The elephants of style

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Auden Schendler

“Green” has finally hit the mainstream. Soccer moms drive Priuses. And the business consultants say it’s easy and profitable. In reality, though, many green-leaning businesses, families, and governments are still fiddling while the planet burns. Why? Because implementing sustainability is brutally difficult. In this witty and contrarian book, Auden Schendler, a sustainable business foot soldier with over a decade’s worth of experience, gives us a peek under the hood of the green movement. The consultants, he argues, are clueless. Fluorescent bulbs might be better for our atmosphere, but what do you say to the boutique hotel owner who thinks they detract from his? We’ll only solve our problems if we’re realistic about the challenge of climate change. In this eye-opening, inspiring book, Schendler illuminates the path.

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Laurie Rozakis

For students who want to learn the nuts and bolts of English grammarA generation ago, the United States public school system stopped formal instruction in English grammar and consequently created a legion of students and professionals notoriously weak in writing and language skills.English Grammar for the Utterly Confused is a must-have for anyone who gets that “deer-in-the-headlights” look when asked to recognize a misplaced modifier or even find the verb in a sentence.This user-friendly, witty guide helps everyone-from students taking the GED to professionals writing business plans-learn the structures of English grammar and how to use them easily and proficiently. Demystifying grammar once and for all, this handbook will help all readers acquire the ability to speak and write competently, correctly, and confidently.Key features include:Exercises throughout to develop facility in writing skills Clear explanations of complex concepts Handy icons More than 200 solved problems and examples Test Yourself section in each chapter

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Jim Lebenthal with Bernice Kanner

A true Wall Street icon tells his story in Confessions of a Municipal Bond Salesman. Follow Jim Lebenthal's life journey from Hollywood reporter to renowned bond salesman in this intriguing book. Each chapter consists of vivid stories in which Lebenthal recounts his successes and setbacks, as he worked to build his family business into one of the best-known municipal bond firms in America. Throughout the book, Lebenthal distills his experiences to help you apply what he's learned to your own careers and life. You'll benefit from Lebenthal's unique advice, as he touches on issues such as recognizing opportunity, ethics and morality at work, the secrets to selling, and avoiding procrastination. Written in an accessible manner and delivered with a dose of Lebenthal's trademark humor, Confessions of a Municipal Bond Salesman offers an entertaining and engaging look at this incredible individual-and shows you how to make the most out of your life.

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Kathy Aaronson

When Kathy Aaronson was eight years old, she set up a small roadside stand next to her family's farm and began selling vegetables that weren't up to supermarket standards (too small or too misshaped). Her entrepreneurial drive was sparked by a need to connect with people, and in the process of learning to sell successfully she learned about how to find and provide value to any type of customer. In The Golden Apple, Aaronson uses the lessons learned at her produce stand and applied later in executive sales to illustrate nine lessons that can help readers turn their careers and lives around. Using humor and practical, step-by-step guidance, this book will teach readers how to: get the attention of busy, distracted client prospects; how to do business confidently and well with anybody -- even rude, crude client prospects; how to use stories to successfully sell products, services or ideas, and how to develop business relationships that will protect their careers in any economy. With...