Chatting with colleagues at the coffee machine is easy enough. Talking to a new colleague is a little less easy. Having an in-depth conversation with someone you do not know, is anything but easy. And, if that someone is either half your age or twice as old, it becomes difficult. This game turns that task into a joyful experience. Lay Your Cards on The Table consists of 60 cards with conversation starters. Choose questions from 3 different categories and you will be having great conversations in no time. You can play this game with 2 people or more. You can start the conversation by randomly asking or answering some of the questions or, if you need some more guidance, you can use the game rules. Although in the end, there really is just one rule: Whatever is discussed on the table, stays there!

The fatherhood movement has established itself as the most innovative and effective response to the most daunting crisis facing American families. Written by the movement's founders, this indispensable book illustrates the movement's methods for reconnecting men with their children and restoring the fragile bonds that hold our society together. This book is the manifesto of the fatherhood movement, and it provides valuable insights into the historical, social, economic, and spiritual dimensions of the 'disappearance' of fathers from society. Reflecting the complex nature of this problem, the contributors include activists, politicians, public intellectuals, and academics from a broad range of disciplines. They not only identify the root causes of the widespread withdrawal of fathers from family life, but also offer specific remedies on the individual, local, and national levels. This is a timely and important contribution to a topic of growing concern to all Americans.

Dear Granny (sketch design) is an award-winning journal filled with over 60 fun and inspiring questions carefully created to inspire any grandmother to tell her story - probably one of the most valuable gifts you will ever buy. Everyone has stories to share about their own amazing life and it is so important to find ways to capture and treasure them. Dear Granny contains 60 carefully designed questions to ask her about her life. Ask her to complete it carefully, adding photos and memorabilia along the way. Find out how things have changed throughout her life, what things did she do as a child that are different from today. What were her own parents really like and what adventures has she had in her life. Discover what your own mum or dad was like when they were young! What about your own relationship with your grandmother, what are her favourite memories of the times you have spent together and is there any advice she would like to give you? When you get her completed journal returned to you, this will be one of the most emotional presents you have ever received. A great gift for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, her birthday, an anniversary, Christmas or just because you care ...

"They've always wanted me to be open and honest with them, I've spent years explaining stuff to them, and sometimes they still don't understand everything" - Milly, 16 "Your parents aren't actually hatching a plan to ruin your life..." Jim, 52 From minor matters (tidiness, homework, sleep) to big and important ones (relationships, mental ill health, drugs and alcohol), teenagers and their parents often struggle to talk to each other - and talking is key if your young person is facing new challenges as they leave childhood behind. A well-timed conversation, a listening ear, a non-judgemental and receptive attitude - all these can make an enormous and lasting impact on how safely and happily a teenager navigates this crucial stage of their development. Oh, if only it were that easy. It's not always easy to talk to your teenager, or for them to talk to you, but it is critical and may even be life-saving. This book draws extensively on hundreds of conversations that Fiona Spargo-Mabbs has conducted with young people and parents in focus groups and school and college workshops, to give a framework for tackling tough conversations about difficult things, without judgement or anger. It gives context and insight, based on the latest neuroscience findings on the teenage brain and, importantly, it gives hundreds of prompts and plenty of practical suggestions and strategies to make communication between parents and young people a two-way street that builds the foundations for a strong relationship with your adult child. Covering everything from the small stuff, like curfews and screen time, to the tough stuff of sex, self-harm and suicide, this is a warm, compassionate and important book that draws on lived experience and the lives of young people as they are, not as we think they might, or should, be.

My Father's Glass Eye is Jeannie's struggle to honour her father, her larger-than-life hero, but also the man who named her after his daughter from a previous marriage, a daughter who died. After his funeral, Jeannie spends the next decade in escalating mania, in and out of hospitals - increasingly obsessed with the other Jeanne. Obsession turns to investigation as she plumbs her childhood awareness of her dead half-sibling and hunts for clues into the mysterious circumstances of her death. It becomes a puzzle she she must solve to better understand herself and her father. Jeannie pulls us into her unravelling with such intimacy that her insanity becomes palpable, even logical. A brilliant exploration of the human psyche, My Father's Glass Eye deepens our definitions of love, sanity, grief, and recovery.

