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Nominated for the 2018 Hugo Award for Best SeriesMoon, Jade, and other favorites from the Indigo Cloud Court return with two new novellas from Martha Wells.Martha Wells continues to enthusiastically ignore genre conventions in her exploration of the fascinating world of the Raksura. Her novellas and short stories contain all the elements fans have come to love from the Raksura books: courtly intrigue and politics, unfolding mysteries that reveal an increasingly strange wider world, and threats both mundane and magical.“The Dead City” is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force. In “The Dark Earth Below,” Moon and Jade face their biggest adventure yet; their first clutch. But even as Moon tries to prepare for impending fatherhood, members of the Kek village in the colony tree’s roots go missing, and searching for them only leads to more mysteries as the court is stalked by an unknown enemy.Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With these two new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell…Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

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'This book is an important contribution, and I hope it will open many minds. What is particularly important in it are the discussions of David Bohm, of bioplasma, biophotons, and bioelectronics.' - PROFESSOR ZBIGNIEW WOLKOWSKI, Sorbonne University, Paris"Answers so many questions, scientific and esoteric, about the true nature of our reality... A seminal work... Will revolutionise how we frame reality and the thinking of everyone on this planet. Kudos to Professor Temple for striking the first match to light the fire." - NEW DAWNThe story of the science of plasma and its revolutionary implications for the way we understand the universe and our place in it.Histories of science in the 20th century have focused on relativity and quantum mechanics. But, quietly in the background, there has been a third area of exploration which has equally important implications for our understanding of the universe. It is unknown to the general public despite the fact that many Nobel prize winners, senior academics and major research centres around the world have been devoted to it - it is the study of plasmaPlasma is the fourth state of matter and the other three - gas, liquid and solids - emerge out of plasma. This book will reveal how over 99% of the universe is made of plasma and how there are two gigantic clouds of plasma, called the Kordylewski Clouds, hovering between the Earth and the Moon, only recently discovered by astronomers in Hungary. Other revelations not previously known outside narrow academic disciplines include the evidence that in certain circumstances plasma exhibits features that suggest they may be in some sense alive: clouds of plasma have evolved double helixes, banks of cells and crystals, filaments and junctions which could control the flow of electric currents, thus generating an intelligence similar to machine intelligence. We may, in fact, have been looking for signs of extra-terrestrial life in the wrong place.Bestselling author Robert Temple has been following the study of plasma for decades and was personally acquainted with several of the senior scientists - including Nobel laureates - at its forefront, including Paul Dirac, David Bohm, Peter Mitchell and Chandra Wickramasinghe (who has co-written an academic paper with Temple).

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REINFORCEMENT LEARNING AND STOCHASTIC OPTIMIZATION Clearing the jungle of stochastic optimization Sequential decision problems, which consist of “decision, information, decision, information,” are ubiquitous, spanning virtually every human activity ranging from business applications, health (personal and public health, and medical decision making), energy, the sciences, all fields of engineering, finance, and e-commerce. The diversity of applications attracted the attention of at least 15 distinct fields of research, using eight distinct notational systems which produced a vast array of analytical tools. A byproduct is that powerful tools developed in one community may be unknown to other communities. Reinforcement Learning and Stochastic Optimization offers a single canonical framework that can model any sequential decision problem using five core components: state variables, decision variables, exogenous information variables, transition function, and objective function. This book highlights twelve types of uncertainty that might enter any model and pulls together the diverse set of methods for making decisions, known as policies, into four fundamental classes that span every method suggested in the academic literature or used in practice. Reinforcement Learning and Stochastic Optimization is the first book to provide a balanced treatment of the different methods for modeling and solving sequential decision problems, following the style used by most books on machine learning, optimization, and simulation. The presentation is designed for readers with a course in probability and statistics, and an interest in modeling and applications. Linear programming is occasionally used for specific problem classes. The book is designed for readers who are new to the field, as well as those with some background in optimization under uncertainty. Throughout this book, readers will find references to over 100 different applications, spanning pure learning problems, dynamic resource allocation problems, general state-dependent problems, and hybrid learning/resource allocation problems such as those that arose in the COVID pandemic. There are 370 exercises, organized into seven groups, ranging from review questions, modeling, computation, problem solving, theory, programming exercises and a "diary problem" that a reader chooses at the beginning of the book, and which is used as a basis for questions throughout the rest of the book.

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From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him.On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they could find Shari’s body. Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed. One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.

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These are the Journals of Francis Davies Leading Shipwright RN when on board Captain Scott's "Terra Nova" British Antarctic Expedition 1910 - 1913, Never seen before photos and historical artefacts, kept safe by his decadences, for over 100 years. Unique below decks prospective on Captains Scotts last Antarctic Expedition, Unabridged and never before Published. The geographic and scientific accomplishments of Captain Scott's two Antarctic expeditions changed the face of the Twentieth Century in ways that are still not widely appreciated over a hundred years later. The fact of accomplishment has tended to be lost in speculative argument as to how Scott should have done this instead of that, supposedly to achieve the extra few yards per day to save the lives of the South Pole Party in 1912. Also lost to a generation overwhelmed with information, however, is the sublime sense of adventure into the unknown, which Scott's expeditions represented to his generation. We have forgotten what it is to take the awesome life-gambling risk of sailing beyond the edge of the map into nothingness and rendering it known. We send robot explorers instead. As a result, after two millennia of maritime and exploration history, we have become detached from the sea which surrounds our island and the tradition of exploration which it represents. With Scott: Before the Mast is a unique account that serves as an antidote to this disconectedness. It is no fictional 'Hornblower', although it may seem so at times. This is a true story. It presents one man's account of his part in a great act of derring-do, the assault on the South Pole in 1912. Most records of Captain Scott's British Antarctic Expedition aboard Terra Nova (1910-1913) are the accounts of officers. With Scott: Before the Mast is the story of Francis Davies, Shipwright, R.N., and Carpenter. The title says it all but may be lost on landlubbers. Before the mast means 'to serve as an ordinary seaman in a sailing ship'. This makes it a rare and hugely important account, presenting a viewpoint from the lower ranks. Such insight is rarely available and the long overdue publication of this account is greatly to be welcomed.

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“Few, if any, public servants can match Sir Rodney Brooke’s 60-year record ... six decades of unbroken service across local government, the NHS, education, utilities and beyond surely give him a unique perspective...” – The Guardian Sir Rodney Brooke has had an eventful life at the sharp end – thanks to a career that led him from 15-year-old school-leaver in Yorkshire to the corridors of power at Westminster... and all points in between. In The Winding Stair, his sparkling collection of memoirs, he takes readers through its highs and lows – beginning as a reporter on his hometown Morley Observer newspaper and ending with a CBE, knighthood and honours from five more countries. In so doing, he reveals hitherto unknown details behind six decades’ worth of controversial headline moments and colourful personalities. As a former chief executive of West Yorkshire County Council, he shares fascinating background into the mysterious death of Helen Smith in Jeddah; the Bradford City fire, in which 56 people were killed; and the handling of the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. As Emergency Controller in the event of nuclear war, he was told to shelter in a Pennine underground lair – and restore order as Geiger counters said to emerge. Read how Halifax invented the guillotine; why dogs could bark at night in Otley but not Ossett; how the law told householders in Huddersfield to whiten their doorsteps before 8.00am or be fined five shillings; and why the press camped on his Ilkley lawn after he resigned over the notorious ‘Homes for Votes’ episode – when Dame Shirley Porter was surcharged £42.5m.Accounts of how he organised the final reading of the Riot Act and interviewed a talking dog with Mrs Thatcher’s press spokesman, Sir Bernard Ingham, are found among tales of Princess Diana’s underwear in Roundhay Park, Princess Margaret and the cakes at Leeds/Bradford airport, sex and the Poll Tax, the murky Dolphin Square scandals and how Trafalgar Square very nearly became Nelson Mandela Square. For anyone interested in current affairs and the reality behind politics, The Winding Stair – From Morley Boy to Westminster Knight is not to be missed.

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'Dark, tense and very clever' CLAIRE DOUGLAS'You're in for the twistiest of rides!' LESLEY KARA'Bold, suspenseful, and impossible to put down' SAMANTHA DOWNING'One of the most unsettling - and unforgettable - heroines I've ever met!' SHARI LAPENA***THE AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER THE NANNY RETURNS WITH A TWISTY, UNPREDICTABLE THRILLER WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE HEROINE AT ITS HEART***___________________Lucy Harper has a talent for invention... She was nine years old when her brother vanished in the woods near home. As the only witness, Lucy's story of that night became crucial to the police investigation. Thirty years on, her brother's whereabouts are still unknown. Now Lucy is a bestselling thriller writer. She has fame, fortune, and an army of adoring fans. But her husband, Dan, has started keeping secrets of his own. Then Dan goes missing and Lucy's past and present begin to collide...It's time for Lucy Harper to tell us the truth.___________________PRAISE FOR GILLY MACMILLAN:'Pulses with tension until its shocking conclusion' SHARI LAPENA'White-knuckled suspense' TESS GERRITSEN'From the first page I wanted to know all the dark secrets this family were hiding. It's a seriously addictive read and I never knew who to trust' AMY LLOYD, author of THE INNOCENT WIFE and ONE MORE LIE'A brilliant blend of missing person drama with some seriously spooky Gothic overtones.' GLAMOUR MAGAZINE'Secrets, lies, jealousy and betrayal... Elegantly structured and infused with a creeping sense of dread' SARAH VAUGHAN'The plot sucked me in and the insidious build had me turning the pages rapidly' JANE SHEMILT'The Nanny will make you doubt everyone - including yourself. Some families are built on a bedrock of lies. This one is no exception. Clever and deliciously addictive' JANE CORRY'I was blown away by The Nanny. Original, twisty, unpredictable and taut with its buried secrets, the old creepy house and complex relationships. I never knew who to trust and the ending shocked me. This deserves to be huge!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS'A tense, assured and atmospheric thriller which will keep you guessing from page one right through to the shocking denouement. Brilliantly absorbing' MEL McGRATH'Riveting' New York Times

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From 1942 until the end of the war in Europe, the aircraft of the RAF's Bomber Command and the United States 8th and 15th Air Forces provided twenty-four-hour round-the-clock' bombing of the Third Reich. Aircraft and crew casualties were heavy as bomber after bomber succumbed to flak and fighter defences. For those not killed outright by the Luftwaffe's onslaught, only baling out over hostile enemy territory could offer any hope of survival. But this generally meant solitary confinement, interrogation, indignities and even extreme hardship for the men who became known as Kriegies', a word derived from the German Kriegsgefangenen meaning prisoners of war'. Many months of incarceration, sometimes in appalling conditions, would become commonplace for those held in camps throughout Germany, Poland and the Greater Reich. Here, at first hand, are stories of some of those Allied bomber crewmen faced with sudden leaps into that dangerous unknown. For most, and particularly the injured, capture was immediate - imprisonment inevitable. For some evasion was possible, but rarely for long. For others taken prisoner, staying alive was uppermost in the minds of most and in many cases only the comradeship of fellow prisoners and, for some, thoughts of escape became a constant preoccupation. Never to be forgotten too are the conditions and suffering endured by many PoWs when, in the face of the relentless Soviet Army advance into Germany, the camps were hastily emptied and the prisoners forced to march westward as the Germans staged their last gasp, futile attempts to prevent the Kriegies' falling into Russian hands. For these men, many of whom had been behind the wire for years, this was the final injustice. Martin Bowman's revealing narrative describes in adrenalin-pumping detail the furious air battles that led to the predicament of many shot-down airmen, as well as the personal campaigns they fought to regain their freedom. Fascinating for its gripping and factual recreation of the bombers' encounters with enemy fighters and flak, as well as the confrontations in captivity between PoWs and guards, Stories from the Stalags provides a real insight into the war as some of those who fell from formation' saw it.

