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.

Sylvia'sLovers(1863)isasadnovelwrittenbyElizabethGaskell.Theheroine,SylviaRobsonliveshappilywithherparentsonafarm,andispassionatelylovedbyherratherdullQuakercousinPhilip.She,however,meetsandfallsinlovewithCharlieKinraid,adashingsailoronawhalingvessel,andtheybecomesecretlyengaged.ButKinraidisforciblyenlistedintheRoyalNavybyapressgang.Philipknowseverything,butoutofkindness,hedoesnottellSylviaoftheincidentnorpassherCharlie'spartingmessage.Believingherloverisdead,SylviaeventuallymarriesPhilip.Later,Kinraidreappears,WhenSylviaisinformedbyKinraidthatPhilipkneweverything,sheisfurious.Philipleavesherindespairandjoinsthearmyunderapseudonym,andendsupfightingintheNapoleonicwars,wherehesavesKinraid'slife.Atlast,whenSylviarealizessheisactuallyinlovewithPhilip,hehorriblydisfiguredbyashipboardexplosion,thenfatallyinjuredwhilesavingtheirdaughter.Theyreconciledonhisdeathbed.

MollFlanderswhichisacontractionof"TheFortunesandMisfortunesoftheFamousMollFlanders"isanovelbyDanielDefoe,firstpublishedin1722.Thispurportedlytruestory,recordedbyEnglishauthorDanielDefoe,tellsofthestrangelifeofMollFlanders,awomanwholivesinsinandwickedness,survivingonlyonherbeauty,cleverness,anddeceit.Findingherselfintheroleofmistressorkeptwoman,oralternativelymarriedtoamanthatshedoesnotlove,Mollseducesvariousmenandresortstothieverytopayherwaybeforeeventuallyrepentingforhersinsattheendofherlife.thenoveldescribesMollthat"BorninNewgate…TwelveYearaWhore,FivetimesaWife,TwelveYearaThief,EightYearaTransportedFeloninVirginia,anddiedaPenitent."AsoneoftheearliestpicaresquenovelsinEnglish,MollFlandershasbothcaptivatedandshockedcountlessreaderssinceitwasfirstpublished.Anexcellentcandidateforclassroomuse,thisclassicof18th-centuryfictionwillentertainandenlightengeneralreadersaswell.

NorthandSouthisasocialnovelpublishedin1855byEnglishwriterElizabethGaskell.WithWivesandDaughters(1865)andCranford(1853),itisoneofherbest-knownnovels.Thelaterversionrenewedinterestinthenovelandattractedawiderreadership.Oneofliterature'sgreatestromances,NorthandSouthisbothanincisivesocialcommentaryandanelectricportrayalofall-conqueringlove.ThebooktriestoshowtheindustrialNorthanditsconflictsinthemid-19thcenturyasseenbyanoutsider,asociallysensitiveladyfromtheSouth.Theheroineofthestory,MargaretHale,isthedaughterofaNonconformistministerwhomovestothefictionalindustrialtownofMiltonafterleavingtheChurchofEngland.ThetownismodeledafterManchester,whereGaskelllivedasthewifeofaUnitarianminister.Gaskellherselfworkedamongthepoorandknewatfirsthandthemiseryoftheindustrialareas.

Allkindsofbookshavebeenwrittenaboutbuildingtrustandteamwork.KarenHoughdescribesfoursecretsthathelpleaders,trainers,managers,andfrontlineemployeesadopttheimproviser’smind-set.

TheProfessorwaspublishedposthumouslyin1857.ItwasthefirstnovelwrittenbyCharlotteBront?andisuniqueamongherworksastheonlyonetofeatureamalenarrator.Rejectedbymultiplepublishersduringherlifetime.WrittentwoyearsbeforeJaneEyre,TheProfessorwasCharlotteBronte’sfirstnovelandwasbasedonherexperiencesinBrussels.Thestoryisoneofloveanddoubt,asthehero,WilliamCrimsworth,seekshisfortuneasateacherinBrusselsandfindshisloveforthegoodAnglo-Swissgirl,FrancesHenri,severelytestedbythesensuouslybeguilingandmanipulativeheadmistress,Zoroa?deReuter.Ontheotherhand,thesocialprotestsoundeddistinctlyinthisnovelthatistypicalformatureworksofCharlotteBronte.Inparticular,thisprotestisexpressedintheimageofasoulless,prudentbusinessman,thefactoryownerEdwardCrimsworthwhodevoidedofbasichumanityindealingwithworkersandtheirfamilies.

