The Fourth Bear Hug is a continuation of the stories in The Bear Hug, The Final Bear Hug, and The Third Bear Hug. The story in the latter book concludes with Deborah Czermak dying and John Czermak recovering. However, Andrei’s brother, Alexei Pushkin, is determined to kill John since he is convinced that John was responsible for the deaths of his brother and two nephews. However, Alexei is unsuccessful in killing Professor Czermak. John then returns to work at Clemson University. The story in The Fourth Bear Hug begins after Czermak retires from Clemson, sells his two homes, and moves to Colorado. He then starts working as a part-time professor at the University of Colorado and shares an office with a visiting professor from Moscow. He and Professor Lara Medvedev start traveling together to meetings, and a loving relationship develops. They attend a conference in Sweden followed by going to Moscow so John can meet Lara’s parents. During this time Czermak visits a good friend at the Academy of Sciences where they go to the roof of a tall academy building to take some pictures. Then Alexei shows up and tries to push Czermak off the building, but instead Alexei falls to his death. Since John now thinks that no one is trying to murder him, he asks Lara to marry him. She happily agrees. A few days later they have a wedding reception at Lara’s parents’ home. The party has a tragic ending. Globe-trotters should especially enjoy reading about some of the author’s travels to various places in the world.

The Third Bear Hug is a continuation of the stories in The Bear Hug and The Final Bear Hug. The Final Bear Hug concludes during an expedition in Antarctica that Tim supports to see if one of the Russian crew members is passing nuclear weapon’s information to a group of Argentinian scientists. On the expedition, James and Ying are married by the captain, and Alex tries to kill James but later finds out that James did not kill his father. On the last night of the voyage, during a violent rainstorm, Alex meets James at the stern of the ship and makes amends to him, which ends by Alex giving James a big bear hug that causes both of them to accidentally fall into the rough and freezing ocean. The story in The Third Bear Hug begins on the morning following the violent storm. A man and two ladies discover James washed up on the shore of Cape Horn. Author’s note: You may find out if Alexei is successful in killing Prof. John James Czermak when you read this book. Globe-trotters will especially enjoy reading about some of the author’s travels.

A compilation of food writer Marion Kane's memories, newspaper columns, and 80 recipes. Kane has been a food editor and writer at major newspapers for almost twenty years.

The Prologue of The Bear Hug begins at the new headquarters of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) where Margrit Czermak is copying for a Russian agent confidential documents belonging to her husband John, who is a world renown scientist and contributor to the development of the neutron bomb. Subsequently, the KGB agent sexually attacks Margrit, and as she is fleeing, her lover, Andrei Pushkin, intervenes and is shot by the agent. In Chapter 3, a red Mercedes-Benz roadster is seen inching its way around the Gurtel (the city's outer perimeter), the driver eyeing the few scantily-clad prostitutes who are soliciting their wares in spite of the heavy snow which had blanketed the city. We then proceed with him to the Third District where a Ukranian dance ensemble, sponsored by the United Nations' Russian Club of Art and Literature, had just finished its performance. During the cocktail party that followed, Andrei Pushkin – suspected by the CIA of being a covert Russian agent – captivated by a woman's melodious laugh, turned to gaze in her direction. He was immediately enraptured by the beautiful, charming Margrit Czermak gracing the arm of Boris Mikhailov, a prominent man with the IAEA as he steered her in the direction of her husband. Meanwhile, two covert agents of the KGB, huddled in the background, are discussing the instructions received from the Kremlin to elicit from the prominent American scientist, by whatever means necessary, his knowledge of the neutron bomb. A few months later, on Margrit's return flight from London where she had been attending her stricken brother, she encountered and was consoled by the compassionate Pushkin. In due course, he invited her to dine with him. As her husband's travel had again necessitated his prolonged absence from the city, in a state of extreme loneliness, she accepted. In the interim, both the KGB and the CIA kept the American woman under surveillance, it being the KGB's intention to instigate an illicit relationship and the CIA's to use her as a means to entrap Pushkin. At the same time, John Czermak was suffering profound personal problems. While he had been employed in the nuclear weapons field, his scientific endeavors had demanded first priority. As his present position with the IAEA had created substantial leisure time, he was both angered and dismayed to realize his wife's newly found independence. And, being a man of high moral values, it never occurred to him that his wife was to become romantically involved with another man. To compound matters, he had belatedly sought to create an atmosphere of congeniality with his children only to discover that he had little rapport with them. With the passing of time, the clandestine liaison between the American and Russian flourished, eventually culminating in Paris and again in the Soviet capitol. However, realizing the futility of their relationship, they had on several occasions unsuccessfully attempted to terminate it. Meanwhile the KGB, eager to record on film the boudoir events of the couple, applied pressure to Andrei by kidnapping his younger son. Thus, successful in obtaining the desired photographs, they were able to prevail upon Margrit for information relevant to her husband's work at the Colorado nuclear facility. During an assignation, a CIA agent met his death as he was propelled in front of a high-speed subway train. As Margrit had witnessed the event, an attempt was then made to eliminate her as well. The relationship with her husband continued to deteriorate and John made good his threats to leave her. Therefore, she beseeched Andrei to abandon his family in order to share a life with her. But Andrei had undergone a substantial ideological transformation during the course of his affair with Margrit and, as a result, suffered continual, agonizing self-debasement. Thus, he eventually took his own life. Shocked beyond belief by the receipt of her

