Search results for ""twelve""

Through past and present, the country and the city, Peter Fiennes takes a literary journey through the British Isles ‘As enjoyable a guide to the relationship of writers to the landscape of Britain as one could hope to read: beautifully written, moving in its reflections, and often very funny.’ Tom Holland ‘The premise of this book is simple, or that is what it seemed when I started.’ Peter Fiennes follows in the footsteps of twelve inspirational writers, bringing modern Britain into focus by peering through the lens of the past. The journey starts in Dorset, shaped by the childhood visions of Enid Blyton, and ends with Charles Dickens on the train that took him to his final resting place in Westminster Abbey. From the wilds of Skye and Snowdon, to a big night out in Birmingham with J. B. Priestley and Beryl Bainbridge, Footnotes is a series of evocative biographies, a lyrical foray into the past, and a quest to understand Britain through the books, journals and diaries of some of our greatest writers. And as Fiennes travels the country, and roams across the centuries, he wonders: ‘Who are we? What do we want? They seemed like good questions to ask, in the company of some of our greatest writers, given these restless times.’ *** A Guardian Travel Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards ‘Fiennes is a perceptive reader and a good-humoured guide and his book offers a superb commentary on the connections between lesser-known places and writers… Footnotes is a passionate, partisan call for readers to take action before the British countryside may be encountered only between the pages of a book.’ TLS ‘Honing his easy-going and often witty style in this new book, Fiennes takes us on the journeys of famous writers… There’s an infectious enthusiasm and self-deprecating authority to Fiennes’s insights and he’s a most agreeable companion… There will be many nature titles vying for a place on Christmas lists this year… This one should be towards the top’ Guardian ‘Marvellously quotable... Fiennes’ literary journey makes for a provocative and engaging book.’ Financial Times

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From Newbery Medalist Avi comes the thrilling and suspenseful story of an ordinary American family who falls under suspicion during the 1950s Red Scare. It’s 1951, and twelve-year-old Pete Collison is a regular kid who loves detective stories and radio crime dramas. When an FBI agent shows up at Pete’s doorstep, accusing Pete’s father of being a Communist, Pete is caught in a real-life mystery. Could there really be Commies in his family? PRAISE FOR CATCH YOU LATER, TRAITOR: “Suspenseful . . . Authentic period details--such as popular radio programs and the ongoing rivalry between the Dodgers and the Giants--add a colorful backdrop to Pete’s quest as he navigates the murky gray area between truth and fiction. An excellent introduction to the frenzy of the McCarthy era.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review "Avi, a master of historical fiction, vividly recreates not only the neighborhoods and pop culture of period Brooklyn, but the runaway paranoia that dominated daily life in the early years of the Cold War. With each clue Pete uncovers, the tension picks up, engaging readers in solving the dual mystery of his father’s past and identifying his accuser whose name is kept a well-concealed surprise until the last moment . . . As a mystery, historical fiction, and love letter to 1950s Brooklyn, this novel succeeds on every level." —School Library Journal, starred review “Avi’s tale of one Brooklyn family living in a time of intolerance effectively explores the natures of suspicion, loyalty, and freedom, following a young protagonist who comes to learn the importance of freedom of speech and ‘staying true to your own thoughts.’” —The Horn Book Magazine “An involving, twisty mystery, grounded by the palpable emotional threat of Pete’s father being taken away. An accomplished historical mystery by one of kid lit’s most reliable craftspeople.” —Booklist “Thought-provoking . . . Avi builds Pete’s story, told in the first person, with page-turning tension and memorable characters that will leave readers with a strong sense of the insidious power wielded by the FBI and McCarthyites.” —Kirkus Reviews A Spring 2015 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick A Junior Library Guild Selection

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A year's worth of easy, achievable activities that will inspire couples to focus on their relationship—and grow closer in the process. When life gets busy, it can be hard to find the time to prioritize romance and put your relationship first. With a year's worth of achievable ideas and activities to do with your partner, Everyday Romance includes big and small ways to build that connection—from sharing your morning coffee and holding hands to planning a romantic weekend getaway and undertaking a long-term project together. Full of inspiration, both for new couples who want to get to know each other better and longtime couples who are looking to deepen their connection or rekindle their romantic spark, this journal makes it easy to love intentionally, every day. This sweet journal makes a perfect stocking stuffer for your sweetheart, last-minute Valentine's Day gift, or anytime impulse buy for couples. JUST THE RIGHT GIFT: With its focus on love and romance, this journal makes a perfect Valentine's Day gift, Christmas stocking stuffer, birthday "I love you," or anniversary or wedding "extra something," and is a great impulse buy for couples at any stage of their relationship. LOVE THAT LASTS: The timeless activities, conversation prompts, and suggestions ensure that this little journal will continue to offer relationship inspiration year after year. Couples can enjoy coming back to it throughout their relationship and use it to look back on how far they've come. SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS: The activities in this journal are easy to get into and offer simple ways to deepen romantic relationships without a huge investment of time or money. Divided into twelve sections with five activities per section, it offers ways to do a little something together each month and feel more connected every day. Perfect for: couples looking for fun activities to do together; newlyweds; new couples who want to get to know each other better; longtime couples who want to strengthen their relationship or spice up their love life; shoppers looking for a Valentine's Day gift or stocking stuffer for their sweetheart.

