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Shane Williams has spent almost a decade thrilling the rugb ... Read more

Shane Williams has spent almost a decade thrilling the rugby world with his evasive running skills and a box of tricks that has left the best defenses grasping thin air, disproving the notion that size matters in modern professional rugby. He's been called the little wizard, the artful dodger, and a whole host of other superlatives, but wherever Williams has played, the crowd have been on the edge of their seats. When he entered his 20s, Williams looked set for a life of relative obscurity playing scrum half for his local side, Amman United. All that was to change, however, when he was plucked from nowhere by then Neath coach Lyn Jones, and his rise to become Wales's most dangerous strike runner was meteoric. Following his international debut at 21, Williams lit up Wales’s 2003 World Cup campaign, toured with the British Lions to New Zealand in 2005, and went on to become an integral part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side of 2005 and 2008. In Shane, Williams reveals the inside story of his incredible rugby career so far, the personal trials that have come with success, and how he has managed to defy the odds to become a living Welsh rugby legend. Minimize

David doesn't know how he ends up in such situations. At th ... Read more

David doesn't know how he ends up in such situations. At the time, it just seems like a great idea. His teacher, Mrs. Gorski, has had aout enough; he can tell by the way her voice changes when she speaks to him. This time, he believes that he has come up with the best idea yet. The perfect plan to make everything better.Endorsements: “The Mainstream Connections Children's Book Series conveys a message that could have been lifted straight from a psychology research journal: there is more than one way to define ‘being smart’.  As these stories illustrate, for every person, large and small, there are skills that are relatively difficult to master and others that seem to come more naturally. These books emphasize the important empirical conclusion that just as regular exercise makes the body stronger, so, too, does practice and the effort to improve academically--with all the struggle, fatigue, and initial failure that it entails--allow people to capitalize on the malleable nature of human intelligence.” Dr. Samuel R. Sommers, Tufts University Professor of Psychology “Your books are delightful! I can’t wait until they are published so that I can share them with our twice-exceptional clients. I love the way you transform negative reactions of parents and teachers into affirming strategies that support everyone involved. I especially enjoyed the way David used his creative problem-solving skills to brainstorm all the ways he could handle his ‘Wiggle Fidgets’. Your books for children are definitely needed. I believe that they will make a real difference.” Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D. Director, Gifted Development Center, Co-Chair of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Task Force on Assessment; she serves on the American Psychological Association Task Force on Giftedness. “This is a wonderful book. Each story shows children that success is about effort and determination, that problems need not derail them, and that adults can understand their worries and struggles. My research demonstrates that these lessons are essential for children.” Dr. Carol S. Dweck, Stanford University Professor of Psychology “I applaud Barbara Esham for finding a way to teach young children how to be more mindful. In so doing, she sets the stage for their greater well-being as adults.” Dr. Ellen Langer, Harvard University Professor of Psychology “Katie’s dad can’t spell. Max can’t work under time pressure. Carolyn may never master cursive writing and David wiggles. They are typical of many students who struggle with some aspect of school. They are also lucky because each of them finds understanding or acceptance of their particular learning profiles. Whether it’s the realization that famous people have sometimes been “different” learners, a teacher who understands that creativity counts too, or the ability to identify coping strategies, the four students put a human face on what it means to struggle in school- and how essential it is to have partners in persisting for success. Katie, Max, Carolyn, and David are good news for students, parents, and teachers who want to understand what it means to learn outside the traditional lines of school.” Dr. Carol Tomlinson, University of Virginia Curry School of Education Program Coordinator for the Educational Psychology and Gifted Education Program. Minimize

In this captivating study of one of our most popular music ... Read more

In this captivating study of one of our most popular music genres, Sheila Tracy goes behind the scenes and talks to over 60 Americans who played with the most famous big bands—and who lived to tell the tale. This was no mean feat: swing music's huge popularity brought the performers wild adulation, and for many, resorting to drugs and alcohol was the only way to keep up. These musicians relate their incredible experiences of life on the road, where the pressure to party every night was enormous. Minimize

It was the biggest cycling team ever seen in Britain, suppo ... Read more

It was the biggest cycling team ever seen in Britain, supported by one of the world's most famous names. They took on the old school Europeans in their own backyard, pushing a huge wave of support and excitement before them as they shook the foundations of one of the world's most traditional sports. Then, on the brink of greatness, the house of cards folded. Now, for the first time, the full inside story of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team is told. This is the story of how the most famous vegetarian in the world came to sponsor the world's only vegetarian professional sporting team. Hear about how a small-time British outfit grew so quickly they elbowed their way into the Tour of Italy, and then delve into the mystery of how a team personally funded and endorsed by one of the world's richest men could dissolve into thin air virtually overnight, millions in the red. Minimize

In the last decade, there has been much research into the e ... Read more

In the last decade, there has been much research into the exact events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. According to new information gathered and assessed by Matthew Smith, JFK was murdered on orders emanating from the “alternative” government—the Establishment—which catered to “big business” and which Kennedy was in the process of divesting of power in favor of a government that put people first. The President’s new priorities won him few friends in the government, and Smith emphasizes the fact that most of his policies were dismantled within 18 months of his death. Indeed, his decision to withdraw from the early stages of Vietnam was reversed within hours. In Say Goodbye to America, Matthew Smith carefully examines the role of domestic and international business concerns and how government policies swiftly changed after JFK’s assassination—including the engagement in Vietnam, a war that generated “business” to the tune of $200 billion. Minimize

Involved in more than 350 championship fights—over 100 of t ... Read more

Involved in more than 350 championship fights—over 100 of them world title fights—Mickey Vann is one of the world's top boxing referees. He is also one of the most controversial. Appointed as Britain's youngest star-grade referee, he found himself in front of the disciplinary committee following his first fight. The biggest night of his career—the "Battle of Britain" world heavyweight clash between Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis in Cardiff—saw him back on the mat for a four-letter outburst heard by the world, and he was accused of taking money from Don King to fix a fight. Give Me a Ring covers Vann's professional refereeing career in all its glory and rewinds to his early life. Minimize