Gaskell'sdesiretoaccuratelyrepresentthepovertyofindustrialManchesterisevidentinarecordofavisitshemadetothehomeofalocallabourer.ItisasubjectofsomedebatewhetherthefirstpersonnarratorinMaryBartonissynonymouswithGaskell.ThestorybeginsinManchester,whereweareintroducedtotheBartonsandtheWilsons,twoworking-classfamilies.JohnBartonisaquestionerofthedistributionofwealthandtherelationsbetweenrichandpoor.Soonhiswifedies—heblamesitonhergriefoverthedisappearanceofhersisterEsther.HavingalreadylosthissonTomatayoungage,Bartonislefttoraisehisdaughter,Mary,aloneandnowfallsintodepressionandbeginstoinvolvehimselfintheChartist,trade-unionmovement.MaryBartonisthefirstnovelpublishedin1848byEnglishauthorElizabethGaskell.ThestoryissetinManchester,anddealswiththedifficultiesfacedbytheVictorianlowerclass.Itissubtitled'ATaleofManchesterLife'.

TheDoubleisanovellawrittenbyFyodorDostoevsky.ItwasfirstpublishedonJanuary30,1846intheFatherlandNotes.ItwassubsequentlyrevisedandrepublishedbyDostoevskyin1866.TheDoublecentersonagovernmentclerkwhogoesmad.Itdealswiththeinternalpsychologicalstruggleofitsmaincharacter,YakovPetrovichGolyadkin,whorepeatedlyencounterssomeonewhoishisexactdoubleinappearancebutconfident,aggressive,andextroverted,characteristicsthatarethepolaroppositestothoseofthetoadying"pushover"protagonist.Themotifofthenovellaisadoppelg?nger(dvoynik).Golyadkinisatitularcouncillor.Thisisrank9intheTableofRanksestablishedbyPetertheGreat.Asrankeightledtohereditarynobility,[3]beingatitularcouncillorissymbolicofalow-levelbureaucratstillstrugglingtosucceed.GolyadkinhasaformativediscussionwithhisDoctorRutenspitz,whofearsforhissanityandtellshimthathisbehaviorisdangerouslyantisocial.Heprescribes"cheerfulcompany"astheremedy.Golyadkinresolvestotrythis,andleavestheoffice.HeproceedstoabirthdaypartyforKlaraOlsufyevna,thedaughterofhisofficemanager.Hewasuninvited,andaseriesoffauxpasleadtohisexpulsionfromtheparty.Onhiswayhomethroughasnowstorm,heencountershisdouble,wholooksexactlylikehim.Thefollowingtwothirdsofthenovelthendealswiththeirevolvingrelationship.Atfirst,GolyadkinSr.(theoriginalmaincharacter)andGolyadkinJr.(hisdouble)arefriends,butGolyadkinJr.proceedstoattempttotakeoverSr.'slife,andtheybecomebitterenemies.BecauseGolyadkinJr.hasallthecharm,unctuousnessandsocialskillsthatGolyadkinSr.lacks,heisverywell-likedamongtheofficecolleagues.Atthestory'sconclusion,GolyadkinSr.beginstoseemanyreplicasofhimself,hasapsychoticbreak,andisdraggedofftoanasylumbyDoctorRutenspitz.

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

Dresslershowshowtocultivatesix"stances"—mental,emotional,andphysical—thatwillkeepyousteady,impartial,purposeful,compassionate,andgood-humored.hehelpsyoukeepyourcoolandmakethekindofinventive,split-seconddecisionsthesepressure-cookersituationsdemand.

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

BestsellingauthorBrianTracyrevealshow,nomatterwhatyourcurrentjob,youcanapplythesecretsandstrategiesusedbythehighestpaidpeopleinoursocietytomakeyourselfmorevaluable,maximizeyourstrengths,andbecomevirtuallyindispensabletoyourcompany.

MostcriticsnowconsidernovelbyAnneBrontetobeoneofthefirstfeministnovels.TheTenantofWildfellHall(1848)isframedasaseriesoflettersfromGilbertMarkhamtohisfriendandbrother-in-lawabouttheeventsconnectedwiththemeetingofhiswife.AmysteriousyoungwidowarrivesatWildfellHall,anElizabethanmansionwhichhasbeenemptyformanyyears,withheryoungsonandaservant.ShelivesthereinstrictseclusionundertheassumednameHelenGrahamandsoonfindsherselfthevictimoflocalslander.Refusingtobelieveanythingscandalousabouther,GilbertbefriendsHelenanddiscoversherpast.Inherdiary,Helendepictsherhusband'sphysicalandmoraldeclinethroughalcoholandherdesperateattemptstosavetheirsonfromhisinfluenceinthedissipatedaristocraticsocietyfromwhichsheultimatelyflees.Thedepictionofmaritalstrifeandwomen'sprofessionalidentificationhasalsoastrongmoralmessagemitigatedbytheauthors'sbeliefinuniversalsalvation.