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Across the United States, Black people have shorter life expectancies than white people—reflecting structural racism and deep-rooted drivers of population health. But are some cities more equal than others?The elimination of racial and ethnic inequities—differences that are avoidable, unnecessary, and unfair—has been one of the overarching health-related goals of the United States for decades. Yet dramatic differences in health outcomes between Black people and white people persist, rooted in structural and social determinants of health. Nationally, a Black baby can expect to live four years less than a white baby. But mortality outcomes and inequities vary widely across cities. In Washington, DC, for example, the average life expectancy for Blacks is twelve years less than that of whites. But in other cities, mortality differences between races are less striking or nonexistent. If health equity can be achieved in some cities, why not all? This is arguably the most important health equity issue of our time.In Unequal Cities, Maureen R. Benjamins and Fernando G. De Maio gather a team of experts to explore these racial inequities, as well as the ten-year gap in life expectancy between our healthiest and unhealthiest big cities. Rigorous analyses give readers access to previously unavailable data on life expectancy, mortality from leading causes of death, and related Black-white inequities for the country's 30 biggest cities. The theoretically grounded essays also explore how characteristics of cities, including their levels of income inequality and racial segregation, impact overall health and Black-white inequities.The first book to specifically examine racial health inequities within and across US cities, Unequal Cities offers a social justice framework for addressing the newly identified inequities, as well as specific case studies to help public health advocates, civic leaders, and other stakeholders envision the steps needed to improve their cities' current health outcomes and achieve racial equity. A powerful call to action for health equity advocates and city leaders alike, this book is essential reading.Contributors: David Ansell, Darlene Oliver Hightower, Jana Hirschtick, Sharon Homan, Ayesha Jaco, Emily LaFlamme, Brittney S. Lange-Maia, Kristin Monnard, Nikhil G. Prachand, Pamela T. Roesch, Michael Rozier, Nazia Saiyed, Eve Shapiro, Abigail Silva, Veenu Verma, the West Side United Metrics Working Group, Ruqaiijah Yearby

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A deluxe special edition of the ancient classic written by the Roman Emperor known as “The Philosopher” Meditations is a series of personal journals written by Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome from 169 to 180 AD. The last of the “Five Good Emperors,” he was the most powerful and influential man in the Western world at the time. Marcus was one of the leaders of Stoicism, a philosophy of personal ethics which sought resilience and virtue through personal action and responsibility. Stoicism, viewed as a foundation of modern self-help, has inspired many personal development and psychotherapy approaches through to the present day. Meditations is perhaps the most important source of our modern understanding of Stoic philosophy. Its twelve books chronicle different stages of Marcus Aurelius’ life and ideas. Although he ruled during the Pax Romana, the age of relative peace and stability throughout the empire, his reign was marked by near-constant military conflict and a devastating plague which killed upwards of five million people. Aurelius’ writings give modern readers an unprecedented look into the “spiritual exercises” which helped him through his tumultuous life and strengthened his patience, empathy, generosity, self-knowledge and emotional health. The private reflections recorded in the Meditations were never meant to be published, rather they were a source for Marcus’ own guidance and self-improvement, and jotted down by campfires or in military tents on the Roman front. The lessons, insights and perspectives contained within this remarkable work are just as relevant today as they were two millennia ago. This volume: Presents the timeless wisdom of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Stoic philosophy, with new research on his life and times Contains valuable insights on topics such as resilience, moderation and emotional control Discusses how to live “in agreement with nature” and abide by strong ethical principles Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon, this attractive, high-quality hardcover volume includes: An original Introduction by Marcus Aurelius authority and Stoicism expert Donald Robertson, author of How To Think Like A Roman Emperor. A modernised, up to date version of the classic George Long translation. Meditations: The Philosophy Classic is a volume which will occupy a prominent place in any library for years to come.

