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Consumer Math Success Kit, Second Edition
by David E. NewtonThe book helps students understand the terminology of consumer mathematics. Interest rates, prices, tax tables, and new nutrition information have been incorporated into the new edition.
Concepts of Genetics , Third Edition
by William S. Klug Michael R. Cummings Michael A. Palladino Charlotte A. SpencerThe book emphasizes the basic concepts of genetics covering complex, analytical topics and special topics in Modern Genetics.
Criminal Justice In Action: The Core
by Roger Leroy Miller Larry K. GainesWith an engaging magazine-like format, and riveting examples straight from today's headlines, CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN ACTION: THE CORE, 7th puts you in the center of the action. Providing just the right depth of coverage, this succinct book uses vivid cases and current events to demonstrate the core principles of the American justice system at work.
Party Monster
by James St. JamesMurder Was Never So Much Fun! When Disco Bloodbath was first published, it created a storm of controversy for its startlingly vivid, strikingly fresh, and outrageously funny depiction of the hedonistic world of the New York City club kids, for whom nothing was too outré -- including murder. Nominated for the Edgar Award for best true-crime book of the year, it also marked the debut of an audaciously talented writer, James St. James, who himself had been a club kid and close friend and confidant of Michael Alig, the young man convicted of killing the drug dealer known as Angel. Now the book has been brought to the screen as Party Monster, with Macaulay Culkin playing killer Michael Alig and Seth Green as author/celebutante James St. James.
Muscle And A Shovel
by Michael J. Shank Jamie Parker4th Edition Revised NEW: 4th Edition includes the epilogue, Randall's Secret epilogue. Muscle and a Shovel is a raw and gritty true story about a pair of young newly-weds who move to the city to chase the American dream. In the process they're befriended by a man who turns their belief about God, their church, and their faith upside down Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, the Community Churches - none are spared when Truth is at stake and their new friend Randall isn't about to "candy coat" God's Word for the sake of "political correctness" or "religious tolerance. " This story will grip you from opening to close and will stimulate your spirit on levels you didn't think possible. Get ready to fight or flee because Muscle and a Shovel is one of those rare books that will raise your heart-rate and your blood-pressure. You won't want to wait to share it with your friends or you'll want to dowse it in gasoline and set on fire There'll be no middle ground. Many Christian reviewers have said, "This book will turn our current religious world upside-down "
To the Letter
by Simon GarfieldThe New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type and On the Map offers an ode to letter writing and its possible salvation in the digital age. Few things are as exciting--and potentially life-changing--as discovering an old letter. And while etiquette books still extol the practice, letter writing seems to be disappearing amid a flurry of e-mails, texting, and tweeting. The recent decline in letter writing marks a cultural shift so vast that in the future historians may divide time not between BC and AD but between the eras when people wrote letters and when they did not. So New York Times bestselling author Simon Garfield asks: Can anything be done to revive a practice that has dictated and tracked the progress of civilization for more than five hundred years? In To the Letter, Garfield traces the fascinating history of letter writing from the love letter and the business letter to the chain letter and the letter of recommendation. He provides a tender critique of early letter-writing manuals and analyzes celebrated correspondence from Erasmus to Princess Diana. He also considers the role that letters have played as a literary device from Shakespeare to the epistolary novel, all the rage in the eighteenth century and alive and well today with bestsellers like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. At a time when the decline of letter writing appears to be irreversible, Garfield is the perfect candidate to inspire bibliophiles to put pen to paper and create "a form of expression, emotion, and tactile delight we may clasp to our heart."
