Stories of government management failures often make the headlines, but quietly much gets done as well. What makes the difference? Ira Goldstein offers wisdom about how to lead and succeed in the federal realm, even during periods when the political climate is intensely negative, based on his decades of experience as a senior executive at two major government consulting firms and as a member of the US federal government's Senior Executive Service. The Federal Management Playbook coaches the importance of always keeping four key concepts in mind when planning for success: goals, stakeholders, resources, and time frames. Its chapters address how to effectively motivate government employees, pick the right technologies, communicate and negotiate with powerful stakeholders, manage risks, get value from contractors, foster innovation, and more. Goldstein makes lessons easy to apply by breaking each chapter's plans into three strategic phases: create an offensive strategy, execute your plan effectively, and play a smart defense. Additional tips describe how career civil servants and political appointees can get the most from one another, advise consultants on providing value to government, and help everyone better manage ever-present oversight. The Federal Management Playbook is a must-read for anyone working in the government realm and for students who aspire to public service.

Part of Tom Cutters instructions to his men:

"We will have something original on this drive. Out artist, Artie Cohn, has painted a map all the way to Abilene on the chuck wagon canvas. He'll be painting our progress each day all the way to our destination as well as incidents that may happen along the way."

On the other side of the wagon he has painted another map for our trip back home. Check with them to know where we are, how far we've gone and how far we have to go."

There is one point that contemporary psychology and centuries old Eastern Buddhist and Taoist teachings agree on: if you wish to experience less suffering, you must change the way you see yourself. But what if the change that is needed is to let go of our selves entirely? What does this mean for those of us living in an increasingly self-obsessed and individualistic society? Is our quest for identity actually sabotaging our own wellbeing?

In this compassionate and galvanizing book, Dr Tom Davies gently invites you to consider the basic elements that define who you are.

• In Part One, get to know your self. From the ground up, discover what the self truly is, how it links to identity, and how self-obsession is central to the human condition and the psychological pain that each of us experience.
• In Part Two, overcome self-obsession. Free yourself from your psychological prison, and learn how to live the peaceful and joyful life that you deserve.

With a fresh and lucid style, Dr Tom Davies combines his knowledge of the medical, psychological and the philosophical to bring you real solutions to life’s most challenging problems. Whether you are searching for meaning, or are struggling with stress, anxiety, grief or depression, this perspective will provide you with an empowering new insight that can help you transform your life.

"Owsley and Me" is a love story set against the background of the Psychedelic Revolution of the '60s. Owsley "Bear" Stanley met her in Berkeley in 1965, when LSD was still legal and he was the world's largest producer and distributor of LSD. Rhoney found herself working in an LSD laboratory, and the third corner in a love triangle. We all know the stories from the '60s--but never from the point of view of a woman finding her way through twisted trails of love, jealousy, and paranoia, all the while personally connecting to the most iconic events and people of her time.

Bear supported the Grateful Dead in their early years and gave away as much LSD as he sold--millions of hits. He designed and engineered the infamous Wall of Sound system of the early '70s, just before he began his two years in prison, with Rhoney raising their infant son. He died one year ago, but the era he helped create is now being rediscovered by a new generation interested in the meaning of it all.

Today Rhoney Stanley is a practicing holistic orthodontist in Woodstock, New York. This is her first book.

Tom Davis was an Emmy Award-winning American writer and comedian. He is best known for being one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live and for his former partnership with Al Franken, as half of the comedy duo "Franken & Davis." His memoir "Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There" was published in 2010 by Grove Press.

'Top Gun'-style air adventure films are spoofed in this collection of sight gags and slapstick sequences from one of the creators of 'Airplane', Jim Abrahams. Charlie Sheen stars as an ace pilot now living in a tee-pee, with Lloyd Bridges as his commanding officer.

A collection of two Alan Partridge specials. In 'Welcome to the Places of My Life', former chat show star Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) takes viewers on a 'documentary' tour of the county that has shaped the life of this national icon - Norfolk. Showcasing such highlights as the Riverside Leisure Centre, the local dry ski slope, and the inspiring spaces of Norwich City Hall, Alan shares his thoughts on the sights and sounds that have come to mould the broadcasting legend. In 'Open Books with Martin Bryce', Alan talks to stand-in host Chris Beale (Robert Popper) about his latest autobiography 'I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan'. In a candid and wide-ranging interview, the North Norfolk Digital DJ discusses all aspects of his life, including his once all-consuming Toblerone addiction.

Part of Tom Cutters instructions to his men:

"We will have something original on this drive. Out artist, Artie Cohn, has painted a map all the way to Abilene on the chuck wagon canvas. He'll be painting our progress each day all the way to our destination as well as incidents that may happen along the way."

On the other side of the wagon he has painted another map for our trip back home. Check with them to know where we are, how far we've gone and how far we have to go."

The Conundrum is about a cowboy who isn't sure of what side of the fence he wants to ride, law or outlaw. He gets into Colorado mining and meets two beautiful women. One is a gold-digger after his money, the other is his mining partner. Others try to horn in on his beholdings and he's the wrong man with which they should tangle.

Stuart Daniels has hit bottom. Once a celebrated and award-winning photojournalist, he is reeling from debt, a broken marriage, and crippling depression. The source of Stuart's grief is his most famous photo, a snapshot of brutality in the dangerous Congo. A haunting image that indicts him as a passive witness to gross injustice.

Stuart is given a one last chance to redeem his career: A make-or-break assignment covering the AIDS crisis in a small African country. It is here that Stuart meets Adanna, a young orphan fighting for survival in a community ravaged by tragedy and disease. But in the face of overwhelming odds, Adanna finds hope in a special dream, where she is visited by an illuminated man and given a precious gift.

Now, in a dark place that's a world away from home, Stuart will once again confront the harsh reality of a suffering people in a forgotten land. And as a chance encounter becomes divine providence, two very different people will find their lives forever changed.

Photojournalist Stuart Daniels has found purpose in life. After suffering the fallout of a tragic assignment, Daniels rediscovered his faith while helping a young African orphan. Now his photo work carries a greater mission: To educate people about social injustice happening around the world. Daniels' next assignment carries him back overseas and into the heart of Russia. Once there, Daniels is persuaded by an old friend to help save two girls from a desperate situation. Soon he becomes a key player in a dangerous campaign to rescue helpless women trapped in the sex-slave trade. What Daniels encounters during his journey will shake his faith, test his courage, and even threaten his life. Yet as Daniels gets deeper and the stakes get higher, he will discover that hope can be found in the darkest of places.

Alice Lowe writes, directs and stars in this drama about a pregnant woman seeking revenge. Seven months pregnant and recently widowed, Ruth (Lowe) believes that she is being guided by her unborn child as she begins a murderous rampage through the streets of Cardiff. As she seeks revenge on anyone who was remotely connected to her husband's death, her baby becomes more and more demanding of her special skills, making sure that no potential witness is left alive. The cast also includes Gemma Whelan, Eileen Davies and Kate Dickie.