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A sociological study of public restrooms So much happens in the public toilet that we never talk about. Finding the right door, waiting in line, and using the facilities are often undertaken with trepidation. Don’t touch anything. Try not to smell. Avoid eye contact. And for men, don’t look down or let your eyes stray. Even washing one’s hands are tied to anxieties of disgust and humiliation. And yet other things also happen in these spaces: babies are changed, conversations are had, make-up is applied, and notes are scrawled for posterity. Beyond these private issues, there are also real public concerns: problems of public access, ecological waste, and—in many parts of the world—sanitation crises. At public events, why are women constantly waiting in long lines but not men? Where do the homeless go when cities decide to close public sites? Should bathrooms become standardized to accommodate the disabled? Is it possible to create a unisex bathroom for transgendered people? In Toilet, noted sociologist Harvey Molotch and Laura Norén bring together twelve essays by urbanists, historians and cultural analysts (among others) to shed light on the public restroom. These noted scholars offer an assessment of our historical and contemporary practices, showing us the intricate mechanisms through which even the physical design of restrooms—the configurations of stalls, the number of urinals, the placement of sinks, and the continuing segregation of women’s and men’s bathrooms—reflect and sustain our cultural attitudes towards gender, class, and disability. Based on a broad range of conceptual, political, and down-to-earth viewpoints, the original essays in this volume show how the bathroom—as a practical matter—reveals competing visions of pollution, danger and distinction. Although what happens in the toilet usually stays in the toilet, this brilliant, revelatory, and often funny book aims to bring it all out into the open, proving that profound and meaningful history can be made even in the can. Contributors: Ruth Barcan, Irus Braverman, Mary Ann Case, Olga Gershenson, Clara Greed, Zena Kamash,Terry Kogan, Harvey Molotch, Laura Norén, Barbara Penner, Brian Reynolds, and David Serlin.

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In this dazzling debut, Lara Avery crafts a story about one woman's uplifting journey of possibility, second chances, and falling in love again…with life—perfect for fans of P.S. I Love You."In The Year of Second Chances, a young widow reenters the world after a substantial loss, taking us on a lively, witty ride along with a strong cast of supporting characters. Avery tackles the topic of grief in a way that manages to feel lighthearted and profound at the same time. I flew through this book and loved every page." —Meg Mitchell Moore, bestselling author of Summer StageRobin Lindstrom spent her first year as a young widow cocooned in the safe haven of the Minnesota farmhouse she’d once shared with Gabe, the love of her life—the man she thought she’d be with ’til the end. But her world is turned upside down when she receives an email informing her that her late husband has enrolled in something called “Fluttr”—a dating service? The app subscription lasts 12 months; use it!, Gabe’s message-from-the-grave reads. I don’t like the thought of you being alone. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it as a favor to me. Please.After twelve months of pulling herself together, Robin’s fragile equilibrium is knocked sideways. How could Gabe, of all people, be asking her to venture out into the murky waters of 21st century online dating? As her underemployed brother, Theo, points out, it’s “only” a year, and it’s what Gabe wanted; he set this all up to go into effect a year after his death, which means it was basically his last request. And so Robin tentatively takes steps to put herself out into the world once more, even if it means awkward outings at bowling alleys, club-hopping with DJs she meets online, and stammering conversations at dinner. Along the way, she’s surprised to find herself meeting new people, trying new things…and even getting to know a new version of herself. Because everyone deserves a second chance at love—and loving life.

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Science and art are increasingly interconnected in the activities of the study and conservation of works of art. Science plays a key role in cultural heritage, from developing new analytical techniques for studying the art, to investigating new ways of preserving the materials for the future. Following on from the 2014 title Science and Art: The Painted Surface, this book consists of a series of chapters written together by scientists, art historians, conservators, curators and artists dedicated to conservation, execution techniques, languages and conceptual topics. Science and Art: The Contemporary Painted Surface largely covers execution techniques, material’s conservation and languages of artists, representative of twelve different countries, all protagonists of the development of innovative significant techniques and methodologies. The book opens with a focus on widely historicized artists, such as Jackson Pollock, Lucio Fontana, Enrico Baj, Piero Manzoni and Joseph Albers. Its core is dedicated to the work of major worldwide renowned living artists, in a perspective that, while considering the Sixties as the historical starting point of contemporaneity, does not neglect to offer a view on the work done in the immediately preceding years. Several interviews with artists are included. Final chapters are dedicated to contemporary design, net art, and painted surfaces in contemporary architecture. Presented in an easily readable form for a large audience, the book guides readers into new areas uncovered by the link between science and art, and will be of interest to artists, art historians and curators, as well as those who appreciate art. Reviews of Science and Art: The Painted Surface 'Science and Art provides an excellent read for art historians, who will instantly recognise the famous pieces that have been studied, while giving them insight into how a painting was constructed, what it is made from, or how the colours would have looked when they were freshly painted.' Chemistry World, 6 November 2014 'Science and Art is recommended for students, teachers, and the general public who are interested in chemistry or other sciences and art, as well as applications of the former to the latter.' J. Chem. Educ., 2016, 93(5), 810–810