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'A really fun, fast-paced read in an interesting universe.' Cat Rambo, author of Beasts of TabatDate: 27th September 2188. Vessel: The Alcatraz 2. Prison Ship Location: UNKNOWNJinnifer Blue opens her eyes to find herself in a nightmare. Her plan to expose the horrific truth behind the government's secret Second Species programme has failed, and now she's being turned into a weapon by her worst enemy . . . her mother. At the other end of the galaxy Caspian Dax, ferocious space pirate and Jinn's sometime lover, is facing an even more terrifying fate. He's being forced to fight in the arena on Sittan, a pitiless, ruthless alien landscape where blood is the only prize that matters. They will use him, destroy him, change him. Jinn has only one chance - to go to Sittan and find Dax before his mind is completely destroyed. She must rely on her friends and one old enemy, leave her beloved ship the Mutant behind, and travel to a hostile planet. But hardest of all, she must keep faith that when she finds Dax, there will be something left of the man she knew. One thing's for sure: the fight has only just begun. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SECOND SPECIES SERIES:'I was addicted from the first page! An intriguing story line with interesting characters and a different view of the future and of space travel.' Amazon reviewer'This is one fabulous Sci-Fi story with a brilliantly well realised futuristic world' Reading Revelations'I just had seen the Last Jedi when I read this and was looking to read something that had similarly strong female characters, this didn't disappoint. I read it within a day because each chapter left me desperate to find out what happened next. It's sexy, action packed and it was easy to get sucked into the world created.' Amazon reviewer'A thrilling adult sci-fi adventure set in 2187 with a backdrop of a dying earth, space travel, aliens, technology and fabulous space pirates. The cast of characters are an eclectic mix of personalities with questionable morals, hang-ups and conflicts that are brought to life with vibrant description, thrilling action and humour.' Amazon reviewer

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This book portrays Voltaire as he was perceived by readers of gazettes and literary journals published in Holland. Among them the literary critic Prosper Marchand, who was allergic to the many factual errors in Voltaire's works, and Henri Du Sauzet, publisher of the Bibliotheque francoise. Also Jean Rousset de Missy, who in 1736 sided with Jean-Baptiste Rousseau in his controversy with Voltaire, and who in his journals Le Magazin and L'Epilogueur often attacked Voltaire: an arrogant little creature, always out to cheat his publishers. We provide a day-by-day chronology of Voltaire's visits to Holland, and illustrate these with a large number of as yet unpublished comments. Thus Henri Du Sauzet tells a correspondent about his problems with Voltaire over Histoire du siecle de Louis XIV, while at the same time his Amsterdam colleague Etienne Ledet clashes with Voltaire over Elements de la philosophie de Newton and 'uvres de M. de Voltaire. Diplomats reported in detail on Voltaire's dealings with Johannes van Duren over the Anti-Machiavel, and on his unsuccessful diplomatic mission to Berlin in 1743. We include an unknown version of Voltaire's Sur un usage tres utile etabli en Hollande, and discuss at some length his Sommaire des droits de Sa Majeste le roi de Prusse sur Herstal, first printed as a pamphlet in The Hague, and published in the Leydse Courant before it appeared in the Gazette d'Amsterdam, the Gazette de Leyde and the Gazette d'Utrecht. As to the Anti-Machiavel, the first edition to comprise variants was not published by Van Duren, but by Pierre Paupie under the false imprints of Colomb (Marseille) and Lacaze (Amsterdam). With regard to Voltaire's very popular Vers a M. Van Haren, composed in June 1743, we publish a letter by Voltaire, written in Dutch. It was a reaction to criticism of his verses by a Dutch reader, and we suggest that the pamphlet L'Anti-Magazin, a more extensive answer to his critic, may well have been by Voltaire himself. As for Voltaire's Representations aux Etats-Generaux de Hollande, only a few phrases of it were used in the memorandum presented by the French envoy in The Hague on 6 October 1745.

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Discover your inner confidence and how to navigate the exciting world of modeling—whether or not you become a model. Regardless of your weight, health, size, religion or nationality, author Claudia Mason believes there is a supermodel in all of us. Discovered at age thirteen, Mason has lived through the journey from unknown to supermodel and shares with us here her wealth of knowledge. Though teens may hate to admit it, they are still in the earliest stages of adulthood and need guidance—especially if their guardians are clueless to the inner workings of the entertainment industry. Modeling is a demanding career that places tremendous pressure on a young person to perform well, look perfect, and win the job and good graces of the adults around them. Scary stuff for teens, as well as for their parents. So who to turn to? Whom to trust? Where to go?It’s here where Mason lends her invaluable advice and expertise. Join her as she opens the doors of the industry to you and provides you with the tools you’ll need to safely thrive in this fast-paced industry. Mason starts with tips for getting into the business and goes on to explain the necessary role of chaperones for models under eighteen. Learn how to become assertive and work with agents and bookers, and how to manage your money from your newfound success. Mason also touches on more serious issues by discussing how to navigate a work place that so often intersects with the world of “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.” Discover advice for helping your teen stay true to themselves and come out ahead. And finally learn about what to expect after the too-short window for modeling closes and also about ways to build a brand that lasts.Through Mason’s The Insider’s Guide to Teen Modeling and Finding the Supermodel in YOU, teens will learn how to be happy, confident models who can survive the frontlines of fashion. The expertise Mason passes along to would-be models is equally relevant for all teens, as well as adults.

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In these days, when the experience of living right up against nature is fast becoming a thing of the past, the story of the mountain men is of special interest. These pioneers as a class were unique. Life itself had little value in their estimation. They were adventurous and fearless men, who pushed the boundaries of what it meant to be alive and thought nothing of laying down their lives in the service of a friend. Theirs was a brotherhood in which one man’s life was entirely at the service of any of its members, regardless of friendship or even of acquaintanceship. Often equipped with nothing but their skill and endurance, a horse, a gun or two, and enough provisions to see them until tomorrow, they set out to make their way through a vast wilderness that held all the terrors of the unknown.William “Bill” Hamilton recounts his life as a free trapper and mountain man in the last days of their remarkable time. Hamilton’s writing is simple and straightforward, a mirror image of the man himself. If you want an excellent autobiography of a hard man who trapped the creeks and streams of the far West, lived with and fought against Indians, and helped settlers come west to make a new life, this is the book for you. Drop that paperback Western and pick up the real story—history with the bark still on it.Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Despite remarkable progress, much remains unknown about the risks and benefits of genetic testing. No effective interventions are yet available to improve the outcome of most inherited diseases; negative test results might not rule out future occurrence of disease, and positive test results do not necessarily mean the disease will inevitably develop. In view of this uncertainty, the Working Group on Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Human Genome Research at the National Institutes of Health and Department of Energy created the Task Force on Genetic Testing. Comprising representatives of fifteen major stakeholders in genetic testing and five government agencies involved with testing, the task force was charged with reviewing genetic testing in the United States and making recommendations to ensure the development of safe and effective genetic tests. In Promoting Safe and Effective Genetic Testing in the United States the members of this task force present the conclusions of their study. They begin by describing general principles involved in genetic testing, including informed consent, testing of children, confidentiality, and discrimination. They describe methods and policies to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new genetic tests, including criteria for developing tests and ways of ensuring compliance with those criteria. They then discuss how to ensure the quality of laboratories that perform genetic tests, including the role of laboratory personnel and methods of monitoring laboratory performance. They show how health care professionals outside the field of genetics can better understand the uses of genetic testing, and offer suggestions for changes in these professionals' education and training. Finally, they offer a look at testing for rare inherited genetic disorders. Members of the Task Force: Neil A. Holtzman, M.D., M.P.H. * Michael S. Watson, Ph.D., F.A.C.M.G. * Patricia A. Barr * David R. Cox, M.D., M.P.H. * Jessica G. Davis, M.D. * Stephen I. Goodman, M.D., M.Sc. * Wayne W. Grody, M.D., Ph.D. * Arthur L. Levin, M.D. * J. Alexander Lowden, M.D., Ph.D. * Patricia D. Murphy, Ph.D. * Patricia J. Numan, M.D. * Victoria O. Odesina, R.N., Sc.M., M.S. * Nancy Press, Ph.D. * Katherine A. Schneider, M.P.H. * David B. Singer * Steven Gutman, M.D., * Muin J. Khoury, M.D., Ph.D. * David Lanier, M.D. * Linda R. Lebovic * Jane S. Lin-Fu, M.D.

