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."

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.

Dealing with the secret pain in the lives of many "good Christian" men.

In a continuation of Confessions of a Good Christian Girl, Tammy Maltby is back with coauthor Tom Davis to get specific about the brokenness and pain in the lives of good Christian men. This isn't a lurid expose but an honest and courageous look at the secrets most often lurking behind "victorious" Christian facades.

Chapters include:

I've got a dirty mind

I'm a self-made man

I want more stuff

I need my dad

I love booze

I don't like to feel

I'm so ticked off

I want to give up

In addition to the transparent stories and insight from Davis, Matlby concludes each chapter with reflections for those who care-practical insight for individuals walking beside a man struggling with these issues.

"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.

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.