JohnHopeBryant,successfulself-madebusinessmanandfounderofthenonprofitOperationHope,saysbusinessandpoliticalleadersareignoringtheoneforcethatcouldtrulyre-energizethestalledAmericaneconomy:thepoor.

Sylvia'sLoversisan1863novelwrittenbyElizabethGaskell,whichshecalled"thesaddeststoryIeverwrote".Theheroine,SylviaRobsonliveshappilywithherparentsonafarm,andispassionatelylovedbyherratherdullQuakercousinPhilip.She,however,fallsinlovewithCharlieKinraid,adashingsailoronawhalingvessel,andtheybecomesecretlyengaged.ButKinraidisforciblyenlistedintheRoyalNavybyapressgang.Philipknowseverything.Outofkindness,hedoesnottellSylviaoftheincidentnordeliverherCharlie'spartingmessage.Believingherloverisdead,SylviaeventuallymarriesPhilip.Later,Kinraidreappears,WhenSylviaisinformedbyKinraidthatPhilipkneweverything,sheisfurious.Philipleavesherindespairandjoinsthearmyunderapseudonym,andendsupfightingintheNapoleonicwars,wherehesavesKinraid'slife.Atlast,whenSylviarealizessheisactuallyinlovewithPhilip,hehorriblydisfiguredbyashipboardexplosion,thenfatallyinjuredwhilesavingtheirdaughter.

TheUncommercialTravellerisacollectionofliterarysketchesandreminiscenceswrittenbyCharlesDickens.In1859DickensfoundedanewjournalcalledAlltheYearRoundandtheUncommercialTravellerarticleswouldbeamonghismaincontributions.MostlysetinLondon,CharlesDickenswroteaseriesofsketches,whichhecollectedasTheUncommercialTraveller.InthepersonaoftheUncommercial,DickenswandersthecitystreetsandbringsLondon,itsinhabitants,commerceandentertainmentvividlytolife.Sometimesautobiographical,aschildhoodexperiencesareinterwovenwithadultmemories,thesketchesincludevisitstotheParisMorgue,theLiverpooldocks,aworkhouse,aschoolforpoorchildren,andthetheatre.Theyalsodescribetheperilsoftravel,includingseasickness,shipwreck,thecomingoftherailways,andthewretchednessofdininginEnglishhotelsandrestaurants.TheworkisquintessentialDickens,witheachpieceshowcasinghisimaginativewritingstyle,hiskeenobservationalpowers,andhischaracteristicwit.Dickensoftensufferedfrominsomniaandusedhisnight-timewanderingstocollectimpressionsandideasgivinghimaninsightintosomeofthehiddenaspectsofVictorianLondon.Heincorporatedthesediscoveriesintomanysketchesandstoriesofthisbook.

NorthandSouthbyElizabethGaskellisfirstpublishedinbookformin1855originallyappearedasatwenty-two-partweeklyserialfromSeptember1854throughJanuary1855inthemagazineHouseholdWords,editedbyCharlesDickens.Thetitleindicatesamajorthemeofthebook:thecontrastbetweenthewayoflifeintheindustrialnorthofEnglandandthewealthiersouth,althoughitwasonlyunderpressurefromherpublishersthatGaskellchangedthetitlefromitsoriginal,MargaretHale.ThebookisasocialnovelthattriestoshowtheindustrialNorthanditsconflictsinthemid-19thcenturyasseenbyanoutsider,asociallysensitiveladyfromtheSouth.Theheroineofthestory,MargaretHale,isthedaughterofaNonconformistministerwhomovestothefictionalindustrialtownofMiltonafterleavingtheChurchofEngland.ThetownismodeledafterManchester,whereGaskelllivedasthewifeofaUnitarianminister.

