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Author: Oscar Wilde

The unabridged classic on MP3 audio, narrated by Anais 9000. Three playback speeds on one disk; etext edition included. Running time: 4.9 hours (slow), 4.4 hours (medium), 4.1 hours (fast). "A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction," wrote Wilde -- but what evils would a man commit, if they were not reflected in his countenance.

A lush, cautionary tale of a life of vileness and deception or a loving portrait of the aesthetic impulse run rampant? Why not both? After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful, young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remain the same comes true. Dorian Gray's picture grows aged and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent. After he kills a young woman, "as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife," Dorian Gray is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. "The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden."

As Hallward tries to make sense of his creation, his epigram-happy friend Lord Henry Wotton encourages Dorian in his sensual quest with any number of Wildean paradoxes, including the delightful "When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy." But despite its many languorous pleasures, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an imperfect work. Compared to the two (voyeuristic) older men, Dorian is a bore, and his search for ever new sensations far less fun than the novel's drawing-room discussions. Even more oddly, the moral message of the novel contradicts many of Wilde's supposed aims, not least "no artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style." Nonetheless, the glamour boy gets his just deserts. And Wilde, defending Dorian Gray, had it both ways: "All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment."

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The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.(Book review): An article from: Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association

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Author: Gale Reference Team

This digital document is an article from Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, published by American Psychotherapy Association on September 22, 2008. The length of the article is 775 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2008
Publisher: American Psychotherapy Association
Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Page: 49(1)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--that the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!(Book Review): An article from: Armed Forces Comptroller

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Author: Keith Hicks

This digital document is an article from Armed Forces Comptroller, published by American Society of Military Comptrollers on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1261 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--that the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!(Book Review)
Author: Keith Hicks
Publication: Armed Forces Comptroller (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: American Society of Military Comptrollers
Volume: 49 Issue: 1 Page: 45(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.(Book review): An article from: Utah Business

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Author: Chris Thomas

This digital document is an article from Utah Business, published by Utah Business Publishers LLC on September 1, 2010. The length of the article is 357 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.(Book review)
Author: Chris Thomas
Publication: Utah Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Utah Business Publishers LLC
Volume: 24 Issue: 9 Page: 15(1)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning

Chip Heath and Dan Heath on Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

"Change is hard." "People hate change." Those were two of the most common quotes we heard when we began to study change.

But it occurred to us that if people hate change, they have a funny way of showing it. Every iPhone sold serves as counter-evidence. So does every text message sent, every corporate merger finalized, every aluminum can recycled. And we haven’t even mentioned the biggest changes: Getting married. Having kids. (If people hate change, then having a kid is an awfully dumb decision.)

It puzzled us--why do some huge changes, like marriage, come joyously, while some trivial changes, like submitting an expense report on time, meet fierce resistance?

We found the answer in the research of some brilliant psychologists who’d discovered that people have two separate “systems” in their brains—a rational system and an emotional system. The rational system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is, well, emotional—and impulsive and instinctual.

When these two systems are in alignment, change can come quickly and easily (as when a dreamy-eyed couple gets married). When they’re not, change can be grueling (as anyone who has struggled with a diet can attest).

In those situations where change is hard, is it possible to align the two systems? Is it possible to overcome our internal "schizophrenia" about change? We believe it is.

In our research, we studied people trying to make difficult changes: People fighting to lose weight and keep it off. Managers trying to overhaul an entrenched bureaucracy. Activists combatting seemingly intractable problems such as child malnutrition. They succeeded--and, to our surprise, we found striking similarities in the strategies they used. They seemed to share a similar game plan. We wanted, in Switch, to make that game plan available to everyone, in hopes that we could show people how to make the hard changes in life a little bit easier. --Chip and Dan Heath

(Photo © Amy Surdacki)

The Rough Riders

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Author: Theodore Roosevelt

The classic narrative of the heroic actions of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry in Cuba.