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The Inspiration for the New Podcast Featuring Jason Rezaian. “544 Days” is a Spotify original podcast, produced by Gimlet, Crooked Media and A24.The dramatic memoir of the journalist who was held hostage in a high-security prison in Tehran for eighteen months and whose release—which almost didn’t happen—became a part of the Iran nuclear dealIn July 2014, Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian was arrested by Iranian police, accused of spying for America. The charges were absurd. Rezaian’s reporting was a mix of human interest stories and political analysis. He had even served as a guide for Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. Initially, Rezaian thought the whole thing was a terrible misunderstanding, but soon realized that it was much more dire as it became an eighteen-month prison stint with impossibly high diplomatic stakes. While in prison, Rezaian had tireless advocates working on his behalf. His brother lobbied political heavyweights including John Kerry and Barack Obama and started a social media campaign—#FreeJason—while Jason’s wife navigated the red tape of the Iranian security apparatus, all while the courts used Rezaian as a bargaining chip in negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal.In Prisoner, Rezaian writes of his exhausting interrogations and farcical trial. He also reflects on his idyllic childhood in Northern California and his bond with his Iranian father, a rug merchant; how his teacher Christopher Hitchens inspired him to pursue journalism; and his life-changing decision to move to Tehran, where his career took off and he met his wife. Written with wit, humor, and grace, Prisoner brings to life a fascinating, maddening culture in all its complexity.“An important story. Harrowing, and suspenseful, yes—but it’s also a deep dive into a complex and egregiously misunderstood country with two very different faces. There is no better time to know more about Iran—and Jason Rezaian has seen both of those faces.” — Anthony Bourdain“Jason paid a deep price in defense of journalism and his story proves that not everyone who defends freedom carries a gun, some carry a pen.” —John F. Kerry, 68th Secretary of State

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DAQ and data processing is a basic part of all automated production systems, diagnostic systems, watching over quality of production, energy distribution, transport control or in various other areas. Demands on the speed, accuracy and reliability increase in general. It is possible to achieve not only using superior (but also more expensive) hardware, but also applying advanced data acquisition and intelligent data processing. It deals e.g. optimal data fusion of a number of sensors, new stochastic methods for accuracy increasing, new algorithms for acceleration of data processing, etc. These are the grounds for publishing this book. Advanced Data Acquisition and Intelligent Data Processing offers 10 up-to-date examples of different applications of advanced data acquisition and intelligent data processing used in monitoring, measuring and diagnostics systems. The book arose based on the most interesting papers from this area published at IDAACS?2013 conference. However, the indivudual chapters include not only designed solution in wider context but also relevant theoretical parts, achieved results and possible future ways.Technical topics discussed in this book include: • advanced methods of data acquisition in application that are not routine;• measured data fusion using up-to-date advanced data processing;• nonlinear dynamical systems identification;• multidimensional image processing.Advanced Data Acquisition and Intelligent Data Processing is ideal for personnel of firms deals with advanced instrumentation, energy consumption monitoring, environment monitoring, non-descructive diagnostics robotics, etc., as well as academic staff and postgraduate students in electrical, control and computer engineering.Content: 1. Introduction; 2. Waveform acquisition with resolutions exceeding those of the ADC employed; 3. Different Disaggregation Algorithms in Non-Intrusive Home Energy Monitoring Systems; 4. Design and testing of an electronic nose system sensitive to the aroma of truffles; 5. DAQ System for Ultrasonic Transducer Evaluation under Spread Spectrum Excitation; 6. Optimal Data Fusion in Decentralized Stochastic Unknown Input Observers; 7. Odor Classification by Neural Networks; 8. ANFIS Based Approach for Improved Multisensors Signal Processing; 9. Neuro-Fuzzy Sensor's Linearization Based FPGA; 10. Interpolation Method of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Identification Based on Volterra Model in Frequency Domain ; 11. Training Cellular Automata for Hyperspectral Image Segmentation

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A beautifully illustrated, wisdom-filled, interactive deck for connecting with 75 magnificent animals and their energetic healing properties. Animal Power Deck is a celebration of the wonders of the natural world and a must-have spiritual tool for modern mystics and the spiritually curious. Pull a card at random to inspire your day, find an animal that resonates with you in the moment, or share the deck with friends to spark conversation and self-discovery. These 75 cards feature spectacular animals paired with their empowering wisdom teachings for confidence, joy, and conscious awareness. An accompanying booklet includes messages, visualizations, and invocations so you can honorably connect with each creature's energy, wisdom teachings and power. BEAUTIFUL TO GIFT AND DISPLAY: This beautiful, portable deck features 75 vibrant illustrations on the cards and makes this a gorgeous, positive energy transmission decor piece and a beautiful gift for modern mystics, tarot enthusiasts, meditators, and animal or nature lovers. It is also the perfect accompaniment to the beloved book Animal Power. Together these life-enhancing products are a covetable gift for anyone interested in animals, nature, energy, shamanism, or mysticism. POWERFUL + FUN DISCOVERIES: Animal Power Deck offers endless opportunities to unlock hidden power and wisdom from within as well as solutions that awaken greater happiness, love, and fulfillment. It's a perfect blend of interaction, discovery, and joy. AUTHORITATIVE AUTHOR: Alyson Charles is a revered shaman and spiritual teacher devoted to living by the calls of inner wisdom, mysticism, energy medicine, and shamanic practices she has mastered through her studies with spiritual teachers, both of and beyond this world. She leads global courses, events, and talks to reconnect people to their fullest power and confidence. Alyson's power animal shamanic journey was named a top meditation to try by O, The Oprah Magazine, and she has been called "a leading shaman for expanding others into their full gifts and power" by Forbes. Alyson has collaborated with a range of additional media outlets including the New York Times, HBO, National Geographic, Well + Good, mindbodygreen, Self and Elle. Perfect for: • Modern mystics • People interested in shamanism and energy healing • Animal enthusiasts • Nature lovers • Mindfulness practitioners • People who love Kim Krans's Wild Unknown publishing • Fans of Crystals: The Stone Dec and Mystic Mondays Tarot

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Exposes the roots of 18th-century musical cosmopolitanism through an investigation of exchanges and collaborations between musicians and dancers from the two major national musical traditions in the early years of the century. This study stems from discoveries in a trove of documents belonging to Charles-Henri de Lorraine, prince de Vaudémont, who served as governor of Milan under the Spanish crown from 1698 to 1706. These documents, together with a mass of other sources - letters, diaries, treatises, libretti, scores - offer a vivid new picture of musical life in Paris and Milan as well as exchanges between France and Italy. The book is both a patronage study and an examination of the contributions by - and the difficulties facing - musicians and dancers who worked across national and cultural boundaries. Music, Dance, and Franco-Italian Cultural Exchange, c.1700 follows the careers of the prince and the French violinist and composer Michel Pignolet de Montéclair. In the context of a renewed fascination with Italian music in the 1690s, Montéclair made a name for himself in Paris as a pedagogue and composer who understood both national styles and blended them in a way that was successful on French terms. Vaudémont hired Montéclair to direct a French violin band and to compose dance music for a series of new operas that observers declared "the best in Italy" but are virtually unknown today. These productions involved collaborations among a mixed company of French and Italian musicians, dancers, composers, and librettists modeled on the practice of Turinese court operas. The book is an account of the contributions of these figures to the cultural life of Paris, Milan, and other northern Italian states, and to the creative mixing of musical styles, operatic conventions, and dance technique in France and Italy through the 1720s and beyond. The connections fostered by Vaudémont thus played a heretofore unrecognized early role in the development of 18th-century cosmopolitanism, and they attest to both the liveliness and the artistic importance of such exchanges in the era before the well-known travels of Handel, Telemann, and Vivaldi.

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This Companion provides a comprehensive analysis and appraisal of all of Scott's available (published and unpublished) music and a broad picture of his entire output in literary, dramatic and philosophical genres. Cyril Scott (1879-1970) was an English composer, writer and poet. He was a prolific composer-pianist writing over 400 works including four symphonies, three operas and concerti for piano, violin, cello, oboe and harpsichord. Oftenperforming his own compositions he became a pioneer of British piano music, and his music was admired by composers as diverse as Debussy, Strauss, Stravinsky and Percy Grainger, the last a lifelong friend. A true polymath, Scottwas also the author of forty-one books, including two autobiographies and one unpublished memoir, on subjects ranging from music, alternative medicine and humour to occultism, theosophy and Christianity. In addition, he wrote poems and plays and painted watercolours. This Companion explores the life and work of this remarkably creative man. It provides a comprehensive analysis and appraisal of all the available music and includes a complete catalogue of his musical works, along with a discography. Several works completely unknown to the musical world, both music and literary (such as the memoir 'Near the End of Life'), are here newly catalogued and discussed. Altogether, thevolume gives a broad picture of Scott's entire output in literary, dramatic and philosophical genres. LEWIS FOREMAN has published many books and articles on music. His Boydell titles include Bax: A Composer and hisTimes (2007), The John Ireland Companion (2011) and with Susan Foreman Felix Aprahamian (2015). DESMOND SCOTT is the son of Cyril Scott. He was an actor, theatre director and TV writer. He is also a sculptor and past-President of the Sculptors Society of Canada. He has contributed to The New Percy Grainger Companion (Boydell Press, 2010) and has published articles in musical journals on Cyril Scott. LESLIE DE'ATH isProfessor, Faculty of Music, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Singing, a pianist, conductor and opera director. He has recorded Scott's complete solo piano music for Dutton. Contributors: PETER ATKINSON, MARTYN BRABBINS, LESLIE DE'ATH, PETER DICKINSON, LEWIS FOREMAN, KATHERINE HUDSON, VALERIE LANGFIELD , KURT LELAND, STEPHEN LLOYD, STEVEN MARTIN, ROHINTEN DADDY MAZDA, RICHARD PRICE, EDMUND RUBBRA, DESMOND SCOTT, MARTIN YATES

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Magnificent art complements an unvarnished history of the Statue of Liberty and its relationship to immigration policy in the United States throughout the years. What began in 1865 in Glatigny, France, at a dinner party hosted by esteemed university professor Édouard René de Laboulaye and attended by, among others, a promising young sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was the extravagant notion of creating and giving a monumental statue to America that celebrated the young nation’s ideals. Bartholdi, and later civil engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, caught the spirit of the project and thus began the epic struggle to create, build, transport, and pay for the monument. Although The Statue of Liberty was to be a gift from France, the cost of its creation was meant to be shared with America. To the Lady’s creators and supporters, America offered liberty and the right to live one’s life unencumbered—that is, without fear and with a rule of law and a government that derived its power from the consent of the people it governed. Yet, in America, fundraising for the Lady dragged. Had it not been for publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s flashy fundraising campaign in his newspaper the World, the entire project likely would have collapsed. The tale, abundant with lively and interesting stories about the Statue of Liberty’s creators, is also told in the context of America’s immigration policies—past and present. Explored, too, is the American immigrant experience and how it viscerally connects to the Lady. Also integral to the tale is poetry—a sonnet—written by a then–largely unknown Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus, who moved a nation and gave a deeply rich and fresh meaning and purpose to the statue. In addition to the prose, Lady Liberty includes thirty-three elegant, full-page stirring paintings by celebrated artist Antonio Masi. Lady Liberty, a smart, timely, entertaining, and nonpartisan jewel of a book, is written for every American—young and old. Lady Liberty also speaks to the millions who dream of one day becoming Americans. Dim and Masi offer this book now because the Statue of Liberty, as a symbol of American beneficence, has never been more relevant . . . or more in jeopardy.

