Fred Cook began his football career with Footscray in the VFL. But he really made his name in the game after crossing to Port Melbourne in the VFA. His prodigious goalkicking in the 1970s earned him the nickname of 'Fabulous Fred' and fame at a pop-star level. He appeared on TV, on radio and wrote newspaper columns, and he mixed with Melbourne's sporting and entertainment elite. But he fell in with a criminal crowd, formed a drug habit, lost everything and did three spells in prison. Cook has led a remarkable life, going from hero to zero. He's always wanted to tell his story, which features football, crime and drugs, and the wider issue of sportspeople who struggle with normalcy once their careers have ended. Fred Cook's name still resonates, thirty years after his career ended. Last year he was nominated for the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

A long time ago when I was just a kid, my favorite teacher, Mr. Marcus, told me this story. Mr. Marcus told our class that on very special nights, when the stars are just right, and the wind is still, and the moon is new, a certain dragon would come to visit with him, and they would talk. The dragon often told him a story or two. Sometimes they were old, and sometimes they were new. Dr. D. Dragon Davis told this story to Mr. Marcus, he told it to me, and I'm telling it to you. In this story, our hero, the Fabulous Fred Francis Farquhar the Fourth is given the opportunity to make a life-changing choice. This is the story of how he makes his choice. Do you agree with his choice? What would you have chosen? Remember that the history of our choices becomes the history of our life. I hope that you choose to read this book. Now this story is true and as real as can be, as real as good old Dr. D. could very well be...or perhaps, or maybe perhaps not. Anyway, I hope that you like and learn from this, I hope that you do. I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. --John Lennon

A former Senior Partner and Global Managing Director at the legendary design firm IDEO shows how to design conversations and meetings that are creative and impactful. Conversations are one of the most fundamental means of communicating we have as humans. At their best, conversations are unconstrained, authentic and open—two or more people sharing thoughts and ideas in a way that bridges our individual experiences, achieves a common goal. At their worst, they foster misunderstanding, frustration and obscure our real intentions. How often do you walk away from a conversation feeling really heard? That it moved the people in it forward in some important way? You’re not alone. In his practice as a designer, Fred Dust began to approach conversations differently. After years of trying to broker communication between colleagues and clients, he came to believe there had to a way to design the art of conversation itself with intention and purpose, but still artful and playful. Making Conversation codifies what he learned and outlines the seven elements essential to successful exchanges: Commitment, Creative Listening, Clarity, Context, Constraints, Change, and Create. Taken together, these seven elements form a set of resources anyone can use to be more deliberate and purposeful in making conversations work.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and Children Make Terrible Pets comes another adventure starring everyone's favorite underdog. When Chowder goes off to the Fabu Pooch Boot Camp, as usual he just doesn't fit in. Chowder tries his best, but his attempts to make himself more fabulous all fall flat. When the First Annual Fabu Pooch Pageant is announced, Chowder anxiously tries to think of a way to stand out. After all, the prize is a one-year supply of Snarf Snacks! Some pups practice their pearly grins, other hounds get massages to relax. One pooch even gets permed! But Chowder finds his calling when he discovers a trampoline. He leaps, he flips, he bounces, and he wows the crowd! Perfect for fans of Chowder and for new readers alike.

When Fred's green-fingered grandfather shows her a map to the mysterious island of Papa Nupi, he leads her on a summer holiday adventure that just might save the planet. From Zeb Soanes, author of the bestselling Gaspard the Fox books.Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub is also an exciting orchestral concert work by James Marangone.'Beautifully topical, Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub is a thrilling and wondrous adventure, where the power of music and nature inspire us all to make the world a better place.' Dame Judi Dench'An exciting journey into a world of enchanted flowers.' Alan Titchmarsh, MBE