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The inspiring story of a US Special Forces soldier who was medically retired after stepping on an IED, and his incredible return to active duty.Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ryan Hendrickson is a brave, determined, and courageous soldier--a Green Beret clearing the way for his twelve-man team while conducting combat operations against the Taliban. As the 'tip of the spear,' his role is to insure the route taken by U.S. and Afghan troops are free of IEDs--improvised explosive devices. Many soldiers do not survive their last step; those who do often lose at least one limb. While rescuing an Afghan soldier outside a mud-hut compound in 2010--knowing that he was in 'uncleared' territory--Ryan stepped on an IED with his right foot. The device exploded, leaving his foot dangling at the end of his leg. American soldiers losing a limb is an all-too-common occurrence. But what makes Ryan's story different is that after undergoing two dozen surgeries and a tortuous rehabilitation, he was medically retired but fought to return to active duty. Multiple skin grafts to his lower leg and right foot successfully reattached his lower leg, and he was aided in his recovery by wearing a new prosthetic device known as an IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis). Once he passed a series of crucial physical tests, Ryan was able to rejoin the Green Berets within a year and physically perform his duties, redeploying to Afghanistan in March 2012. In 2016, he volunteered to return to Afghanistan with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. During a firefight with the Taliban, he risked his life under heavy enemy fire to rescue three Afghan soldiers cut off from friendly forces and return the bodies of two dead Afghan soldiers under the ethos that 'no one gets left behind.' For his heroic efforts on the battlefield, SFC Ryan Hendrickson was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor.An engaging and harrowing account, Tip of the Spear tells the amazing story of one Green Beret's indomitable spirit.

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A collection of paired flower photographs by a published author in another category, transformed through the process of solarisation, by esteemed art photographer, Brad Oliphant. Brad Oliphant is well-known in the fashion industry, where he worked for twelve years, with his photographic work featured by Dolce & Gabbana, Marie Claire, Ink, Flick, La Estetica, and Zink. In the autumn of 2014 the author released an illustrated keepsake book, Lessons in Love from A Course in Miracles (Sterling Ethos) that has given him great traction and exposure to wide audiences. The production values of this book make it an incredible gift for all of the spring holiday tie-ins (Easter, Mother's Day, Graduation) The foreword writer, Russell Hart, is the esteemed Executive Editor of American Photo magazine and his endorsement is very meaningful in terms of putting this first time illustrated art book author in context for the reader/consumer. "The results are published in the beautiful Enlightened Blooms (Glitterati Incorporated), a book which presents a highly saturated, almost neon vision of flowers, as though seen through an acid-trip lens. Published by Glitterati whose highly original books are produced absolutely impeccably, this is definitely one for the Jean-Michel Frank coffee table... put it beside Man Ray Portraits." - Christies.com In this exquisite collection of fine art photography, Brad Oliphant presents a distinctive new body of work - pairs of flower images transformed through the process of solarisation. Moving beyond the pastel palette of traditional flower photography, Oliphant has imbued these blooms with exuberant colour, breathing new life into a time-honoured subject matter. Side by side in stunning symmetry, these flowers are radiant - their glowing silhouettes, silver hues, and spectacularly distorted colours reminiscent of expressionist paintings. In an increasingly fast-paced world, the "Enlightened Blooms" encourages us to pause and pay attention to the beauty that surrounds us. While paying homage to a subject matter rich with symbolic and cultural significance, Oliphant makes us feel as if we are seeing flowers for the very first time. In their transformed states, these flowers beg to be lingered over, their forms contemplated, their very existence revered as a miraculous gift.

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They grow up so quickly! Keep a journal of the first twelve months for you to look back on and to show your little one when they're older.This book helps you to record and store all those special memories of your baby's first precious year, with ideas and spaces for things like milestones and what the world was like during the first year of their life.The front title section can be pulled off to turn it into a lovely journal type book with the adorable elephants on the cover. Inside you can jot down different baby's names - it's always fun to know if you might have been called something else! You can fill in your family tree and tell your baby how you felt when they arrived.When they're older your child can learn what the world was during their first year, so don't forget to write down who is currently the president, your favourite contemporary music artist, and the prices of stamps and milk.There's plenty of space to let them know all the details of their first year that were special and memorable. You can include what your baby learns, their new experiences and favourite toy! There will be lots of firsts for baby, and you will want to recall them all, like the first time they smiled, learned to kiss or call you mama or papa. There are pockets for photographs so you can capture their first steps and remember them forever.The bestselling baby and kids' cookbook author Annabel Karmel provides information on your baby's development and helpful advice to encourage new achievements. She has included five recipes to inspire delicious, healthy food for various stages, and for that special milestone - a birthday cake!A Keepsake Journal Of Milestone MomentsA lovely book to give as a baby gift, that will become a wonderful memento that families and loved ones can look back on, and spend time together sharing your baby's first year.Inside this baby journal you can fill in and use: - Month-by-month sections to record new achievements.- Five delicious recipes for baby food.- Pockets for keepsakes and photographs.