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Simultaneously restless and enchanted, the primary speaker of these poems is a tourist in the truest sense. She finds herself on trains, in the backcountry of the American wilderness, in crowded European hostels, and in Vietnam, eating a partially fertilized egg. All the while, Michigan, the landscape of childhood, serves as her reference point (“A rustic sort of place I can’t back away from”). Inspired by the Buddhist concept of anatta, or “no-self,” the speaker navigates unfamiliar terrain, sparking the question of identity and the agent of its construction. The poems ask how through perception the body metabolizes experience. From this intersection the passionate investigation of consciousness takes flight, framing the slippage between thinking and being, the feast of the subconscious and the seeds planted from waking life, the impermanence of a given moment, versus the materialism of memory, the reality of isolation despite the presence of a crowd, the influence of culture versus biology’s common baseline. Drawing from contemporary neuroscience and rare case studies, the poems illuminate the peculiar interrelated aspects of the mechanisms of the brain and personality. But there is nothing clinical about these poems, culled from dreams and memory fragments. The question of consciousness gives rise to the distinct human ability to reflect, to invent. Which is what the poems—poignant, strange, radiating musicality—enact: someone gropes for the deer mount its goofy snarl and patchwork hide a ruse underway laughter in the pantry the deer lifted into someone’s sleep (from “Staff After Hours”) Not the love a mile underground on a train that slows into the station like a sore arm bending, but the kind boarded on a ship and sailed hard into the storm we’ve made of ourselves. (from “Please do Not Touch”) Gray Matter: 1. the material of the brain. 2. an expression naming an idea or situation held in shadow. This book tangles with the unknown, but also celebrates the seductive curiosity its mystery provokes. It is a love letter from the imagination to the scientists and philosophers who, despite remarkable attempts, still cannot locate its source.

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Considered by many to be the godfather of R&B, Johnny Otis—musician, producer, artist, entrepreneur, pastor, disc jockey, writer, and tireless fighter for racial equality—has had a remarkable life by any measure. In this first biography of Otis, George Lipsitz tells the largely unknown story of a towering figure in the history of African American music and culture who was, by his own description, “black by persuasion.”Born to Greek immigrant parents in Vallejo, California, in 1921, Otis grew up in an integrated neighborhood and identified deeply with black music and culture from an early age. He moved to Los Angeles as a young man and submerged himself in the city’s vibrant African American cultural life, centered on Central Avenue and its thriving music scene. Otis began his six-decade career in music playing drums in territory swing bands in the 1930s. He went on to lead his own band in the 1940s and open the Barrelhouse nightclub in Watts. His R&B band had seventeen Top 40 hits between 1950 and 1969, including “Willie and the Hand Jive.” As a producer and A&R man, Otis discovered such legends as Etta James, Jackie Wilson, and Big Mama Thornton. Otis also wrote a column for the Sentinel, one of L.A.’s leading black newspapers, became pastor of his own interracial church, hosted popular radio and television shows that introduced millions to music by African American artists, and was lauded as businessman of the year in a 1951 cover story in Negro Achievements magazine. Throughout his career Otis’s driving passion has been his fearless and unyielding opposition to racial injustice, whether protesting on the front lines, exposing racism and championing the accomplishments of black Americans, or promoting African American musicians.Midnight at the Barrelhouse is a chronicle of a life rich in both incident and inspiration, as well as an exploration of the complicated nature of race relations in twentieth-century America. Otis’s total commitment to black culture and transcendence of racial boundaries, Lipsitz shows, teach important lessons about identity, race, and power while encapsulating the contradictions of racism in American society.

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Lokamanya (revered leader) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 - 1920), the extremist politician of Maharashtra, a region of western India, was one of the first Congress Party leaders to adopt the strategy of mass politics. Interpretations of his role and his achievement differen greatly. Some historians depict Tilak as India's first mass politician who was a creative nationalist myth-maker; other suggest that he was an opportunist who manipulated politics for selfish, elitist purposes. With an eye to resolving these conflicting opinions, Cashman related Tilak's ideology to his political organization. the author concentrates on four mass movements, studying the Lokamanya when he was engaged in political action and comparing his public statements with his political tactics. This approach provides a means of examining the manner in which Tilak redefined myths and of assessing the value of myths for purposes of political mobilization. Cashman suggests deficiencies in previous interpretations of Tilak. Arguing that the limitations of the mass movements need not be explained by the inadequacies of myths, he demonstrates that instead they reflected the transitional state of Maharashtraian society, which lacked a broad consensus. Tilak was active at a time when there was no common goal, no broader objective, in which sectional interests might be subsumed. He symbolized the uncertain striving of his society for some new direction, whose nature was yet unknown. He did not create the myth of the Lokamanya or the ideology of nationalism but, responding to social and political pressures, became a prisoner of the myths. Much writing of Indian history has been influenced either by a narrow ideological approach or by a retreat to arithmetical pragmatism. Cashman attempts to restore a balance by reexamining the relationship of myth to politics. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1975.

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Beam theories are exploited worldwide to analyze civil, mechanical, automotive, and aerospace structures. Many beam approaches have been proposed during the last centuries by eminent scientists such as Euler, Bernoulli, Navier, Timoshenko, Vlasov, etc. Most of these models are problem dependent: they provide reliable results for a given problem, for instance a given section and cannot be applied to a different one. Beam Structures: Classical and Advanced Theories proposes a new original unified approach to beam theory that includes practically all classical and advanced models for beams and which has become established and recognised globally as the most important contribution to the field in the last quarter of a century. The Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF) has hierarchical properties, that is, the error can be reduced by increasing the number of the unknown variables. This formulation is extremely suitable for computer implementations and can deal with most typical engineering challenges. It overcomes the problem of classical formulae that require different formulas for tension, bending, shear and torsion; it can be applied to any beam geometries and loading conditions, reaching a high level of accuracy with low computational cost, and can tackle problems that in most cases are solved by employing plate/shell and 3D formulations. Key features: compares classical and modern approaches to beam theory, including classical well-known results related to Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories pays particular attention to typical applications related to bridge structures, aircraft wings, helicopters and propeller blades provides a number of numerical examples including typical Aerospace and Civil Engineering problems proposes many benchmark assessments to help the reader implement the CUF if they wish to do so accompanied by a companion website hosting dedicated software MUL2 that is used to obtain the numerical solutions in the book, allowing the reader to reproduce the examples given in the book as well as to solve other problems of their own www.mul2.com Researchers of continuum mechanics of solids and structures and structural analysts in industry will find this book extremely insightful. It will also be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students of mechanical, civil and aerospace engineering.

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From the Arizona Congressman, a "powerful" and "searing" (PW) chronicle of the eternal bonds forged between the Marines of Lima Company, the hardest-hit unit of the Iraq WarAt first, they were “Lucky Lima.” Infantryman Ruben Gallego and his brothers in Lima Company—3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, young men drawn from blue-collar towns, immigrant households, Navajo reservations—returned unscathed on patrol after patrol through the increasingly violent al Anbar region of Iraq, looking for weapons caches and insurgents trying to destabilize the nascent Iraqi government. After two months in Iraq, Lima didn't have a casualty, not a single Purple Heart, no injury worse than a blister. Lucky Lima.Then, in May 2005, Lima’s fortunes flipped. Unknown to Ruben and his fellow grunts, al Anbar had recently become a haven for al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. The bin Laden-sponsored group had recruited radicals from all over the world for jihad against the Americans. On one fateful day, they were lured into a death house; the ambush cost the lives of two men, including a platoon sergeant. Two days later, Ruben’s best friend, Jonathon Grant, died in an IED attack, along with several others. Events worsened from there. A disastrous operation in Haditha in August claimed the lives of thirteen Marines when an IED destroyed their amphibious vehicle. It was the worst single-day loss for the Marines since the 1983 Beirut bombings. By the time 3/25 went home in November, it had lost more men than any other single unit in the war. Forty-six Marines and two Navy Corpsmen serving with the battalion in Iraq were killed in action during their roughly nine-month activation.They Called Us “Lucky” details Ruben Gallego’s journey and includes harrowing accounts of some of the war’s most costly battles. It details the struggles and the successes of Ruben—now a member of Congress—and the rest of Lima Company following Iraq, examining the complicated matter of PTSD. And it serves as a tribute to Ruben’s fallen comrades, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

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“This book is dedicated to those that kept skating alive. It is a testament to the perseverance and talents of a rare breed, the ones that kept at it against all odds and paved the way for generations to come.” – Tony Hawk FULL BLEED: New York City Skateboard Photography captures over 40 years of skateboarding in New York City with seminal work from 90 legendary photographers. The new 10th Anniversay Edition of FULL BLEED features an extra 96 pages of photography and a new foreword from skatebording icon Tony Hawk. Featuring the work of: Spike Jonze, Larry Clark, Willaim Strobeck, Ed Templeton, Atiba Jefferson, Neck Face, Alex Corporan, Kenneth Cappello, Charlie Samuels, Patrick O’Dell, Tobin Yelland, Jessica Bard, Ted Newsome, Zephyr, Ivory Serra and more. The skaters in FULL BLEED include Kids star and late skateboarding hero Harold Hunter, the original Supreme skate team, “the godfather of modern street skateboarding” Mark Gonzales, Jason Dill, the late Dylan Rieder, Kareem Campbell, Keith Hufnagel, Zoo York co-founder Rodney Smith, Andy Kessler, Leo Fitzpatrick (Kids, The Wire), Mike Vallely and Alex Corporan. From unknown teenage skaters to trailblazers like Jaime Reyes and a double-page spread taken during the filming of KIDS in Washington Square Park. FULL BLEED was edited by Ivory Serra, Andre Razo and Alex Corporan. Alex is a pro-skateboarder, photographer and native New Yorker. In the mid-90s Alex managed Supreme’s first skate shop for 10 years when it was their only location. Supreme would go on to become a two billion-dollar streetwear brand. Around the same time Alex appeared as himself in Larry Clark’s 1995 cult classic film Kids. Larry would later contribute photos to FULL BLEED. Today Alex is revered as the virtuosic photographer, skateboarder and curator who co-created, then updated the only truly definitive, essential photobook of New York City skateboarding – the scene that shook youth culture, fashion, streetwear, film, music and art. “Captures the beautiful grit of New York City’s skateboard culture” – GQ “The photographs take us to hotspots like Brooklyn Banks and introduce the characters who would personify and capture a culture.” – The New Yorker

