biometric police state. Oh wait. It’s not a nightmare. It’s our daily lives! In truth, much of this insanity didn’t start with the coronavirus pandemic (it was already latent in big government and big corporations) and it won’t end there. COVID-19’s greatest threat turned out to be . . . mental. All we had to fear was fear itself—and boy did some of us fear! The very idea of the virus weakened the immune system of America and revealed a decaying underbelly of confusion, panic, unease, and cowardice few of the strong ones suspected existed. What a horrible wake-up call! In a spate of anxious dread and gleeful power-grabbing, our health overlords threw away the pandemic response handbook and tried—beyond all reason—to protect, well, everyone. From massive over-testing to universal retail plexiglass to stay-at-home orders to stay-away-from-school orders to masking mandates to vaccine mandates to some of the worst restrictions on civil liberties in American history, this is an epic story that poses big questions about America’s future as a free society. And the odd thing is, as Justin Hart shows, the actual disease was, as pandemics go, not that threatening; most people were at minimal risk. What is really scary is the total overreaction of half the country, many governments, that lost all sense of perspective. Hart offers a hopeful prescription on how we might face the madness down and claw our way back to sanity!

Download or read book These Precious Days written by Ann Patchett and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-11-23 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

Download or read book Policy Evaluation in the Era of COVID 19 written by Pearl Eliadis and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-04-07 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did evaluation meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis? How were evaluation practices, architectures, and values affected? Policy Evaluation in the Era of COVID-19 is the first to offer a broad canvas that explores government responses and ideas to tackle the challenges that evaluation practice faces in preparing for the next global crisis. Practitioners and established academic experts in the field of policy evaluation present a sophisticated synthesis of institutional, national, and disciplinary perspectives, with insights drawn from developments in Australia, Canada and the UK, as well as the UN. Contributors examine the impacts of evaluation on socioeconomic recovery planning, government innovations in pivoting internal operations to address the crisis, and the role of parliamentary and audit institutions during the pandemic. Chapters also example the Sustainable Development Goals, and the inadequacy of human rights-based approaches in evaluation, while examining the imperative proposed by some authors that it is time that we take seriously the call for substantial transformation. Written in a clear and accessible style, Policy Evaluation in the Era of COVID-19 offers a much-needed insight on the role evaluation played during this unique and critical juncture in history.

Download or read book Elton John written by Gillian G. Gaar and published by Motorbooks International. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This re-release of Elton John at 75 (2022) celebrates the rocker’s life in a beautifully produced retrospective detailing 75 key releases and life events.

Download or read book Love in My Language written by Alexandra Elle and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2014-07-07 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Love in my Language" is the sophomore title of best-selling, self-published author, Alexandra Elle. Equipped with 144 pages of self-discovery. Alex shares some of her deepest and darkest moments that are intertwined with faith, hope and finding her light. This body of work explores the ins and out of trials and tribulations, partnered with successes and failures. The pages of "Love in my Language" are filled with poetry, narrative essays, and gentle reminders. You will get an authentic look into the life of the author, and she hopes that readers take away peace after reading the pages.

Download or read book I Love Jesus But I Want to Die written by Sarah J. Robinson and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Download or read book The Dutch House written by Ann Patchett and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulitzer Prize Finalist | New York Times Bestseller | A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick | A New York Times Book Review Notable Book | TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post; O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Refinery29, and Buzzfeed From Ann Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth, comes a powerful, richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are. At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves. The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakeable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures. Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

Download or read book How to Read Numbers written by Tom Chivers and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2022-03-31 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Patty and the Pandemic written by Peter Adamson and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-23 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Patty loves playing with her pals. But now, the bad bug is trying to make them sick! How will Patty fight back to save her friends and herself from the bad bug? Join Patty as she learns all about the bad bug's tricks, and makes some tricks of her own that you and the rest of her friends can use to defeat the bad bug! Written by medical student, Nicole Crimi, and peer reviewed by public health specialist Dr. Joanne Kearon, and Dr. Peter Adamson, Patty and the Pandemic aims to educate and empower children 3-8 years old about COVID-19 in a fun and relatable way. Full of fun, rhyming verses and original watercolour paintings, children can giggle as they learn all about what COVID-19 is, how it is spread, what to expect if they are sick and the key tricks to staying safe. 100% of profits from book sales are being donated to Face the Future Foundation - so with the purchase of this book, you are supporting the health of children in your community, as well as those around the world.

