The Beijing Olympics will be remembered as the largest, most expensive, and most widely watched event of the modern Olympic era. But did China present itself as a responsible host and an emergent international power, much like Japan during the 1964 Tokyo Games and South Korea during the 1988 Seoul Games? Or was Beijing in 2008 more like Berlin in 1936, when Germany took advantage of the global spotlight to promote its political ideology at home and abroad?Beyond the Final Score takes an original look at the 2008 Beijing games within the context of the politics of sport in Asia. Asian athletics are bound up with notions of national identity and nationalism, refracting political intent and the processes of globalization. For China, the Beijing Games introduced a liberalizing ethos that its authoritative regime could ignore only at its peril. Victor D. Cha-former director of Asian affairs for the White House-evaluates Beijing's contention with this pressure, considering the intense scrutiny China already faced on issues of counterproliferation, global warming, and free trade.

It’s time to grab your baton and lead your organization by implementing effective leadership strategies. William Stieber, PhD, an internationally recognized leadership development trainer, educator, professor, and business consultant, shares a blueprint that will help you drive meaningful change at your organization. But progress can only begin after you answer questions such as: • How are you benchmarking external forces? • How would you characterize your distinct sound to your customers? • What changes in the organization need to be made to ensure alignment? • Are there improvement opportunities in your processes that merit review and change? Asking questions like these are a key first step in applying tips to preserve harmony and ensure your department or organization is operating with a similar focus and maintaining a rhythm to sustain profits, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. Stieber also shares guidance on retaining best-in-class employees, assessing organizational vulnerabilities, and establishing a workplace culture where learning and teamwork is valued. As a musician, it can be tough to play high notes while staying in tune, and organizations face the same challenge—especially after achieving some initial success. Get the insights and strategic guidance you need to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment with The Final Score.

Lily Bancroft dreams of being valedictorian of her senior class. When her only competition, and her teacher, both end up dead, Lily is the chief suspect. Can she find the real killer? Or will her final test end in death?

There's More To Life Than The Game Legendary college football coach Tom Osborne, a former NFL player and Nebraska Congressman, shares his life's wisdom in this powerful collection of stories, advice and spiritual insights. Available Fall 2009 2...

In the new Play-by-Play novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Contact, a star quarterback is torn between his love of the game—and the woman who may be the love of his life. Nathan Riley is ready to follow in the footsteps of his famous football player father. He’s been drafted as quarterback for his dad’s former team, and his future is bright. When his friend Mia Cassidy moves to the same city, their years-long friendship suddenly sparks hot, reminding him of the one night they had together in college that he can never forget. Like Nathan, Mia is from a sports dynasty family and embarking on an incredible new career—as founder of her own sports management company. Her friendship with Nathan means everything to her, and tossing sex into the mix again could jeopardize it. But the chemistry between them has always sizzled, and it isn’t long before Mia realizes she wants more with Nathan than just late-night talks and pizza. Passion has a funny way of changing the rules, and soon Nathan and Mia discover that to win it all, they’ll have to make an unexpected play for love.