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The riveting story of the history-making mission to reach the bottom of all five of the world’s oceans – the ultimate frontier of our planet. A feat that is new addition to the Guinness Book of World RecordsHumankind has explored every continent on earth, climbed its tallest mountains, and gone into space. But the largest areas of our planet remain a mystery: the deep oceans. At over 36,000 feet deep, these areas closest to earth’s core have remained nearly impossible to reach—until now. Technological innovations, engineering breakthroughs and the derring-do of a unique team of engineers and scientists, led by explorer Victor Vescovo, brought together an audacious global quest to dive to the deepest points of all five oceans for the first time in history. Expedition Deep Ocean tells the inside story of this exploration of one of the most unforgiving and mysterious places on our planet, including the site of the Titanic wreck and the little-understood Hadal Zone. The expedition pushed technology to the limits, mapped hidden landscapes, discovered previously unknown life forms and began to piece together how life in the deep oceans affects our planet—but it was far from easy. Vescovo and his team would design the most advanced deep-diving submersible ever built, able to withstand the deep ocean’s pressure on the sub of 8 tons per square inch—the equivalent of having 292 fueled and fully loaded 747s stacked on top of it. The hurricane-laden ocean waters and the byzantine web of global oceanographic politics only heightened the challenges. Expedition Deep Ocean reveals the marvelous and other-worldly life found in the ocean’s five deepest trenches, including several new species that have posed as of yet unanswered questions about survival and migration between oceans. Then there are the newly discovered sea mounts that cause tsunamis when they are broken by shifting tectonic plates and jammed back into the earth’s crust, something that can now be studied to predict future disasters. Filled with high drama, adventure and the thrill of discovery, Expedition Deep Ocean celebrates courage and ingenuity and reveals the majesty and importance of the deep ocean.

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Jürgen Tautz, renowned German bee researcher explains how bees communicate. Exciting and surprising new insights on communication between bees. During the history of bee research, scientists have peered deep into the inner life of bee colonies and learned much about the behaviour of these insects. Above all, the bee waggle dance has become a famous and extensively discussed phenomenon. Nevertheless, recent insights reveal that while bees are social insects inside the hive they also communicate with one another outside the hive. In this book, Jürgen Tautz, renowned German bee researcher, provides an entertaining, fresh and enlightened account for lay and professional readers, not only about the fascinating dance language but also about additional remarkable phenomena concerning information exchange between bees. From the author of the bestseller “The Buzz about Bees”. “The Language of Bees” assembles, for the first time, a complete overview of how bees understand one another. Although communication biology research on bees has so far concentrated largely on events within the hive, this book directs attention as well, to how bees communicate in the field outside the hive. The reader learns which steps new bee recruits take to reach the feeder a dancing forager has advertised. The book analyses the status of work on the bee dance published over the last 100 years and orders the essential findings as building blocks into a coherent new concept of how bees find their target. In addition, the historical survey of research on the “Bee Language” explains how several contradictory and incomplete hypotheses can still survive. A fresh point of view on one of the most remarkable behavioural performances in the animal kingdom. Observation from a different viewpoint leads to previously unknown insights. Such new perspectives clearly reveal both how large the gaps in our knowledge still are in relation to the language of bees and in which direction research must take to complete the picture of one of the most impressive behavioural accomplishments in animals. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Tautz is an expert on bees, sociobiologist, animal behaviourist and emeritus professor at the Biozentrum, University of Würzburg. He is a bestseller author and recipient of many awards of excellence for his successful communication of science to a wide public.

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Cass Raines knows the streets of Chicago all too well as a cop turned private investigator. A new case gives a glimpse into how the other half lives – and how they die…Wealth. Power. Celebrity. Vonda Allen’s glossy magazine has taken the Windy City by storm, and she’s well on her way to building a one-woman media empire. Everybody adores her. Except the people who work for her. And the person who’s sending her flowers with death threats.Vonda has employed off-duty cop Ben Mickerson as her bodyguard and when he needs some back-up no one fits the bill better than his ex-partner on the police force, Cass Raines. Cass is reluctant to take the job – she isn’t keen on playing babysitter to a celebrity – but agrees to as a favour to Ben.When two of Vonda’s staff turn up dead, Ben and Cass must find the unknown assailant before someone else dies. Then Ben is taken out of action, Cass is left to find out what secrets Vonda is keeping, and who wants her dead. A task made even harder by enemies in the Chicago Police Department determined to stop Cass…An explosive third novel from a thrilling crime novelist, which fans of Ian K. Smith, Sue Grafton and the Cormoran Strike novels will love.Praise for Tracy ClarkRunner nominated for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award from the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award‘This street-smart first mystery boasts great characterization and a terrific new protagonist. Get this writer on your radar now.’ Booklist‘Unforgettable. . . . Distinctive, vividly written characters lift this promising debut. Readers will be eager for the sequel.’ Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW‘Clark’s kickoff to an exciting new character-driven series explores the dynamics between a black investigator and a white world in a story ripped from the headlines.’ Kirkus Reviews‘Clark’s compelling, suspenseful, and action-packed debut introduces a dogged, tough African American woman investigator who is complex and courageous and surrounded by a family of fascinating misfits. Fans of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone or Sara Paretsky’s V.I Warshawski will welcome Cass Raines to their ranks.’ Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

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'Totally engrossing' - STEPHEN KING on The Ninth MetalTHE FINAL BOOK IN PERCY'S CRITICALLY CLAIMED COMET CYCLE SERIES!The comet, Cain, came from beyond our solar system, its debris containing elements unknown. Now, in the isolated region of Fairbanks, Alaska, the skies shift and stretch as an interstellar dust cloud seeds the atmosphere. When a plane shudders its way through pulpy, swirling, bruise-shaped clouds, lit with sudden cracks of lightning, the sky opens and the aircraft vanishes...but only for a minute.When the flight lands, everyone on board and in the community will be changed forever. Chuck Bridges, a local DJ and conspiracy theorist, was on board and later reported dead to his family, but not before proclaiming that something inside the clouds was speaking to him. Now his son, Theo, must chase down answers to the mystery his father unlocked. He'll find himself at odds with Sophie Chen, an agent with a shadowy employer desperate to secure the black box from the airplane, as well as Rolf Wagner, a widowed sheriff investigating a series of increasingly strange and unsettling reports. And then there is Joanna Straub, a contractor reconstructing a top-secret government lab active during WWII and shuttered deep within the nearby White Mountains.The answer to the comet's origin is about to be unveiled, and its impact on Earth is more treacherous and sublime than humanity could imagine.'Take one part dystopia, one part sci-fi, two parts apocalypse, then ride them roughshod through a bleak and bloody western, and it still wouldn't get close to what Ben Percy does here, which is blow open the core of humanity's dark heart.' - Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf, on The Ninth Metal 'The Stephen King of science fiction.' - Margaret Stohl, New York Times bestselling author, on The Ninth Metal'Audacious and intelligent and exactly what I was dying to read.' - Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling, on The Ninth Metal'This standout combination of science and psychology is sure to wow SF fans.' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Embrace adventures both big and small and pursue your wild ideas with this “profoundly inspiring and laugh-out-loud funny” (Jaimal Yogis, author of The Fear Project) guidebook from seasoned adventurer and podcaster Shelby Stranger.Will to Wild is an instruction manual to adventure. Your guide: enthusiastic outdoorswoman Shelby Stranger. Shelby has been teaching folks how to leap into the unknown since she taught her first surf class over twenty years ago. Over the years, she watched many of her students quit their jobs, end dysfunctional relationships, and move across the country for a healthier work-life balance—all after spending a bit of time in nature. Shelby marveled at the phenomenon. Being outside was changing the lives of her students, her peers, and herself. Shelby was so intrigued, she began to tell their stories, first as a writer and journalist, then as a podcast host for Wild Ideas Worth Living, REI Co-op Studio’s flagship podcast. With her first book, Will to Wild, Shelby shares all she’s witnessed and learned in her years covering adventurers. It’s the book she wishes she’d had when she’d first felt the urge to leap from familiar to wild terrain. The one that takes you step-by-step from the first inkling of inspiration for your own wild idea through fear and self-doubt and on to the finish line. In these pages, discover stories with practical tips and tactics from world-famous rock climbers and ultra-runners to longtime thru-hikers, surfers, and desk jockeys who’ve figured out how to get off the clock, and even a suburban mom who started teaching women to scale frozen waterfalls in her mid-fifties. Along with Shelby’s stories, they show you how to get unstuck, how to pay attention to “trail signs” that point you toward your adventure, how to face your fears, and what to do when everything goes haywire (which will likely never happen, never fear!). With Shelby’s characteristic strength and vulnerability, Will to Wild “is the ultimate guide for anyone looking to try something new” (Captain Liz Clark, author of Swell) and encourages you to break out of your comfort zones, get out into nature, and bring your own wild ideas to life. Whether you’re already an adventure junkie or someone who’s never set up a tent, there’s something inside these pages for you.

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EVERY GENERATION HAS A LEGEND ... Sara didn't start out expecting to change the world. She inherited it from her dad and grandad. But she didn't expect it. For much of her early years, Sara thought her family was pretty weird, and there seemed to be plenty of evidence to prove it. Her late grandfather Pete Stevenson, maybe the weirdest of all, was an automotive engineer whose hobby was trying to chase down proof of aliens and time travel all over the world. Incidents throughout the years showed that granddad didn't do his artifact gathering by the book or entirely lawful. He was determined to take what scientists called informed speculation regarding alien presence to replace it with irrefutable evidence. For the longest time Sara didn't think she had inherited the family weirdness gene, but boy, was she wrong. The existence of alien life on planet Earth has been discussed and argued for centuries. The ancient alien theory phenomenon is now well established as one of the fiercest debates known today, joining politics and religion, with both sides enjoying their "sell" from classrooms to family barbecues. The complex issue of "are there or aren't there" cannot be answered in simple yes or no terms. The only recourse left is to gather the facts and evidence and draw your own conclusion. As more documentation, artifacts, research technology, and global structural similarities turn up, the number of believers grows. Alien theorist conventions and their attendance are growing as well. This book is the first of a five-book series that will provide a journey into the unknown cosmos and to a mental and physical labor of debating or debunking truth versus myth. It involves three generations of one family that begins an adventure that none could have imagined with results that defied accepted logic and belief. It is not just about the presence of aliens on Earth, but what would be their intentions if and when they were here... SHATTERED TRUTH, as well as the other four books in the STARGATE EARTH SERIES, will deal strongly with unity. That is family unity, team unity, country unity, and the unity of conviction and hope. If humanity doesn't take control of the issues we now face, the answers we week will always be outside of our reach.