PoorFolkwaswrittenoverthespanofninemonthsbetween1844and1845,thefirstnovelbyFyodorDostoyevsky.InspiredbytheworksofGogol,Pushkin,andKaramzin,aswellasEnglishandFrenchauthors,PoorFolkiswrittenintheformoflettersbetweenthetwomaincharacters,MakarDevushkinandVarvaraDobroselova,whoarepoorsecondcousins.Thenovelshowcasesthelifeofpoorpeople,theirrelationshipwithrichpeople,andpovertyingeneral,allcommonthemesofliterarynaturalism.AdeepbutoddfriendshipdevelopsbetweenthemuntilDobroselovalosesherinterestinliterature,andlaterincommunicatingwithDevushkinafterarichwidowerMr.Bykovproposestoher.Devushkin,aprototypeoftheclerkfoundinmanyworksofnaturalisticliteratureatthattime,retainshissentimentalcharacteristics;Dobroselovaabandonsart,whileDevushkincannotlivewithoutliterature.ContemporarycriticslaudedPoorFolkforitshumanitarianthemes.WhileVissarionBelinskydubbedthenovelRussia'sfirst"socialnovel"andAlexanderHerzencalleditamajorsocialistwork,othercriticsdetectedparodyandsatire.

ExpandingOurNowprovideshistoricalbackground,withcasestudiesanddelvesintothequestionsofwhyandhowOpenSpaceworks.

Usingexamplesandcasestudies,WeisbordandJanoffdescribehowleaderscanshareresponsibility,defusegroupconflicts,showeveryonethebigpicture,andmore.Withthisapproach,leaderstrulygainmorecontrolbygivingitup.

BasedonBillFisher'sthree-dayseminarsthatregularlyselloutallovertheworld,thisbookoffersthekindofcapital-raisingstreetsmartsnoentrepreneurcandowithout.

Thisworkfollowsthestoryoftheheroine'smovementfromthetranquilsettingofruralsouthernEnglandtotheturbulentindustrialnorth,setinthemid-19thcentury,andwrittenfromtheauthor'sfirst-handexperience.NorthandSouthissetinthefictionalindustrialtownofMiltonintheNorthofEnglandwhichismodeledafterManchester,whereGaskelllivedasthewifeofaUnitarianminister.Gaskellherselfworkedamongthepoorandknewatfirsthandthemiseryoftheindustrialareas.Forcedtoleaveherhomeinthetranquilruralsouth,MargaretHalesettleswithherparentsinMiltonwhereshewitnessesthebrutalworldwroughtbytheindustrialrevolutionandemployersandworkersclashinginthefirstorganisedstrikes.Sympathetictothepoorwhosecourageandtenacitysheadmiresandamongwhomshemakesfriends,sheclasheswithJohnThornton,acottonmillmanufacturerwhobelongstothenouveauxrichesandwhosecontemptuousattitudetoworkersMargaretdespises.

NicholasNickleby(orTheLifeandAdventuresofNicholasNickleby)isanovelbyCharlesDickens.Originallypublishedasaserialfrom1838to1839,itwasDickens'sthirdnovel.Leftpennilessbythedeathofhisimprovidentfather,youngNicholasNicklebyassumesresponsibilityforhismotherandsisterandseekshelpfromhisScrooge-likeUncleRalph.InstantlydislikingNicholas,RalphsendshimtoteachinaschoolrunbythestupidlysadisticWackfordSqueers.Nicholasdecidestoescape,takingwithhimtheorphanSmike,oneofSqueers'smostabusedyoungcharges,andthetwoembarkonaseriesofadventurousencounterswithanarrayofhumanity'sworstandbest—greedyfools,corruptlechers,cheeryinnocents,andselflessbenefactors.'Nickleby'marksanewdevelopmentinafurthersenseasitisthefirstofDickens'sromances.WhenitwaspublishedthebookwasanimmediateandcompletesuccessandestablishedDickens'slastingreputation.

TheNickAdamsStoriesexhibitamemorablecharactergrowingfromchildtoadolescenttosoldier,veteran,writer&parent--asequencecloselyparallelingeventsofHemingway'slife.Fromoneofthe20thcentury'sgreatestvoicescomesthecompletevolumeofhisshortstoriesfeaturingNickAdams,ErnestHemingway'smemorablecharacter,ashegrowsfromchildtoadolescenttosoldier,veteran,writer,andparent--asequencecloselyparallelingtheeventsofHemingway'slife.ThecompletecollectionofErnestHemingway'sNickAdamstwodozenstoriesaregatheredhereinonevolume,groupedtogetheraccordingtothemajortimeperiodsintheprotagonist'slife.BasedonHemingway'sownexperiecesasaboyandasamemberoftheRedCrossambulancecorpsinWorldWarI.ThecollectionfollowsNick'slifeasachildtoparent,alongwithsoldier,veteran,andwriterandfeaturesomeofHemingway'searliestworksuchas""IndianCamp""andsomeofhisbestknownshortstories,including""BigTwo-HeartedRiver.""PerfectforlongtimeHemingwayfansandasanintroductiontooneofAmerica'smostfamouswriters."