Collision 2012
by Dan BalzFrom the bestselling author of The Battle for America 2008 and longtime Washington Post correspondent, an inside view and analysis of the Obama-Romney presidential raceIn 2008 a bright young candidate triumphed on a theme of change and hope. Four years later an embattled President struggled against an apocalyptically divided and divisive Congress, a war that won't end, and an economy that casts a dark penumbra over every spark of good news.His opponent, a well-heeled businessman who couldn't seem to stand on his own business record, withstood unexpected and extreme opposition to capture the nomination of a party whose main platform and principles with which he was historically and fundamentally at odds.The 2012 Election, once predicted to be a boring run at a popular President, took on a new urgency with the infamous 2010 midterm shellacking and equally infamous Citizen United ruling, and delivered drama and tension as the Republicans tried to reconcile the factions at war within their party and Democrats faced the tsunami of super Pac money flooding local and regional elections.As with his last book, The Battle for America 2008, Washington Post correspondent Dan Balz uses a combination of superb sources and long, deep reporting experience to take us both deep inside and far beyond Campaign HQs in Chicago and Boston. He tracks the nuances of Beltway politics and the thinking behind the scenes to show how Obama regained his footing, and to speculate about whether this election actually did anything to change the toxically poisonous atmosphere inside the Beltway, the increasing hostility and disenchantment with politicians outside, and the frightening effect of the torrent of money being poured out by special-interest groups beholden to no voter or law? Will there be anything in this election that will heal the political process in America?Special highlights include two much talked-about post-election interviews with Romney and Christie which have been making headlines, as well as a new afterword.
Robert Duncan in San Francisco
by Michael RumakerA newly expanded edition of an enduring classic, Robert Duncan in San Francisco is both a portrait of the premier poet of the San Francisco Renaissance and a fascinating account of gay life in late 1950s America. Following his graduation from Black Mountain College, Michael Rumaker made his way to the post-Howl, pre-Stonewall gay literary milieu of San Francisco, where he entered the circle of Robert Duncan. His account of that time gives an unvarnished look at Duncan's magnetic personality and occasional failings, while delivering vivid snapshots of other significant poets like Jack Spicer, John Wieners, and Joanne Kyger against the backdrop of legendary North Beach haunts like The Place, Vesuvio, and City Lights Books. Contrasting Duncan's daringly frank homosexuality with his own then-closeted life, Rumaker conjures up with harrowing detail an era of police persecution of a largely clandestine gay community struggling to survive in the otherwise "open city" of San Francisco. First published in 1996, this expanded edition includes a selection of previously unpublished letters between Rumaker and Duncan, and an interview conducted for this edition, in which Rumaker provides further reflections on the poet and the period.Michael Rumaker has written several novels and short story collections, as well as the memoir Black Mountain Days. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of Black Mountain College-where Duncan served as his outside thesis advisor-and Columbia University. He taught at City University of New York and the New School for Social Research.
The Valley
by Joan Macleod"MacLeod has a wonderful ear and eye for the everyday details."--Calgary HeraldInspired by the 2007 Tasering death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport, The Valley dramatizes the volatile relationship between law enforcement and people in the grip of mental illness. The play connects both sides of this relationship by portraying two families embattled with depression, each guided by good intentions but challenged by their own flawed humanity.Joan MacLeod is the author of numerous award-winning plays. Her work has been translated into more than eight languages with productions throughout the world, including a sold-out run in New York.
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms
by Gerard RussellDespite its reputation for religious intolerance, the Middle East has long sheltered many distinctive and strange faiths: one regards the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, another reveres Lucifer in the form of a peacock, and yet another believes that their followers are reincarnated beings who have existed in various forms for thousands of years. These religions represent the last vestiges of the magnificent civilizations in ancient history: Persia, Babylon, Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Their followers have learned how to survive foreign attacks and the perils of assimilation. But today, with the Middle East in turmoil, they face greater challenges than ever before. In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell ventures to the distant, nearly impassable regions where these mysterious religions still cling to survival. He lives alongside the Mandaeans and Ezidis of Iraq, the Zoroastrians of Iran, the Copts of Egypt, and others. He learns their histories, participates in their rituals, and comes to understand the threats to their communities. Historically a tolerant faith, Islam has, since the early 20th century, witnessed the rise of militant, extremist sects. This development, along with the rippling effects of Western invasion, now pose existential threats to these minority faiths. And as more and more of their youth flee to the West in search of greater freedoms and job prospects, these religions face the dire possibility of extinction. Drawing on his extensive travels and archival research, Russell provides an essential record of the past, present, and perilous future of these remarkable religions.
