Who works for the government and why does their work matter? An urgent and absorbing civics lesson from an all-star team of writers and storytellers.The government is a vast, complex system that Americans pay for, rebel against, rely upon, dismiss, and celebrate. It’s also our shared resource for addressing the biggest problems of society. And it’s made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial to everyone.    Michael Lewis invited his favorite writers to find someone doing an interesting job for the government and write about them in a special in-depth series for the Washington Post. The stories they found are unexpected, riveting, and inspiring, including a former coal miner devoted to making mine roofs less likely to collapse, saving thousands of lives; an IRS agent straight out of a crime thriller; and the manager who made the National Cemetery Administration the best-run organization, public or private, in the entire country. Each essay shines a spotlight on the essential behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees.    Whether they’re digitizing archives, chasing down cybercriminals, or discovering new planets, these public servants are committed to their work and universally reluctant to take credit. Expanding on the Washington Post series, the vivid profiles in Who Is Government? blow up the stereotype of the irrelevant bureaucrat. They show how the essential business of government makes our lives possible, and how much it matters. Read more

“Pratchett’s books are almost always better than they have to be, and Going Postal is no exception, full of nimble wordplay, devious plotting and outrageous situations, but always grounded in an astute understanding of human nature.”—San Francisco ChronicleA splendid send-up of government bureaucracy, corruption, the postal system, and everything in between in this ingenious entry in Sir Terry Pratchett’s internationally bestselling Discworld series.By all rights, Arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig should be meeting his maker at the end of a noose. Instead, Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, has made him the city’s Postmaster General. Death may be preferable to fixing the Postal Service—a creaky, outdated institution beset by eccentric employees, mountains of old, undelivered mail Moist swears is talking to him, and a dangerous secret order. To restore the postal service to its former glory, Moist accepts the help of the tough talking and very attractive activist Adora Belle Dearheart.But to succeed, Moist must overcome two formidable foes—new technology and the greedy chairman of a communication monopoly who will stop at nothing to delay Ankh-Morpork’s post for good . . .The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but Going Postal is the first book in the Moist von Lipwig series. The series, in order, includes:Going PostalMaking MoneyRaising Steam Read more

Freedom's Detective reveals the untold story of the Reconstruction-era US Secret Service and their battle against the Ku Klux Klan, through the career of its controversial chief, Hiram C. Whitle.
In the years following the Civil War, a new battle began. Newly freed African American men had gained their voting rights and would soon have a chance to transform Southern politics. Former Confederates and other white supremacists mobilized to stop them. Thus, the KKK was born. 
After the first political assassination carried out by the Klan, Washington power brokers looked for help in breaking the growing movement. They found it in Hiram C. Whitley. He became head of the Secret Service, which had previously focused on catching counterfeiters and was at the time the government's only intelligence organization. Whitley and his agents led the covert war against the nascent KKK and were the first to use undercover work in mass crime - what we now call terrorism - investigations. 
Like many spymasters before and since, Whitley also had a dark side. His penchant for skulduggery and dirty tricks ultimately led to his involvement in a conspiracy that would bring an end to his career and transform the Secret Service. 
Populated by intriguing historical characters - from President Grant to brave Southerners, both black and white, who stood up to the Klan - and told in a brisk narrative style, Freedom's Detective reveals the story of this complex hero and his central role in a long-lost chapter of American history.

She is crass, has attitude, drinks too much and is the only living agent working for Queen Victoria, the Paranormal Queen.In 1901, Queen Victoria passed away, and took over the responsibilities of the Paranormal Court. When Victoria ascends to the Paranormal Throne, she acquires the help of a human agent, code-named Rogue.For well over a hundred years, this human has helped settle problems between the normal and the paranormal worlds.Usually with massive displays of attitude and disrespect.And a really, really bodacious set of...guns.Now, Rogue has been sent to the Colonies to help stop a paranormal revolution.Is Rogue over her head, or is someone trying to pull a fast one on her?Either way, America better be ready, because this Paranormal Agent parties like it's still 1899!Scroll up and click Read for Free or Buy Now and kick back for a rollicking good read as we party into 2020!

