DescriptionIn 1861, foreign ships have already steamed into Shimoda Harbor and forced open Japan's doors to the West. Foreign missionaries have come to Japan; they are there to save men's souls, but to the Japanese they are there to spread false religion. The only man who could have foretold all this is the young Lord Genji, an aesthetic dilettante who nonetheless possesses the powerful gift of prophecy. Forced to escape from the capital Edo, which is under attack by the foreigners, he flees to his ancestral stronghold, the spectacular Cloud of Sparrows castle, where he shelters two American missionaries. Together with a legendary swordsman and an enigmatic geisha, they embark on a harrowing journey through a dangerous landscape to prepare for a final battle.
DescriptionOriginally published in 1935, this elegant essay on the nature of the state shows the important distinction between state power and social power. "Every assumption of power, whether by gift or seizure, " he writes, "leaves society with so much less power; there is never, nor can be, any strengthening of state power without a corresponding and roughly equivalent depletion of social power."…
DescriptionNo business concept was more important to America's economic revival in the 1990s than reengineering, introduced to the world in Michael Hammer and James Champy's Reengineering the Corporation . Already a classic, this international best seller describes how the radical redesign of a company's processes, organization, and culture can achieve a quantum leap in performance. But if you think that reengineering once was enough, think again. More changes, more challenges are coming in the twenty-first century. Now Hammer and Champy have updated and revised their milestone work for the New Economy they helped to create, promising to help corporations save hundreds of millions of dollars more, raise their customer satisfaction still higher, and grow ever more nimble in the years to come.
DescriptionJunie B. does her best, but life just has so many interesting possibilities, which often land her in trouble with the teacher and her parents. No matter how mixed-up things get, one thing's for sure, you'll have a good laugh listening to Junie B.'s adventures! Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth Junie B.'s having a rough week. First she got punishment for shooting off her mouth in kindergarten. And now she's in big trouble again! 'Cause Monday is Job Day, and Junie B. told her class that she's got the bestest job of all. Only, what the heck is it? Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying Junie B. is the bestest spier in the whole world. That's 'cause she has sneaky feet. And her nose doesn't whistle when she breathes. But guess what? Junie B. might be real sneaky. And real peeky. But when she spies on Mrs., she could get into real trouble!
DescriptionJames Ellroy's high-velocity, best selling novels have redefined noir for our age, propelling us within inches of the dark realities of America's recent history. Now, in The Cold Six Thousand - his most ambitious and explosive novel yet - he puts t…
DescriptionThe government has been seized by a ne'er-do-well rich boy and his elderly henchmen...Our great economic expansion is unraveling faster than a set of Firestones...Our water is poisoned, the ozone's in shreds, and the SUVs are advancing like a plague of lo…