This story is a true, revealing, and sometimes shocking insight into the little known world of educational test publishing and the gamble that led the flamboyant Ethel Clark to become one of the industry's major players. How she grew the business (once known as California Test Bureau, now CTB/McGraw-Hill) and dealt with the IRS, the unions, the U.S. Army, and her scholarly husband, Willis, was far from traditional, and her personal life was often scandalous. Ethel's drive to "be somebody," her disregard for conventional behavior, and her foresight in adopting leading-edge technology contrasted sharply with the persona of her husband Willis Clark, Ed.D. Willis was a pioneer in educational testing, who dedicated his life to the development of many nationally used educational tests and always emphasized the importance of designing tests with results to "help the teacher help the child." Ethel and Willis greatly influenced the growth and prominence of one of America's significant but controversial industries. An Appendix highlights test development from conception to the application of test results.

This booklet is Mom's ticket to some much-deserved quality time and care. The 12 shimmering foil-stamped tickets inside can be redeemed anytime for the gifts she really wants―ranging from fun family activities to favors that let her take a load off. Perfect to give one at a time or as a set, these tickets are a sweet and thoughtful way to let Mom know she's the best on Mother's Day―or any day.

• GREAT FOR THE MOTHER WHO HAS EVERYTHING: Can't think of the perfect present for Mom? This ticket booklet is a unique and fun gift, and also a fabulous way to give experiences―like a family fun activity or a favor that lets her take a load off―that she's sure to love.
• EASY BUT THOUGHTFUL GIFT: Gifting gold! This is a perfect last-minute gift for moms, whether for birthdays, Mother's Day, or just because.
• ADD YOUR OWN PERSONAL TOUCH: All 12 tickets offer space on the back to add a personal touch, and the booklet includes one blank ticket that you can fill in with your own gift idea.
• GIFT ALL AT ONCE, OR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR: This booklet for Mom is full of the gifts she most wants to receive-and they can be gifted all together or individually one at a time. Either way, she'll feel like a winner with a Lucky Ticket in hand.
• INCLUDES: booklet with 12 gold foil-stamped perforated tickets

So, you're having a teenager? Congratulations/commiserations. Worried about drugs? We recommend Valium, wine and HRT. Happy you survived the toddler tantrums? Let us introduce you to the eye roll, the cold shoulder and the incoherent mumble. On the bright side, you've reduced your need for Google - your adolescent is now able to frequently correct, hector and lecture you with their strong opinion on everything. And if you feel tired, you're not imagining it. Teen years are like dog years: for every year your teen ages, you age seven. You need a survival guide for the testing times ahead. Friends, next-door neighbours and fellow mums of teens Sarah Macdonald and Cathy Wilcox have lived through it all and produced this straight-talking, not entirely sarcastic, informative guide to what for many parents are the most challenging - but interesting and exciting - years in the role. From A is for Argumentative, Awkward and Angst, to Z is for Zits and Zzzzzs. Because having a toddler is a doddle.

In Changing Course, the best-selling sequel to It Will Never Happen to Me, Claudia Black extends a helping hand to individuals working through the painful experience of being raised with addiction in the family. ""How do you go from living according to the rules - Don't Talk, Don't Trust, Don't Feel - to a life where you are free to talk and trust and feel?"" Dr. Black asks. ""You do this through a process that teaches you to go to the source of those rules, to question them, and to create new rules of your own,"" she explains. Using charts, exercises, checklists, and real-life stories of adult children of alcoholics, Dr. Black guides readers in healing from the fear, shame, and chaos of addiction.