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The authors of the bestselling Wiccapedia, and creators of the successful Modern-Day Witch series, provide an in-depth guide to crystal craft, and the magickal properties behind individual stones. Includes a twelve page four-color insert on 20 essential crystals!Enrich your life by delving into the fascinating art of crystal magick! In their follow-up to the popular Wiccapedia and other books in the Modern Witch series, Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway offer readers an authoritative, in-depth guide to crystal magick and spells. They explain how crystal craft works; how to choose and collect magickal stones; and how to care for, charge, program, and house your crystals. They provide information on crystal circles, wands, and sabbats, as well as an A–Z list of the most commonly used crystals and their magical properties. Spells cover everything from protection, healing, and mindfulness to blessings and divination. Readers will learn how to incorporate crystals and gemstones into daily rituals and enhance their lives with healing crystal magick.Learn how to use these crystals for: Amethyst: Helping a child sleep Black Obsidian: Banishing evil spirits and removing unwanted people from your life Citrine: Attracting money Fire Agate: Spicing up passion Fluorite: Personal protection when you’re out and about Hematite: Blessing a home Kunzite: Finding true love Turquoise: Protection while driving Witches have used crystals for centuries for their energetic properties and healing qualities—inherent magickal powers that can work in different ways to enhance a person’s life. Now you can learn how to incorporate crystals and gemstones into your daily rituals, from learning the best way to choose and collect stones to how to cast crystal spells. Written by bestselling Wiccapedia authors Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway,this fresh, in-depth guide is the ultimate crystal craft reference you’ll want to turn to. Just some of what you’ll find includes: ★ How to charge and program your crystals, and assemble a crystal toolkit ★ A color section of 20 essential spellcasting crystals ★ An A–Z list of more than 250 crystals and their magickal properties ★ Connecting with angels, gods, and goddesses ★ Crystal divination and astrology ★ Festive crystal holidays ★ Spells for protection, love, success, blessing, mindfulness, and more!

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Make this Christmas a watercolor wonderland with this creative guide to painting through the festive season. Christmas is the perfect time to get creative with watercolors with lots of handmade cards to paint - but cards are only a small part of the ideas that you will get from this book. Here you'll find a wealth of inspiration and techniques for all sorts of watercolor projects this Christmas! First, the book covers the materials and equipment you need for watercolor painting - from paints and brushes to paper and other materials such as masking fluid and watercolor ground. You'll then learn how to create both traditional and contemporary color palettes for Christmas, and discover a wide range of watercolor techniques including washes, layering, blending and gradation, plus experimental ideas to try such as using salt, bleach and masking fluid in your work. Twelve creative projects follow, with easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials so that even beginners to watercolor can jump right in. Learn how to paint your own Christmas cards, gift tags and gift boxes, create seasonal table settings, hand painted Christmas crackers and garlands, and unique hand-painted Christmas gifts including a watercolor wreath. Using innovative but accessible watercolor primer products, you can now prepare a wide variety of surfaces for watercolor painting. This inspirational book will also show you how to use these exciting new products to paint onto glass baubles, 3D cardboard letters, wooden tree ornaments and more. And once you have the skills, who knows where your imagination will take you? Finally, a gallery of additional Christmas motifs and designs that can be used for further inspiration can be found at the end of the book including reindeer, robins, mittens, snowflakes, stars, baubles, snowmen, candy canes, winter foliage, presents, decorations, elves and much much more! Artist Ingrid Sanchez, aka @creativeingrid, is a self-confessed Christmas afficianado who has brought all her Christmas spirit to bear in creating and illustrating this book. In this unique celebration of Christmas in watercolor, she shares her beautiful artwork and expert guidance, which will help you turn Christmas into the most artistic time of the year!

