Richard Smith Books

In mid-fourteenth century Yorkshire, the plague wipes out half the inhabitants of a remote village. Left behind, a twelve-year-old shepherd boy survives a brutal winter and keeps his flock alive. In the years that follow, he struggles to reconnect with life. He tells his story in a sequence of eighty- four sonnets.

For many Americans, President Gerald Ford was seen as a genial accident of history, known for controversially pardoning his Watergate-tarnished predecessor and presiding over the fall of Saigon. However, Richard Norton Smith reveals Ford as an underrated leader whose tough decisions and personal decency gain significance over time. Drawing from hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents, Smith recounts Ford's challenging childhood in Michigan, his early anti-establishment politics, and his lifelong relationship with Betty Bloomer, whose cultural impact he believed would surpass his own. As president, Ford navigated the nation's worst Constitutional crisis since the Civil War and addressed the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression, achieving these feats with little recognition until later honors, like the JFK Library's Profile in Courage Award. Ford's administration served as a bridge between the Republican pragmatism of Eisenhower and Nixon and the more doctrinaire conservatism of Reagan. His push for economic deregulation transformed the American economy, while his support of the Helsinki Accords contributed to the Soviet Union's collapse. This definitive biography, illustrated with sixteen pages of black-and-white photos, offers a fresh perspective on a man whose warning about presidential arrogance remains relevant today.

Amusing take on Oxford by award-winning comic writer Richard O. Smith and Korky Paul, illustrator of the multi-million selling Winnie the Witch series.

Exploring the evolution of Pop culture from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, this comprehensive survey examines its impact on art, film, photography, and architecture, highlighting the interplay between mass production and mass media. Unlike other works that focus solely on Pop art, it offers a holistic view of the movement's influence across America, Britain, and Europe, showcasing its diverse manifestations and cultural significance during this transformative era.

George, a recently widowed seventy-nine-year-old, reflects on his near-miss as a rock star in the 1960s, feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. His teenage granddaughter, Tara, escapes her bickering parents by moving in with him. Meanwhile, Toby, George’s son-in-law, wants to place George in a care home. George harbors two secrets: the true reason behind his stalled music career and the deep disappointment he feels over missed opportunities. Yearning for one last chance, he is drawn to a long-lost relative with a troubled past. For Tara, living with her grandfather offers a chance to explore her own musical ambitions, but she struggles with the generational clash and the memories embedded in George’s home. Their relationship begins on shaky ground, as George disapproves of Tara's music, which he finds unbearable. However, as they navigate their differences, they discover shared strengths and similarities, including their mutual inability to operate a dishwasher. When Toby inadvertently triggers a series of events, Tara faces a life-changing decision mirroring the one her grandfather confronted decades earlier, forcing both to confront their pasts and aspirations.

Define and practice change management more successfully with this official guide to the Change Management Body of Knowledge, complete with practical tools, underpinning theory and best practice.

Authoritarianism, capitalism and destruction: why China is leading the world to ecocide

Traveler and naturalist Richard Gordon Smith journeyed in Japan, where he recorded ancient Japanese myths and legends in his 'voluminous illustrated diaries'. The result is a fascinating collection of Japanese historical legends and folktales. Nearly all of them are set in a well-defined time and place, instead of 'once upon a time.' Their themes include ghosts; unrequited love across social boundaries; Shinto landscape, tree and ocean spirits; and tales driven by Bushido and Buddhist ethics. Gordon Smith's style is to re-tell the stories very literally, even when they include supernatural elements. The result is an anthology of Japanese 'magical realist' tales.

Introduction: The five patterns of extraordinary people -- Pattern 1, Understand the value of you -- Pattern 2, Practice benevolent leadership -- Pattern 3, Overcome the permission paradox -- Pattern 4, Differentiate using the 20/80 principle of performance -- Pattern 5, Finding the right fit (strengths, passions, and people) -- The patterns of extraordinary organizations -- Putting the partterns into practice -- The Spencer Stuart job survival guide