Best of TOC is a collection of essential posts from the last 12 months, selected from the TOC blog and a number of external sources.One of the mantras at Tools of Change is "fail forward fast," which is an alliterative way of encouraging experimentation. That's why we felt it appropriate to use Best of TOC as a testing ground for a "Web-to-book" process. As we hoped, experimentation led to lessons we wouldn't have learned otherwise.The material in Best...

Classic Russian short stories, including A Reckless character, The Dream, Father Alexyei's Story, Old Portraits, The Song of Love Triumphant, Clara Militch, Poems in Prose and Endnotes. According to Wikipedia: "Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev 1818 - 1883) was a Russian novelist and playwright. His novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century fiction."

Rain is responsible for a great deal more than the mere growth of vegetables—it is a controller, if a somewhat capricious controller, of man's destiny. It was mainly, if not entirely, owing to rain that the French lost the Battle of Agincourt; whilst, if I mistake not, Confucius alone knows how many victories have been snatched from the Chinese by the same factor. It was most certainly rain that drove Leon Hamar to take refuge in a second-hand bookshop; for so deep-rooted was his aversion ...

In "Scenes in Switzerland," the American Tract Society presents a vibrant tapestry of the Swiss landscape, culture, and spiritual life, skillfully intertwining personal narratives with rich descriptions of the natural environment. The text embodies a didactic literary style, characteristic of 19th-century American religious publications, seeking to inspire readers through picturesque accounts and moral reflections. Through an engaging exploration of Switzerland's breathtaking vistas, the b...

At various times during the latter half of the eighteenth century there crossed the Atlantic two Protestant Irishmen, a Lowland Scotsman, and an Englishman, and thereby they fixed the character of Mr Henry James' genius. For the essential thing about Mr James was that he was an American; and that meant, for his type and generation, that he could never feel at home until he was in exile. He came of a stock that was the product of culture and needed it as part of its environment. But at the ...

Excerpt: "One evening in the beginning of the eighteenth century—as nearly as we can conjecture, the year might be that of 1720—some time about the end of April, a young man named Lamh Laudher O'Rorke, or Strong-handed O'Eorke, was proceeding from his father's house, with a stout oaken cudgel in his hand, towards an orchard that stood at the skirt of a country town, in a part of the kingdom which, for the present, shall be nameless. Though known by the epithet of Lamh Laudher, his Christia...

In "Valentine M'Clutchy, The Irish Agent," William Carleton masterfully explores the socio-political landscape of 19th-century Ireland through the lens of its complex characters. The narrative unfolds in a vivid, realist style, characterized by Carleton's keen observations and rich dialect, illuminating the struggles of the Irish peasantry and the corrupting influence of land agents like Valentine M'Clutchy. This novel serves as both a keen social commentary and a detailed historical docum...

In "The Ned M'Keown Stories," William Carleton masterfully weaves a tapestry of rural Irish life, characterized by rich characterizations and vibrant depictions of the customs and struggles of the Irish peasantry in the 19th century. Utilizing a combination of realism and romanticism, Carleton vividly portrays the dilemma of the lower classes against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society. Each tale encapsulates the valor, folly, and humanity of the characters, with sharp social commen...