Leading the Life You Want: Skills for Integrating Work and Life
by Stewart D. Friedman"For nearly thirty years, my life's work has been to help people like you find ways to bring the often warring aspects of life into greater harmony. " - Stew Friedman, from Leading the Life You Want You're busy trying to lead a "full" life. But does it really feel full-or are you stretched too thin? Enter Stew Friedman, Wharton professor, adviser to leaders across the globe, and passionate advocate of replacing the misguided metaphor of "work/life balance" with something more realistic and sustainable. If you're seeking "balance" you'll never achieve it, argues Friedman. The idea that "work" competes with "life" ignores the more nuanced reality of our humanity-the interaction of four domains: work, home, community, and the private self. The goal is to create harmony among them instead of thinking only in terms of trade-offs. It can be done. Building on his national bestseller, Total Leadership, and on decades of research, teaching, and practice as both consultant and senior executive, Friedman identifies the critical skills for integrating work and the rest of life. He illustrates them through compelling original stories of these remarkable people: - former Bain & Company CEO and Bridgespan co-founder Tom Tierney - Facebook COO and bestselling author Sheryl Sandberg - nonprofit leader and US Navy SEAL Eric Greitens - US First Lady Michelle Obama - soccer champion-turned-broadcaster Julie Foudy - renowned artist Bruce Springsteen Each of these admirable (though surely imperfect) people exemplifies a set of skills-for being real, being whole, and being innovative-that produce a sense of purpose, coherence, and optimism. Based on interviews and research, their stories paint a vivid picture of how six very different leaders use these skills to act with authenticity, integrity, and creativity-and they prove that significant public success is accomplished not at the expense of the rest of life, but as the result of meaningful engagement in all its parts. With dozens of practical exercises for strengthening these skills, curated from the latest research in organizational psychology and related fields, this book will inspire you, inform you, and instruct you on how to take realistic steps now toward leading the life you truly want.
Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, System, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling
by Frank V. Cespedes"The best sales book of the year" - strategy+business magazine That gap between your company’s sales efforts and strategy? It’s real-and a huge vulnerability. Addressing that gap, actionably and with attention to relevant research, is the focus of this book. In Aligning Strategy and Sales, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes equips you to link your go-to-market initiatives with strategic goals. Cespedes offers a road map to articulate strategy in ways that people in the field can understand and that will fuel the behaviors required for profitable growth. Without that alignment, leaders will press for better execution when they need a better strategy, or change strategic direction with great cost and turmoil when they should focus on the basics of sales execution. With thoughtful, clear, and engaging examples, Aligning Strategy and Sales provides a framework for diagnosing and managing the core levers available for effective selling in any organization. It will give you the know-how and tools to move from ideas to action and build a sales effort linked to your firm’s unique goals, not a generic selling formula. Cespedes shows how sales efforts affect all elements of value creation in a business, whether you’re a start-up seeking to scale or an established firm looking to jump-start new growth. The book provides key insights to optimize your firm’s customer management activities and so improve selling and strategy.
We're Engaged!
by Bob Davis Dawn DavisBob and Dawn Davis have mastered all genres of photography, from weddings to children to photographing celebrities at special get-away weekends. Bob's knowledge of posing, lighting, composition and his ability to superbly photograph with the environment in which he is immersed is evident in The Art of Engagement Photography.Bob's beautiful photographs in this book and his explanations as to how he achieved each one will be beneficial to photographers of all levels of expertise. Do not let the title fool you, his descriptions of how he photographs engagement couples translates to executives, families and children portraits as well. He utilizes cityscapes and non-urban locations not just as backdrops, but also as a compliment to his subjects. By using diagrams and descriptions along with their powerful images, Bob and Dawn explain in simple language how they are able to pose, light and properly compose their subjects, no matter where the location. They state which lens, exposure setting, and main and fill lights settings and positioning work best for each scenario.