Tens of millions of Americans either suffer from Alzheimer's or care for someone who does. In a single generation, that number will triple. Jeanne Murray Walker's memoir speaks with compassionate wisdom about the gifts that wait to be discovered even in the midst of this grim disease. As Walker cares for her mother during her heartrending decline, she, her sister and her mother develop closer ties. The intimate look at illness and death-hardly acknowledged by our culture-becomes another sort of gift and after spending thousands of hours with her mother, Jeanne begins to recover her own early memories and understand her history in a transformative way. THE GEOGRAPHY OF MEMORY reveals that for all the grim news about Alzheimer's, it is possible to find joy and hope in the midst of pain. The story is made up of three braided strands. Two are narrative: the present story of caring for her mother and the past story of Walker's childhood memories. The third strand is a series of pithy Field Notes that anchor the book in practical reflections on memory. Interwoven are chapters which flash back to Walker's teenage battles with her feisty, valiant, widowed mother. Only because Walker slowed down and spent thousands of hours in the company of her mother during the last decade of her life was she able to recover these memories. The field notes are short, poetic pauses in the narrative that address memory: what it is, how it works, how it can be strengthened, what happens when it goes away. Geography of Memory is the hopeful story about Alzheimer's that readers are waiting to hear.

Just one simple thought a day to preserve five years of memories with your children-finally, a record book that is doable! A Memory a Day for Moms,a beautiful five-year journal with carefully curated questions and writing prompts, offers you just that. Jot down a single thought, memory, or prayer, and build a treasured keepsake day by day. Mothers in all stages of life will find something to love about A Memory a Day for Moms, as it allows you to reflect on and record your children's growth and your own journey as a mom. Whether you are knee-deep with littles or navigating the tricky waters of high school and beyond, prompts such as "My child said the funniest thing today!" "My hope for my child is," and "Lately we've been enjoying _____ together" will always resonate. This luxurious journal makes a beautiful gift for a birthday or baby shower, or as a special treat for yourself. With spacious lines and a prettily designed interior, you will love coming back to A Memory a Day for Moms day after day.

In a world where our families are more scattered than ever, true and lasting family connections are hard to forge and even harder to maintain--and they don't happen by accident. For grandparents who long to create a close-knit bond in their family, popular speaker and parenting expert Susan Alexander Yates has a revolutionary new book. Cousin Camp is an inspiring, practical book that outlines how grandparents can plan and host a camp. Grandmother to 21 grandchildren, Yates has been creating cousin camps and family camps for years. Now she passes on what she's learned so you can help your children and grandchildren develop meaningful, lasting connections with each other--and with you! Full of specific, practical ideas and hilarious stories, this book contains everything you need to know from initial planning (who, when, and where) to a daily schedule to specific ways to build friendships among family members. Yates also includes plenty of ideas for family camps and reunions to draw everyone closer.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2020 LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021 WINNER OF THE SUSHILA DEVI AWARD 2021 NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2021 A searing debut novel about mothers and daughters, obsession and betrayal - for fans of Jenny Offill, Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk and Diana Evans 'Beautifully written, emotionally wrenching and poignant in equal measure' The Booker Prize Judges 2020 'An unsettling, sinewy debut, startling in its venom and disarming in its humour from the very first sentence' Guardian 'I would be lying if I said my mother's misery has never given me pleasure.' This is a tale of obsession and betrayal. This is a poisoned love story. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Tara and Antara, a woman and her angry shadow. But which one is which? Sharp as a blade and compulsively readable, Burnt Sugar slowly untangles the knot of memory and rumour that binds two women together, revealing the truth that lies beneath. 'A work of extraordinary insight, courage and sophistication' Washington Post 'Arresting and fiercely intelligent, disarmingly witty and frank' Sunday Times 'A sly, slippery, often heartbreaking novel about the role memory plays within families' Stylist 'Extraordinary... Come for the effortlessly stylish writing, stay for the boiling wrath' Observer