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Unlike the Sahara or Southern Africa, the rock art of Central Africa is still largely unknown today. Despite being reported as early as the 16th century by Diego del Santissimo Sacramento, the rock art of the Kongo Central, an area encompassing parts of modern day Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon, has never been widely researched and its age remains uncertain. Populated by the Ndibu, one of the Kongo subgroups, the Lovo massif is in the north of the ancient kingdom of Kongo. Even though this kingdom has, since 1500 AD, been one of the best documented in Africa, from historical sources as well as ethnographic and anthropological sources for the more recent periods, it remains largely unrecognized archaeologically. With 102 sites inventoried (including 16 ornate caves), it contains the largest concentration of rock art sites in the region, representing more than 5000 rock art images. Crossing ethnological, historical, archaeological and mythological points of view, this book illustrates that rock art played an important part in Kongo culture. Like historical sources or oral traditions, it can provide historians with important documentation and contribute significantly to the reconstruction of Africa's past. French description: A la difference des arts rupestres du Sahara ou d'Afrique australe, ceux d'Afrique centrale restent encore aujourd'hui largement meconnus. Bien que signale des le XVIe par Diego del Santissimo Sacramento, l'art rupestre du Kongo Central n'a jamais fait l'objet d'une recherche de grande ampleur et son age reste toujours incertain. Peuple par les Ndibu, un des sous-groupes kongo, le massif de Lovo se trouve dans le nord de l'ancien royaume de Kongo. Meme si ce royaume est, a partir de 1500, l'un des mieux documentes de toute l'Afrique tant par les sources historiques que par les sources ethnographiques et anthropologiques pour les periodes plus recentes, il reste largement meconnu sur le plan archeologique. Avec 102 sites inventories (dont 16 grottes ornees), il contient la plus importante concentration de sites rupestres de toute la region, ce qui represente plus de 5000 images rupestres. En croisant les points de vue ethnologique, historique, archeologique et mythologique, j'ai pu montrer que l'art rupestre a bel et bien une part importante dans la culture kongo. Au meme titre que les sources historiques ou les traditions orales, il peut apporter aux historiens une documentation de premier plan et contribuer a reconstruire le passe de l'Afrique.

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It was front-page news throughout the country - the largest gathering of Union and Confederate veterans ever held. “[It] will be talked about and written about as long as the American people boast of the dauntless courage of Gettysburg,” declared a woman who accompanied her father to the reunion. But as the years passed, the memorable event was all but forgotten. John Hopkins’s The World Will Never See the Like: The Gettysburg Reunion of 1913 goes a long way toward making sure the world will remember.The 1913 Gettysburg reunion is a story of 53,000 old comrades and former foes reunited, and of the tension, even half a century later, between competing narratives of reconciliation and remembrance. For seven days the old soldiers lived under canvas in the stifling heat on a 280-acre encampment run by the U.S. Army. They swapped stories, debated still-simmering controversies about the battle, and fed tall tales to gullible reporters. On July 3, the aging survivors of Pickett’s Division and the Philadelphia Brigade shook hands across the wall on Cemetery Ridge, in the reunion’s climactic photo op.Some of the battle’s leading personalities were in attendance including Union III Corps commander Dan Sickles, who at 92 was still eager to explain to anyone who would listen the indispensable role he had played in the Union victory. Also present was Helen Dortch Longstreet, the widow of Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, who devoted her life and considerable energies to defending the reputation of her general. Both wrote articles from the reunion that were syndicated in newspapers across the country. There was even a cameo appearance by a young and as yet unknown cavalry officer named George S. Patton Jr.Hopkins fills his marvelous account with detail from the letters, diaries, and published accounts of Union and Confederate veterans, the extensive archival records of the reunion’s organizers, and the daily stories filed by the scores of reporters who covered it.The World Will Never See the Like offers the first full story of this extraordinary event’s genesis and planning, the obstacles overcome on the way to making it a reality, its place in the larger narrative of sectional reunion and reconciliation, and the individual stories of the veterans who attended. Every reader interested in Gettysburg will find this a welcome addition to their library.

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In the 1820s, two families, unknown to each other, worked on farms in the American wilderness. It seemed unlikely that the families would ever meet—and yet, they did. The son of one family, the famed actor John Wilkes Booth, killed the son of the other, President Abraham Lincoln, in the most significant assassination in American history. The murder, however, did not come without warning—in fact, it had been foretold. In the Houses of Their Dead is the first book of the many thousands written about Lincoln to focus on the president’s fascination with Spiritualism, and to demonstrate how it linked him, uncannily, to the man who would kill him. Abraham Lincoln is usually seen as a rational, empirically-minded man, yet as acclaimed scholar and biographer Terry Alford reveals, he was also deeply superstitious and drawn to the irrational. Like millions of other Americans, including the Booths, Lincoln and his wife, Mary, suffered repeated personal tragedies, and turned for solace to Spiritualism, a new practice sweeping the nation that held that the dead were nearby and could be contacted by the living. Remarkably, the Lincolns and the Booths even used the same mediums, including Charles Colchester, a specialist in “blood writing” whom Mary first brought to her husband, and who warned the president after listening to the ravings of another of his clients, John Wilkes Booth. Alford’s expansive, richly-textured chronicle follows the two families across the nineteenth century, uncovering new facts and stories about Abraham and Mary while drawing indelible portraits of the Booths—from patriarch Julius, a famous actor in his own right, to brother Edwin, the most talented member of the family and a man who feared peacock feathers, to their confidant Adam Badeau, who would become, strangely, the ghostwriter for President Ulysses S. Grant. At every turn, Alford shows that despite the progress of the age—the glass hypodermic syringe, electromagnetic induction, and much more—death remained ever-present, and thus it was only rational for millions of Americans, from the president on down, to cling to beliefs that seem anything but. A novelistic narrative of two exceptional American families set against the convulsions their times, In the Houses of Their Dead ultimately leads us to consider how ghost stories helped shape the nation.

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In 66 BC, young, almost unknown but ambitious Julius Caesar, seeking recognition and authority, became the curator of the Via Appia. He borrowed significant sums to restore the ancient highway. It was a way to gain crucial electoral votes from Roman citizens in towns and villages along the route, built from Rome to Brindisi between 312-191 B.C. He succeeded and rapidly grew in popularity, supported by grateful villagers along the route. After achieving greatness in Rome and the far reaches of Gaul, he led armies along this road to battle enemies in Roman civil wars. And then, across the Adriatic Sea, he joined Via Appia's sister road, the Via Egnatia that began in today's Albania. Other armies followed these two roads that eventually connected Rome to Byzantium, today's Istanbul. Octavian, who became, in 27 B.C., Rome's first emperor and his friend and later enemy Mark Antony traveled portions of both roads to defeat Caesar's murderers Brutus and Cassius at Philippi in eastern Macedonia. The great Roman statesman Cicero, the Roman poet Homer, the historian Virgil and many other notables traveled along one or both of these roads. In the first century of the Roman Empire in the earliest years of Christianity, the apostles Peter and Paul traversed portions of them, eventually meeting their deaths in Rome. Pilgrims, seeking salvation in far away Jerusalem, followed them as well throughout much of the Middle Ages. In the late first century A.D., the emperor Trajan charted a new coastal route between Benevento and Brindisi, later called the Via Traiana, bypassing the deteriorating final section of the Via Appia. Today, short stretches of the original three roads can be seen in the ruins of ancient Roman cities, now preserved as archaeological wonders, and through the countryside near, and sometimes under, modern highways named for their predecessors. Following those routes - in some places the hidden ancient roads had to be guessed at - is the purpose of following the path that Caesar and so many others took over the early centuries. Modern eyes, seeing through the mists of more than two thousand years of history, lead the traveler along these three roads coursing through six countries between Rome and Istanbul. It is a journey full of adventure, discovery, and friendship, one worth taking.

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A mama’s wishes for her brave Little Wonder tell a tale as old as time in a whole new world perfect for new graduates, gift-givers, and anyone who wants to share a splash of courage with a loved one. Wake up, Little Wonder! The whole wide world awaits you! A love letter from a mother to her child accompanies him on a journey of unbelievable fantasies. It's a day full of breathtaking adventures, exciting twists and turns, and unexpected friends. With an imagination stronger than the tide and a mama's love deeper than the ocean, Little Wonder can do anything he believes he can. And he will! The positive messaging of this book, its gorgeous marine setting, and the gentle, reassuring narration will resonate with parents, grandparents, and children alike, with the universal appeal of undersea adventures setting all imaginations on fire. Adults will be attracted to the book's encouragement of open-mindedness and determination in the face of uncertainty, and kids will love the lush illustrations and call to fantastical adventures. A BOOK FOR EVERY KIND OF KID: This book will appeal to young readers who love underwater worlds, fantasy and adventure. THE PERFECT GIFT FOR BABY SHOWERS AND GRADUATIONS: Like The Wonderful Things You Will Be but set at sea, this book is the perfect baby shower gift, or preschool or kindergarten graduation present! TIMELY, REASSURING MESSAGE: This sweet story offers an inspiring, reassuring message: we can choose to meet new experiences with flexibility and grit. Young readers will be encouraged to embrace new challenges. A GREAT READ-ALOUD: The positive messages, the gorgeous underwater setting, and the calm, soothing narration will spark imagination and enthrall children at story-time and read-aloud events. YOU ALREADY LOVE CLAIRE KEANE! If you loved Enchanted, Tangled, or Frozen, you've been admiring Claire Keane's work for years. Her family is full of artists—including her grandfather Bil Keane, the creator of Family Circus—and she spent many years in the animation world before becoming an illustrator. AMAZING ART FOR LOVERS OF THE SEA: The art gorgeously captures ocean-floor environments, depicts sea creatures both mythic and real, and evokes the truly unknown, unexplored nature of the sea that makes underwater settings so ripe for adventures and possibilities. Perfect for: • Parents, Caregivers, Grandparents • Educators & Librarians • Kids who love books set underwater

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On December 18, 1867, the Buffalo and Erie Railroad’s eastbound New York Express derailed as it approached the high truss bridge over Big Sister Creek, just east of the small settlement of Angola, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie. The last two cars of the express train were pitched completely off the tracks and plummeted into the creek bed below. When they struck bottom, one of the wrecked cars was immediately engulfed in flames as the heating stoves in the coach spilled out coals and ignited its wooden timbers. The other car was badly smashed. About fifty people died at the bottom of the gorge or shortly thereafter, and dozens more were injured. Rescuers from the small rural community responded with haste, but there was almost nothing they could do but listen to the cries of the dying—and carry away the dead and injured thrown clear of the fiery wreck. The next day and in the weeks that followed, newspapers across the country carried news of the "Angola Horror," one of the deadliest railway accidents to that point in U.S. history. In a dramatic historical narrative, Charity Vogel tells the gripping, true-to-life story of the wreck and the characters involved in the tragic accident. Her tale weaves together the stories of the people—some unknown; others soon to be famous—caught up in the disaster, the facts of the New York Express’s fateful run, the fiery scenes in the creek ravine, and the subsequent legal, legislative, and journalistic search for answers to the question: what had happened at Angola, and why? The Angola Horror is a classic story of disaster and its aftermath, in which events coincide to produce horrific consequences and people are forced to respond to experiences that test the limits of their endurance. Vogel sets the Angola Horror against a broader context of the developing technology of railroads, the culture of the nation’s print media, the public policy legislation of the post–Civil War era, and, finally, the culture of death and mourning in the Victorian period. The Angola Horror sheds light on the psyche of the American nation. The fatal wreck of an express train nine years later, during a similar bridge crossing in Ashtabula, Ohio, serves as a chilling coda to the story.

