Books about Optional from Amazon.com

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Price: $6.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Quotes from the book "Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good. In area after area—crime, education, housing, race relations—the situation has gotten worse after the bright new theories were put into operation. The amazing thing is that this history of failure and disaster has neither discouraged the social engineers nor discredited them." "Some things must be done on faith, but the most dangerous kind of faith is that which masquerades as 'science.' As the pretense of science has replaced commonsense experience, we have abandoned many old-fashioned practices that worked in favor of high-sounding innovations that have led to disaster." "The assumption that spending more of the taxpayers' money will make things better has survived all kinds of evidence that it has made things worse. The black family—which survived slavery, discrimination, poverty, wars, and depressions—began to come apart as the federal government moved in with its well-financed programs to 'help.'" "Worst of all, guilt has so furtively stolen into many hearts and minds that people feel apologetic about being civilized, educated, and productive when others are barbaric, uneducated, and parasitic. When civilization apologizes to barbarism, something has gone very wrong at a very fundamental level."

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Price: $9.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Praise for Black Tie Optional: A Complete Special Events Resource for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition

"I wish I had had this invaluable book when I was helping plan fundraisers in the past. My life would have been easier, and our bank account healthier. Don't torture yourself: get this book, follow its advice and be a hero!"
—Richard B. Stolley, Senior Editorial Adviser, Time, Inc. Founding Editor, People magazine

"Black Tie Optional is anything but an optional read. This step-by-step guide on how to strategize and execute a successful fundraiser is essential to anyone considering how best to tackle the complicated world of event planning. Black Tie Optional is the archetypal roadmap for those undertaking the rewarding yet overwhelming journey of successful fundraising. An absolute must read!"
—Cathy Elkies, Senior Vice President and Charity Auctioneer, Christie's

"Harry Freedman knows how to plan an event. He has it down to an art. "
—World-renowned artist PETER MAX

Regardless of the kind of big event your organization has planned for its next fundraiser, everything you need to know and do is in this thorough and essential handbook. Now in a Second Edition, Black Tie Optional demystifies the process and makes it as easy as possible to have a successful event that generates money as well as new supporters. Authors and industry experts Harry Freedman and Karen Feldman cover all the angles and show you how to:

• Decide on the best kind of event for your organization
• Select the best location and date for your event
• Develop budgets
• Reach and book celebrities
• Create invitations and get publicity
• Set ticket prices
• Organize and motivate your committees

This handy, how-to manual takes you step by step through the entire process of selecting and producing simple and complicated events and arms you with all the information you need, including practical advice, real-world examples from actual events, summary checklists, and worksheets. Black Tie Optional is destined to become your dog-eared blueprint for making money and allies in the name of your cause..
Price: $22.29 [Notify me when price goes down.]

“Garry, it’s Alan. Look, I’m calling because I just felt the need to tell someone that I’m forty-four years old, and about an hour ago, for the first time in my life, I put suntan lotion on my ass. I’ll explain later. Bye.”

In Clothing Optional, Alan Zweibel offers a collection of laugh-out-loud personal narratives, essays, short fiction, dialogues, and even a few whimsical drawings. Zweibel first made a name for himself as one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live, but his career’s humble beginnings included creating one-liners for Catskill comedians at seven dollars a pop. That experience is only one of the hysterically inspired anecdotes (“Comic Dialogue”) in this quirky compilation.

Zweibel confesses his first love, as a young Hebrew school student, for Abraham’s wife, Sarah (“At this point, Sarah’s husband had been dead for more than three thousand years–so, really, who would I be hurting?”); recounts the time he was sent to a nudist resort to write an article (“The fact that I brought luggage is, in itself, worthy of some discussion”); offers a touching tribute to Saturday Night Live writer and mentor Herb Sargent (“Herb was New York. But an older, more romantic New York that took place in black and white like the kind of TV I grew up on and wanted to be a part of someday”); and imagines a scenario in which Sergeant Joe Friday, the stiff, monotoned character from Dragnet, is inexplicably partnered with Snoop Dogg (“Damn, Friday. You gotta learn to chill. Take some free time and kick it with your boys”)

Every piece is punctuated with the same wit and insight that have come to define Zweibel’s humor.