"During the year preceding the outbreak of the Spanish War, I was Assistant Secretary of the Navy. While my party was in opposition, I had preached, with all the fervor and zeal I possessed, our duty to intervene in Cuba, and to take this opportunity of driving the Spaniard from the Western World. Now that my party had come to power, I felt it incumbent on me, by word and deed, to do all I could to secure the carrying out of the policy in which I so heartily believed; and from the beginning I had determined that, if a war came, somehow or other, I was going to the front." - Theodore Roosevelt

This fine eBook is colorfully presented in portrait orientation, fully-searchable and fully printable. Enjoy! (127pp, 2 illust)

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose.(Book review): An article from: American Economist

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Author: Shelley McDonald

This digital document is an article from American Economist, published by Omicron Delta Epsilon on March 22, 2011. The length of the article is 1554 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose.(Book review)
Author: Shelley McDonald
Publication: American Economist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2011
Publisher: Omicron Delta Epsilon
Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Page: 127(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning

The Innocent Man on Playaway: Ready-To-Go Digital Audiobooks

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Author: John Grisham

In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.
Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.
With no physical evidence, the prosecution s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.

From the Hardcover edition.

John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with The Innocent Man, a true tale about murder and injustice in a small town (that reads like one of his own bestselling novels). The Innocent Man chronicles the story of Ron Williamson, how he was arrested and charged with a crime he did not commit, how his case was (mis)handled and how an innocent man was sent to death row. Grisham's first work of nonfiction is shocking, disturbing, and enthralling--a must read for fiction and nonfiction fans. We had the opportunity to talk with John Grisham about the case and the book, read his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with John Grisham

Q: After almost two decades of writing fiction, what compelled you to write non-fiction, particularly investigative journalism?
A: I was never tempted to write non-fiction, primarily because it's too much work. However, obviously, I love a good legal thriller, and the story of Ron Williamson has all the elements of a great suspenseful story.

Q: Why this case?
A: Ron Williamson and I are about the same age and we both grew up in small towns in the south. We both dreamed of being major league baseball players. Ron had the talent, I did not. When he left a small town in 1971 to pursue his dreams of major league glory, many thought he would be the next Mickey Mantle, the next great one from the state of Oklahoma. The story of Ron ending up on Death Row and almost being executed for a murder he did not commit was simply too good to pass up.

Q: How did you go about your research?
A: I started with his family. Ron is survived by two sisters who took care of him for most of his life. They gave me complete access to the family records, photographs, Ron's mental health records, and so on. There was also a truckload of trial transcripts, depositions, appeals, etc., that took about 18 months to organize and review. Many of the characters in the story are still alive and I traveled to Oklahoma countless times to interview them.

Q: Did your training as a lawyer help you?
A: Very much so. It enabled me to understand the legal issues involved in Ron's trial and his appeals. It also allowed me, as it always does, to be able to speak the language with lawyers and judges.

Q: Throughout your book you mention, The Dreams of Ada: A True Story of Murder, Obsession, and a Small Town. How did you come across that book, and how did it impact your writing The Innocent Man?
A: Several of the people in Oklahoma I met mentioned The Dreams of Ada to me, and I read it early on in the process. It is an astounding book, a great example of true crime writing, and I relied upon it heavily during my research. Robert Mayer, the author, was completely cooperative, and kept meticulous notes from his research 20 years earlier. Many of the same characters are involved in his story and mine.

Q: You take on some pretty controversial and heated topics in your book--the death penalty, prisoner’s rights, DNA analysis, police conduct, and more--were any of your own beliefs challenged by this story and its outcome?
A: None were challenged, but my eyes were open to the world of wrongful convictions. Even as a former criminal defense attorney, I had never spent much time worrying about wrongful convictions. But, unfortunately, they happen all the time in this country, and with increasing frequency.

Q: So many of the key players in this case are either still in office or practicing attorneys. Many family members and friends still live in the same small town. How do you think The Innocent Man will impact this community and other small rural towns as they struggle with the realities of the justice system?
A: Exonerations seem to be happening weekly. And with each one of them, the question is asked--how can an innocent man be convicted and kept in prison for 20 years? My book is the story of only one man, but it is a good example of how things can go terribly wrong with our judicial system. I have no idea how the book will be received in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, or any other town.

Q: What do you hope your readers will take away from The Innocent Man?
A: A better understanding of how innocent people can be convicted, and a greater concern for the need to reimburse and rehabilitate innocent men after they have been released.

The 5th Horseman

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Author: James Patterson

Playaway is the simplest way to listen to a book on the go. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it comes with the audio content already on it and a battery to make it play. No Cassettes. No CDs. No Downloads. Simply plug in the earphones and enjoy. The Women s Murder Club faces an unspeakable horror in an irresistible hospital and courtroom thriller by #1 bestselling author James Patterson. SOMEBODY DIES. A young mother is recuperating in a San Francisco hospital when she is suddenly gasping for breath. The call button fails to bring help in time. The hospital s doctors, some of the best in the nation, are completely mystified by her death. How did this happen? APOCALYPSE NEARS. This is not the first such case at the hospital. Just as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a devastating turn for the worse. Accompanied by the newest member of the Women s Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into the incidents. Could these cases just be appalling coincidences? Or is a maniac playing God with people s lives? When someone close to the Women s Murder Club begins to exhibit the same frightening symptoms, Lindsay fears no one is safe.

