“What a wonderful gift this book is for aunties of all of ages, backgrounds, shapes and varieties!” —Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love “Melanie Notkin shines a much-needed spotlight on a bond that brings so much happiness to so many people.” —Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project Savvy Auntie is the ultimate guide for cool aunts, great-aunts, godmothers, and all women who love kids but have none of their own! Written by Melanie Notkin—America’s premier Savvy Auntie and creator of the popular online community savvyauntie.com—Savvy Auntie focuses on everything that parenting manuals generally leave out: namely auntie-ing! This groundbreaking handbook celebrates the 50% of kid-loving American women who aren’t (or are not yet) moms, but have so much to add to the Family Village.

Melanie Notkin wants to change our perceptions about childless women. The rise of childless women is one of the most overlooked and under-appreciated social issues of our time. Never previously have more women lived longer before having their first child or remained childless toward the end of their fertility. In the U.S., the level of childlessness of women age forty to forty-four has doubled, from 10 percent in 1976 to 20 percent in 2006. Society assumes that women either are mothers or choose not to be mothers, but waiting for love and marriage—or at least a committed union—before embarking on motherhood seems to be the least acceptable life choice for the modern woman. Nearly half of North American women of childbearing age are childless,a steep rise from 35 percent in 1976. Nevertheless, childless women are perceived as the exception, not the norm. In Otherhood, Melanie Notkin explores this modern phenomenon to understand the reasons for this shift, the social and emotional impact of childlessness, and how this “new normal” will impact social structures in the decades to come. Part anecdotal storytelling, part inspirational, part reportage, and part manifesto, Otherhood sets out to get to the heart of the issues, enliven the societal consciousness, and trigger conversation. Notkin offers a very personal take on a trend that affects so many modern women.

This latest volume of the Society of Illustrators annual is a gorgeous collection of the year’s best illustrations derived from books, advertising, comics, and un-commissioned illustrations. Designed by D.J. Stout of the prestigious Pentagram Design firm, this massive volume presents not only the year’s finest illustrative work, but also delves into the ideas behind the art as stated by the artists themselves. Each artist discusses the “how to” and “why” of their art, marking this annual as both a visually stunning art book, and a riveting read into the creative process of today’s top working illustrators.

The world is entering a new technological age in which great changes are expected in all areas of human interest, life, and activity. These changes have been brought on by past and present man-made events, which have had both positive and negative consequences. Learn how AI, service robots, and voice control will affect tourism.

Get the last word on the most up-to-date social media marketing techniques If you're not tweeting, Facebooking, or blogging by now, your business is getting left behind. Social media marketing is a highly effective way to engage with your customers. It's an easy, inexpensive way to enlarge your audience, add customers, and build your business. This guide provides an indispensable resource for small businesses and start-ups looking for low-cost online marketing strategies, as well as for marketers in larger companies who want to be more involved with social media. Learn which social media sites best fit your business and how to take full advantage of them. Explore the many aspects of social media, including reviewing sites, monitoring competitors, and fitting social into your current marketing plans Launch a campaign, develop a voice, reach your audience on key and niche platforms, and embrace the influencers Identify social media sites that appeal to your target audience and learn which social platform works best for which objectives Learn to monitor results and assess your program's effectiveness This straightforward guide is exactly what busy marketers and entrepreneurs need to help them get up and running!

All entrepreneurs start their companies because they think it will give them freedom-freedom to work on their own terms, be their own bosses, and create a company that meets their needs. But so often the opposite happens, and they end up encumbered by businesses that bear little to no resemblance to those they had envisioned. They wind up working for their companies, but their companies don't work for them. Despite the freedom that striking out on your own promises, most of the accepted wisdom on how to build a small business advocates a one- size-fits-all approach. So-called experts-and sometimes just well-meaning friends-urge business owners to grow fast, be more profitable, and imitate other successful start-ups. And while these tips may work for some, they fail to consider the astounding variety of values and motivations that individuals have for starting a business. Too often, owners sacrifice their personal satisfaction in order to conform to unnecessary (and often unworkable) standards. Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams have seen this problem for years when working with women entrepreneurs like themselves. They set out to explore how successful female business owners have grown their enterprises in a way that sustains their own personal goals and needs, not someone else's standards. Drawing on the true stories of nearly 100 entrepreneurs, as well as their own experiences, Abrams and Lancaster guide readers through the best principles that really matter when you work for yourself. For instance: Figure out what's in it for you: Clarify why you started your business and what you want to get out of it over the long haul. Find a role that suits your strengths: Identify where you add the most value and can have the most impact. Embrace experimentation: Trying new things gives you the opportunity to see what works and what doesn't and opens up unseen possibilities. This book empowers entrepreneurs to ignore popular "wisdom" and peer pressure to take charge of their businesses in a way that will help them succeed on their own terms.

More American women are childless than ever before—nearly half those of childbearing age don’t have children. While our society often assumes these women are “childfree by choice,” that’s not always true. In reality, many of them expected to marry and have children, but it simply hasn’t happened. Wrongly judged as picky or career-obsessed, they make up the “Otherhood,” a growing demographic that has gone without definition or visibility until now. In Otherhood, author Melanie Notkin reveals her own story as well as the honest, poignant, humorous, and occasionally heartbreaking stories of women in her generation—women who expected love, marriage, and parenthood, but instead found themselves facing a different reality. She addresses the reasons for this shift, the social and emotional impact it has on our collective culture, and how the “new normal” will affect our society in the decades to come. Notkin aims to reassure women that they are not alone and encourages them to find happiness and fulfillment no matter what the future holds. A groundbreaking exploration of an essential contemporary issue, Otherhood inspires thought-provoking conversation and gets at the heart of our cultural assumptions about single women and childlessness.