Unhinged and hilarious, Clothing Optional is an unguided tour through the uniquely peculiar life and mind of a man who The New York Times said “has earned a place in the pantheon of American pop culture.”.
Price: $14.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

According to a recent survey, 14 million Americans call themselves vegetarians. Of that, only 2 million eat no animal meat whatsoever The remaining 12 million are "part-time vegetarians" who eat fish, poultry, or red meat on occasion. For this large and growing group, Linda Rosenweig offers a cookbook to satisfy vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike.

Rosenweig's experience stems from years developing recipes for Weight Watchers, Prevention, and Good Housekeeping magazines. Her 225 vegetarian recipes in Vegetarian and More! include "Quick Conversions," allowing readers to easily add meat, poultry, or fish to some or all of the recipe. These are especially convenient for "split houseolds," where only a few members are vegetarians. The focus is on simplicity: only common, store-bought ingredients are used, and most of the recipes are ready in less than 45 minutes. The book also features the new Vegetarian Diet Pyramid from the American Dietetic Association. Vegetarian and More! allows those eating less meat, vegetarians, and meat lovers total satisfaction..
Price: $9.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

No one wants to experience pain. But there seems to be "no other way" to teach us some of the valuable lessons of wisdom and humility, patience and endurance that we need to experience in this life. Though pain comes to us in different ways- sometimes self-inflicted, sometimes a natural result of mortality- there are things we can do to minimize our misery and maximize our learning, regardless of its source. This book explores how understanding our heritage as sons and daughters of God, learning to take the Spirit as our guide, avoiding self-deception, and accepting the Atonement can all help us deal better with the pain that will inevitably come into our lives..
Price: $5.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Makeup Optional: Lessons I Learned Working From Home is a down to earth guide about the step by step process of building a successful home-based business Lyn Conway has experienced every aspect of the direct sales industry: from timid recruit, to top seller, to successful field trainer, to corporate officer, to nationally recognized consultant and trainer. For more than 30 years, Lyn has helped people achieve the success they desire. Balancing family and business is Lyn's top priority. Whether you are new to the direct sales profession or are an experienced top leader, this book is a must have reference. Makeup Optional: Lessons I Learned Working From Home was chosen Book of the Month by the DSWA for September, 2007.---Here is what some of our readers have to say about Makeup Optional: "On Wednesday, I missed my flight home and had to spend an extra evening in Chicago. I pulled out your book...and began reading it well into the night. I finished your book before my flight landed in Seattle. I have NEVER read a book that was so well written as if it was personally for me. My copy is COMPLETELY hi-lighted with tons of notes in the margins and I will be creating a detailed business plan with goals for my business immediately. -Stephanie Voigt---"While I know that my own personal business will benefit from your book, I think the real value of "Makeup Optional" for me is as a training resource that I can give new recruits to my team. I also plan to use excerpts of your book for ongoing training at my team's cluster meetings. Your book really covers all the nuts and bolts of a home based business and does so in an easy to read and easy to apply manner. -Judy Englehart.
Price: $14.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Have you ever wanted to be more popular? How about have more meaningful relationships with your family and friends? Or would you like all the everyday drama with school, friends, and work to just disappear? Then let Drama Is Optional: A Guide for Teens show you how to manage stress and find balance in every aspect of your daily life.

As a teenager, it’s easy to get sucked into the drama of everyday life. But you have a choice as to how it affects you. Through easy-to-understand and candid discussions, author Judee Ausnow touches on the key points you need to help you control your thoughts and reactions in chapters with topics such as:

• Making Choices
• Choosing Forgiveness
• Creating Good Relationships
• Our Character
• The Secret to Healthy Weight

How you perceive your life dictates how you live it. Learn what it feels like to be proud of yourself, to know that you are living up to your potential, and to discover real happiness. Drama Is Optional is your first step to finding your inner success!

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Price: $6.84 [Notify me when price goes down.]