The new vice principal of Ella Mentry School has some crazy ideas on how to teach kids. A.J. and the gang have to stand on their heads while they do math! They have to take a spelling test underwater! Everybody has to do yoga! Could it possibly get any weirder?
Spoiler! Swartzwelder wins. In his latest Frank Burly scifi extravaganza, John Swartzwelder does not disappoint. In Earth vs. Everybody, Swartzwelder reminds his devoted followers why they will never stop buying his books the week they are released. No, not every single joke was the funniest thing I'd ever read. Yes, I looked like a crazy person, laughing uncontrollably as I read the book in public.
Meggie and David Blue are from another planet. The story takes these alien kids, along with their mother and grandfather, by accident, to a far planet where people are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing. The Blues, who have spent time in free societies recognize the upside-down-ness of this world. They plan their escape, and vow to help others.
The feds want Miami bookmaker Harry Arno to squeal on his wiseguy boss. So they''re putting word out on the street that Arno''s skimming profits from "Jimmy Cap" Capotorto—which he is, but everybody does it. He was planning to retire to Italy someday anyway, so Harry figures now''s a good time to get lost.
Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek bestseller Asked to explain why a few people truly excel, most people offer one of two answers. The first is hard work. Yet we all know plenty of hard workers who have been doing the same job for years or decades without becoming great. The other possibility is that the elite possess an innate talent for excelling in their field. We assume that Mozart was born with an astounding gift for music, and Warren Buffett carries a gene for brilliant investing. The trouble is, scientific evidence doesn't support the notion that specific natural talents make great performers.