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A gripping and moving text which explores the wealth of human language diversity, how deeply it matters, and how we can best turn the tide of language endangerment In the new, thoroughly revised second edition of Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition (formerly called Dying Words: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us), renowned scholar Nicholas Evans delivers an accessible and incisive text covering the impact of mass language endangerment. The distinguished author explores issues surrounding the preservation of indigenous languages, including the best and most effective ways to respond to the challenge of recording and documenting fragile oral traditions while they’re still with us. This latest edition offers an entirely new chapter on new developments in language revitalisation, including the impact of technology on language archiving, the use of social media, and autodocumentation by speakers. It also includes a number of new sections on how recent developments in language documentation give us a fuller picture of human linguistic diversity. Seeking to answer the question of why widespread linguistic diversity exists in the first place, the book weaves in portraits of individual “last speakers” and anecdotes about linguists and their discoveries. It provides access to a companion website with sound files and embedded video clips of various languages mentioned in the text. It also offers: A thorough introduction to the astonishing diversity of the world’s languages Comprehensive exploration of how the study of living languages can help us understand deep human history, including the decipherment of unknown texts in ancient languages Discussions of the intertwining of language, culture and thought, including both fieldwork and experimental studies An introduction to the dazzling beauty and variety of oral literature across a range of endangered languages In-depth examinations of the transformative effect of new technology on language documentation and revitalisation Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying language endangerment and preservation and for any reader who wants to discover what the full diversity of the world’s languages has to teach us, Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition, will earn a place in the libraries of linguistics, anthropology, and sociology scholars with a professional or personal interest in endangered languages and in the full wealth of the world’s languages.

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'A legend of the game' - Anthony Seibold 'He's a player that never lets his team down' - Billy Slater Darius Boyd broke into the Brisbane Broncos NRL team in 2006 straight out of high school and was part of the premiership-winning team in his debut season. He'd go on to win another premiership with the Dragons in 2010, claiming the Clive Churchill Medal for man of the match and forever stamping his name as an elite champion of the game. He has played 28 State of Origins for Queensland and taken the field in 23 Tests for Australia - never playing in a losing Australian team. In 15 seasons at the top level, Darius has won nearly every honour the sport can award and is undeniably an NRL great. But listing statistics, awards and premierships doesn't reveal the battles that Darius Boyd has faced off the field. A teenager with a troubled background, he started his career with innate footy talent but also the emotional baggage of an unknown father, the devastating loss of loved ones, and a mother who was walking a mental health tightrope herself, which as a kid he didn't understand. As his talent shone on the field and his profile increased, Darius struggled. Hiding years of depression and unhappiness, playing footy was his escape. But no one can run from themselves forever. The horrific spinal injury to good mate and Newcastle Knights teammate Alex McKinnon was the catalyst that finally broke Darius. Realising he needed help for his anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, he turned his back on football, checked into a mental health facility and began to mend his life and himself. Now, as he heads into retirement, Darius Boyd is sharing his story, to celebrate his triumphs on the field but, more importantly for him, revealing how to deal with depression, overcome adversity and live with mental illness. He reflects on excerpts from his private journal which charted his journey from the depths of despair to a life of gratitude. It is a heartfelt message he now takes across the NRL and into boardrooms, schools and footy clubs in a quest to keep our young men alive. BATTLING THE BLUES is a raw, honest and inspiring memoir that takes us into the heart of an NRL champion and his fight to conquer his demons and live a better life.

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On December 6, 1941, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki was one of a handful of men selected to skipper midget subs on a suicide mission to breach Pearl Harbor’s defenses. When his equipment malfunctioned, he couldn’t find the entrance to the harbor. He hit several reefs, eventually splitting the sub, and swam to shore some miles from Pearl Harbor. In the early dawn of December 8, he was picked up on the beach by two Japanese American MPs on patrol. Sakamaki became Prisoner No. 1 of the Pacific War. Japan’s no-surrender policy did not permit becoming a POW. Sakamaki and his fellow soldiers and sailors had been indoctrinated to choose between victory and a heroic death. While his comrades had perished, he had survived. By becoming a prisoner of war, Sakamaki believed he had brought shame and dishonor on himself, his family, his community, and his nation, in effect relinquishing his citizenship. Sakamaki fell into despair and, like so many Japanese POWs, begged his captors to kill him. Based on the author’s interviews with dozens of former Japanese POWs along with memoirs only recently coming to light, The Anguish of Surrender tells one of the great unknown stories of World War II. Beginning with an examination of Japan’s prewar ultranationalist climate and the harsh code that precluded the possibility of capture, the author investigates the circumstances of surrender and capture of men like Sakamaki and their experiences in POW camps. Many POWs, ill and starving after days wandering in the jungles or hiding out in caves, were astonished at the superior quality of food and medical treatment they received. Contrary to expectations, most Japanese POWs, psychologically unprepared to deal with interrogations, provided information to their captors. Trained Allied linguists, especially Japanese Americans, learned how to extract intelligence by treating the POWs humanely. Allied intelligence personnel took advantage of lax Japanese security precautions to gain extensive information from captured documents. A few POWs, recognizing Japan’s certain defeat, even assisted the Allied war effort to shorten the war. Far larger numbers staged uprisings in an effort to commit suicide. Most sought to survive, suffered mental anguish, and feared what awaited them in their homeland. These deeply human stories follow Japanese prisoners through their camp experiences to their return to their welcoming families and reintegration into postwar society. These stories are told here for the first time in English.

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From Carolyn Turgeon, editor in chief of Enchanted Living and author of The Faerie Handbook and The Mermaid Handbook, comes this exquisitely illustrated and beautifully designed lifestyle compendium, a complete guide to the world of unicorns covering fashion and beauty; arts and culture; and home, food, and entertaining with step-by-step crafts and recipes.Strong, regal, and dazzling, there is no more romantic a creature in both folklore and pop culture than the majestic unicorn. Known for its preference for solitary living in the depths of enchanted and perfumed forests, the unicorn will only occasionally reveal itself to virginal ladies and/or save the day with its magical horn, which is said to neutralize poison when dipped into food or drink.In medieval times, unicorns were a symbol of chivalry and aristocracy, so it’s no surprise that they became the ideal companion for gallant knights, and eventually, the symbol of Jesus in many illuminated bestiaries. They also came to represent unknown danger in the ancient city of Persepolis in 515 BCE, a belief immortalized on the British coat of arms with the unicorn shown as the mighty lion’s fiercest opponent. This feud also appears in a traditional English nursery that was the origin of the quarrel between The Lion and the Unicorn in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass. It wasn’t long before a piece of the unicorn’s mane, blood, and horn became hot commodity in man’s pursuit for immortality. Today, unicorns can be found in modern tales like Harry Potter, television shows like My Little Pony, colorful Lisa Frank-inspired fashion and makeup trends, and must-have food crazes like the Unicorn Frappuccino and bagels. Divided into four sections: flora and fauna; fashion and beauty; arts and culture; home, food, and entertaining—The Unicorn Handbook is the ultimate compilation and guidebook filled with step-by-step projects and recipes throughout. Learn how to make your very own unicorn tail loop braid or unicorn dust for that extra sparkle in your life. There are recipes to make a plum cake straight from the world of Alice in Wonderland and tips on how to throw the most unique garden party ever (complete with instructions on how to make unicorn horn table favors and utensils). And there’s also an exclusive interview with Peter S. Beagle, the author of the classic tale The Last Unicorn.

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“An extraordinary tale of derring-do told in a mesmerising new book via fascinating archive pictures – and worthy of a Hollywood movie too.” — Daily Mail "A new book showcasing them all is a fascinating read… The care and dedication that has gone into The Nansen Photographs is obvious." — Amateur Photographer "This epic tome, lovingly and painstakingly put together by Geir O Klover, director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, recounts this expedition using original photos and diary entries." — Black and White Photography In the late 19th century, the Norwegian Artic explorer Fridtjof Nansen undertook a pioneering expedition: he wanted to reach the North Pole with the specially designed ship Fram. The Nansen Photographs recounts this expedition, from the launch in 1890 through to the end of Nansen’s international lecture tour in 1897, using original photographs alongside personal diary entries from Nansen and seven of his crew members. Together, they illustrate in a poignant and sometimes disconcerting way how the expedition members went about their daily lives and conducted their research, the conflicts they faced, and how they ultimately brought their daring undertaking to its successful conclusion. This book brings new life to previously known facts and introduces the reader to hundreds of previously unknown photographs from the expedition. The large format of the book brings the smaller details in the photographs to the forefront, providing new insight into the work and life on board, the equipment and the clothing. Opposing diary entries from Nansen and the men about the same situations show that life on board was not always easy and tell a gripping story of survival and the human condition. Nansen’s lack of empathy and practical skills caused frustration among the men, and several of them resorted to fists to sort out their differences, but nonetheless they all pulled through and set a new standard for arctic expeditions to come. When Nansen leaves the ship for his legendary 18 month journey with Hjalmar Johansen towards the North Pole, we follow both Nansen and Johansen and the crew left on board through their photographs and diaries. The return to Norway and the spectacular celebration is told in detail through photographs, newspaper reports, speeches, menus and ephemera. This stunning 712-page book comes with an illustrated dustjacket and contains 850 photographs and illustrations, 35 ship drawings and 25 maps.