Asorganizationsgrowinvolumeandcomplexity,thedemandsonleadershipchange.Thesameoldmoveswon'tcutitanymore.InChessNotCheckers,MarkMillertellsthestoryofBlakeBrown,newlyappointedCEOofacompanytroubledbypoorperformanceandlowmorale.

TheFortunesandMisfortunesoftheFamousMollFlanders(commonlyknownsimplyasMollFlanders)isanovelbyDanielDefoe,firstpublishedin1722.Thispurportedlytruestory,recordedbyEnglishauthorDanielDefoe,tellsofthestrangelifeofMollFlanders,detailingherexploitsfrombirthuntiloldage.thenoveldescribesMollontheoriginaltitlepageashavingbeen"BorninNewgate…TwelveYearaWhore,FivetimesaWife(whereofoncetoherownBrother),TwelveYearaThief,EightYearaTransportedFeloninVirginia,atlastgrewRich,Honest,anddiedaPenitent."Thewomanlivesinsinandwickedness,survivingonlyonherbeauty,cleverness,anddeceit.marriedtoamanthatshedoesnotlove,Mollseducesvariousmenandresortstothieverytopayherwaybeforeeventuallyrepentingforhersinsattheendofherlife.OneoftheearliestpicaresquenovelsinEnglish,MollFlandershasbothcaptivatedandshockedcountlessreaderssinceitwasfirstpublishedin1722.

NorthandSouthbyElizabethGaskellisfirstpublishedinbookformin1855originallyappearedasatwenty-two-partweeklyserialfromSeptember1854throughJanuary1855inthemagazineHouseholdWords,editedbyCharlesDickens.Thetitleindicatesamajorthemeofthebook:thecontrastbetweenthewayoflifeintheindustrialnorthofEnglandandthewealthiersouth,althoughitwasonlyunderpressurefromherpublishersthatGaskellchangedthetitlefromitsoriginal,MargaretHale.ThebookisasocialnovelthattriestoshowtheindustrialNorthanditsconflictsinthemid-19thcenturyasseenbyanoutsider,asociallysensitiveladyfromtheSouth.Theheroineofthestory,MargaretHale,isthedaughterofaNonconformistministerwhomovestothefictionalindustrialtownofMiltonafterleavingtheChurchofEngland.ThetownismodeledafterManchester,whereGaskelllivedasthewifeofaUnitarianminister.Gaskellherselfworkedamongthepoorandknewatfirsthandthemiseryoftheindustrialareas.

TheFortuneoftheRougons,originallypublishedin1871,isthefirstnovelin?mileZola'smonumentaltwenty-volumeseriesLesRougon-Macquart.SetinthefictitiousProven?altownofPlassans,TheFortuneoftheRougonstellsthestoryofSilvèreandMiette,twoidealisticyoungsupportersoftherepublicanresistancetoLouis-NapoleonBonaparte'scoupd'étatinDecember1851.Meanwhile,thefoundationsoftheRougonfamilyanditsillegitimateMacquartbrancharebeinglaidinthebrutalbeginningsoftheImperialregime.Thetitlerefersnotonlytothe"fortune"chasedbyprotagonistsPierreandFelicitéRougon,butalsotothefortunesofthevariousdisparatefamilymembersZolaintroduces,whoselivesareofcentralimportancetolaterbooksintheseries.Initwelearnhowthetwobranchesofthefamilycameabout,andtheoriginsofthehereditaryweaknessespasseddownthegenerations.Murder,treachery,andgreedarethekeynotes,andjustastheEmpirewasestablishedthroughviolence.