In the common practice of Christian churches, across many traditions, a call to worship is typically a few lines of Scripture (or a combination of Scripture texts) expressed at the beginning of a church service. The call to worship exhorts God's people to turn from worldly distractions and to focus hearts, minds and actions on revering him. If you are involved with leading worship in the church or in the home your next question will be 'Where do I go to find them?' Fortunately, Robert Vasholz has done the legwork for you in this book.The first section is designed to address specific events common to the Church such as Christmas, Easter, etc. The second section pertains to calls to worship that ask for an audible response from God's people. The third part offers a number of calls to worship from the minister alone. It is my honest desire that this will serve as a proper and dignified way to enhance public corporate worship and to invite God's people to be attentive to the service that follows. Read more

New York Times best sellerThe unapologetic, laugh-your-ass-off military memoir both vets and civilians have been waiting for, from a five-tour Army Ranger turned YouTube phenomenon and zealous advocate for veteransMembers of the military’s special operations branches share a closely guarded secret: They love their jobs. They relish the opportunity to fight. They are thankful for it, even, and hopeful that maybe, possibly, they’ll also get to kill a bunch of bad guys while they’re at it. You don’t necessarily need to thank them for their service - the pleasure is all theirs.In this hilarious and personal memoir, listeners ride shotgun alongside former Army Ranger and private military contractor and current social media phenomenon Mat Best, into the action and its aftermath, both abroad and at home. From surviving a skin infection in the swampy armpit of America (aka Columbus, Georgia) to kicking down doors on the outskirts of Ramadi, from blowing up a truck full of enemy combatants to witnessing the effects of a suicide bombing right in front of your face, Thank You for My Service gives listeners who love America and love the good guys fresh insight into what it’s really like inside the minds of the men and women on the front lines.It’s also a sobering yet steadying glimpse at life for veterans after the fighting stops, when the enemy becomes self-doubt or despair and you begin to wonder why anyone should be thanking you for anything, least of all your service. How do you keep going when something you love turns you into somebody you hate? For veterans and their friends and families, Thank You for My Service will offer comfort in the form of a million laughs and counsel as a blueprint for what to do after the war ends and the real fight begins.And for civilians, this is the insider account of military life you won’t find anywhere else, told with equal amounts of heart and balls. It’s Deadpool meets Captain America, except one went to business school and one went to therapy, and it’s anyone’s guess which is which. Read more

Former Secret Service agent and star of Bravo’sSpy Games Evy Poumpouras shares lessons learned from protecting presidents, as well insights and skills from the oldest and most elite security force in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you are perceived, and live a more fearless life.Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras—former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor—demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you. Poumpouras shows us that ultimately true strength is found in the mind, not the body. Courage involves facing our fears, but it is also about resilience, grit, and having a built-in BS detector and knowing how to use it. In Becoming Bulletproof, Poumpouras demonstrates how to heighten our natural instincts to employ all these qualities and move from fear to fearlessness. Read more

The ultimate guide to training your dog. Do you want to learn how to train your puppy at home?
Would you like a respectful, obedient dog? Wish to break bad habits and have fun teaching new commands? Would you like to raise a healthy, happy member of the family?
You haven’t lived a full life until you have felt the love of a dog. However, you will make your life, and your dog’s life, much better if you properly train your dog. There is a lot of confusing and conflicting advice out there when it comes to training your dog. This audiobook provides step-by-step directions for how to train your dog and how to overcome the most common problems. Once you listen to this audiobook and apply the principles to your dog, you will be surprised at how much fun and how easy training can be.
In this audiobook, you will discover:

