Today, the People’s Republic of China is North Korea’s only ally on the world stage, a tightly knit relationship that goes back decades. Both countries portray their partnership as one of “brotherly affection” based on shared political ideals—an alliance “as tight as lips to teeth”—even though relations have deteriorated in recent years due to China’s ascendance and North Korea’s intransigence. In A Misunderstood Friendship, leading diplomatic historians Zhihua Shen and Yafeng Xia draw on previously untapped primary source materials revealing tensions and rivalries to offer a unique account of the China–North Korea relationship. They unravel the twists and turns in high-level diplomacy between China and North Korea from the late 1940s to the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. Through unprecedented access to Chinese government documents, Soviet and Eastern European archives, and in-depth interviews with former Chinese diplomats and North Korean defectors, Shen and Xia reveal that the tensions that currently plague the alliance between the two countries have been present from the very beginning of the relationship. They significantly revise existing narratives of the Korean War, China’s postwar aid to North Korea, Kim Il-sung’s ideological and strategic thinking, North Korea’s relations with the Soviet Union, and the importance of the Sino-U.S. rapprochement, among other issues. A Misunderstood Friendship adds new depth to our understanding of one of the most secretive and significant relationships of the Cold War, with increasing relevance to international affairs today.

In this new Misunderstood Shark story from New York Times bestselling duo Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon, Shark dares to ask the question: Can friends eat friends (and get away with it)? Last time on Underwater World with Bob Jellyfish..."SHARK ATE ME! Now get me OUT, Shark!""That's strange! I can hear Bob, but I can't see Bob!"This hilarious follow-up to Misunderstood Shark by New York Times bestselling duo Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon tackles what it really means to be a good friend. Bob is already irate that Shark has eaten him, but when Shark doesn't admit to eating him, Bob is so mad he declares that the ocean isn't big enough for both of them! Friends Don't Eat Friends is exploding with over-the-top humor and awesome marine facts! For example, when Shark overdoses on Finilla Ice Cream after fighting with Bob, we learn that shark teeth are coated with fluoride. Lucky for Shark, he can't get cavities! Join Shark and the gang for another story and find out if Shark learns his lesson about friendship, or if he really is just misunderstood -- again!

Using the pioneering DISC profile, this book teaches--in clear terms--how to build closer, more understanding relationships at home, work and church.

From bestselling author Ame Dyckman and illustrator Scott Magoon comes the laugh-out-loud story about a Misunderstood Shark who just wants to show the world who he really is... Every beachgoer knows that there's nothing more terrifying than a... SHARRRK! But this shark is just misunderstood, or is he? In a wholly original, sidesplittingly funny story, New York Times bestselling author Ame Dyckman and illustrator Scott Magoon take this perennial theme and turn it on its (hammer)head with a brand-new cheeky character. The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a... SHARRRK! Poor Shark, he wasn't trying to scare them, he's just misunderstood! Then he's accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn't going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you. With a surprise twist ending, our Misunderstood Shark will have kids rolling with laughter!

Women long for deep and lasting friendships but often find them challenging to make. The private angst they feel regarding friendship often translates into their own insecurity and isolation. Christine Hoover offers women a fresh, biblical vision for friendship that allows for the messiness of our lives and the realities of our schedules. She shows women - what's holding them back from developing satisfying friendships - how to make and deepen friendships - how to overcome insecurity, self-imposed isolation, and past hurts - how to embrace the people God has already placed in their lives as potential friends - and how to revel in the beauty and joy of everyday friendship With stories of real friendships and guidance drawn from Scripture, Hoover encourages women to intentionally and purposefully invest in one of the most rewarding relationships God has given us.

A case for friendship as a radical practice of love, courage, and trust, and seven strategies that pave the way for profound social change. Grounded in the Buddha’s teachings on spiritual friendship, Radical Friendship shares seven strategies to help us embody our deepest values in all of our relationships. Drawing on her experiences as a leading meditation teacher, as well as personal stories of growing up multiracial in a racist world, Kate Johnson brings a fresh take on time-honored wisdom to help us connect more authentically with ourselves, with our friends and family, and within our communities. The divides we experience within us and between us are not only a threat to our physical and emotional health—they are also the weapons and the outcomes of structural oppression. But through wise relationships, it is possible to transform the barriers created by societal injustice. Johnson leads us on a journey to becoming better friends by offering ways to show up for our own and each other’s liberation at every stage of a relationship. Each chapter ends with a meditation or reflection practice to help readers cultivate vibrant, harmonious, revolutionary friendships. Radical Friendship offers a path of depth and hope and shows us the importance of working toward collective wellbeing, one relationship at a time.

All Carl the Crocodile wants is to have a friend. But life as a crocodile is hard, and everyone keeps misunderstanding his intentions. When a new beast comes to the mangroves, Carl discovers who his real friends are. This delightful, children's picture book explores the topics of conservation as well as friendship. Suitable for kids of all ages, Carl's journey gives a peek inside the real life ACES (American Crocodile Education Sanctuary) heroes on Ambergris Caye, Belize who have devoted their life to rescue, rehabilitation and education of all of the animals on this tiny island, especially the often misunderstood American Crocodile. Although this is a book about saving animals, animal conservation and, of course, a crocodile named Carl, Carl the Misunderstood Crocodile is also a lovely children's book about friendship and how that friendship may be found in some of the most unexpected places. As an endangered species, the American Crocodile needs all of the friends it can get. So come take a literary journey to Ambergris Caye, Belize. We hope you and your child will make friends with Carl too! ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Kimberly Wylie is an award-winning writer who resides on the Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. She loves the warm weather, the turquoise blue ocean and, yes, even the crocodile who lives in the mangroves behind her home.