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Box Set: 12 Books Ages: 3 to 5 Stage 1: Starting to Read Children who have read Bob Books Set 1 Beginning Readers love these basic phonics stories. Perfect for kids that need additional practice at this level. Twelve humorous stories feature the beloved classic Bob Books characters and introduce some new friends, too! Short vowels and three-letter words in simple sentences make Bob Books More Beginning Readers a fun confidence builder. Katie Kath's simple but silly illustrations add a tickle to the words, keeping kids smiling as they read. Inside the box you'll find: 12 easy-to-read, humorous books, 12 pages each Suitable for the very beginning reader, with mostly two and three letter words Phonics based - words can be sounded out A parent card with tips for helping your child learn to read ABOUT BOBS BOOKS Bob Books is America's no.1, award-winning, learning-to-read series trusted for over 40 years. Bob Books is a true first reader series, designed to make helping children learn to read simple and straightforward. The clean layout, short words, and simple phonics make learning to read a fun and natural step for a child that knows the alphabet. Companion workbooks extend children's reading journey by allowing them to practice the skills learned in the books. Bob Books is designed to give young children the tools to cross from learning letters to reading words. The award-winning beginning reader book sets start slowly and progress from books with three letter words, to books with more than one sentence per page. By meeting children at the right level, parents are often amazed at how quickly their child is able to sound out words when reading their first Bob Book. Bob Books covers four reading stages... Pre-Readings Skills Recognize shapes, patterns, and other pre-reading skills Stage 1: Starting to Read From learning the alphabet to sounding out your first words Stage 2: Emerging Readers Sentences become longer and sight words are introduced Stage 3: Developing Readers Words and sentences become longer, and new rules are introduced

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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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In this essential handbook—a blend of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Happiness Project—the co-host of the wildly popular InvestED podcast shares her yearlong journey learning to invest, as taught to her by her father, investor and bestselling author Phil Town.Growing up, the words finance, savings, and portfolio made Danielle Town’s eyes glaze over, and the thought of stocks and financial statements shut down her brain. The daughter of a successful investor and bestselling financial author of Rule #1, Phil Town, she spent most of her adult life avoiding investing—until she realized that her time-consuming career as lawyer was making her feel anything but in control of her life or her money. Determined to regain her freedom, vote for her values with her money, and deal with her fear of the unpredictable stock market, she turned to her father, Phil, to help her take charge of her life and her future through Warren Buffett-style value investing. Over the course of a year, Danielle went from avoiding everything to do with the financial industrial complex to knowing exactly how and when to invest in wonderful companies. In Invested, Danielle shows you how to do the same: how to take command of your own life and finances by choosing companies with missions that match your values, using the same gold standard strategies that have catapulted Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to the top of the Forbes 400. Avoiding complex math and obsolete financial models, she turns her father’s investing knowledge into twelve easy-to understand lessons. In each chapter, Danielle examines the investment strategies she mastered as her increasing know-how deepens the trust between her and her father. Throughout, she streamlines the process of making wise financial decisions and shows you just how easy—and profitable—investing can be.Capturing a warm, charming, and down-to-earth give and take between a headstrong daughter and her mostly patient dad, Invested makes the complex world of investing simple, straightforward, and approachable, and will help you formulate your own investment plan—and foster the confidence to put it into action.

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WINNER KPMG Book of the Year – Children’s Books Ireland Awards Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine to twelve-year olds There was a time when tales of Ireland’s mythical goddesses – their astonishing powers, bravery, and unbreakable bonds with nature – were famous, in Ireland and beyond. But over time, these stories were lost, often replaced or rewritten to make room for male warriors and kings. Until Now. Girls Who Slay Monsters brings these heroes of Irish mythology back to vibrant, magical life. From Éire, Ireland’s fierce namesake, and Bé Binn, a giant who overcame her bullies, to Badb, a gleefully gruesome death prophet, and Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenged an entire army. These are goddesses of many shapes, skin shades and sizes, from every corner of ancient Ireland, whose daring still inspires today.Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless – and you might just discover that you, too, are a force of nature. Note From The AuthorWhile many of us grew up learning about Greek and Norse myth, the Irish goddesses were an undiscovered secret. At my convent school, I was taught about two or three magical women from mysterious lands, but they were not described as goddesses, and I had no idea how warped these tales had become. Then years later, I took a trip to Rathcroghan, an Irish archaeological site known as the ancient capital of Connacht, and learned the land there was linked with powerful goddesses. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t been taught about these goddesses and felt something had been stolen from me. So, for many years after, I went digging through ancient Celtic texts and discovered a pantheon of exciting goddesses with brilliant abilities. But what I found most remarkable was that these women from thousands of years ago often faced the kind of challenges we experience today. Their stories are relevant and inspiring, yet girls everywhere have been stripped of the Celtic goddesses – an important part of our shared female heritage.I am grateful and honoured to retell their stories for you now.