How to understand your relationship with your dog
The best age for training
The training basics
What you need to do to crate train your dog
How to house train your dog
The basics of grooming
Teaching walk and leash behaviors
How to dog-proof your home
Things you'll need and where to get them
Your dog's development timeline
Setting and using a training schedule
Becoming a pack leader
The science of how dogs learn
What to do on your dog's first day home
Key training words and tonality
Body language for training
Housebreaking and toilet training
Crate training
Behavioral training for biting, scratching, and barking
Basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and more
Using a collar and leash, plus heel command
Walking outdoors and meeting others
How to enjoy lasting results

You want the best for your dog. That means you need to train your dog the right way at the right time. This audiobook takes all the guesswork out of training your dog. Not only do you get easy-to-understand directions for training your dog, but you get detailed advice for solving the most common dog-related problems and advice for training older dogs. If you are a dog owner, you need this audiobook.
What are you waiting for? Listen to Puppy Training 101 right now!
This is the smart person's training guide for raising a smart dog. Regardless of age, breed, or gender, this audiobook will show you how to train your dog fast while creating a bond built on love and trust.

Former Secret Service agent and star of Bravo’sSpy Games Evy Poumpouras shares lessons learned from protecting presidents, as well insights and skills from the oldest and most elite security force in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you are perceived, and live a more fearless life.Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras—former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor—demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you. Poumpouras shows us that ultimately true strength is found in the mind, not the body. Courage involves facing our fears, but it is also about resilience, grit, and having a built-in BS detector and knowing how to use it. In Becoming Bulletproof, Poumpouras demonstrates how to heighten our natural instincts to employ all these qualities and move from fear to fearlessness. Read more

The most complete listing of essential USA Interstate Highway services ever printed. Now you can quickly find convenient services close to each interstate highway exit. A perfect choice for Road Trips, RV Excursions, Moving Vans, Truckers and Preppers/Survivalists too - a must have for road warriors everywhere. Updated annually. 100% made in the USA. * Exit-by-exit listing of essential Interstate Highway services * Includes gas, food & hotels * Find useful services; RV camping, Rest Areas, Welcome Centers, Parks & more * Beats GPS; The perfect offline travel tool. Never loses network signal, no battery required Read more

#1 New York Times BestsellerThe memoir by the doctor who became a beacon of hope for millions through the COVID pandemic, and whose six-decade career in high-level public service put him in the room with seven presidents“An eventful autobiography [and] a classic American story…Gripping.”—The Washington Post“One of the most consequential and most prominent [careers] in American medicine in the past fifty years.”—Jerome Groopman, The New YorkerAnthony Fauci is arguably the most famous–and most revered–doctor in the world today. His role guiding America sanely and calmly through Covid (and through the torrents of Trump) earned him the trust of millions during one of the most terrifying periods in modern American history, but this was only the most recent of the global epidemics in which Dr. Fauci played a major role. His crucial role in researching HIV and bringing AIDS into sympathetic public view and his leadership in navigating the Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax crises, make him truly an American hero.His memoir reaches back to his boyhood in Brooklyn, New York, and carries through decades of caring for critically ill patients, navigating the whirlpools of Washington politics, and behind-the-scenes advising and negotiating with seven presidents on key issues from global AIDS relief to infectious disease preparedness at home. ON CALL will be an inspiration for listeners who admire and are grateful to him and for those who want to emulate him in public service. He is the embodiment of “speaking truth to power,” with dignity and results. Read more

Over 300,000 Copies SoldSince Eugene Peterson first wrote this spiritual formation classic more than forty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been inspired by its call to deeper discipleship. As a society, we are still obsessed with the immediate, but Peterson's time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same―a long obedience in the same direction.Long obedience requires a deepening life of prayer. Peterson finds encouragement for today's pilgrims in the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), sung by travelers on their way to worship in Jerusalem. With prophetic and pastoral wisdom, Peterson shows how the psalms teach us to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community, and blessing.This commemorative edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction includes a preface taken from Leif Peterson's eulogy at his father's memorial service and a bibliography of Peterson's works. A companion Bible study guide is also available. Read more

