Table of contents

Quality public education, modern highway systems, and reasonably priced housing—these are just some of the qualities that once made California one of the most desirable places to live. Just a few decades later, the state finds itself with an education system that is failing its citizens, one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, and a quickly evaporating dream of home ownership. Illustrating each step of the breakdown that led to its current state of dysfunction, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California provides insight into a system gone amuck. It addresses complicated topics in an engaging manner to help the public and leaders alike understand how to make policies that balance expectations with outcomes. Key political themes covered include disconnected institutions, perpetually unbalanced budgets, immigration, voter ignorance, interest group influence, and dysfunctional institutions. Investigating the gridlock that has become all too common within the state’s legislature, the book: Demonstrates the impact of the state’s inability to generate sufficient revenue, particularly for public education and an under-trained workforce Highlights the problems created by poor land use planning —from suburban sprawl and government waste to inefficient use of agricultural land Examines how interest groups have been able to wrest control of the processes that were created to keep them in line Identifies the duplication of efforts and other inefficiencies at the state and local levels Author Larry Gerston leaves no stone unturned in his discussion of California's economy, position on the Pacific Rim, cultural diversity, land and water issues, and its relationship with the federal government. He examines the state’s infrastructure, natural resources, immigration issues, education, finance, healthcare, civil rights, planning and development, security, laws, political parties, and power structures to provide civic leaders and policy makers with the understanding required to restore the sheen to this once glistening paradise. The Contra Costa Times discussed Larry Gerston's recent Commonwealth Club lecture in a May 17, 2012 article. Read an interview with Larry Gerston in The Mercury News.

Virgin’s Richard Branson, Zappos’ Tony Hsieh, and Tesla’s Elon Musk, apart from their obvious success, all share another thing in common. Each utilizes storytelling to maximize their effectiveness as leaders. Many of the most influential leaders of our and all time, including arguably the most influential leader in history, used storytelling whenever they had a particularly important point to make. Encouraged by these influences, a father who was a known storyteller and a Nigerian priest who used stories to bridge a language barrier, author, and successful businessperson, Phillip Kane used stories each Friday throughout his career to help business associates relate to key issues facing the organizations he had the privilege to lead. These weekly letters had less to do with what was going on in the business than how people thought about what was going on in the business. By helping shift and align his teams’ point of view, Kane and the teams he led were able to accomplish more and win more often. All because of the stories he told. Many of them are assembled here in one place for the first time. Organized around key themes like encouragement, trust, and gratitude, Kane also provides additional insights for existing or aspiring leaders looking for a different, better way to appeal to those who should be following them. Featured twice in Kouzes’ & Posner’s, The Leadership Challenge (Wiley), first-time author, Phillip Kane’s storytelling technique and the leadership lessons he imparts are key for any leader seeking to create winning teams built on a fundamental foundation of caring and service to others.

We were once again going on a cross-country tour. In November 2013, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Ali Eskandarian was murdered alongside two members of the Iranian band, The Yellow Dogs. In the months leading up to this terrible event, Ali had been in correspondence with a friend and Dutch publisher, Oscar van Gelderen, about his semi-autobiographical novel. Golden Years is that book. Set in the first decade of the 21st century in New York, Teheran and Dallas, Golden Years is a novel perfumed with excess and spirited decadence. It tells the story of a group of Iranian musicians in their twenties and our narrator, in his 30s, who is in thrall to the great American beats and has visions of Ancient Assyrian Futurism. Hungry and poor, high and hopping from bed to bed, and lover to lover, the characters in Golden Years are romantic exiles living with rock n roll as their religion.

This Indian film music book is a collection of eighty essays about the people who made remarkable music in Bollywood cinema, especially during the great era, and the ideas such people brought to the recording studios. When songs had to go without rhythms or when melodies had plenty of Q n A in them. In this music book, we flirt with Rock n Roll and scan songs that speed up at the end, we peep behind the screen to see what the idea was behind chorus songs in our films – even if there was no one to sing that chorus on the screen; it’s a huge list. These pages are a reflection of the time when everyone was fired up in their art, and when no one wanted to finish last in the race. It is about artists who every now and then dreamt ideas, and only after crystallizing things perfectly in their mind’s eye, went out to translate and transform their dreams into unforgettable melodies in Indian movies. Jukebox will interest the layman as well as the academician.

A timely examination of the effects of the Great Recession on Americans and the resulting federal reforms to healthcare, employment, and housing policies as a means to alleviate poverty. The Great Recession (2007 to 2009) brought the United States—routinely touted as the richest country in the world—to historical levels of poverty. Rising unemployment, government budget crises, and the collapse of the housing market had devastating effects on the poor and middle class. This is one of the first books to focus on the impact of the Great Recession on poverty in America, examining governmental and cultural responses to the economic downturn; the demographics of poverty by gender, age, occupation, education, geographical area, and ethnic identity; and federal and state efforts toward reform and relief. Essays from more than 20 contributing writers explore the history of poverty in America and provide a vision of what lies ahead for the American economy.

Murder? Love and marriage? Conflict to the bitter end? Spiritual redemption? Comedy? Suicide? Tragedy? Joy? GOLDEN YEARS has it all and then some. But the unique, the surprising, thing is its about seniors. Seniors? Theyve been off the map for years, havent they? Why bother? But thats the uniqueness, the surprise. The best-kept secret in the literary world is that seniors have terrific stories to tell! Consider: Two still vigorous oldsters in a nursing home get married. But problems arise, including the stroke of one of them before the wedding... Or: a once prominent socialite, finally recovering from her second stroke, takes instant offence at her octogenarian room mate. She develops a highly principled plan to resolve this dilemma... Or: a middle-aged lawyer brings his much-feared and now aged father home from a home to care for him. But dad has totally changed... Just tiny tastes, I know: Why not buy the book for the full, satisfying, meal! You wont be disappointed. The characters will intrigue and delight; the dialogue is engaging and rings true; there are absorbing plots with unforeseen twists, and conclusions that will surprise, even shock. Above all, youll have a good read.

We call them the &‘ golden years' . Retirement these days can span 30-plus years, so we need to plan retirement as carefully as we plan other phases of our life that span three decades &– our career, raising and educating children, and buying and paying off our home. This book helps you make this plan. It looks at the lifestyle you want to achieve in retirement, how to keep your money working for you when you are not working and how to set your affairs in order for the later part of your life when you inevitably become less independent. Most importantly, it helps you navigate the multiple challenges that will arise, with the benefit of the experience supporting those who have been there before.Packed with case studies from a career in financial advice, as well as practical and actionable insights, this book will educate, inspire and give you peace of mind as you plan for, transition to and live your best life in retirement.