We're Engaged!
by Bob Dawn DavisToday’s brides- and grooms-to-be have grown up inundated by world-class photography on the Internet, television, magazines, and social networking sites. Therefore, it’s no surprise that these savvy, image-conscious consumers have high expectations when commissioning their engagement portraits. They want unique, innovative images that make them look great and reflect their personal style as individuals and as a couple. In this book, acclaimed photographers Bob and Dawn Davis show you how to rise to that lofty goal and deliver memorable, personalized images from each session. Covering the process from start to finish, you’ll learn how to select locations, work with clients on their styling, get great poses even from camera-shy subjects, and find (or create) amazing lighting indoors and out#151;all day long. Lighting diagrams paired with each final image selection, along with supporting image variations from the same session, make it easy to learn!
Total Engagement
by J. Leighton Read Byron ReevesCan the workplace be more productive by including avatars, three-dimensional environments, and participant-driven outcomes? This grounded and thought-provoking book by Byron Reeves and Leighton Read proves that it is not only possible, it is inevitable.Implementing components of multiplayer computer games in the workplace will address a host of age-old problems. Games can not only stem boredom and decrease turnover, but also enhancee collaboration and encourage creative leadership. Games require extraordinary teamwork, elaborate data analysis and strategy, recruitment and retention of top players, and quick decision making. Recreating some elements of games - such as positioning tasks within stories, creating internal economies, and implementing participant-driven communication systems - can not only boost employee engagement but overall productivity.Of course, the strong psychological power of games can have both positive and negative consequences for the workplace. That's why it's important to put them into practice correctly from the beginning - and Reeves and Read explain how by showing which good design principles are a powerful antidote to the addictive and stress-inducing potential of games. Supported by specific case studies and years of research, Total Engagement will completely change the way you view both work and play.
Workforce of One
by David Smith Susan CantrellCompanies have excelled by treating customers as "markets of one"-offering them personalized buying experiences. But in managing talent, most firms still use one-size-fits-all HR practices. With today's diverse workforces, this approach is preventing organizations from attracting, retaining, and leveraging top talent.In Workforce of One, Susan Cantrell and David Smith show how exceptional companies are tailoring work experiences to employees' talents and interests-customizing job duties, training, recognition, and even compensation, work schedules, and performance appraisals. Their reward? Lower turnover, greater productivity, improved profit margins.The authors present four customization strategies:-Segmenting your workforce; for example, by life stage and learning style-Offering modular choices; e.g., choices regarding rewards, learning needs, or job duties-Defining broad and simple rules, such as evaluating work by outcomes, not time invested, or hiring for potential in addition to specific skills-Fostering employee-defined personalization, whereby employees define their own people practices (e.g., using peer-to-peer technologies to learn from one another) Drawing on extensive proprietary research, the authors explain how to combine aspects of all four strategies to address your organization's unique needs.Improving workforce performance through customized work experiences is the holy grail of the HR function. This book shows you how the workforce-of-one approach positions your company to win-while transforming your HR team into a strategic powerhouse.
Leading the Life You Want
by Stewart D. Friedman"For nearly thirty years, my life's work has been to help people like you find ways to bring the often warring aspects of life into greater harmony." - Stew Friedman, from Leading the Life You WantYou're busy trying to lead a "full" life. But does it really feel full-or are you stretched too thin? Enter Stew Friedman, Wharton professor, adviser to leaders across the globe, and passionate advocate of replacing the misguided metaphor of "work/life balance" with something more realistic and sustainable. If you're seeking "balance" you'll never achieve it, argues Friedman. The idea that "work" competes with "life" ignores the more nuanced reality of our humanity-the interaction of four domains: work, home, community, and the private self. The goal is to create harmony among them instead of thinking only in terms of trade-offs. It can be done.Building on his national bestseller, Total Leadership, and on decades of research, teaching, and practice as both consultant and senior executive, Friedman identifies the critical skills for integrating work and the rest of life. He illustrates them through compelling original stories of these remarkable people: former Bain & Company CEO and Bridgespan co-founder Tom Tierney Facebook COO and bestselling author Sheryl Sandberg nonprofit leader and US Navy SEAL Eric Greitens US First Lady Michelle Obama soccer champion-turned-broadcaster Julie Foudy renowned artist Bruce SpringsteenEach of these admirable (though surely imperfect) people exemplifies a set of skills-for being real, being whole, and being innovative-that produce a sense of purpose, coherence, and optimism.Based on interviews and research, their stories paint a vivid picture of how six very different leaders use these skills to act with authenticity, integrity, and creativity-and they prove that significant public success is accomplished not at the expense of the rest of life, but as the result of meaningful engagement in all its parts. With dozens of practical exercises for strengthening these skills, curated from the latest research in organizational psychology and related fields, this book will inspire you, inform you, and instruct you on how to take realistic steps now toward leading the life you truly want.