In this combination of diligent science reporting, moving patient success stories, and surprising self-discovery, journalist Julia Hotz helps us discover the lasting and life-changing power of social prescribing. Traditionally, when we get sick, health care professionals ask, “What’s the matter with you?” But around the world, teams of doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers have started to flip the script, asking “What matters to you?” Instead of solely pharmaceutical prescriptions, they offer “social prescriptions”—referrals to community activities and resources, like photography classes, gardening groups, and volunteering gigs. The results speak for themselves. Science shows that social prescribing is effective for treating symptoms of the modern world’s most common ailments—depression, ADHD, addiction, trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, dementia, diabetes, and loneliness. As health care’s de facto cycle of “diagnose-treat-repeat” reaches a breaking point, social prescribing has also proven to reduce patient wait times, lower hospitalization rates, save money, and reverse health worker burnout. And as a general sense of unwellness plagues more of us, social prescriptions can help us feel healthier than we’ve felt in years. As the first book on social prescribing, The Connection Cure empowers you to find, experience, and implement this revolutionary medicine in your own community. While touring the globe to investigate the spread of social prescribing to over thirty countries, Hotz meets people personifying its revolutionary potential: an aspiring novelist whose art workshop helps her cope with trauma symptoms and rediscover her joy; a policy researcher whose swimming course helps her taper off antidepressants and feel excited to wake up in the morning; an army vet whose phone conversations help him form his only true friendship; and dozens more. The success stories she finds bring a long-known theory to life: if we can change our environment, we can change our health. By reconnecting to what matters to us, we can all start to feel better. Read more

This Vehicle Maintenance Log Book features:6” x 9” matte cover paperback book with 110 pre-formatted pages to record information about maintenance procedures, vehicles service and repairs.Unique present idea for automobile, cars, truck, motorcycle owner, driver, automechanic, mechanic, husband, dad on Birthday or Christmas.Great size to carry with you or keep in your glove box.This logbook helps you to keep track of all essential repairs and maintenance tasks.Log all your Vehicle Procedures on detailed forms like:Oil ChangedRotate / Balance TiresTire ReplacedWheel AlignmentAir FilterFuel FilterSpark PlugsBrakes ServicedTransmissionWiper BladesBatteriesRadiatorBelts / Hoses Read more

Al-Anon's three legacies are: Recovery through accenptance of the Steps, Unity through acceptance of the Traditions, and Service through the acceptance of the concepts. This book provides guidelines and suggestions for "working" the legacies. Each chapter presents a description of the individual legacy, personal stories from the members and a series of questions for personal and group use in putting the Step, Tradition or Concept to work. Read more

A young witch named Kiki sets off on a journey to become a witch—what does she find at the seaside city where she settles?Now that she’s 13 years old, it’s time for young Kiki to start thinking about her future. One night, under the shine of a full moon, she grabs her black cat Jiji, hops on her mother’s broom and heads off into the night. The next day she arrives at a friendly seaside city, and this, she tells her loyal and furry companion, is where she’ll spend the next year learning how to become a real, honest-to-goodness witch. Read more

A soldier’s true story of danger and adventure as a modern-day legionnaire in Kuwait, Bosnia, and beyond.   With no French language ability, Alex Lochrie approached recruiters for the French Foreign Legion in Paris and embarked on the demanding selection process that followed. When he was accepted, he and other prospective legionnaires were sent to Southern France to begin the harsh recruit training course. The mix of nationalities and backgrounds among his fellows was enormous. New members are traditionally allowed to change their identities—and Lochrie chose to alter his age, becoming twenty-eight instead of thirty-eight.   Elite paratrooper training followed in Corsica before Lochrie earned his wings. The FFL is never far from the front line, and in this book he tells of challenging active service in former French colonies in Africa as well as during the first Gulf War, evicting Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, and operations in Bosnia and Sarajevo.   This gripping account lifts the veil of mystery and myth, pulling you into the action—and revealing much about the realities of service in the Foreign Legion.   Read more

