“We always believe that changing our mind is an improvement, bringing a greater truthfulness to our dealings with the world and other people. It puts an end to vacillation, uncertainty, weak-mindedness. It seems to make us stronger and more mature. Well, we would think that, wouldn't we?”

In these engaging and erudite essays, critically acclaimed writer Julian Barnes explores what is involved when we change our minds: about words, about politics, about books, about memories, about age and time.

This provocative book tries to give a modern-day voice to the Black American experience, as it vividly, painstakingly, and accurately depicts the sad and continuing struggles of the descendants of Black African slaves in the United States. This mesmerizing work further weaves the human tragedy, social boundaries, pathetic comedy, jubilation, alienation, and racial conflicts Black Americans face with whites or the dominant group every day, particularly in the Southern States. The fateful tales in this collection also realistically portray Black Americans in contemporary settings in the New South, especially in regards to their coping mechanisms and survival techniques. The background for most of these captivating stories centers, or focuses primarily in the Deep South. This remarkable book finally touches all the raw nerves as it presents the observable truth of black life and living, without restraint, cautious detachment, false candor, or disingenuousness.

From the celebrated author of Who I Was Supposed to Be, Susan Perabo's collection of twelve "ingenious and lovable stories [that] crack open the world" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) and illuminate the everyday truths of people facing challenging situations...often of their own making. In Why They Run the Way They Do, critically acclaimed author Susan Perabo illustrates the triumphs and tragedies of daily life. Perfectly distilled into moments of sharp humor and poignancy, this collection features ordinary people in sometimes extraordinary circumstances. Two young students try their hand at blackmail upon learning an illicit secret; a woman grapples with feelings of betrayal after discovering her spinster sister's pregnancy test; the ghost of a couple's past comes back to haunt them in the form of their toddler's stuffed toy. Weaving the banal and bizarre together, "Perabo's clear, wry sentences meld a prose style that's reminiscent of Raymond Carver's with a sensibility that's informed by People" (The New York Times). Here, this "literary talent" (The Boston Globe) captures the human condition through struggles that are quiet and grand; dark and provocative. Brilliantly crafted, Why They Run the Way They Do is ultimately an homage to the philosophy that life without humor is no life at all.

Volume I contains 54 stories. Volume II which is a continuation of Volume I has 42 stories. The stories are stand-alone stories, that is, they are independent from each other, so that these books can be read in any sequence the reader chooses. There is no particular reason why they should be read in the way the author sequenced them. The reader can select stories based on the time there is to read one or more stories. The books are designed for busy people who need to escape from the problems of work, family, or self-imposed rituals for governing activities of the day. Please read these stories to explore and enhance that which is not yet part of your day or evening accomplishments.

America''s Rite is a compilation of stories bonded around one central figure, with the end result being a cross between Arabian Nights and Aesop''s Fables. However, unlike the linear logic used in Arabic literature, this book uses the circular logic of Western literature to form its moral conclusions. How closely America''s Rite actually comes to hitting the mark will be determined by each reader. In literary terms, America''s Rite is a fiction novel, which uses parables as the foundation for hypothetical solutions to problems inherent in American Society. In actuality, America''s Rite is a blend of real facts, with factious scenarios and characters, intended to stimulate discussions toward resolving internal problems plaguing modern American Society. The concept of this book was stated very nicely by the Nigerian author who wrote, "Writers don''t give prescriptions; they give headaches." America''s Rite portrays: a) the fact America is not a homogeneous society, but a society of many parts in constant conflict, and b) how constant manipulations and revisionist history by the Politically Correct have played no small part in America''s slide towards chaos and mediocrity. Parental discretion should be applied to the reading of America''s Rite. This book uses graphic sex as reader stimulus, and it is the intent of America''s Rite to sell the concept of correcting the problems in American Society to as many Americans as humanly possible. It is unfortunate the use of graphic sex in America''s Rite will limit the availability, provocation, and political discussion from the developing minds of American youth -- because American youth will eventually need to deal with the problems discussed inthis book.

Iceland is a country where stories are as important as history. When Vikings settled the island, they brought their tales with them. Every rock, hot spring and waterfall seems to have its own story. Cruel man-eating trolls rub shoulders with beautiful elves, whose homes are hidden from mortal view. Vengeful ghosts envy the living, seeking to drag lost loves into their graves - or they may simply demand a pinch of your snuff. Some of the stories in this collection are classic Icelandic tales, while others are completely new to English translation. Hjoerleifur has always been deeply interested in the rich lore of his island. His grandparents provided a second home in his upbringing and taught him much about the past through their own way of life. Hjoerleifur is dedicated to breathing fresh life into the stories he loves.

In sixteenth century Japan, an elite breed of soldier known as the Samurai represented the law of the land. Whatever the Emperor commanded, the Samurai carried forth-even when those commands seemed above the call of duty. Yoshima Gorisaki, called Gori, had never had anything to do with these Samurai-until word gets out of Gori's betrayal of Emperor Tenchu. The Samurai are sent to dispatch Gori, his wife, and all his children. They succeed in half their mission, but Gori is not what he appears. Gori was once the Emperor's best assassin and friend. He joined the imperial army at the age of nineteen, and he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually reaching the highest Samurai order by the age of twenty-five. Over this time, Gori and Tenchu remained friends ...until the girl of Tenchu's dreams refused his love. This girl loved Gori instead; she married him, and together they began a family. For this reason, Tenchu orders the assassination of his friend Gori and his family-even the beautiful woman Tenchu once loved. But Gori survives the attempt on his life. He promises revenge for what the Emperor has done, and he will stop at nothing. Gori, a trained Samurai, is on a mission to destroy all the Emperor holds dear. But will old friendship bring about mercy, or will love and honor bring about vengeful death?

From Robert James Waller comes a wonderful collection of 19 essays--all of them as romantic, reflective, and timeless as readers have come to expect from the author of The Bridges of Madison County--a celebration of life and loss, of what things still can be.

At the end of the street lives Wingnut, a ten-year-old boy with ears that stick out and an imagination that takes him to the most exotic places on Earth. His real name is Graham, but no one calls him that-except maybe his mom. When Wingnut becomes best friends with the boy next door, the neighborhood will never be the same again. The two embark on a series of adventures, dares, mishaps, and close calls, but they always manage to make it out in one piece, more or less. As long as they're home for dinner by the end of the day, life is good. When a group of bullies targets the duo and makes life miserable, it's time to take a stand. The two decide to implement an elaborate plan that will stop the bullying once and for all. But to do it, they'll have to sneak past the old witch who lives in the spooky house on the other side of the road, creep across Old Man Scott's garden, and get the other neighborhood kids to join the fight. One thing is for sure: they're about to show these bullies who's the boss Full of fun and excitement, "Wingnut" is a delightful tale that celebrates the magic of childhood.