"For Chris Edwards, the decision to transition from female to male was black and white. The question was, did he have the balls to do it? Did he have the balls to come out at a company board meeting made up of white, middle-aged executives? To endure 28 painful and extensive surgeries? Show up at his 10-year high school reunion? Date a member of the Nashville Bikini Team? The answer is yes--yes, he did"--Publisher's website.

You want some? She snarls those words at him with barely concealed hostility the moment he arrives at her window to ask for her license and registration. After a few choice words, he lets her go with not one ticket, but three. Next time she should check the attitude at the door and realize that he's a cop, and just doing his job. Come get some. Fast forward a week, and he's still unable to think about anything else but her and her bad attitude--oh, and those sexy lips, angry eyes, and her promise to make his life hell. Knowing he should stay away, he takes a step back and tries not to think about anything that has to do with those long legs, and that mouth that could be used for much better things than spewing venom. Then she makes a mistake. At an interview, she rattles off a random number to use as a reference for a job that she desperately needs, and that number just happens to be Johnny's. She'll regret being so rude, and one day she'll think twice when she decides to throw attitude toward a man like him. Vowing to make her life hell, he decides to have a little fun. Never get enough. What he doesn't expect is to fall for her. The more Johnny learns about June, the deeper he digs his hole. Soon, he doesn't know which way is up, and he's just fine with that. Over time, he learns that not everyone bothers to dig past her prickly demeanor and get to the woman that lives deeper. When one too many citizens of Hostel, Texas tries to back her against the wall, he's had enough. After all, you don't mess with what's his.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

A determined duck pleads for grapes at the most unlikely of places: a lemonade stand. The story and song in this comical, musical picture book will delight both adults and children, who can play the song aloud while learning important lessons about persistence and compassion.

Kurt Hall is an impetuous man who is always straight with both wit and honesty. A trusted employee, he is on his way to reaching new heights in an unusual company that takes rich corporate clientele on student expeditions to break the rut of their dreary city routine. Everything is fine until Mandy Drake, his employer's daughter, arrives to help with the company business. From then on, through one battle of wit and will power after another, Kurt knows that she is out to get him. But what exactly is she after?From office politics to meetings with clients, and from meals in all types of restaurants to trudging through trails on student expeditions, Kurt Hall and Mandy Drake provide witty dialogue that entertains with many meanings, while at the same time leaning in only one direction.