Our 2nd Edition Refrigerant Charging and Service Procedures for Air Conditioning. New procedures, new tools and updated refrigerants. The 2nd Edition of the Refrigerant Charging and Service Procedures for Air Conditioning paperback book has 450 images on 344 pages. It includes over a hundred more pages and double the amount of images to cover. A2L Refrigerant Changes R-32 and R-454B R-410A and R-22 More Step-by-Step Procedures Wireless Probes, Gauge Stubs, Tees All-In-One Digital Manifold Set use Compound Manifold Gauge Sets More Images and Procedures Charging and Recovery with Manifolds Charging and Recovery with Tees and Probes Detailed Troubleshooting Scenarios More Methods to Determine Problems More Airflow Testing Procedures This book is dedicated to those who are eager to learn the HVAC trade and refrigerant charging/troubleshooting practices. This book contains step by step procedures that include preparing air conditioning and heat pump systems for refrigerant, measuring system refrigerant charges, and troubleshooting systems by measuring refrigerant charge indicators, air temperature measurements, and airflow. Manifold gauge sets, digital manifold sets, digital gauge stubs, and wireless probes are discussed and utilized in examples. This book differs from others in that it provides key insights into each procedure along with tool usage from a technician’s perspective, in language that is easy to understand. Concepts are examined such as refrigerant properties, the refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner and heat pump, energy transfer, airflow requirements, components within systems, and common problems. Read more

After focusing on topics ranging from teamwork and leadership to employee engagement and meetings New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has finally turned his attention toward his own craft—consulting and client service. Tapping into the simple but powerful model that his firm, The Table Group, has been built on, Lencioni presents what may be his most engaging, humorous audiobook yet.Getting Naked tells the remarkable story of a management consultant who is trying desperately to merge two firms with very different approaches to serving clients. One relies on vulnerability and complete transparency; the other focuses on proving its competence and protecting its reputation for intellectual prowess. In the process of managing the merger, the consultant is forced to learn life-changing lessons that prove to be as relevant as they are painful.As he does in his other audiobooks, Lencioni provides readers with concepts that are accessible and compelling. He explains the three fears that provoke service providers to unknowingly sabotage their ability to build trust and loyalty. And, as always, Lencioni provides a practical approach for overcoming those fears. Read more

Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach how to define a vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month.America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. Raving Fans includes startling new tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace--and turn their customers into raving, spending fans."Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn't good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans."This, in a nutshell, is the advice given to a new Area Manager on his first day--in an extraordinary business book that will help everyone, in every kind of organization or business, deliver stunning customer service and achieve miraculous bottom-line results. Read more

Master service dog training at home with this easy step-by-step guideService dogs are life-changing for people with a range of physical and mental disabilities. But getting one can be complicated and expensive. The Service Dog Training Guide offers you an easy, step-by-step program for you and your dog to follow at home.Bone up on everything from basic exercises to essential service dog tasks that will guide you and your dog on the best training path. You'll also find an overview of different types of service and support dogs, breeds, and equipment for training. The step-by-step instructions will help you teach your dog everything from retrieving items to reminding someone to take medication.The Service Dog Training Guide includes:A multi-path approach―Weigh crucial factors to determine which type of service dog tasks―psychiatric, medical, or mobility assistance―your dog is best suited for.Easy-to-follow―All exercises are broken down into clear and complete step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips to help general readers train their own service dog.The power of positive reinforcement―Learn to communicate effectively with your dog by motivating them to learn faster with praise and rewards.Make a difference in someone's life with this practical approach to training your own service dog. Read more