Aligning Strategy and Sales
by Frank V. Cespedes"The best sales book of the year" - strategy+business magazineThat gap between your company's sales efforts and strategy? It's real-and a huge vulnerability. Addressing that gap, actionably and with attention to relevant research, is the focus of this book.In Aligning Strategy and Sales, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes equips you to link your go-to-market initiatives with strategic goals. Cespedes offers a road map to articulate strategy in ways that people in the field can understand and that will fuel the behaviors required for profitable growth. Without that alignment, leaders will press for better execution when they need a better strategy, or change strategic direction with great cost and turmoil when they should focus on the basics of sales execution.With thoughtful, clear, and engaging examples, Aligning Strategy and Sales provides a framework for diagnosing and managing the core levers available for effective selling in any organization. It will give you the know-how and tools to move from ideas to action and build a sales effort linked to your firm's unique goals, not a generic selling formula.Cespedes shows how sales efforts affect all elements of value creation in a business, whether you're a start-up seeking to scale or an established firm looking to jump-start new growth. The book provides key insights to optimize your firm's customer management activities and so improve selling and strategy.
A Photographic Guide to the BIRDS OF INDIA
by Bikram Grewal Bill Harvey Otto PfisterThis guide covers 800 species found in India. Each species description is illustrated with a photograph and distribution map, making this a quick-reference guide in a pocketable format. Introductory sections include general information, such as the biogeography of the region covered.
Cool Japan Guide
by Abby DensonTravelling to Japan has never been so much fun-visit the land of anime, manga, cosplay, hot springs and sushi! This full-color graphic novel guidebook is the first of it's kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Cool Japan Guide takes you on a fun tour from the high-energy urban streets of Tokyo to the peaceful Zen gardens and Shinto shrines of Kyoto and introduces you to: the exciting world of Japanese food-from bento to sushi and everything in between. the otaku (geek) culture of Japan, including a manga market in Tokyo where artists display and sell their original artwork. the complete Japanese shopping experience, from combini (not your run-of-the-mill convenience stores!) to depato (department stores with everything). the world's biggest manga, anime and cosplay festivals. lots of other exciting places to go and things to do-like zen gardens, traditional Japanese arts, and a ride on a Japanese bullet train. Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese pop culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a unique and fascinating way. <P><P> <i>Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.</i>
Living Beyond the Five Senses
by Teresa L. DeciccoMankind is on the threshold of the next evolutionary phase - the era of the Spiritual Human. In Living Beyond The Five Senses, Teresa L. DeCicco, PhD, describes the process that occurs during this spiritual transformation. It is an invitation to readers to actively engage in the deepening of their own spiritual transformation. The book is primarily aimed at those who feel that they are already undergoing some sort of major transformation, either physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually, yet it will also appeal to readers seeking to make changes to their relationships, jobs, finances, parenting, or living conditions. Living Beyond The Five Senses is a guide to all who want to consciously grow toward living a more peaceful and enriching life, one that ushers in the era of the Spiritual Human.