Thisworkisacollectionofpreviously-publishedshortstoriesfromthedarkpenofEdgarAllanPoe,firstpublishedin1840.Poewrotethenow-famousquotedefendinghimselffromthecriticismthathistaleswerepartof"Germanism"Inprefaceofthisbook,"Ifinmanyofmyproductionsterrorhasbeenthethesis,ImaintainthatterrorisnotofGermanybutofthesoul".ThecollectionwasdedicatedtoColonelWilliamDrayton,anonymousauthorofTheSouthVindicatedfromtheTreasonandFanaticismoftheNorthernAbolitionists.The"arabesque"storiesfocusonasingleaspectofacharacter,oftenpsychological,suchas"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher".AdistantrelativeofPoe,modernscholarHarryLeePoe,wrotethat"grotesque"means"horror",whichisgoryandoftendisgusting,and"arabesque"means"terror",whichforsakesthebloodandgoreforthesakeoffrighteningthereader.[8]Evenso,accuratelydefiningPoe'sintentionsforthetermsisdifficultandsubdividinghistalesintoonecategoryoranotherisevenmoredifficult.Thisworkisacollectionofpreviously-publishedshortstoriesfromthedarkpenofEdgarAllanPoe,firstpublishedin1840.

AsthefirstvolumeofLawrence'scollectedshortstories,theywerewrittenbetween1924and1928,setinbothEnglandandAmericawhichcontainthefollowingthirteenshortstories:TheWomanWhoRodeAway;TwoBlueBirds;Sun;Smile;TheBorder-Line;JimmyandtheDesperateWoman;TheLastLaugh;InLove;TheManWhoLovedIslands;GladGhosts;NoneofThat!;TheRocking-HorseWinner;TheLovelyLady.ElevenwerecollectedinTheWomanWhoRodeAway(1928),though'TheManWhoLovedIslands'appearedintheAmericaneditiononlyandtheothertwoinTheLovelyLady(1933).Anunpublishedfragment'APureWitch'isalsoincludedhere.ThesestoriesreflectLawrence'sexperiencesinthepost-warperiod.Manywereconsiderablyrevised,somewerecompletelyrewrittenbyLawrenceandsubsequentlypublishedindifferentversions.Theeditorsgivecompositionhistoriesandexplainpublicationdifficulties,Appendicesrecordmanuscriptrevisionsforthreestoriesandshowcomplete,unpublishedearlyversionsoffour.

JulesVerne'snovelcolorfullyrecapturesthespiritofitstime,whenreaderswerefascinatedbynewtechnologiesandeagertodiscoverfarawayplaces.PhileasFoggwagershalfhisfortuneontheastoundingpropositionthathecantravelallthewayaroundtheworldinjust80days.WithhisfaithfulFrenchservant,Passepartout,PhileasFoggembarksontheadventureofalifetime,travellingacrossfourcontinentsbywhatevermeanshecan-train,elephant,steamship-andexperiencingendlesssurprisesandmishapsalongtheway.Thistraveloguesweepsthroughmanyexoticsettings,includingthejunglesofIndia,whereFoggandPassepartoutrescuearajah'swidow,andacrossthePacifictotheAmericanfrontier,wheretheybraveabisonstampedeandanattackbySiouxIndians.

BasedonthelifeofPaulGauguin,TheMoonandSixpenceisW.SomersetMaugham'sodetothepowerfulforcesbehindcreativegenius.CharlesStricklandisastaidbanker,amanofwealthandprivilege.Heisalsoamanpossessedofanunquenchabledesiretocreateart.AsStricklandpursueshisartisticvision,heleavesLondonforParisandTahiti,andinhisquestmakessacrificesthatleavesthelivesofthoseclosesttohimintatters.ThroughMaugham'ssympatheticeyeStrickland'storturedandcruelsoulbecomesasymboloftheblessingandthecurseoftranscendentartisticgenius,andthecostinhumanslivesitsometimesdemands.

AdamKahanehaslearnedhowtocreateenvironmentsthatenablecreativenewideasandsolutionstoemergeandbeimplementedeveninthemostchallengingcontexts.HereKahanetellshisstoriesanddistillsfromthemanapproachthatallofuscanusetosolveourowntoughestproblems.

Toomanyofusfeeltrappedbyworkthatkeepsusfromlivingourpurpose.Wefantasizeaboutstartingourownbusiness,yetwe'rewarnedagainstfallingintodebt,workingeightyhoursaweek,andcopingwiththepressuretogrow.