Hyper-violent and possessed with a murderous rage, no-one knows where the diseased hordes outside Edin’s walls came from, but they all understand their single-minded purpose …To spread their virus to the uninfected …Spike and Matilda, as residents of Edin, are about to serve their six months of mandatory national service. Six months outside the city’s walls where only fifty percent of the recruits survive.But they refuse to be just another statistic.Whatever happens, they’re coming home.At least that’s the plan …What they’re yet to realise is their chances of survival will become the least of their worries.Because things in Edin are about to change forever …Beyond These Walls is a post-apocalyptic epic. Join Spike, Matilda, and their friends as they leave their city for the first time to face the brutal reality of national service. Some of them won’t return, and for those who do, their lives will never be the same again.This box set includes:Protectors - Book one of Beyond These Walls.National Service - Book two of Beyond These Walls.Retribution - Book three of Beyond These Walls.Collapse - Book four of Beyond These Walls.After Edin - Book five of Beyond These Walls.Three Days - Book six of Beyond These Walls. Read more

Vehicle Maintenance Log BookKeep track of your maintenance procedures, vehicle service, and repairs with this simple maintenance log book.What does this book contain:Car Identification (Year, Make, Model, VIN, etc)Contact ListInsurance information (Policy number, company, effective and expiration dates, etc)Monthly checklist (Oil level, tires pressures, coolant, lights check, etc)Repair, service, and maintenance log (Over 340 entries with enough space to write down all the details)Important information about parts (tires, oil, air filter etc)Lined notesRepair, Service and Maintenance Log contains:DateMileageDescriptionPerformed by / CompanyCostNotes / WarrantyBook Features 8.25” x 6”: convenient size to carry with you or keep in your glove box105 PagesFlexible soft cover Read more

A god's vessel? Anet has never known life outside the temple. Despite her years of faithful service, she had never laid eyes on the great serpent who guards their lands. The god who requires a vessel for his offspring every five seasons. It is a privilege Anet can only dream of and the time has come again. Who will be chosen for the most pleasurable of honors? Read more

Six CIA officers. Dear friends and cherished enemies. For a quarter century they have stolen other people’s secrets. Now they must steal each other’s.A Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell. When the Russian is killed and Sam Joseph, the CIA officer dispatched for the meet, goes missing, operational chief Artemis Procter is made a scapegoat for the disaster and run out of the service. Months later, Sam appears at Procter’s doorstep with an explosive secret: there is a Russian mole burrowed deep within the highest ranks of the CIA.As Procter and Sam investigate, they arrive at a shortlist of suspects made up of both Procter’s closest friends and fiercest enemies. The hunt requires Procter to dredge up her checkered past in the service of the CIA, placing the pair in the sights of a savvy Russian spymaster who will protect Moscow’s mole in Langley at all costs. What happens when friendships forged by sweat and blood—from the Farm to Afghanistan and the executive “Seventh Floor” of CIA’s Langley headquarters—are put to the ultimate test? What can we truly know about the people we love the most?Taking readers from Langley to Moscow to Paris and beyond, The Seventh Floor explores the nature of friendship in a faithless business, and what it means to love a place that does not love you back. Read more

Everyone knows that the best way to create customer loyalty is with service so good, so over the top, that it surprises and delights. But what if everyone is wrong?In their acclaimed best seller The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and his colleagues at CEB busted many longstanding myths about sales. Now they've turned their research and analysis to a new vital business subject - customer loyalty - with a new book that turns the conventional wisdom on its head. The idea that companies must delight customers by exceeding service expectations is so entrenched that managers rarely even question it. They devote untold time, energy, and resources to trying to dazzle people and inspire their undying loyalty. Yet CEB's careful research over five years and tens of thousands of respondents proves that the "dazzle factor" is wildly overrated - it simply doesn't predict repeat sales, share of wallet, or positive wordof-mouth. The reality: Loyalty is driven by how well a company delivers on its basic promises and solves day-to-day problems, not on how spectacular its service experience might be. Most customers don't want to be "wowed"; they want an effortless experience.And they are far more likely to punish you for bad service than to reward you for good service.If you put on your customer hat rather than your manager or marketer hat, this makes a lot of sense. What do you really want from your cable company, a free month of HBO when it screws up or a fast, painless restoration of your connection? What about your bank - do you want free cookies and a cheerful smile, even a personal relationship with your teller? Or just a quick in-and-out transaction and an easy way to get a refund when it accidentally overcharges on fees?The Effortless Experience takes listeners on a fascinating journey deep inside the customer experience to reveal what really makes customers loyal - and disloyal. The authors lay out the four key pillars of a low-effort customer experience, along the way delivering robust data, shocking insights and profiles of companies that are already using the principles revealed by CEB's research, with great results. And they include many tools and templates you can start applying right away to improve service, reduce costs, decrease customer churn, and ultimately generate the elusive loyalty that the "dazzle factor" fails to deliver. The rewards are there for the taking, and the pathway to achieving them is now clearly marked. Read more

