Three friends descend upon an art auction in search of some excitement. Mike Mackenzie-retired software mogul, bachelor and fine art enthusiast-wants something that money can't buy. Fellow art-lover Allan Cruickshank is bored with his banking career and burdened by a painful divorce. And Robert Gissing, an art professor, is frustrated that so many paintings stay hidden in corporate boardrooms, safes and private apartments. After the auction-and a chance encounter with crime boss Chib Calloway-Robert and Allan suggest the "liberation" of several paintings from the National Gallery, hoping Mike will dissuade them. Instead, he hopes they are serious. As enterprising girlfriends, clever detectives, seductive auctioneers and a Hell's Angel named Hate enter the picture, Ian Rankin creates a highly-charged thriller, a faced-past story of second guesses and double crosses that keep changing the picture, right until the harrowing finish.

Will You Open Your Heart and Home to Children in Need? As a teenager, Kristin Berry had heard all the horror stories surrounding foster care and adoption—abuse, neglect, rejection, anger, and misunderstandings. But instead of closing her heart, God opened it wide. This is Kristin’s honest, unvarnished story of some of her experiences as a foster parent of twenty-three children over the course of nine years. What she learned is that living in a foster home is like living with a revolving door. You never know who will arrive or who you will have to say goodbye to. Leaving the door open means there will be heartache and pain, but also adventure and unexpected joy. Kristin and her husband, Mike, have been through it all in their unique parenting journey. If you have ever wondered what it’s really like to be a foster parent, this book will help you gain a true understanding of the everyday trials and triumphs these moms and dads face. It will also inspire you to consider opening your door…and to leave it wide open.

"Doors Close, Doors Open is based on Morton Lieberman's interviews with seven hundred widows and widowers over the course of seven years. In this book he shares the wisdom he has gained, retelling women's stories about the pain and anger and challenges they face in the first few months of being widowed. But most important, Lieberman has made discoveries that expose many of the pernicious myths about widows, and discloses the surprising sources of help for women and the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The vast majority of women, after a painful time, found themselves flourishing - living different but satisfying lives, and changing and growing in ways they never could have dreamed of. This is a book that offers comfort and consolation by understanding so much of what so many women go through and by revealing the truth about widows: that women of all ages have the ability to respond to tragedy, to deal effectively with challenges, and to realize new ways to live and be well."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The transformative professional learning design that advances equity in your school! How do we make educational equity a reality, lesson by lesson? This compelling book is a call to action, focused on observation-based professional learning to elevate teaching practice. Learn how to bring team observation into the classroom to test, refine and transform instruction so that students of all backgrounds achieve. Ideal for classroom teachers, grade-level team facilitators, department chairs, and all education leaders, this guide shows how to: Create a culture of deep collaboration that closes opportunity gaps among students Effectively redesign instruction to reach culturally and linguistically diverse learners, using observation data and shared best practices Center instructional conversations on developing students’ skills for college and career success, including hard-to-assess skills Including video clips of actual teams, Tonya Ward Singer’s powerful and practical book promises to become a catalyst that will inspire educators as leaders of positive change. "This exceptionally valuable book provides a clear process I can use to engage with my colleagues around learning. I appreciated the ideas and practical information that will ensure that my professional learning group focuses on student learning as evidenced in real lessons. The tools that Tonya Singer provides are useful and relevant, not to mention tried and true." —Douglas Fisher, Professor San Diego State University, CA "I recommend this book without hesitation. . . Gone are the days for teachers to be working ‘behind closed doors’ . . . Go forth and TEACH like the world works––collaboratively with teams!" —Harriet Gould, Adjunct Professor Concordia University, Lincoln, NE

This is not one more book with tips and tricks to double your business overnight. In case you haven't noticed, tips and tricks usually don't sustain you over the long run. You also don't need one more book giving you the 'secret' to success. News flash: there is no secret. Have a winning mindset and strong work ethic, you'll do just fine. There, you have the answer, but it probably didn't make you feel any better. Why? Because you are still left with the following problems: No time off - always on-call Being stressed about where the next commission check is coming from Working really hard but not getting to where you think you should be Being overwhelmed - there is too much to do Worrying about things outside of your control Real estate can take people by the horns and toss them around. Doors Open When You Knock is about wrestling control back so that you can leave chaos and uncertainty behind, creating a business and a life that brings joy and fulfillment. This book explores what is possible for you-if you are willing to look. It is about being clear. Taking intentional action over time. Developing patience and gratitude. Being responsible. Because if you want boundless opportunity and freedom, it doesn't happen by accident, it happens on purpose: Doors Open When You Knock.

Organizations are only as productive as the interactions that take place between individuals, teams and divisions. This book is a short, engaging guide for dramatically improving the quality of these interactions. The four 'keys' that Judith Katz and Frederick Miller provide offer a framework and a common language for creating an open, honest and supportive workplace, one where people aren't afraid to speak up and where everyone feels respected. The four keys are: - Lean into Discomfort: Be willing to move beyond your comfort zone, and help create an environment where others feel the same way. - Listen as an Ally: Try to find ways you can support fellow employee's ideas. - Share Your Intent and Intensity: Make it crystal clear how committed you feel to any idea you raise. - Share Street Corners: Your perspective - your corner - is only one point of view. Actively encourage people from other ""corners' to offer their perspectives.