From Aarón Sánchez, chef, restaurateur, co-star of Food Network’s Chopped, and host of Cooking Channel’s Emmy-nominated Taco Trip, comes a fabulous, Mexican-inspired cookbook themed around fifteen unforgettable flavor bases. Aarón Sánchez’s passion, commitment, and creativity have placed him among the world’s leading contemporary chefs. In Simple Food, Big Flavor, he brings us more than seventy-five fun and accessible recipes for home cooks of all skill levels. Rather than overwhelm with complex, intimidating dishes, Sánchez starts small, showing how one simple but amazing “base” recipe—think Roasted Tomato Salsa, Cilantro-Cotija Pesto, and homemade Dulce de Leche—can become many fantastic dishes. Take Garlic-Chipotle Love, a blend of roasted garlic, canned chipotles in adobo, cilantro, and lime zest that keeps in the fridge for weeks or the freezer for months. With this in hand, you’re just a few steps away from mouthwatering dishes like Chipotle-Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Bean and Pumpkin Picadillo, and Mussels with Beer and Chipotle. Sánchez also provides detailed yet easy tips for using each sauce in everyday meals, whether you spread it on hamburgers, turn it into a marinade for easy grilled chicken, or stir in a little oil and lime for salad dressing with a kick. With his warm and engaging style, Sánchez equips home cooks with the skills and knowledge they need to come up with their own simple, flavorful meals every night of the week. Your kitchen will be en fuego!

Around-the-world holidays to celebrate with young children.

CLINICAL PRAISE FOR Choose FITNESS not FATNESS Today! As a Board Certified Gastroenterologist, I see the effects of obesity on a daily basis. Most of my patients ask about how to “fix” the problem quickly; mainly through surgery. Unfortunately, I have to treat a lot of complications from surgery and many patients don’t have the long standing results they were hoping for. Imagine my surprise when Matt came in for a follow up after a year and at over 50 years old he was almost a hundred pounds lighter! I asked which bariatric surgery he had, and I was blown away by the most practical, healthy, and sustainable answer I have ever heard: “I just chose to be fit not fat.” I have read Choose FITness not FATness Today! and was very impressed on several key points. One, was how he maintained a very strict mental attitude toward the whole process. His approach was very humble, analytical and practical. Once his mind was ready, then he implemented the processes to achieving his goal. His diet makes sense and is clinically sound. By not choosing “crap” his body does not go into a cycle of insulin spiking resulting in growth not loss. Finally, the way that Matt was able to gradually grow into his exercise routine makes the most sense to not get discouraged and to make the weight loss permanent. This book is practical, motivating, and most important: the healthiest way to lose weight. I’m looking forward to being able to recommend this solution to my overweight patients that are seeking a simple yet attainable solution to their weight loss challenges. —Kenneth Brown, MD, KennethBrownMD.com A 1-year, one-day-at-a-time journey from obesity to athleticism without surgery, prepackaged foods, personal trainers, calorie-counting, or hunger. During the decades Matt Wharton struggled with obesity, he wanted to find a way to apply a simple practice to the complex problem of too much body fat. He’d tried everything imaginable and found that all of the “lose weight quick” programs out there delivered a short-term loss followed by a longterm gain. Matt discovered a simple daily regimen after extensive research and a lot of prayer. It unlocks the mystery of weight loss and fitness, touching on both diet and exercise and, if repeated each day, produces incredible results. This is a direct, simple solution to a complex, life-threatening condition. Filled with real-world experiences, tough love, biting sarcasm, and a healthy dose of humor, Choose FITness Not FATness Today! will help you see results in the mirror while positioning you for a longer, happier life free from the burdens of excess weight and lack of fitness. The solution only takes one day to work: TODAY!

In My Big Fat Greek Diet, Dr. Nick Yphantides teaches readers the powerful 7 Pillars of Weight Loss, which features medically safe, practical how-tos anyone can apply, whether they need to lose 10 or 300 pounds. Analyzing components of a variety of diets, Dr. Nick assists readers in customizing a weight-loss program to their specific needs and lifestyles. Topping out at 467 pounds, Dr. Nick was known in San Diego as a big man with a big heart. When a battle with cancer inspired him to focus on his own health, he embarked on a lifestyle change that would drop him to a svelte 200 pounds. His book, now in trade paper, will inspire and equip readers to design a program that allows them to experience their own weight-loss miracle!

Thank God for Angels: Twins and Their Guardian Angels is filled with imagination, adventure, and mystery. It's a story about a set of twelve-year-old twins, Andrew and Mia, and their massive St. Bernard, Noah. They have a propensity to look for sick and injured animals in the woods surrounding their custom-built home. If the injuries are too complicated or intricate for their limited abilities, they resort to recruiting the talents of their father, Dr. David Brooks, the chief of veterinary services at their city's world-renowned zoo, or their mother, Dr. Rachael Brooks, a very successful chief of cardiac surgery at one of the nation's most prestigious hospitals. The story centers around the twins who have pleased God so much with their love to and compassion for his animals and for treating their injuries and then releasing them back to nature that He has bestowed on them two amazing gifts. The first gift is to be able to see and converse with their guardian angels, and the second is to have the ability to communicate with animals via mental telepathy. Both gifts give the twins the ability to resolve a chaotic fiasco at the city zoo. The author entertains your imagination with clever and unexpected plot twists that amuse your creative juices for adventure and mystery.