It started as a daydream. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor - actor and self-confessed bike nut - noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. It was a revelation he couldn't get out of his head. So he picked up the phone and called Charley Boorman, his best friend, fellow actor and bike enthusiast. 'Charley,' he said. 'I think you ought to come over for dinner...'

From London to New York, Ewan and Charley chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America. But as the miles slipped beneath the tyres of their big BMWs, their troubles started. Exhaustion, injury and accidents tested their strength. Treacherous roads, unpredictable weather and turbulent politics challenged their stamina. They were chased by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, courted by men with very large guns in the Ukraine, hassled by the police, and given bulls' testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads.

And yet despite all these obstacles they managed to ride over 20,000 miles in four months, changing their lives forever in the process. As they travelled they documented their trip, taking photographs, and writing diaries by the campfire. Long Way Round is the result of their adventures - a fascinating, frank and highly entertaining travel book about two friends riding round the world together and, against all the odds, realising their dream.

Jorge Luis Borges has been called the greatest Spanish- language writer of the century. Now, for the first time in English, all of Borges's dazzling fictions are gathered into a single volume—from his 1935 debut with The Universal History of Iniquity, through his immensely influential collections Ficciones and The Aleph, the enigmatic prose-poems of The Maker, up to his final, and never-before-translated, work from the '80s, Shakespeare's Memory. In maddeningly ingenious stories that play with the very form of the short story itself, Borges returns again and again to his celebrated themes: dreams, labyrinths, mirrors, infinite libraries, the manipulations of chance, gaucho knife fighters, transparent tigers, and the elusive nature of identity itself. Collected Fictions is the perfect one- volume compendium for all those who have long loved Borges, and the perfect introduction to the master's work for all those who have yet to discover him.

If Jorge Luis Borges had been a computer scientist, he probably would have invented hypertext and the World Wide Web.

Instead, being a librarian and one of the world's most widely read people, he became the leading practitioner of a densely layered imaginistic writing style that has been imitated throughout this century, but has no peer (although Umberto Eco sometimes comes close, especially in Name of the Rose).

Borges's stories are redolent with an intelligence, wealth of invention, and a tight, almost mathematically formal style that challenge with mysteries and paradoxes revealed only slowly after several readings. Highly recommended to anyone who wants their imagination and intellect to be aswarm with philosophical plots, compelling conundrums, and a wealth of real and imagined literary references derived from an infinitely imaginary library.

When Viking published Borges's Collected Fictions last September, the book received nationwide acclaim. Richard Bernstein in The New York Times hailed the publication as "an event, and cause for celebration." The celebration continues this April with the next installment in Viking's projected three-volume set of the Collected Work: a new selection of Borges's finest poems edited by Alexander Coleman.

Selected Poems brings together some two hundred poems—the largest collection of Borges's poetry ever assembled in English, including many never previously translated. The selection draws from a lifetime's work—from Borges's earliest work in the 20s, his debut Fervor de Buenos Aires (1923), to his final poetic work, Los Conjurados (1985). Throughout the volume, the brilliance of the Spanish originals is matched with luminous English versions rendered by a remarkable cast of translators, among them W. S. Merwin, John Updike, Robert Fitzgerald, Mark Strand and Alastair Reid.
"—In Borges's case I do not consider it rash to acclaim him as the most important thing to happen to imaginative writing in the Spanish language in modern times and as one of the most memorable artists of our age."— Mario Vargas Llosa

You know you've got the talent, now let them know it-your complete guide to finding, winning, and keeping good clients Written by a graphic designer and successful marketing consultant, this book is the most complete guide available to marketing your services, with clear, practical, step-by-step instructions on every aspect of graphic design marketing, including:
* Developing and implementing a marketing plan
* Researching prospective clients
* Creating effective marketing materials
* Cold calling and follow-ups
* Effective communication
* Dressing for success
* Resumes, cover letters, and portfolios
* Proposals, bids, and contracts
* Keeping good clients-account management
Also included are sample business forms, contracts, proposals, letters, and checklists, along with stunning full-color examples of successful self-promotion campaigns for every budget. Throughout the book, there are fascinating and instructive interviews with clients as well as graphic designers from across the country who share what they've learned about marketing and managing graphic design services.

Nowadays firemen start fires. Fireman Guy Montag loves to rush to a fire and watch books burn up. Then he met a seventeen-year old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid, and a professor who told him of a future where people could think. And Guy Montag knew what he had to do....

From the Paperback edition.

There is a serious information gap for Webmasters learning client-side JavaScript skills and trying to solve common Web-related problems. Knowing the syntax is one thing, being able to build a useful application is another. And while there are dozens of "how- to" JavaScript books available, few literally hand the Webmaster a set of ready-to-go, client-side JavaScript applications with thorough documentation that enable the reader to fully understand and extend those applications. By providing such a set of applications, "JavaScript Application Cookbook" allows Webmasters to immediately add extra functionality to their Web sites.

This book targets readers with two different skill sets. The primary target is JavaScript-knowledgeable Webmasters and designers who can immediately begin constructing their own versions of the applications. The secondary target is those with little or no JavaScript experience. The included applications are ready for immediate use and require little customization.

This book explores both the code and the techniques that are centered around core JavaScript functionality, a functionality that will not become incompatible or obsolete. The source file design of most applications and libraries will help modularize reader Web sites and facilitate easier site management and coding practices.

