In Talkin’ Big, Tom Dittmer—former CEO of Refco, the United States’ first world-renowned futures firm—recalls how with hard work, determination, optimism, and some good old-fashioned luck, he was able to able to achieve his greatness. Growing up as a farm boy in small-town Iowa, Dittmer first made a name for himself as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His industry and potential were quickly noticed, and Dittmer rapidly rose to become a White House aide under Lyndon B. Johnson. After an honorable discharge, Dittmer moved to Chicago with his new wife, Frannie, where he, from the Chicago Union Stockyards, first learned of the wealth of potential that that the Chicago Stock Exchange held. In 1969, he got into the business world himself, forming Ray E. Friedman & Co., (Refco) with this father. And from there, Dittmer’s fortunes only rose. Making millions, taking Refco to the international stage, and hobnobbing with celebrities, Dittmer became a legend in his own right, all while staying true to himself and his Midwest roots. Brimming with fascinating business insights and incredible inside stories, Talkin’ Big is a true rag-to-riches story of one of America’s greatest businessmen.

An exciting new stationery and humor line for young adults. Get to know yourself better by reflecting on and writing down answers to the questions inside this fun fill-in title.

Provides young readers with a colorfully illlustrated picture book of poems about conversation, talk, and gossip.

A fun educational book designed to promote language development, and imitation of gestures, sounds, words, and phrases.

Little tips and techniques for big success in business.

"The writing lessons in this book are organized to quickly unpack the detail move, explain when and why the strategy works well, share how I have taught it to my students, and offer ways to make it your own." -Rozlyn Linder Have you ever told a writer to add more details, only to see their writing get longer not better? That's why Roz Linder wrote The Big Book of Details. "To help our students use details and elaborate effectively," she writes, "we need to find out what they want their writing to do, and then show them explicit moves to make it happen." Roz breaks elaboration into 5 categories and shares 46 lessons based on the moves that professional writers use. With if-then charts that connect student needs to just-right strategies, you'll help writers master details that: Describe: for people, places, and things Dance: for showing action and sequencing events Convince: for questions, persuasion, and arguments Inform: for defining, comparing, and clarifying Speak: for conversation and speech. The Big Book of Details supports planning and on-the-go teaching for one-on-one conferences, whole-class instruction, or commercial writing programs. Its lessons are organized to help kids understand each move quickly. Roz's strategy lessons include: examples from real-world writers the reason writers use the strategy advice for introducing it to writers ideas for guided practice with writers examples of one of Roz's famous classroom charts "This is what I want for my students," writes Roz Linder, "to use details in their writing in a meaningful way that conveys their ideas and their purpose." If you want that too, then make her Big Book of Details part of your teaching toolkit.

The definitive history of writing and producing the"Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous, told through extensive access to the group's archives. Alcoholics Anonymous is arguably the most significant self-help book published in the twentieth century. Released in 1939, the “Big Book,” as it’s commonly known, has sold an estimated 37 million copies, been translated into seventy languages, and spawned numerous recovery communities around the world while remaining a vibrant plan for recovery from addiction in all its forms for millions of people. While there are many books about A.A. history, most rely on anecdotal stories told well after the fact by Bill Wilson and other early members—accounts that have proved to be woefully inaccurate at times. Writing the Big Book brings exhaustive research, academic discipline, and informed insight to the subject not seen since Ernest Kurtz’s Not-God, published forty years ago. Focusing primarily on the eighteen months from October 1937, when a book was first proposed, and April 1939 when Alcoholics Anonymous was published, Schaberg’s history is based on eleven years of research into the wealth of 1930s documents currently preserved in several A.A. archives. Woven together into an exciting narrative, these real-time documents tell an almost week-by-week story of how the book was created, providing more than a few unexpected turns and surprising departures from the hallowed stories that have been so widely circulated about early A.A. history. Fast-paced, engaging, and contrary, Writing the Big Book presents a vivid picture of how early A.A. operated and grew and reveals many previously unreported details about the colorful cast of characters who were responsible for making that group so successful.