The Way the World Works, Nicholson Baker's ranges over the map of life to examine what ails us, what eases our pain, & what gives us joy. Baker-recently hailed as "one of the most consistently enticing writers of our time" by The New York Times-moves from political controversy to the intimacy of his own life, from forgotten heroes of pacifism to airplane wings, telephones, paper mills, David Remnick, Joseph Pulitzer, the OED, & the manufacture of the Venetian gondola. In one essay, Baker surveys our fascination with video games while attempting to beat his teenage son at Modern Warfare 2; in a celebrated essay on Wikipedia, he describes his efforts to stem the tide of encyclopedic deletionism. Through all these pieces Baker shines the light of an inexpugnable curiosity; The Way the World Works is a keen-minded, generous-spirited compendium by a modern American master. ...

Cooking seemed like the perfect distraction
- until a delicious chef was thrown in the mix... Escaping from corporate city life
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At the outset of the Second World War the deserted airfield of Halfpenny Field becomes a bustling bomber command centre. Peter Penrose (John Mills) is placed under the command of Squadron Leader Flight Lieutenant David Archdale (Michael Redgrave), & the two become great friends. When the Americans join the allies in 1942, several of their number are stationed at the base, & the arrival of US pilot Johnny (Douglas Montgomery) complicates the established British friendships. ...

Aspiring writer Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford) & Jewish political activist Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) meet at college in the 1930s. Although attracted to each other, a romance does not ensue. However, they meet again during the Second World War ...

When Alices husband Ben dies suddenly, her world falls apart. They shared twenty years & two daughters & life without him is unimaginable.

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Twenty years ago, college student Axel Prince Wolfe teamed up with his best friend, Billy, & a Mexican stranger in a high-end

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When Anna hears her father's plans to marry her off to an old widower, she is determined to escape. Gathering together everything they own, Anna & her childhood sweetheart Jan board a boat from Holland to Engl&. Heading for Colchester, the hub of the thriving cloth trade, life is not easy for the young lovers
- Jan falls terribly ill on their journey & they are shocked to find seething tensions between the English & the Dutch.
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Monique & Geoff are old enough to know better but with stars in their eyes, they've decided to tie the know
- with help (hindrance?)
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Kiki Carlow, a woman on a mission to create her perfect wedding. Kiki Carlow is shocked but delighted when boyfriend Thom proposes. Planning a wedding is easy, right? Thats as long as you ignore: The utterly bankrupting price of the only dress you?ll ever truly love. Your suddenly pregnant sister ? surprise! The celebrity wedding you're covering for work which is devouring your every waking thought. The Mother of the Bride. Entirely. Kiki soon discovers that planning the perfect wedding might just bring total chaos to the rest of her life. Can she stop being a Bridezilla in time to marry the man she loves? Heart-warming & hilarious, The Wedding Diaries will make you laugh & cry. ...

At eighteen, Milly was up for anything. So when a friend asked her to marry him just so he could stay in the country, she didn?t hesitate. To make it seem real she dressed up in wedding finery & posed on the steps of the registry office for photographs. Now ten years later, Milly is a very different person. Engaged to Simon
- who is good looking, wealthy & totally adores her
- she is about to have the biggest & most elaborate wedding ever imagined, all masterminded by her mother. No one knows about her 'first' marriage, so it is almost as it never happened
- isn't it? With only four day to go, it looks like Milly's past is going to catch up with her. Will she be able to sort everything out before her fairytale wedding collapse around her? this book is a gutsy prose with an excellent ear for social comedy.


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