Greed, treachery, mesmerism, and murder are just some of the bricks Hawthorne uses to build The House of the Seven Gables. Generations before the present story begins, wealthy Colonel Pyncheon covets Matthew Maule’s land. When Maule is hanged for witchcraft, he puts a curse on the Colonel—and all his descendants. Now the menacing Judge Pyncheon continues the family tradition of hiding cruelty under a dazzling smile, while his scowling niece, Hepzibah, and half-mad nephew, Clifford, are reduced to poverty by his machinations

In the wake of such an eventful election, it’s no surprise that pundits on both sides of the fence are clamoring for the 2008 edition of The Almanac of American Politics—the gold standard for anyone who wants to understand the American political landscape

The recession has made finding a job harder than ever. Everything now takes place online, and a resumé

Career human resources expert Marc Dorio knows how the system works and how it has changed with the advent of Internet interviews, video conferences, and electronic resumés. In this new edition, he teaches job seekers how to respond to obscure, difficult questions; research salary ranges and negotiate; pull together a resumé package; present their skill set and experience to best effect; follow up after the usual "thank you" note; and dozens of other inside tips

In simple stages, this business book charts the creative path to achievement, telling readers how to manage themselves and others and how to be successful. The author offers suggestions on how to choose life goals, how to negotiate to win, and when to stand firm and when to concede with grace

This book shows how, as a management consultant, he has helped hundreds of corporations, large or small, to achive quality and eliminate hassle

In a dramatic, personal narrative, popular science writer Shapiro ( Life Beyond Earth ) presents the fullest, clearest account to date of the Human Genome Project, the ongoing research effort to decode the entire DNA text. Besides bringing anticipated relief from hereditary diseases, the Project, if successful, will make feasible new techniques, like mass genetic screening and embryo selection, that will raise novel ethical and legal issues, discussed here with calm detachment. Shapiro engagingly illuminates the Project

Leadership, influence, teamwork, and change management

Great service wins loyal customers. Hiring the right people and developing their interpersonal skills are prerequisites of great service- but they

he Berlin Stories is inhabited by a wealth of characters: the unforgettable Sally Bowles, whose misadventures in the demimonde were popularized on the American stage and screen by Julie Harris in I Am A Camera and Liza Minnelli in Cabaret; Mr. Norris, the improbable old debauchee mysteriously caught between the Nazis and the Communists; plump Fräulein Schroeder, who thinks an operation to reduce the scale of her Büste might relieve her heart palpitations; and the distinguished and doomed Jewish family, the Landauers