'A total triumph', 'Romantic and heartbreaking and uplifting all at once', 'Highly recommended' *The Independent best 'never-too-late' story of 2021, and one of the 8 best uplifting books of the year* IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO BE LOVED? 'Wonderful . . . An utter treat' KATE MOSSE 'A heartfelt coming-of-age story . . . Remarkable' LAURIE FRANKEL, New York Times bestselling author 'A heart-warming, joyous love story - original, hopeful and totally charming' ADELE PARKS 'I loved it! Really heart-warming and joyful, but also so poignant. I cannot recommend this book highly enough' LORRAINE KELLY 'Albert is one of the most endearing characters I've met in a long time . . . Proof that it's never too late to find a happy ending' SUSAN WIGGS, New York Times bestselling author 'A bright, clear, sharply intelligent writer' JENNY COLGAN 'Will put a smile on everyone's face . . . A great big hug of a book!' - MICHAEL BALL, Radio 2 'Wonderful. Written with such a good heart, filled with joy and strength and optimism . . . inventive and fun but most importantly, true.' RUSSELL T. DAVIES 'A beautiful, timely page-turner, straight from the heart . . . The perfect summer read' MATTHEW BOURNE 'Brilliant . . . [I] recommend to all!' MATT LUCAS ***** ALBERT ENTWISTLE WAS A POSTMAN. It was one of the few things everyone knew about him. And it was one of the few things he was comfortable with people knowing. 64-year-old Albert Entwistle has been a postie in a quiet town in Northern England for all his life, living alone since the death of his mam 18 years ago. He keeps himself to himself. He always has. But he's just learned he'll be forced to retire at his next birthday. With no friends and nothing to look forward to, the lonely future he faces terrifies him. He realises it's finally time to be honest about who he is. He must learn to ask for what he wants. And he must find the courage to look for the man that, many years ago, he lost - but has never forgotten . . . Join Albert as he sets out to find the long-lost love of his life, and has an unforgettable and completely life-affirming adventure on the way . . . This is a love story the likes of which you have never read before! ***** 'Albert is such an endearing character - flawed, funny and awkward, but completely relatable. A wonderfully warm story that completely drew me in' RUTH HOGAN 'A rollicking love story' IAN McKELLEN 'Albert is the most delicious character and you'll be with him every step of the way' SUN 'A charming adventure with love at its heart' MY WEEKLY 'A life affirming story of lost love' THAT'S LIFE 'A unique and moving story' CANDIS 'A heart-warming and uplifting read' ATTITUDE 'You will weep and yet have your heart filled with joy' ARLENE PHILLIPS 'I raced through this heart-warming story' JUSTIN MYERS 'Prepare to fall in love with Albert Entwistle! Touching and tender' S. J. WATSON 'Albert is delightful and charming, and the book is too' JONATHAN HARVEY 'I so enjoyed this - a warm-hearted, moving and thought-provoking joy about an elderly postman's awakening to life and love' FANNY BLAKE 'A total triumph. Romantic and heartbreaking and uplifting all at once.' LAURA KAY 'Tender, witty, uplifting' KATE EBERLEN As seen and heard on THE GRAHAM NORTON RADIO SHOW, BBC Radio 4's WOMAN'S HOUR, RESONANCE FM, BBC Radio 2'S THE MICHAEL BALL SHOW, TalkRADIO'S THE BADASS WOMEN'S SHOW, TIMES RADIO with GILES COREN and many more . . .