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Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

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Author: Eric Blehm

Kelley Brown was described by Adam Brown’s parents as “an angel, sent by God.” She came into Adam’s life just weeks after Adam returned from a one year drug treatment program, and soon learned Adam’s story: that he’d spent time in jail, that he’d been addicted to hard drugs, including smoking and shooting up cocaine. He’d been shot at, he’d had multiple felonies; simply put—he was anything but a catch. Her parents, her friends, and even Adam’s parents urged Kelley to run the other way.

But Kelley knew the Adam she had heard about, pre-drugs, was in there somewhere. She knew that Adam had something more to offer. She knew he was ashamed of what he’d become, and felt in her heart that he would make something of himself. She stayed by his side, through many relapses, searching for him in crack homes, as the overpowering addiction was relentless. And she prayed. Later she would recall, “God never gave me one reason to leave.” In 1998, Kelley and Adam were married, and he joined the Navy, having miraculously been accepted after signing a truckload of waivers. Adam was the honor recruit in boot camp, and then, with Kelley by his side, Adam successfully advanced through SEAL training. When Kelley became pregnant and had an emergency birth while Adam was in training, she kept the complications unknown to Adam so he could focus on his work.

Kelley doctored Adam through multiple injuries as he rose through the ranks, and celebrated with him when he qualified for the Tier One level of the SEALs. The special mission unit only takes orders from the highest levels within the White House and the Pentagon. He became the first SEAL to pass the training for SEAL Team Six, despite only one eye, and the dexterous loss of his right hand. Kelley’s support helped Adam to find himself—the fearless, tough as nails, and compassionate youth he’d been. With her, he traded the selfish life as a drug addict for the selfless life of a Navy SEAL.

Although Adam was the tough SEAL, he knew the person with the toughest job in the marriage was Kelley, who persevered as he was deployed on the most dangerous missions, hitting the highest level targets in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, and the terrorists who threatened his country and his family. He executed highly tactical strikes against their enemies; Kelley cheered their kids, answered their questions, quieted their tears, and calmed their fears. The night that Adam was killed, Kelley exemplified Adam’s own toughness by holding it together for her kids. Despite the heartache, in the months that followed, she would keep a promise to Adam—to tell the world his story, warts and all, of who he was before he became a Christian and who he was because of Christ. Kelley Brown epitomizes the spirit of the American military wife, and as selflessly as her fallen husband, has been willing to share this inspirational story to honor her husband whose team ultimately was responsible for avenging the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

JavaScript: The Good Parts

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Author: Douglas Crockford

Most programming languages contain good and bad parts, but JavaScript has more than its share of the bad, having been developed and released in a hurry before it could be refined. This authoritative book scrapes away these bad features to reveal a subset of JavaScript that's more reliable, readable, and maintainable than the language as a whole-a subset you can use to create truly extensible and efficient code.

Considered the JavaScript expert by many people in the development community, author Douglas Crockford identifies the abundance of good ideas that make JavaScript an outstanding object-oriented programming language-ideas such as functions, loose typing, dynamic objects, and an expressive object literal notation. Unfortunately, these good ideas are mixed in with bad and downright awful ideas, like a programming model based on global variables.

When Java applets failed, JavaScript became the language of the Web by default, making its popularity almost completely independent of its qualities as a programming language. In JavaScript: The Good Parts, Crockford finally digs through the steaming pile of good intentions and blunders to give you a detailed look at all the genuinely elegant parts of JavaScript, including:

Syntax
Objects
Functions
Inheritance
Arrays
Regular expressions
Methods
Style
Beautiful features

The real beauty? As you move ahead with the subset of JavaScript that this book presents, you'll also sidestep the need to unlearn all the bad parts. Of course, if you want to find out more about the bad parts and how to use them badly, simply consult any other JavaScript book.

With JavaScript: The Good Parts, you'll discover a beautiful, elegant, lightweight and highly expressive language that lets you create effective code, whether you're managing object libraries or just trying to get Ajax to run fast. If you develop sites or applications for the Web, this book is an absolute must.

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