A literary master looks ahead to her eighties As her eightieth birthday approaches, Doris Grumbach does not feel melancholy or saddened by the upcoming event, despite the loss of friends such as Kay Boyle and Dorothy Day—instead she takes it as an opportunity both to look backward and to grow. In this, her summer of unexpected content, Grumbach weaves the elegiac and the practical into a delightful tapestry of experience. She looks deep into her own history, telling stories of her life in the hardscrabble New York of the 1940s, working as a copyeditor. She details her near encounter with a seventy-two-year-old Bertrand Russell, calling it the closest she has ever come to sleeping with a Nobel Laureate. Grumbach lets us into her life and introduces us to the characters that have peopled her nearly eight decades on Earth. As the fateful day of her celebration draws near, the main topic on Doris Grumbach’s mind is not herself; it’s her guests. The Pleasure of Their Company is a meticulously planned party that any reader would be honored to attend.

From the bestselling author of Shopgirl comes the tender story of a troubled man who finds love, and life, in the most unexpected place. Daniel resides in his Santa Monica apartment, living much of his life as a bystander: He watches from his window as the world goes by, and his only relationships seem to be with people who barely know he exists. He passes the time idly filling out contest applications, counting ceiling tiles, and estimating the wattage of light bulbs. It is through Daniel's growing attachment to Clarissa, and to Teddy, that he finally gains the courage to begin to engage the world outside, and in doing so, he discovers love, and life, in the most surprising places. Filled with his trademark humor, tenderness, and out and out hilarious wordplay, The Pleasure of My Company is a tour de force sure to delight all of Steve Martin's fans.

Experience God's Presence in a Whole New Way There's just something about people who are close to God. Through the ups and downs of life, they remain secure, hopeful. If you want a more rewarding spiritual life, if you want the pleasure of knowing your Creator's heart, this soul-lifting book is for you. Learn from Dutch Sheets as he shares his life lessons for cultivating an intimate relationship with God. Each of the thirty short chapters reveals a simple practice or biblical mindset that will help draw you away from the noise of life and into the Lord's peaceful presence. With profound insights from the Bible and stories you won't soon forget, The Pleasure of His Company is like a spiritual mentor, showing you simple ways to enjoy God more. This powerful book can also be enjoyed as a daily devotional.

(Amadeus). The New York Times music and drama critic recalls friends and associates over a 57-year career. HARDCOVER.

Making the Most of a Good Thing Sharing Your Home and Life with a pet bird from the parrot family can be a joy that must be experienced to be appreciated. Whether your parrot pal is a lordly macaw, a tiny budgie or any of the beautiful Amazons, African greys, cockatoos or other beloved species in between, life can be beautiful when communication works. And that is what The Pleasure of Their Company: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Training can do for the relationship. The text discusses the reasons for training a parrot, how an owner's behavior influences training results, working with baby birds and weanlings, three basic obedience skills and training techniques for adult parrots. You will find chapters on potty training to help your parrot clean up its act; speech training that makes your parrot more fun to be with and some intriguing examples of parrots really knowing what they're saying; trick training that allows a parrot to use its nimble mind and dexterous body together and some valuable insights on fun and games with your parrot to enjoy your relationship fully. With delightful illustrations by parrot lover Richard Cole and a wealth of practical guidance, The Pleasure of Their Company is the gift you give yourself and your parrot to make life better for you both.

With menus, game plans, and 150 recipes, O'Neill charts the waters of a new era in American home entertaining, with style, substance, and wit. She distills the fears and aspirations of anyone who would entertain into five characters who reconcile their trepidations and their grand desires with the realities of modern life. Meet Mr. D., the Manhattan caterer, mourning the demise of baby vegetables and high profits; Johanna, a recovering hostess with the mostest; and Nan, so daunted by recipes and health concerns that she has developed acute cook's block. This romp through changing social mores is a guide to everything from backyard barbecues to orchestrating a sit-down meal, from engineering brilliant conversation to accommodating the dietary constraints of modern guests. Part novel, part cookbook, part self-help, part social satire, The Pleasure of Your Company is the rare book about home entertaining that manages to be both amusing and a practical guide for the novice as well as the experienced hostess.

Businesses are built by growing relationships with customers. Culture is created by the stories those relationships tell. Two of the most important differentiators of a business are its talent and its culture. Talent energized by a compelling culture will drive organizational success and provide innovative growth opportunities for both the business and the individual. Based on her more than thirty years at Chick-fil-A, most of which have been spent as Vice President, Corporate Talent, Dee Ann Turner shares how Chick-fil-A has built a devoted talent and fan base that spans generations. It's My Pleasure tells powerful stories and provides practical applications on how to develop extraordinary talent able to build and/or stimulate a company's culture.