Do you have a self-absorbed or narcissistic parent who's made you feel rejected, unloved, or unworthy? Being a parent is usually all about giving of yourself to foster your child's growth and development. But what happens when this isn't the case? Some parents dismiss the needs of their children, asserting their own instead, demanding attention and reassurance from even very young children. This may especially be the case when a parent has narcissistic tendencies or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This fully revised and updated edition of a self-help classic offers a step-by-step approach to resolving conflict and building a meaningful relationship with a narcissistic parent. Children of the Self-Absorbed offers clear definitions of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder to help you identify the extent of your parent's problem. You'll learn the different types of destructive narcissism and how to recognise their effects on your relationships. Packed with proven techniques, you'll realise that you're not helpless against your parent's behaviour, and that you don't have to give up on the relationship. Instead, you'll find realistic strategies and steps for setting up mutually agreed upon behaviours, so you can fulfil your own emotional needs. In this new edition, you'll discover: *Skills for managing intense emotions *Tools for building character, self-esteem and self-acceptance *How kindness and gratitude can promote self-healing *How to build trust and empathy with others If you're ready to begin healing from the pain of growing up with a self-absorbed parent and establish the boundaries you need to thrive - this book will guide you, one step at a time.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 SHORTLISTED FOR THE KATE O'BRIEN AWARD 2022 'A stunning debut from this new Irish talent' STELLAR A young woman comes of age in the shadow of her family's tragic past When Beth Crowe starts university, she is shadowed by the ghost of her potential as a competitive swimmer. Free to create a fresh identity for herself, she finds herself among people who adore the poetry of her grandfather, Benjamin Crowe, who died tragically before she was born. She embarks on a secret relationship - and on a quest to discover the truth about Benjamin and his widow, her beloved grandmother Lydia. The quest brings her into an archive that no scholar has ever seen, and to a person who knows things about her family that nobody else knows. Holding Her Breath is a razor-sharp, moving and seriously entertaining novel about complicated love stories, ambition and grief - and a young woman coming fully into her powers. __________ 'A beautiful coming-of-age story told with impressive skill and lightness of touch . . . I absolutely loved it' LOUISE O'NEILL 'Whip smart observations and addictive prose' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Precise, sure, engaging, and a joy to read' RODDY DOYLE 'A moving debut with a satisfying conclusion' IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Brilliant, vivid - I enjoyed this book ENORMOUSLY' MARIAN KEYES 'Enthralling' IMAGE 'A nimble account of student life with a darkly enjoyable undercurrent of secrecy and emotional turmoil' SARA BAUME 'A truly compelling read, and one I wholeheartedly recommend' BUZZ 'Through the dark sky of our times, Eimear Ryan arrives like a comet, a bright talent scorching through every page' DOIREANN NI GHRIOFA, author of A Ghost in the Throat 'Brilliantly realised, gripping, and moving . . . This is absolutely the real thing' KEVIN POWER 'Written with a wonderful clarity and insight, Holding Her Breath lingers in the imagination. Beth's unravelling and re-ravelling is drawn with great skill and empathy. A brilliant debut' DONAL RYAN

When children grow up and become adults we often assume, as parents, that our job is done. In fact it's just the beginning of a whole new stage in our lifelong connection. Relationships with adult children are an aspect of parenting that is rarely discussed, yet they require thoughtfulness and empathy, and can bring many new challenges. - How can you avoid conflict when your adult child returns to live with you? - What if you don't get on with their partner? - How should you suppoer your child through a divorce, or mental health challenges later in life? - Do you have mixed feelings about looking after your grandchildren? - What if you adult children don't get along? All Grown Up draws on the personal experiences of parents, as well as advice from leading experts in the filed, to offer support and guidance on working through these common dilemmas to develop and maintain a close bond with your adult child. Discover how to create family harmony and a strong, enduring connection. Praise for Celia Dodd's Not Fade Away 'Optimistic and clever, this handbook for how to flourish in your sixties - and beyond - may be the wisest book on reaching a pensionable age' - The i newspaper 'As a child of the 60's, ambitious and career driven, I needed to read this book. I now no longer fear life's next chapter but instead I'm shouting "Bring it on!"' - Jo Good, BBC Radio London 'Retirement is not about "giving up". This book shows us how to discover the positives and relish every moment of this major life transition'. - Aggie MacKenzie, broadcaster and journalist.