Duerson
by Chicago Tribune StaffIn many ways Dave Duerson was the prototypical success story for a professional athlete. After serving as a captain, team MVP, and All-American at Notre Dame, Duerson went on to become a four-time Pro Bowler in the NFL, winning Super Bowls with the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1990 New York Giants. Following his playing career, he made good use of his bachelor's degree in economics and his continued business education at Harvard by growing his food processing company into a $60 million enterprise. Duerson had a full family life, contributed to his community, served on the board of trustees for his alma mater, and even continued his involvement with football by helping the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) determine who should receive certain benefits after their playing careers ended. Then it all went wrong.Ultimately, Dave Duerson committed suicide on February 17, 2011. They key to this tragic end may be his request that his brain be studied after his death; Duerson ended his life by shooting himself in the chest.The tragedy of Duerson stems from the unseen emotional and physical trauma suffered by a deeply troubled man. Years of absorbing the grueling hits that have made the NFL America's most popular sport left Duerson with severe symptoms of memory loss, confusion, and depression, which would posthumously be diagnosed as the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Duerson was uncommonly successful after his football career ended, but his fortunes turned rapidly, and CTE could be pointed to as a factor. He lost both his wife and his business as he suffered through extreme bouts of depression. He was convicted for spousal abuse and endured bankruptcy filing. His role as gatekeeper between former NFL players and the benefit funds they sought from the NFLPA put him squarely at odds with many of his peers.In the 2003, Duerson's mother--whom he considered his best friend--passed away on the day before Thanksgiving. Six years later, his father died on November 18. When Duerson's three siblings informed him that they would bury their father on November 28, Duerson's 49th birthday, he said, "I consider myself strong and all of that. I'd lived the so-called celebrity life, and they considered me the golden child of my family. But, you know, I think they missed the part where I'm a human." Duerson, unlike his siblings, experienced the bruising physical punishment of a sport the human body was not made to endure. The punishing hits that brought him glory and the adulation of fans left him with a damaged brain and a life in ruins.The harshest truth of this tragedy is that Duerson is only one of many former athletes who are facing these conditions. Football players and hockey players, from the prep and professional levels, are all seeing some of their ranks diagnosed with this condition. The punishment athletes absorb has become more damaging than any of us could have imagined when these games were invented.More than just the tragic story of one man, Duerson is a powerful and reminder that something must be done to protect the athletes competing in our professional and amateur sports arenas. The award-winning reporting of the Chicago Tribune that comprises Duerson brings these issues to the forefront of our national discussion on sports, entertainment, and health, while also bringing to light the dark truths of one man's struggle with what happens when these issues are ignored and unresolved.
Campus Sex Assaults
by Chicago Tribune StaffIn September 2010, St. Mary's College freshman Elizabeth "Lizzy" Seeberg was found dead, a victim of an apparent suicide from prescription medication, mere days after alleging she had been sexually attacked by a Notre Dame football player. Starting in November of that year, the Chicago Tribune began reporting on this case that was up until that point not publicly acknowledged by the University of Notre Dame. Over the course of the next year, Tribune journalists and investigators produced a series of articles focusing on this case--and the cases of other sexual assault victims on Midwestern university campuses7mdash;leading to new investigations and subsequent reforms at schools across the region.Campus Sexual Assaults is a gripping and important piece of investigative journalism, revealing disturbing primary materials from cases and shocking personal interviews with the victims. The yearlong investigation shed light on the antiquated and obfuscated reporting and prosecuting practices of major Midwest colleges and universities, going so far as to discover that Notre Dame campus authorities did not even promptly investigate the alleged assault that occurred days before Lizzy Seeberg's death. Campus Sexual Assaults goes on to investigate similar trends in under-reporting and under-prosecuting sexual assaults on campuses across the country.Part 1 of Campus Sexual Assaults reports on the Seeberg case as it unfolded, and ends with the county prosecutor's decision that there would be no charges, since the victim's death made her statements inadmissible in court. Part 2 has a wider focus, as the Tribune reports on another similar attack at Notre Dame and a survey finding that few people accused of sexual violence on college campuses are ever convicted. Part 3 deals with reforms at Notre Dame and similar problems at Marquette University.The powerful stories told in Campus Sexual Assaults by the survivors and families victimized by these attacks are moving as much as they can be upsetting. After months of reporting and research on the Seeberg case and others like it, the Tribune's investigations sparked new legal investigations and subsequent reforms at the campuses in question. This collection of articles and investigative reports is a touching, in-depth look at an endemic problem at universities across America and should be required reading for not only campus and sexual health educators, but for university audiences and concerned readers everywhere.
