A New York Times BestsellerA prominent senator assesses the destructive ideas that have seized the American spirit—and shows how the hidden alignments in our politics can free us from their hold.Today, the United States is in a crisis, and it’s not just a political one: over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has undermined virtue and individual character, while too many of us have become convinced that happiness results from actin...

**“An engrossing, moving, and utterly motivating account of the human stakes of gun violence in America.”—Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Education of an IdealistIs America destined to always be a violent nation? This sweeping history by U.S. senator Chris Murphy explores the origins of our violent impulses, the roots of our obsession with firearms, and the mythologies that prevent us from confronting our national crisis.**In many ways, the Uni...

In His Majesty's Secret Service is the memoir of a career agent with the United States Secret Service. Chris Murphy recounts a life nearly cut short by severe asthma. His parents were told to prepare to lose their son in childhood. God had other plans, and Chris never lost the sense of gratitude and enthusiasm that comes with second chances. It is to God's glory that he worked and succeeded. The Secret Service raised him to leadership, but he started public service in law enforcement as an...

How to talk dirty and influence people—in Chinese!You can study Chinese for years, but do you really know how to talk like a native speaker? The next book in Plume’s foreign language slang series, Niubi! will make sure you learn all the colorful vernacular words and phrases used by Chinese people of all ages in a variety of situations, including flirting and dating, wheeling and dealing, and even specific Internet slang—not to mention plenty of Chinese wor...

Miles to Go is a frank and intimate exploration of Miles Davis’ eccentric working life, drug habits, paranoia, depression, and subsequent recovery. Murphy explores Davis’ troubled relationship with his children and the controversial role Cicely Tyson played in his life. The book also delves into the dynamics that made Davis’ band work so well together, placing Davis’ work in a historic, literary, and musical framework.Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, and even Moth...

**“An engrossing, moving, and utterly motivating account of the human stakes of gun violence in America.”—Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Education of an IdealistIs America destined to always be a violent nation? This sweeping history by U.S. senator Chris Murphy explores the origins of our violent impulses, the roots of our obsession with firearms, and the mythologies that prevent us from confronting our national crisis.**In many ways, the Uni...

A prominent senator assesses the destructive ideas that have seized the American spirit—and shows how the hidden alignments in our politics can free us from their hold. This program is read by the author.Today, the United States is in a crisis—and it’s not just a political one: over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has undermined virtue and character, while too many of us have become convinced that happiness results from acting as good consumers, rather than as g...

The sexy story that first burned up the pages of Cosmopolitan is here—with three new chapters that are so hot they may steam up your screenChristopher Reiss is the handsome and extremely intimidating CEO of a major financial firm. Megan’s nothing but a lowly assistant. But when she stumbles upon some incriminating evidence that could threaten Christopher’s career, she finds herself on his radar . . . and eventually his desk, his kitchen counter, his bed . ...

Our Mandarin Chinese phrasebook for beginners will introduce you some of the basic terms as you start to master the language of the future.  About one fifth of the people in the world speak some form of Chinese as their native language. Contents: Mandarin Chinese Overview Pronunciation Guide — Diphthongs — Consonants — Tones Phrase List — Solving Problems — Going to the doctor — Numbers — Time — Colours

Publicly burned in China for its sensual nature and irreverent style, this novel is the semi-autobiographical story of Coco, a café waitress, who is full of enthusiasm and impatience for life. She meets a young man, Tian Tian, for whom she feels tenderness and love, but he is reclusive, impotent and an increasing user of drugs. Despite parental objections, Coco moves in with him, leaves her job and throws herself into writing.Shortly afterwards she meets Mark, a married Westerner. ...

Deborah Fallows has spent much of her life learning languages and traveling around the world. But nothing prepared her for the surprises of learning Mandarin, China's most common language, or the intensity of living in Shanghai and Beijing. Over time, she realized that her struggles and triumphs in studying the language of her adopted home provided small clues to deciphering the behavior and habits of its people,and its culture's conundrums. As her skill with Mandarin increased, bits of th...

Learning the language? Don't forget the words they don't teach in school . . .Whether you're traveling or just conversing with friends, drop the textbook Korean phrases and bust out with some cool slang, funny insults, explicit sex terms, and raw swear words! Dirty Korean teaches the casual expressions heard every day on the streets of Korea:•What's up? Wasseo?•Holy shit, I'm trashed. Ssibal, na manchiwi.•I gotta piss....