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'Reads like a house on fire' - the extraordinary new novel by Iain Reid, the acclaimed author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things You think you know everything about your life. Long-married couple Junior and Henrietta live a quiet, solitary life on their farm, where they work at the local feed mill and raise chickens. Their lives are simple, straightforward, uncomplicated.Until everything you think you know collapses. Until the day a stranger arrives at their door with alarming news: Junior has been chosen to take an extraordinary journey, a journey across both time and distance, while Hen remains at home. Junior will be gone for years. But Hen won't be left alone.Who can you trust if you can't even trust yourself? As the time for his departure draws nearer, Junior finds himself questioning everything about his life - even whether it's really his life at all. An eerily entrancing page-turner, Foe churns with unease and suspense from the first words to its shocking finale. Perfect for fans of Humans, Westworld and Black Mirror, Foe is a book you will never forget.*** Praise for FOE *** ‘I couldn’t put it down. It infected my dreams. A creepy and brilliant book’ Zoe Whittall, author of The Best Kind of People 'The narrative is so eerie and disturbing… fuelling the reader’s unease; Reid pulls off a wonderful twist in the tail’ Guardian ‘From the opening page, you’ll have an uneasy feeling as you settle into Iain Reid’s brilliant new novel.. A masterful and breathtakingly unique read. I can’t stop thinking about it ‘ Amy Stuart, author of Still Mine and Still Water ‘Spare, consuming, unforgettable. Foe is a dark arrow from a truly original mind. Page by eerie page, Iain Reid pulls the unknown world out from under you, and leaves you trapped inside a marriage’s most haunting question: can I be replaced? This is a book that seeps into your bloodstream – and crowns Iain Reid the king of deadpan, philosophical horror’ Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker ‘Movie producers are simply confirming what the literary community already knows: Iain Reid just might be the most exciting and excitingly unclassifiable author working in Canadian fiction today’ - The Globe and Mail (Canada)‘Foe reads like a house on fire, and is almost impossible not to finish in one sitting...an otherworldly hothouse of introversion and fantasy’ – The Toronto Star

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Date: 27th September 2188Vessel: The Alcatraz 2. Prison Ship Location: UNKNOWNJinnifer Blue opens her eyes to find herself in a nightmare. Her plan to expose the horrific truth behind the government's secret Second Species programme has failed, and now she's being turned into a weapon by her worst enemy . . . her mother. At the other end of the galaxy Caspian Dax, ferocious space pirate and Jinn's sometime lover, is facing an even more terrifying fate. He's being forced to fight in the arena on Sittan, a pitiless, ruthless alien landscape where blood is the only prize that matters. They will use him, destroy him, change him. Jinn has only one chance - to go to Sittan and find Dax before his mind is completely destroyed. She must rely on her friends and one old enemy, leave her beloved ship the Mutant behind, and travel to a hostile planet. But hardest of all, she must keep faith that when she finds Dax, there will be something left of the man she knew. One thing's for sure: the fight has only just begun. Join other readers in discovering the thrill of the Second Species'I just had seen the Last Jedi when I read this and was looking to read something that had similarly strong female characters, this didn't disappoint. I read it within a day because each chapter left me desperate to find out what happened next. It's sexy, action packed and it was easy to get sucked into the world created' Amazon reviewer'A really fun, fast-paced read in an interesting universe' Cat Rambo, author of Beasts of Tabat'A lot of fun . . . lives and breathes through its characters - burdened as they are with loves and hatreds, guilt, fears . . . Sets things up for an explosive finale' Blue Book Balloon'I was addicted from the first page! An intriguing story line with interesting characters and a different view of the future and of space travel' Amazon reviewer'This is one fabulous Sci-Fi story with a brilliantly well realised futuristic world' Reading Revelations'A thrilling adult sci-fi adventure set in 2187 with a backdrop of a dying earth, space travel, aliens, technology and fabulous space pirates. The cast of characters are an eclectic mix of personalities with questionable morals, hang-ups and conflicts that are brought to life with vibrant description, thrilling action and humour' Amazon reviewer

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In ELSEWHERE, master storyteller Dean Koontz, has created a brilliant and terrifying speculative thriller with hat-tips to George Orwell, Ray Bradbury and HG Wells. In the little South Californian town of Suavidad Beach, Jeff Coltrane is raising his daughter Amity on his own, ever since his wife Michelle went missing seven years ago. He’s doing a pretty good job of it, and though Amity misses her mom she pours her excess love into her pet mouse Snowball: she’s on a promise for her own puppy if she proves she can take good care of the mouse. Then one day their itinerant friend Ed – known locally as ‘Mr Spooky’ – hands into Jeff’s care a small box containing ‘the key to everything’, with the warning that it’s worth around $76 billion, and that he has a demonic posse on his tail searching for it, and that because it's both so powerful and so valuable, they’ll never give up their quest to get their hands on it. He’ll come back for it in a year: but on no account during that time is Jeff to open the box. Jeff quickly hides it away, which is just as well, since some sinister ‘federal’ agents soon turn up on his doorstep, making threats and looking for Ed. With his beloved wife missing, having the key to everything in his possession proves to be just too much of a temptation for Jeff, and not long afterwards he opens the box and activates the key. It seems, to begin with, that nothing has changed; but then he starts to notice subtle differences around the house, and outside, the weather has changed and they appear to have different neighbours. Down in the town, everything is a little more shabby. In the park, Amity kicks over some pebbles, before realising they are bloodied teeth. There’s the smell of burning books on the air. And up on the ridgeline overlooking the town, thirteen large crows are perched like the living totems of a clan of malicious wizards… The screen of the key reads ELSEWHERE 1.13.It offers three options: HOME, SELECT or RETURN. Somewhere out there in the multiverse, Michelle – adored wife and mother – is still alive. But dare Jeff and Amity – and Snowball – use the key to track her down, with the demonic posse after them and unknown terrors in the other versions of their world?

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David Tennant returns as the Tenth Doctor in this monumental new full-cast Doctor Who audio drama series. Dalek Universe comprises nine hour-long episodes overall, which will see the Doctor pulled out of time and sent back to the era before the last great Time War! This box set contains three stories: 1.1 Buying Time by John Dorney. The far future - Anya Kingdom of the Space Security Service is on a mission investigating an SSS ship crashing on a distant jungle planet. Unknown to her superiors, she's searching for something very specific... but what she finds is completely unexpected. Her old friend, the Doctor. With a completely different face and no idea what he's doing there. The Time Lord soon finds himself drawn into a conspiracy involving voracious predators, time travel and a malevolent businessman. History itself is breaking down. If he makes a mistake, it could mean the end of everything... 1.2 The Wrong Woman by John Dorney. The team's investigations have taken an unexpected turn - but the signs all still point to Sheldrake. With the clock ticking down to the launch of the time tunnels, the Doctor, Anya and Mark split up... but soon discover how hard it is to fight a foe who can always keep one step ahead of you. But stopping him is only half the battle. The Doctor says that time can be rewritten - and Anya is searching for redemption. Can she put history back on track? Or is the Doctor's future never going to be the same again? 1.3 The House of Kingdom by Andrew Smith. The Doctor and his friends are trying to locate a scientist to help them out on their quest... but an attack on a space-station alters their plans. Rescued by Anya's grandfather, Merrick, and taken to Neptune, the Doctor and Mark discover her family history. A story of betrayal and loss. Will the Kingdoms be reconciled? Or are they destined to continue the mistakes of the past? This boxset contains all three stories, plus additional behind the scenes interviews. CAST: David Tennant (The Doctor), Jane Slavin (Anya Kingdom), Joe Sims (Mark Seven), Nicholas Briggs (The Mechonoids), Mark Gatiss (George Sheldrake), Chris Jarman (Pastor/Vesht), Kevin McNally (Merrick Kingdom), Gemma Whelan (The Newcomer), Juliet Aubrey (Esther Malkin), Maria Teresa Creasey (Dr Abigail Crane). Other parts played by members of the cast.

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The New Aviation began with a hang-gliding meeting on a sand-dune in southern California on 23 May 1971. The longest flight that day was 196 feet, the longest time in the air just 11 seconds. But it was a start – the start of a movement that has grown exponentially world-wide with every passing year. The essence of the New Aviation is to stand on a hill, spread your wings, and climb into the sky by your own skill. It is the fundamentals of flight as it is meant to be, and this is the story of the development of this exhilarating sport, and of its largely unknown pioneers. The first of these was German pioneer aviator, Otto Lilienthal. Despite dozens of deaths before him, Lilienthal was the first to establish that manned flight was actually possible; before him, flight was just a dream. His tragic death in 1896 inspired the American Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, to their own experiments on a wind-swept beach in Kittyhawk, North Carolina, where the first powered flight there on 17 December 1903. The book begins and ends with two significant tales, opening with the life and death of Englishman Alvin Russell, and ending with the fabled Swiss flyer Didier Favre, who traversed the length of the Alps ‘by foot or by flight’. It is full of terrific stories, often repeating exploits of the mainstream aviators but flying just a kite and a trapeze bar, flying with eagles and teaching orphaned geese to migrate. It has exclusive accounts of record-breaking distances, on adding engines to ‘rag wings’, on how women broke into the machismo world and an English girl led a team in which every other competitor was a man, and beat them all. A History of the New Aviation is the first in-depth ‘narrative’ to stitch together the history and evolution of a pastime which is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands around the world. It is told by Brian Milton, the man who formed the British Hang Gliding League and led the first two British teams to beat the mighty Americans, for which he won the Prince of Wales Cup from Prince Charles, now King Charles III. Brian went on to make the first flight around the world by a powered hang glider. Two men set off on this flight; Brian returned alone.

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'An epic travelogue, brimming with the excitement of discovery. With characteristic panache, Venter unveils the teeming array of bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes that crowd our planet's oceans' - Siddhartha Mukherjee'This page-turner gives . . . the thrill of seeing our planet's largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life' - Martine Rothblatt'A tour de force . . . Venter has expanded biology's horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change' - Aristides Patrinos'A ripping tale . . . to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet' - Jack Gilbert'An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished' - Sir Richard J. Roberts'[A] fascinating tour of Planet Microbe' - Bill McKibben'Venter and Duncan expand our scope of what it means to be alive' - Jamie Metzl'Inspiring ... change[s] our ideas of how biology is done' - TelegraphUpon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project in 2002, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world's oldest and most abundant form of life: microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter travelled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.In this book, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued-of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.A captivating story of exploration and discovery, this book restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.

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