Tongue firmly in cheek, Dave Donelson tells some of the strangest stories in golf. Like the grudge match at Pebble Beach between Superman and Batman. Meet the golf pro who sold his soul to the devil and the werewolf who makes a run at the Grand Slam. And don't forget the guy who can cure your slice if you'll only let him bite your neck. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you might even throw up your dinner, but Weird Golf will make you think twice about teeing it up at twilight. Golf has so much more to offer than hushed fairways and perfectly-trimmed greens. For golfers with open and slightly-twisted minds, there are also blue gnomes that read putts, ghosts with golf tips, and witches you never, ever want to play through. These 18 stories by veteran golf writer Dave Donelson will help you push aside your long-drive ego, peel back your putter-shaking id, and expose the goofy golfer deep inside. Yuri Shoots Par - Learn golf and shoot par in seven days? No problem for Yuri the extra-terrestrial. Screaming Blue Yips - When an irritable blue gnome reads your putts, you better pay attention. Grand Slam - Bobby Jones did it, Tiger Woods almost did it, now a werewolf shoots for the moon. A Rant And Ramble Into The Origins Of Golf - Forget the Scots. If you want to know where golf came from, check the Garden of Eden. By The Rules - A caddie's view of how the game should be played and what happens to those who break the rules. Superhero Grudge Match - It's a supercharged slugfest when Batman meets Superman on the first tee at Pebble Beach. Choker - When you're in the club championship, make sure you don't bit off more than you can chew. Moon Golf - The stakes are astronomical when the fate of the universe hangs on a golf match on the far side of the moon. A Not-So-Brief History Of Golf Time - The real reasons golf is played at glacier speed. The View From The Mountain - A teaching pro with ambition meets the hottest guru in the business. Night Putting - Twilight golf is not only cheaper, it's deadlier. Better Ball - When the club two-man title is at stake, be sure to choose your teammate carefully. Balderwhipple - Double double, toil and trouble, bogeys burn and hazards bubble. Would you Care to play through? Bald Peter's Pond - A personal injury lawyer learns the hard way to listen to his caddie's advice. Three Club Advantage - Do the numbers and you might discover you don't really need a bag full of clubs. Ben Hogan's Secret - There's only one way to learn the golf legend's secret, but when you do it's probably too late. Lost Ball At Hemlock Hills - Every public links golfer dreams of belonging to a fancy-schmanzy private club, although the initiation fees can kill you. As Time Goes By - When a golf fanatic enters a time warp, he leaves behind more than a golf widow.

Twelve-year-old boys who play rough in an alley-with a ten-year-old girl. A curly-tailed puppy whose eyes are curiously knowing. A upstanding Ugandan villager who weighs the rewards-and consequences-of a family business decision. At first glance, each seems as innocent as a newborn kitten that, if you get close enough, might give you an affectionate lick. The next thing you know, though, you've got a nasty little lymph node infection called cat scratch fever. Don't worry-it's not life threatening. Usually. The collection includes fifteen stories about both the light and the dark side of the human condition. Bad things happen in "The Alley," a tale told by a narrator who should know--he did some of them. Or did he? Only the victims can answer that question, and they're not talking. Man's best friend offers the ultimate proof of his loyalty in "Bad Dog." The cute little canine doesn't care whether his master is a good man or an evil one, he simply obeys. Benon Otema is not a criminal, he's just ambitious. A stalwart leader of his village, a successful merchant, a father and good provider, Benon should know better than to listen to tales told by a drunkard. But he does, and the story takes him to the "Blind Curve." In "A Tale Of The Christ," the epic movie Ben Hur weaves through a boy's tragic summer. Like an impressionist's painting, "Tooth Fairy Daddy" explores a boy's very mixed feelings for the father he visits on weekends. At the end of his hard life, Konstantinos struggles with the debts owed him by his church and his God in "The Mark On The Dove." In addition to fifteen short stories, the book includes excerpts from two novels. "Heart of Diamonds, a novel of scandal, love, and death in the Congo," is a thriller about diamond smuggling in the war-torn heart of Africa. "Hunting Elf, a doggone Christmas story," is a comedic romp that's delightful reading any time of the year.

Dave Donelson makes selling a creative act. Following his system, you'll create new demand for your products and services, find more new customers, and develop closer, stronger relationships with your existing clients. All the basic techniques of selling are covered-finding and qualifying prospects, making cold-call appointments, delivering dynamic sales presentations, finding a clear path around objections, and closing the sale in a friendly, no-pressure way. But building a successful sales career also means finding your way through mazes of decision makers, upselling current clients to better serve their needs, and even turning unhappy buyers into customers for life. Managing your time is an essential skill, too, as is motivating yourself to improve your performance every single day. The Dynamic Manager's Guide To Creative Selling isn't about theory--it's about doing. It's a how-to book outlining the steps to creatively making a sale using methods that will please both your company and your customer. It's a solid primer for someone new to the field and a good review for an old pro. Whether you sell retail or B2B, The Dynamic Manager's Guide To Creative Selling will help you grow your business.