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This new edition of the Christian classic includes an introduction from Sinclair Ferguson From the introduction: Thomas Boston never sought a prominent congregation or pulpit. He knew that, at the end of the day, the only thing that makes a pulpit lastingly prominent is the manner in which God’s word is preached from it in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Beauties of Boston is a book that has been treasured by many Christians in past generations. It is full of rich gospel truth and health–giving spiritual prescriptions. Part of its ‘beauty’ is that while a big book it is not really a long book, but a series of smaller and manageable passages that will – as The Marrow of Modern Divinity did for Boston himself – stimulate thought, enhance understanding of the gospel, point us to Christ, and strengthen both mind and spirit in the knowledge and service of God. Thomas Boston was born at Duns in Berwickshire in 1676. After studying in Edinburgh, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Duns and Chirnside in 1697. Shortly afterwards, he published his first book, A Soliloquy on The Art of Man–fishing, based on the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:19, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ In 1699, he became the minister of the small congregation in a village called Simprin, located quite close to his birthplace. He was there until 1707 when he became minister in Ettrick, and he would serve there until his death in 1732. The collected writings of Boston are found in twelve volumes, and from them the selections in The Beauties of Boston were selected by the editor. Boston’s best–known book is Human Nature in Its Fourfold State. It was published in his lifetime, as were two others books by him: a Collection of Sermons and an edition of the Marrow of Modern Divinity which he annotated. After his death, several volumes of his writings were published, including his View of the Covenant of Works and of Grace, The Christian Life, A Body of Divinity, and The Crook in The Lot.

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Sex remains one of the most salient demographic dividing points in American politics today. President Obama has women, particularly unmarried women, to thank for his re-election victory. The gender difference in voter support for the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates grew from twelve points in 2008 to eighteen points in 2012. This gender gap in candidate preference likely emerges because of gender gaps in policy preferences. Yet despite much scholarly and popular interest in this topic, the cause or causes of gender gaps in policy preference remain unclear. The Political Battle of the Sexes: Exploring the Sources of Gender Gaps in Policy Preferences examines gender gaps in policy preferences in the United States, outlines their form, and explores their causes. This work makes four contributions to the literature on gender gaps. First, it provides the first comprehensive look at gender gaps across time and various issue areas completed since the 1980s. Second, it provides a theoretical framework for explaining the causes of gender gap emergence that incorporates both nature (biology) and nurture (socialization) and provides the basis with which to predict the attitudes on which gender gaps will likely emerge. Third, it explores the causes of gender gaps in foreign and social policy, two of the policy domains where gender gaps continue to increase. Finally, it introduces a new way of conceptualizing biology based on emerging research in the hard sciences. Studying gender gaps remains difficult. Women comprise a very diverse group, and are divided by far more factors than the sex categorization that unites them. However, electoral realities demand that scholars studying political behavior pay attention to sex based differences in political preferences. Women exhibit consistent preference tendencies relative to men, and women remain more likely to show up on Election Day than men. As such, gender gaps have substantial political and practical implications for women in the United States. And while explaining their causes requires drawing from a wide array of fields, ranging from biology to economics, understanding the origins and consequences of gender gaps does much to further empirical research in public opinion and mass behavior.

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'Two of the UK's most exciting nature writers. A thoughtful adventure in learning simple skills that help connect people to nature.' GuardianSkimming Stones and Other Ways of Being in the Wild is a book of simple skills that can help us to interact with nature, achieve a deeper connection with it and even step inside another dimension.Rob Cowen and Leo Critchley teach us, for example, making and flying a kite, making an elder whistle, damming a stream and building a den - and at the same time teach us about life.Their techniques are intended to be not only of practical value but also techniques for meditation. They help us to live in the moment, recover ancient insights and rhythms and encourage nature to reveal to us her secrets and treasures.They write that '...there are forces deep in everyone's subconscious that find a pure expression in the simplest of activities. This book explains why we should be taking the time to do them. It is born out of a wish to share our passion for our landscape and the contemplative, reflective pleasures and joys that were well-known to our grandparents, but which are in danger of being lost and forgotten. They will help us get back to a place where we all belong'.Skimming Stones was awarded the Robert Deakin Grant from the Authors' Foundation, by the Society of Authors. 'Essential reading.'Daily Express'At its simplest their book gives advice on connecting with nature through twelve activities... but Skimming Stones delves deeper. Each section draws the reader lyrically into deeper philosophical waters... I was simply carried along by the authors' sense of awe, and their quiet belief that our lives can be enriched through a deeper connection with nature.' 4*BBC WildlifeSkimming stones teaches you how to get back to nature and:*Skim a stone*Find a fossil*Forage for food*Make a kite*Carve an elder whistle*Track an animal*Build a den*Light a fire*Build an igloo*Catch a fish*Dam a stream*Walk in the wild