Pension Games
by Chicago Tribune Staff Wgn-Tv StaffChicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley have something in common that could easily become each of their undoing: Chicago's severely underfunded public pension system. Pension Games is a series of investigative reports on the broken, corrupt system that provides retirement payments to Chicago's many public service workers. Beginning in 2010, the Tribune has tracked this crisis from its birth to its current state of crisis roiling political and business figures from Cook County to Springfield. Through its in-depth research and watchdog reporting, the Chicago Tribune has exposed mismanagement and corruption within the pension system by public officials past and present.Pension Games is a hard-hitting expose that reveals how former mayor Richard M. Daley used pension funds to make political deals and give oversized pensions to all sorts of city workers--himself included. By looking at the history of the pension system, the nature of the laws themselves, and a trove of primary materials, investigative journalists have uncovered rampant corruption and uncorrected failures that have led to an attempt at state-wide pension reform.This book clearly details the exact makeup of arcane pension laws that have allowed this crisis to cripple public finances, while never before examined primary documents and pension records reveal the complex nature of this problem. Pension Games helps explain the origins, cause, and nature of the issues afflicting the residents of Chicago and Illinois in straightforward, aboveboard terms, making the convoluted ins and outs of pensions quite accessible. Complementing this analysis of public records and finances are profiles and case studies of specific individuals, bringing the results of the system's misuse and abuse to life.As the Tribune continued to investigate the issues at the heart of the pension problem, it eventually triggered an official look into pension reform in Illinois, as well as a new federal investigation of several union officials' pensions in Chicago. The immediate and long-term crises posed by a pension system unhinged are at the forefront of public officials' minds, not the least of whom include Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn. If they cannot reform these public finance systems, it may easily be their own political careers that will pay the price. What's more is that many of any convictions or revelations that come out of the reformation process and federal investigation may taint if not undo the largely positive legacy of Richard M. Daley.For the first time ever, one book examines the breadth and depth of the pension problem in Illinois and Chicago, and it is a problem that will only continue to be in the news until major reforms can be enacted. Even after, the fallout from decades of pension abuse will not only affect the Midwest's largest hub of political and economic activity in Chicago and Illinois, but it will have major repercussions for cities and states across the nation struggling with the same issues.
Only in Chicago
by Natasha Korecki"As the circus of the Blagojevich saga unfolded, Natasha Korecki was right at the center.... It was a seriocomedy suited to her enterprise and imagination, and she's the one to write the book." -Roger Ebert"Natasha Korecki's chronicle of the Blagojevich saga was a cutting-edge lesson in how to blend old-fashioned reporting with new media." -Richard RoeperChicago, Illinois, and America at large were captivated by the arrest, trial, and general public embarrassment of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Only in Chicago is derived from the best of award-winning Chicago Sun-Times reporter Natasha Korecki's work on the Blagojevich scandal, weaving together years of reporting and never-before published details into one straightforward, fast-paced narrative. From the infamous audiotapes to Blagojevich's strange public relations campaign, this is one of the most bizarre true political tales ever told.Beyond the slew of backroom dealmakers who were sucked into the Blagojevich imbroglio, President Barack Obama himself--while never accused of any wrongdoing--was also interviewed by federal prosecutors. Now-mayor Rahm Emanuel's discussions with Blagojevich are included as well. The political figure who became most entangled with the scandal, however, was Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who is accused of offering Blagojevich $6 million for Obama's vacated Senate seat through an intermediary.