The founder of Four Seasons Hotels shares the philosophy and values that have made his legendary brandHow did a child of immigrants, starting with no background in the hotel business, create the world's most admired and successful hotel brand? And how has Four Seasons grown so dramatically, over nearly half a century, without losing its focus on exceptional quality and unparalleled service?Isadore Sharp answers these questions in his inspiring memoir. He started out in Toronto, the son of a modest builder from Poland, but ambition and fate rapidly took him beyond his father's three-man construction business.Sharp learned the hotel business by trial and error. His breakthrough was a vision for a new kind of hotel, featuring superior design, top-quality amenities, and, above all, a deep commitment to service. Today, Four Seasons is widely recognized as the world leader in comfort and luxury—in fact, it sets the standard by which every luxury hotel is measured. Read more

How Can Deacons Mobilize Service in the Church?Deacons are essential to a church’s health―yet confusion abounds regarding their biblical job description. What’s their God-given role in a local congregation and how do they relate to the church’s overall mission?In this short book, Matt Smethurst makes the case that deacons are model servants called to meet tangible needs, organize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock, and support the ministry of the elders. Clearing away common misconceptions, Smethurst offers practical guidance for deploying deacons and helping churches to flourish.Download eighteen free sample questions for deacon candidates. Read more

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning is focused on closing the gap from students to technicians with a commitment to top quality coverage of fundamentals and the latest technology. This time-honored standard of excellence features a fantastic new instructional design that provides an excellent blend of theory, skill development, and service techniques to help students learn how to install and service refrigeration and HVAC systems. With the most up-to-date technical content, a logical and progressive organization, rich learning pedagogy and features, a superior art program, readability, and a focus on career and workplace readiness, this resource is ideal for today's students. Enhanced instructor and student resources include over 100 new lab activities, new HVACR videos, and a Virtual Toolbox. The content correlates to HVAC Excellence and ACCE (formerly PAHRA) accreditation requirements to ensure complete coverage that will prepare your students for career success. Read more

A 'textbook with passion', Hardwiring Excellence offers a road map and practical how-to guide for creating and sustaining a culture of service and operational excellence. In this book, author Quint Studer, founder of Studer Group, draws on his personal experience as a former hospital executive who led two organizations to the top 1% in patient satisfaction and his experience coaching hundreds of healthcare organizations since. Studer, a nationally acclaimed educator, coach, and thought leader in healthcare today, is a master storyteller, mixing 'chicken soup style' stories with personal insight, simple tools, and in-depth recommendations on how good organizations can become great ones. Based on Studer Group's Nine Principles SM, Quint Studer shows how to retain more employees; ensure better customer service; build strong leadership, align organizational values, goals, and results; increase communication; reward and recognize individual success while also requiring accountability; and move operational performance for better financials, market share, and growth. At the core of the journey, he says, is a sense of purpose, worthwhile work and making a difference. When organizations learn how to harness this passion in their employees, they create a success spiral with ever increasing momentum. In fact, Richard L. Clarke, FHFMA, President and CEO of Healthcare Financial Management Association says, "Quint Studer's Nine Principles of service and operational excellence provide the missing link between people power and strong financials. It's about courageous leadership." Read more