The startling and ultimately uplifting narrative of one woman's thirteen-year experience as a foster parent. For more than a decade, Kathy Harrison has sheltered a shifting cast of troubled youngsters-the offspring of prostitutes and addicts; the sons and daughters of abusers; and teenage parents who aren't equipped for parenthood. All this, in addition to raising her three biological sons and two adopted daughters. What would motivate someone to give herself over to constant, largely uncompensated chaos? For Harrison, the answer is easy. Another Place at the Table is the story of life at our social services' front lines, centered on three children who, when they come together in Harrison's home, nearly destroy it. It is the frank first-person story of a woman whose compassionate best intentions for a child are sometimes all that stand between violence and redemption.

The lives of an ostracized gay Southern boy, a wealthy Connecticut woman, and an African-American chef converge in a chic Manhattan café, in a tale ranging from 1920s North Carolina to the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and the present day.

Bruce Bawer exposes the heated controversy over gay rights and presents a passionate plea for the recognition of common values, "a place at the table" for everyone.

Sara, a Pakistani American girl, and Elizabeth, a white Jewish girl, bond in a cooking class in this story about sixth grade, food, friendship, family and what it means to belong.

An intimate portrait of America's foster-care system is told through the experiences of a foster parent and an emotionally abandoned girl who, ensconced with the author's biological, adopted, and foster children, began to thrive in her new family environment. 20,000 first printing.

In this debut memoir, a James Beard Award–winning writer, whose childhood idea of fine dining was Howard Johnson’s, tells how he became one of Paris’s most influential food critics Until Alec Lobrano landed a job in the glamorous Paris office of Women’s Wear Daily, his main experience of French cuisine was the occasional supermarket éclair. An interview with the owner of a renowned cheese shop for his first article nearly proves a disaster because he speaks no French. As he goes on to cover celebrities and couturiers and improves his mastery of the language, he gradually learns what it means to be truly French. He attends a cocktail party with Yves St. Laurent and has dinner with Giorgio Armani. Over a superb lunch, it’s his landlady who ultimately provides him with a lasting touchstone for how to judge food: “you must understand the intentions of the cook.” At the city’s brasseries and bistros, he discovers real French cooking. Through a series of vivid encounters with culinary figures from Paul Bocuse to Julia Child to Ruth Reichl, Lobrano hones his palate and finds his voice. Soon the timid boy from Connecticut is at the epicenter of the Parisian dining revolution and the restaurant critic of one of the largest newspapers in the France. A mouthwatering testament to the healing power of food, My Place at the Table is a moving coming-of-age story of how a gay man emerges from a wounding childhood, discovers himself, and finds love. Published here for the first time is Lobrano’s “little black book,” an insider’s guide to his thirty all-time-favorite Paris restaurants.

Thoroughly revised and updated and with a new Introduction by the authors, this paperback edition of Her Place at the Table draws on extensive interviews with women leaders to help all women negotiate their path to leadership success. A Woman's Guide to Taking Her Place at the Leadership Table "It's time for women to take their places at the leadership tables alongside men. Why? Because the skills we developed at the foot of the table—bringing people together, building bridges across differences, and thinking outside the box—are in great demand. But to use this time and these skills to the greatest advantage, read this book. The authors have set a great meal for you...just devour it." —Marie C. Wilson, president and founder, The White House Project "Does she have the right stuff? That question follows women whenever they are promoted to visible leadership positions. Her Place at the Table lays out the pragmatic moves that can help any woman in business show she has the right stuff. I encourage all women with leadership aspirations to use this book as a guide." —Patricia Fili-Krushel, executive vice president, Time Warner "Women roar—they are the leaders we need in corporations today, but there are still some barriers. This book will help individual women negotiate what they need to succeed as leaders and help their firms support them in their efforts. That way we all win!" —Tom Peters, management consultant and author, Reimagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age For more information about Her Place at the Table or a group discussion guide, visit http://www.herplaceatthetable.com. Completely Updated with a New Introduction by the Authors