Chapters are organized by application. Among the included applications are:

A client-side search engine that will show coders how to build their own search engine and get excellent results, all with a client-side tool

A drag-and-drop greeting application that lets users custom build and send DHTML email greetings

A GUI image rollover tool that generatescross-browser image rollover code for all versions of JavaScript

A robust client-side shopping cart application that lets shoppers browse and shop, while the application keeps a tab of the shopper's selections and a running bill, including tax and shipping

An online test application that auto-administers, grades, and displays answers to online exams or surveys

An additional value to this book is an online resource (http: //www.serve.com/hotsyte/) that discusses the applications and points to other resources. With its focus on providing practical real-world solutions for Webmasters, "JavaScript Application Cookbook" is destined to become a staple for every JavaScript developer, regardless of experience.

This first anthology of the longest-running poetry series in the United States includes poems by each winner of the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets competition since its inception in 1919. An entertaining collection of verse by such writers as Muriel Rukeyser, Adrienne Rich, John Ashbery, and Robert Hass, this book is also an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of twentieth-century American poetry.

"Oh, screw it, let's do it."

That's the philosophy that has allowed Richard Branson, in slightly more than twenty-five years, to spawn so many successful ventures. From the airline business (Virgin Atlantic Airways), to music (Virgin Records and V2), to cola (Virgin Cola), to retail (Virgin Megastores), and nearly a hundred others, ranging from financial services to bridal wear, Branson has a track record second to none.

Losing My Virginity is the unusual, frequently outrageous autobiography of one of the great business geniuses of our time. When Richard Branson started his first business, he and his friends decided that "since we're complete virgins at business, let's call it just that: Virgin." Since then, Branson has written his own "rules" for success, creating a group of companies with a global presence, but no central headquarters, no management hierarchy, and minimal bureaucracy.

Many of Richard Branson's companies—airlines, retailing, and cola are good examples—were started in the face of entrenched competition. The experts said, "Don't do it." But Branson found golden opportunities in markets in which customers have been ripped off or underserved, where confusion reigns, and the competition is complacent.
And in this stressed-out, overworked age, Richard Branson gives us a new model: a dynamic, hardworking, successful entrepreneur who lives life to the fullest. Family, friends, fun, and adventure are equally important as business in Branson's life. Losing My Virginity is a portrait of a productive, sane, balanced life, filled with rich and colorful stories:

Crash-landing his hot-air balloon in the Algerian desert, yet remaining determined to have another go at being the first to circle the globe

Signing the Sex Pistols, Janet Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Boy George, and Phil Collins

Fighting back when British Airways took on Virgin Atlantic and successfully suing this pillar of the British business establishment

Swimming two miles to safety during a violent storm off the coast of Mexico

Selling Virgin Records to save Virgin Atlantic

Staging a rescue flight into Baghdad before the start of the Gulf War . . .

And much more. Losing My Virginity is the ultimate tale of personal and business survival from a man who combines the business prowess of Bill Gates and the promotional instincts of P. T. Barnum.

Also available in the UK from Virgin Publishing, and in Canada from General Publishing,

From the Hardcover edition.

On the eve of his departure from Eugene, Oregon, to San Francisco and worldly success, a twenty-one-year-old unpublished writer named Richard Brautigan gave these funny, buoyant stories and poems as a gift to Edna Webster, the beloved mother of both his best friend and his first "real" girlfriend. "When I am rich and famous, Edna," he told her, "this will be your social security.' The stories and poems show Brautigan as hopelessly lovestruck, cheerily goofy, and at his most disarmingly innocent. We see not only a young man and young artist about to bloom, but also the whole literary sensibility of the 1960s counterculture about to spread its wings and fly.

A Brautigan omnibus, reissued in paperback in celebration of its twentieth anniversary, this one-volume edition includes three contemporary classics that embody the spirit of the 1960s.

Writer's Market is THE indispensable writer's reference. It informs your customers who the editors are, what they want, how much they buy and how much they pay. Every writer needs it; that's why it's the best-selling writing title each and every year.

This year, Writer's Market has more entries and benefits than ever before. Readers will find more phone numbers, contact names, and e-mail addresses—everything they need to get in touch with the people who can make their dreams come true! They'll find:

The Query Letter Clinic—this ever-popular feature illustrating the dos and don'ts of crafting effective query letters has been expanded to include electronic queries

Insider reports from Karen Joy Fowler, author of Black Glass, Joy Johannessen, freelance editor, and Adair Lara, award-winning San Francisco Chronicle columnist

Workshop articles that help writers craft winning book proposals, novel outlines or script synopses

“An indispensable volume...published for the first time in paperback....More than 200 illustrations of hands and hundreds of images of arms, shoulders, heads, torsos, legs, knees, and feet.” —Library Journal. “It will...meet a deeply felt need to draw the human figure from a vantage point of understanding and visual acuity.”—Arts & Activities.

When he dazzled the literary establishment in March, 1995 with Bombardiers, a stunning debut novel that skewered greedy Wall Street bond traders and satirized the inner workings of high finance, readers were scrambling to buy futures on Po Bronson's career.

Now, Bronson unleashes his talent (and fury) on Silicon Valley and rips the top off the computer industry, tracking the routes of power, exposing the crisscrossed wiring, and poking fun at its obsolete components.

Lloyd Acheson's firm, Omega Logic, needs a next-generation chip to keep its stock price propped up. Hank Menzinger squandered his research lab's cash reserves in a failed IPO and needs Omega Logic's support to save his institution. But master chip designer Francis Benoit's last chip for Omega was dumbed-down by software, and he's vowed to never let it happen again.

New at the research lab is Andy Caspar, a young engineer who dreams of becoming a legendary "ironman" — one of the handful of engineers (like those behind Netscape, Apple, and Intel) whose technological breakthroughs have secured them a place in history.

Andy begins work on a new project, not realizing the extent to which he's caught up in the power struggle of the older men. The story reveals the brutal, absurd side of the industry, as Andy pushes forth with his dream but is betrayed at every turn.