Download or read book The Clover Girls written by Viola Shipman and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the USA Today bestselling author of The Summer Cottage "Like a true friendship, The Clover Girls is a novel you will forever savor and treasure." —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth, Veronica, Rachel and Emily met at Camp Birchwood as girls in 1985, where over four summers they were the Clover Girls—inseparable for those magical few weeks of freedom—until the last summer that pulled them apart. Now approaching middle age, the women are facing challenges they never imagined as teens, struggles with their marriages, their children, their careers, and wondering who it is they see when they look in the mirror. Then Liz, V and Rachel each receive a letter from Emily with devastating news. She implores the girls who were once her best friends to reunite at Camp Birchwood one last time, to spend a week together revisiting the dreams they’d put aside and repair the relationships they’d allowed to sour. But the women are not the same idealistic, confident girls who once ruled Camp Birchwood, and perhaps some friendships aren’t meant to last forever… USA TODAY bestselling author Viola Shipman is at her absolute best with The Clover Girls. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will love its powerful, redemptive nature and the empowering message at its heart. Don't miss bestselling author Viola Shipman's enchanting new novel, FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN—a magical story about the family you’re born with, and the one you choose! Other books by Viola Shipman: The Secret of Snow A Wish for Winter The Edge of Summer The Summer Cottage The Heirloom Garden

Download or read book Doctor Who Adventures in Lockdown written by Chris Chibnall and published by Random House. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darkness Never Prevails. While staying home was a vital safety measure in 2020, the freedom of the TARDIS remained a dream that drew many - allowing them to roam the cosmos in search of distraction, reassurance and adventure. Now some of the finest TV Doctor Who writers come together with gifted illustrators in this very special short story collection in support of BBC Children in Need. Current and former showrunners - Chris Chibnall Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat - present exciting adventures for the Doctor conceived in confinement, alongside brand new fiction from Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss and Vinay Patel. Also featuring work from Chris Riddell, Joy Wilkinson, Paul Cornell, Sonia Leong, Sophie Cowdrey, Mike Collins and many more, Adventures in Lockdown is a book for any Doctor Who fan in your life, stories that will send your heart spinning wildly through time and space... £2.25 from every copy sold in the UK of Doctor Who: Adventures in Lockdown will benefit Children in Need (registered charity number 802052 in England & Wales and SC039557 in Scotland)

Download or read book Good Grief Embracing life at a time of death written by Catherine Mayer and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘The most life-affirming book ever written about death.’ Sandi Toksvig ‘One of the most powerful and helpful books about grief that you will ever read.’ Anita Anand ‘Grief is more than the price of love. It is love. We must learn not just to live with it, but to make it welcome.’

Download or read book Dusk Before the Dawn written by Larry Ketchersid and published by Infinity Publishing. This book was released on 2006-04 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combining nanotechnology, martial arts and a struggle for world domination, Dusk Before the Dawn follows people struggling to not only survive in a new world order, but to shape it.

Download or read book What Can I Do written by Jane Fonda and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A call to action from Jane Fonda, one of the most inspiring activists of our time, urging us to wake up to the looming disaster of climate change and equipping us with the tools we need to join her in protest In 2019, daunted by the looming disaster of climate change and inspired by Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein, and student climate strikers, Jane Fonda asked herself one question: What can I do? Jane Fonda, one of the most influential activists of our time, moved to Washington, D.C., and has since led thousands of people in demonstrations on Capitol Hill. In launching Fire Drill Fridays, Fonda teamed up with Greenpeace, leading climate scientists, and community organizers not only to understand what’s at stake, but to equip all of us with the education and tools we need to join her in protest. What Can I Do? isn’t a wish list—it’s a to-do list. So many of us recognize the urgency in stemming the tide of climate change but aren’t sure where to start. Our window of opportunity to act is quickly closing. And it isn’t only Earth’s life-support systems that are unraveling, so too is our social fabric. This is going to take an all-out war on drilling, fracking, deregulation, racism, misogyny, colonialism, and despair—all at the same time. The problems we face now require every one of us to join the fight for not only our immediate future, but for the future of generations to come. 100% of the author's net proceeds from What Can I Do? have gone to Greenpeace

Download or read book The Great Realization written by Tomos Roberts (Tomfoolery) and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selected by Today as a book "to ease kids’ anxiety about coronavirus.” We all need hope. Humans have an extraordinary capacity to battle through adversity, but only if they have something to cling onto: a belief or hope that maybe, one day, things will be better. This idea sparked The Great Realization. Sharing the truths we may find hard to tell but also celebrating the things—from simple acts of kindness and finding joy in everyday activities, to the creativity within us all—that have brought us together during lockdown, it gives us hope in this time of global crisis. Written for his younger brother and sister in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem is as timely as it is timeless. Its message of hope and resilience, of rebirth and renewal, has captured the hearts of children and adults all over the globe—and the glimpse it offers of a fairer, kinder, more sustainable world continues to inspire thousands every day. With Tomos Roberts’s heartfelt poem and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Nomoco, The Great Realization is a profound work, at once striking and reassuring, reminding readers young and old that in the face of adversity there are still dreams to be dreamt and kindnesses to be shared and hope. There is still hope. We now call it The Great Realization and, yes, since then there have been many. But that’s the story of how it started . . . and why hindsight’s 2020.

Download or read book Ramble Book Musings on Childhood Friendship Family and 80s Pop Culture written by Adam Buxton and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2020-09-03 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK ‘An affectionate and revealing account ... Funny, sad, real, rueful.’ The Times ‘Warm, rambling and self-aware’ Guardian The long-awaited, rambling, tender, and very funny memoir from Adam Buxton

Download or read book Ask a Manager written by Alison Green and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together