Businesses that thrive-and the managers who run them-have one thing in common: they make their decisions based on meeting their customers' needs. They are good marketers. Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of such business owners-and his own as an entrepreneur and consultant-into this guide to attracting customers, persuading them to buy, and turning them into customers for life. Learn how to increase the return on your advertising investment by following a few basic rules of the game. Find out what makes your customers tick and why they buy from you-or your competition. Discover how to build your profits on a solid foundation of good marketing skills. In the first two sections, managers and entrepreneurs just like you tell how they handle the nitty-gritty details of creating ads, buying media, designing promotions, and all the many other tasks of good marketing. Insightful case studies of small companies across the country-retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and more-help you see how marketing drives successful business strategy. As a bonus, section three contains twenty-three promotions and ad campaigns you can use. Study them, run them, or adapt them to your specific needs-they've all been proven to work for businesses just like yours. The Dynamic Manager's Guide To Marketing & Advertising isn't about theory-it's about how to succeed in the real world of small business.

The slice haunts millions of golfers worldwide, but the answer is finally here. Slice-Free Golf will eliminate your banana ball and add more distance, consistency and fun to your game. In three easy steps, Slice-Free Golf will transform your weak slice into a powerful and consistent draw. Slice-Free Golf features dozens of drills specifically designed to cure the slice, a cut-out visual guide to success, hundreds of photos and much more. There are countless golf instruction books on the market, but Slice-Free Golf is the only one focused solely on curing the slice. A fun, easy-to-understand book that delivers fast, permanent results. Say goodbye to the banana ball "If cutting the ball is frustrating you, please read Slice-Free Golf. By following Brian's program, you will also develop more consistency, greater distance off the tee, and more enjoyment on the golf course." -- Gary Player, winner of 18 Major Championships, including the career Grand Slam on both the PGA & Champions Tour. "I've played in pro-ams for nearly 25 years...By far, the most frustrated and miserable golfers were the slicers. Follow Brian's lead and leave your slice in the kitchen. Golf can be powerful, satisfying and fun for everyone...cool book " -- Dottie Pepper, winner of 17 LPGA Tour events, including two major championships, Golf Commentator for NBC and The Golf Channel. PGA Professional and TV golf commentator Brian Crowell takes the golfer through three easy steps, all clearly explained and illustrated. In Step One, he demonstrates his revolutionary approach to set-up that eliminates many of the golfer's most common faults. Step Two covers the swing itself without the mumbo jumbo that accompanies much golf instruction. In Step Three, you'll learn how to let nature take its course so you finish your swing with a smooth release. It all adds up to produce a powerful, consistent draw. Slice-Free Golf includes over two dozen drills to help you banish your banana ball forever. Using common items found in every household and golf bag, Crowell shows you how to break the bad swing habits that destroy your scores. Each drill is illustrated, explained and proven to produce results. The book also includes extensive bonus material about which clubs you should use, how to eat and stay fit for peak performance on the golf course, and how to conquer the mental game. "If you slice, Slice-Free Golf is a MUST read...well-written, with humor " -- Scott McCarron, three-time winner on the PGA TOUR.

Successfully managing a business takes knowledge, skills, and guts. The best managers constantly study finances, marketing, employee motivation, merchandising, and much more. Practical Management is based on interviews with retailers, manufacturers, service providers, wholesalers, restaurateurs, and others. Their stories of success-and failure-contain lessons for managers in every industry. Learn financial planning, find cash for your business, and manage your money through good times and bad. Use a variety of management techniques to manage change and maximizing profits. Follow the entire process from hiring and orienting employees to training, motivating, promoting, and even terminations. Sell more with creative marketing methods to present product benefits, overcome objections, and close the sale. See how family businesses can face down their special demons and preserve the company for the next generation. Insightful case studies, company profiles, and insider advice from hundreds of business owners and managers will help you take your company to the next level of success. Learn from the mistakes of others, share their experiences, and watch your profits grow. The Dynamic Manager's Guide To Practical Marketing isn't about theory-it's about how to succeed in the real world of small business.

A puppy for Christmas? What could be better Dan McCoy and his capable wife June find out when Santa gives them a frolicsome hairball named Elf, a Silky Terrier with champion bloodlines and the table manners of Groucho Marx at a Hunter S. Thompson New Year's Eve party. He's also on the Christmas wish list of nefarious dognappers who want to steal him as part of a murderous plot to win the silver cup for Westminster's "Best In Show." Elf foils everybody's plots, though, and brings Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to a tumultuous halt in the process. Hunting Elf is a comedic canine Christmas adventure.

The Congo is a very dangerous place for television journalist Valerie Grey in this tragic, fast-paced tale of avarice and betrayal. Amid the bloody violence of the country's endless civil war, Grey uncovers a deadly diamond-smuggling scheme that reaches the White House by way of a famous American televangelist. Grey is pursued by the soldiers of the country's dictator, the mercenaries of the diamond mine's owner, and the rebels seeking to take control of the mine. Aided by an altruistic doctor who struggles to bring medical care to Congo's poor, she must canoe down crocodile-infested rivers, dodge attacking helicopters, and race over teeth-rattling roads to bring their stunning story--one of government corruption, church greed, and brutality among warring factions--to the outside world.

A comedic novel about a rascally Silky Terrier with champion bloodlines, his accidental owners, and the nefarious show dog breeders who will stop at nothing--including murder--to dognap him.