Ahistoricalromance.Swashbuckling,romanticandoftenhumourous,Dumas'novelisatimelesstaleoffriendshipandintrigue.Dumas'classicstory,firstserializedin1844,hasenthralledreaderswithitsfast-pacedplot,endearingcharacters,andromanticideals,immortalizedbythemotto"oneforall,allforone."Atimelesstaleofadventure,romance,intrigue,andrevenge,"TheThreeMusketeers"isthecaptivatingstory.Ahistoricalromance,thisnoveltellsoftheadventuresofthehot-headedyoungGascon,d'ArtagnanandhisthreecompanionsAthos,PorthosandAramisastheygallantlydefendtheQueenofFrance,usingtheirwitandtheirswords.TheymustfoilthenefariousplottingofCardinalRichelieuagainsttheKingandQueen,despitehisappearanceasanally.D'ArtagnanandthethreeMusketeersmustalsoovercomethevillainousmachinationsofMiladydeWinter,whoselethalcriminalitythreatensthoseinpoliticalpowerandtheloveofd'ArtgnanforConstanceBonacieux.

MaryBartonisthefirstnovelbyEnglishauthorElizabethGaskell,publishedin1848.ThestoryissetintheEnglishcityofManchesterbetween1839and1842,anddealswiththedifficultiesfacedbytheVictorianlowerclass.Itissubtitled'ATaleofManchesterLife'.ThenovelbeginsinManchester,whereweareintroducedtotheBartonsandtheWilsons,twoworking-classfamilies.JohnBartonisaquestionerofthedistributionofwealthandtherelationsbetweenrichandpoor.Soonhiswifedies—heblamesitonhergriefoverthedisappearanceofhersisterEsther.HavingalreadylosthissonTomatayoungage,Bartonislefttoraisehisdaughter,Mary,aloneandnowfallsintodepressionandbeginstoinvolvehimselfintheChartist,trade-unionmovement.Gaskell'sdesiretoaccuratelyrepresentthepovertyofindustrialManchesterisevidentinarecordofavisitshemadetothehomeofalocallabourer.ItisasubjectofsomedebatewhetherthefirstpersonnarratorinMaryBartonissynonymouswithGaskell.

HeartofDarknessisacomplexexplorationofthebeliefspeopleholdonwhatconstitutesabarbarianversusacivilizedsocietyandthestanceoncolonialismandracismthatwaspartandparcelofEuropeanimperialism.Originallypublishedasathree-partserialstory,inBlackwood'sMagazine,thenovellaHeartofDarknesshasbeenvariouslypublishedandtranslatedintomanylanguages.In1998,theModernLibraryrankedHeartofDarknessasthesixty-seventhofthehundredbestnovelsinEnglishofthetwentiethcentury.

Shirley,ItwasBronte'ssecondpublishednovelafterJaneEyre(originallypublishedunderBronte'spseudonymCurrerBell).SetinYorkshireduringthetimeoftheLudditeunrest—alabormovementthatbeganin1811-1812inanefforttoprotecttheinterestsoftheworkingclass—thenovelconsistsoftwonarrativestrandswoventogether,oneinvolvingthestrugglesofworkersagainstmillowners,andtheotherinvolvingtheromanticentanglementsofthetwoheroines.Thenovel'spopularityledtoShirley'sbecomingawoman'sname.Thetitlecharacterwasgiventhenamethatherfatherhadintendedtogiveason.Beforethepublicationofthenovel,Shirleywasanuncommon–butdistinctlymale–nameandwouldhavebeenanunusualnameforawoman.Todayitisregardedasadistinctlyfemalenameandanuncommonmalename.

Dumas'classicstory,firstserializedin1844,hasenthralledreaderswithitsfast-pacedplot,endearingcharacters,andromanticideals,immortalizedbythemotto"oneforall,allforone."Atimelesstaleofadventure,romance,intrigue,andrevenge,TheThreeMusketeersisthecaptivatingstory.Ahistoricalromance,thisnoveltellsoftheadventuresofthehot-headedyoungGascon,d'ArtagnanandhisthreecompanionsAthos,PorthosandAramisastheygallantlydefendtheQueenofFrance,usingtheirwitandtheirswords.TheymustfoilthenefariousplottingofCardinalRichelieuagainsttheKingandQueen,despitehisappearanceasanally.D'ArtagnanandthethreeMusketeersmustalsoovercomethevillainousmachinationsofMiladydeWinter,whoselethalcriminalitythreatensthoseinpoliticalpowerandtheloveofd'ArtgnanforConstanceBonacieux.