Freddie doesn’t realize it’s a very bad idea to show off an icky-looking scar in the middle of the lunchroom. And why he’s slow to understand that his loud behaviors are annoying, and his overbearing attitude is maddening. When the school nurse encourages Freddie to put on “perspective-taking lenses” and Mom suggests he walk in other people’s shoes, will Freddie finally start to become more open to and understanding of the thoughts and feelings of others?

Everyone was gathered in the cafeteria for lunch, so Freddie decided it was the perfect moment to show off the grisly gash on his leg. He thought the scar was cool and impressive. But Freddie thought wrong. No one was impressed, but they were grossed out. That’s Freddie the Fly. He assumes everyone sees, thinks, and feels the exact same way he does. And it’s becoming a problem. The lunch lady demanded Freddie make a beeline to the nurse’s office. Freddie wasted no time telling Nurse Mantis about how he made his leg the center of lunchroom attention. Rather than just treating the cut, however, Nurse Mantis diagnosed Freddie’s real problem – his vision! He struggles seeing any perspective other than his own. Freddie didn’t realize the nasty-looking scratch would be stomach-churning to anyone who just wanted to eat. Just like he didn’t understand why Mesquita had swatted at him that morning (too self-absorbed!) or why his best buddy dumped him as a project partner (too overbearing!). To help Freddie be more empathetic, sensitive, and understanding toward the opinions, attitudes and feelings of others, Nurse Mantis encourages him to use “perspective-taking lenses.” Will that switch Freddie’s outlook from ME to WE? Or will he continue to annoy his friends and family by seeing every situation from only one side – his? A special page written specifically for parents and educators offers practical tips on helping kids develop their perspective-taking skills so they will be more open to and aware of the feelings and thoughts of others.

Freddie returns with quite the conundrum! He keeps missing social cues, so he misunderstands what people mean, and then he finds himself in a mess. He just doesn't get that there's a lot more to communication than the words that people say. Fortunately for our favorite fly, he has his dad and Principal Roachford available to teach him avout connecting the communication dots, including voice tone, facial expressions and body language.

Freddie the Fly’s friend Stella the Stinkbug has a problem. Or lots of problems. Some problems are big, and some are small. But every time she faces a problem, she reacts the same way. She Bugs out. And you know what happens when a stink bug bugs out? It causes a Big Stink! With help from Mrs. Monarch, Stella and Freddie learn about different kinds of problems: Big problems, Meh problems, and No Bigs. Each problem has an appropriate reaction. Mrs. Monarch teaches Stella and Freddie two important questions to ask themselves, and then the problem solving can begin! Follow along as Freddie and Stella learn to control their reactions to different problems, and to keep small problems small so they can be easily solved.

“One of the most profound and illuminating studies of this century to have been published in recent decades.”—John Gray, New York Times Book Review Hailed as “a magisterial critique of top-down social planning” by the New York Times, this essential work analyzes disasters from Russia to Tanzania to uncover why states so often fail—sometimes catastrophically—in grand efforts to engineer their society or their environment, and uncovers the conditions common to all such planning disasters. “Beautifully written, this book calls into sharp relief the nature of the world we now inhabit.”—New Yorker “A tour de force.”— Charles Tilly, Columbia University

Imagine being alongside one of the greatest bands in the history of rock, touring the world and being there as they perform at some of the best and biggest music venues in the world. Peter Hince didn't have to imagine: for more than a decade, he lived a life that other people can only dream of as he worked with Queen as head of their road crew. In 1973, Queen was the support act for Mott the Hoople, for whom Peter was a roadie. Back then, Queen had to content themselves with being second on the bill and the world had not yet woken up to the flamboyant talent of Freddie Mercury. Peter started working full time for Queen just as they were making A Night at the Opera, the album which catapulted them to international stardom. In this intimate and affectionate book, Peter recalls the highlights of his years with the band. He was with Freddie when he composed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'; he was responsible for making sure that Freddie's stage performances went without a hitch - and was often there to witness his famed tantrums! He was also party to the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll which are invariably part of life on the road with a rock band.

This book describes the living-room artifacts, clothing styles, and intellectual proclivities of American classes from top to bottom.