An enlightening blueprint of the secrets of reaching female consumers from the expert Just Ask a Woman is a powerful book about how to tap into female consumers' needs. Mary Quinlan, the founder of the premiere consultancy dedicated to marketing to women, has personally interviewed 3,000 women in the course of her research for Just Ask a Woman. Women are the decision-makers in an estimated eighty-five percent of household buying decisions, and yet far too often, products marketed specifically to them fail to connect with their needs. Here, Quinlan explores topics such as how women judge brands and advertising, how they make decisions, the effects of stress on their consumer behavior, and their increasing demands for service and communication. Quinlan rejects the traditional focus group approach in favor of highly energized and intimate talk sessions where women reveal their deeper feelings about products and services. In Just Ask a Woman marketers, brand managers, and advertisers will find a revelatory resource filled with ideas and action steps for building your brand with women-from a woman who has walked in a marketer's shoes. Mary Lou Quinlan (New York, NY) is the founder and CEO of Just Ask a Woman, a marketing consultancy dedicated to building business with women. Just Ask a Woman is a division of bcom3, a $15 billion global communications firm whose clients include Citigroup/Women & Co., Lifetime, Saks, Hearst Magazines, Toys "R" Us, and Time Inc. Known as a brand-turnaround expert, she has helped to remake brands like Avon and Continental Airlines. Quinlan has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fast Company and Advertising Age and appeared on ABC, CNN, CNBC, Lifetime LIVE, Fox and nationally syndicated news shows. Her articles have been published in Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and More, among others.

This inspiring and compelling narrative weaves together stories of sixty successful women from all walks of life and throughout the world. The author spent several years in eight countries interviewing dynamic female role models: businesswomen, CEOs, a Congresswoman, a governor, an ex-Prime Minister, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a winemaker, artists, doctors, nurses, and many others. The author calls these women "Iron Butterflies" because they meld a will of iron with the gentle, nurturing touch of a butterfly. With disarming candor, these women talk about their struggles, their fallibilities, and their strengths in the journey to the top of their professions. Forging their leadership from an amalgam of masculine and feminine skills, all of these Iron Butterflies have transformed themselves and in doing so they are contributing to a larger social transformation. A key to this personal and social transformation rests in their ability to address vulnerability in themselves and those around them, and transform it into a crucible of healing, growth, and innovation. Knowing how to deal with vulnerability, in ourselves and with others, evokes feminine skills and values and is a key to the societal change so many are seeking. Critiquing the command-and-control style of leadership, derived from the gladiator concept of male invulnerability, the author convincingly demonstrates how traditional feminine skills and values—such as inclusion, empathy, a holistic perspective, relational skills, and emotional strength—can be applied to empower more people than ever before. Like the sixty Iron Butterflies profiled, leaders in the 21st century will paradoxically embrace vulnerability and durability, creating better working and living relationships for us all.

Women are responsible for making 80% of all purchasing decisions. In short, this makes women the most valuable consumer group in the world. This book, by two leading marketing practitioners, shows companies how to create marketing strategies and brands that will speak powerfully to women. Many marketing and branding strategies attempt to please all of the people all of the time. The authors here demonstrate that the best marketing ideas fall out of understanding the differences between people. The most profound difference is their gender. A deep understanding of this difference can lead to more relevant, meaningful ideas, that will contribute more signficantly to a brand’s success. For example, recent research indicates that women live by four main codes – the Altruism, Aesthetic, Ordering and Affinity codes – which play a significant role in the way women judge and purchase goods and services. Brands or products that successfully reflect these codes will be the ones that stand out.

Caroline, an independent woman climbing the ladder, learns the true meaning of love and family. Susan is seen to be a goody two-shoes with a black-and-white God. Margaret is a young widow who finds herself moving into a new town without family. Yet she learns self-reliance and to cling to her faith. Robert, sort of an orphan, has lived in foster homes all his life. His parents are in prison and have given up rights long ago. John is a widower with two young girls and finds that true love is not just a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Phillip, Frances, Lee, and Barbara are parents who learn the true meaning of letting go. Others find completeness in a time of their lives where death is no stranger. They share a common denominator that draws them to each other, creating their family.

From the bestselling author of The Flight Attendant comes a thought-provoking story about gender, love, and new relationships. When Allison Banks develops a crush on Dana Stevens, she knows that he will give her what she needs most: attention, gentleness, kindness, passion. Her daughter, Carly, enthusiastically witnesses the change in her mother. But then a few months into their relationship, Dana tells Allison his secret: he has always been certain that he is a woman born into the wrong skin, and soon he will transition. Allison, overwhelmed by the depth of her passion, finds herself unable to leave Dana. By deciding to stay, she finds she must confront questions most people never even consider. Not only will her own life and Carly’s be irrevocably changed, she will have to contend with the outrage of a small Vermont community and come to terms with her lover’s new body–hoping against hope that her love will transcend the physical. Look for Chris Bohjalian's new novel, The Lioness!

This is a text book used in training programs around the world. It describes a methodical way of working that transcends ordinary psychotherapy while retaining a professional attitude. It avoids artificial hypnotic inductions and psychic interventions, but ties in directly with the experiences of the client.The style is down-to-earth, to-the-point, practical and fearless.

Notches on the Bedpost will share stories of love, dating, heartache, and breakup. They are stories you can relate to, and there is advice on how to get out of the dating circle and identify when you’re with the wrong person and how to find the right one. Notches on the Bedpost is a mixture of stories that are honest, raw, heartfelt, and funny.

When Cara Andrews bumps into an old flame at a bar in town, she knows even talking to him is a mistake. She tries to leave him behind and work the amazing job she has at a top record label, but he doesn't back down. He tries to rewrite history over and over, but making her forget the past isn't something he can do. Cara is determined to move on and never repeat her history again. Leaving the past behind is a task she's determined to complete. When she meets Jason in the park, she knows it's too good to be true. She would never regret it....or would she? Jason Craig has the life that musicians dream of. He has an amazing band, two amazing daughters and the dream tour. The only thing Jason wanted was to be happy. He didn't think it would ever be possible after his divorce until he saw a woman about to be drenched in a rainstorm. One drink and he's hooked. He could see his future in her eyes, but would she ever give a guy like him a chance? It's about never repeating history, and learning from every mistake.

To some women with painful pasts, becoming a Christian means forgetting about their harmful habits, poor choices, or damaging relationships—placing an imaginary line between their old life and their new life. But often their pasts keep coming back to haunt them, causing unforgiveness, brokenness, and discouragement. This 12-week interactive Bible study, written at an easy-to-read level, will walk women through the process of uncovering their story, understanding it, and allowing God to incorporate it into a future full of hope and adventure. A great evangelistic tool, this book is a partner to the author’s first study, A Woman Who Hurts, A God Who Heals.