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THE MUST-READ RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK. Chilling, moving and unputdownable, The Memory Wood is a thriller like no other. 'Beautifully told, with two superbly drawn young protagonists, Lloyd is a rare new thriller talent' Daily Mail'Superbly creepy, with an unexpected twist' Guardian'Brilliant writing, a terrifying story, and characters so real it feels like you know them. If you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers that stay with you, read this book' Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife*************Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It's the only home he's ever known.Elissa has only just arrived. And she'll do everything she can to escape.When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police. Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And he doesn't want Elissa to leave.Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn't the first girl he's found inside the Memory Wood.As her abductor's behaviour grows more erratic, chess prodigy Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood . . .*************Praise for Sam Lloyd'An intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller' Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door'Remarkable. Stunning prose and compulsive reading. It's undoubtedly the best thriller I've read in a long, long time' Lesley Kara, author of The Rumour'I haven't read anything quite this exciting since Room. You think all the stories have been told, then something like this comes along' Emma Curtis, author of The Night You LeftReaders love The Memory Wood 'A very clever psychological thriller. Dark, creepy and intense.' *****'Deliciously dark... fresh and imaginative.' *****'The twists and turns in The Memory Wood will astound. This book is undoubtedly the best I've read this year.' *****__________**** THE RISING TIDE, Sam Lloyd's electrifying new thriller, is available to pre-order now****

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Retreat, A Story of 1918 by Charles R. Benstead was first published by Methuen in 1930, as First World War fiction was moving from positive accounts of combat heroism towards narratives of disillusionment and loss. Retreat spans both phases through its tragic portrayal of an army chaplain driven to madness when his Christian values hold no sway against the bloody realities of war and through its heartening vision of how devotion to duty can fortify soldiers' sense of purpose and self-worth in the absence of spiritual faith. Retreat is based on the author's combat experiences as a Fifth Army artillery officer during the massive German advance in March 1918, adding historical depth to the literary value of the novel. The book centres heavily on the British retreat as experienced by Padre Elliot Warne, an egotistical churchman ill suited to the bitter realities of combat at the front. Warne shepherds a flock whose lack of interest in religion undermines his sense of significance to the war effort; and in the shadow of the overwhelming German army, he finds his faith gives way to fear. In Retreat, Benstead captures the cruel injustices of war as he knew it and demonstrates the inadequacies of religion as a balm to the harsh realities of war. In the introduction to this edition, war historian Hugh Cecil provides historical context for the novel's plot, a biography of the author and a survey of the book's critical and controversial reception. Charles R. Benstead (1896-1980) served with distinction as an artillery officer in the First World War and as a naval training officer in the Second World War. He wrote twelve books in all on topics ranging from naval combat to Cambridge history but none achieved the same critical success as Retreat. Hugh Cecil is an honorary lecturer at Leeds University and co-founder of the Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. His many publications include The Flower of Battle; How Britain Wrote the Great War; Facing Armageddon: The First World War Experienced, and At the Eleventh Hour with Peter H. Liddle.

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'YOU'LL WANT TO COOK IT ALL' - Evening Standard'Rachel Roddy's writing is as absorbing as any novel. Her prose is so elegant and her story-telling so compelling that I almost forgot I was reading a cookbook.' - Russell Norman, Polpo------------------From the award-winning weekly Guardian Cook columnist and winner of the André Simon and Guild of Food Writers' Awards comes an Italian food book of sumptuous recipes, flavours and stories from Sicily and Rome.For the last twelve years, food-writer, cook and photographer Rachel Roddy has immersed herself in the culture of Roman cooking, but it was the flavours of the south that she and her Sicilian partner, Vincenzo, often craved. Eventually the chance arose to spend more time at his old family house in south-east Sicily, where Rachel embraced the country's traditional recipes and the stories behind them. In Two Kitchens Rachel celebrates the food and flavours of Rome and Sicily and shares over 120 of these simple, everyday dishes from her two distant but connected kitchens. From tomato and salted ricotta salad, caponata and baked Sicilian pasta to lemon crumble, honeyed peaches and almond and chocolate cake, they are the authentic Italian recipes that you will want to cook again and again until you've made them your own.'This is a recipe book that reflects the way I cook and eat: uncomplicated, direct and adaptable Italian family food that reflects the season. The two kitchens of the title are my kitchens in Rome and Sicily. In a sense, though, we could have called the book "many kitchens" as I invite you to make these recipes your own.' Rachel RoddyTwo Kitchens chapters: Vegetables and Herbs - Tomatoes; Aubergines; Peas; Broad Beans; Cauliflower; Potatoes; Onions; HerbsFruit and Nuts - Lemons; Peaches; Oranges; Grapes and Figs; AlmondsMeat, Fish and Dairy - Beef and pork; Chicken; White fish; Fresh anchovies and sardines; Eggs; RicottaStorecupboard - Chickpeas; Lentils; Preserved anchovies; Flour; BreadRachel's first book, Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome, won the André Simon Food Book Award and the Guild of Food Writers' First Book Award in 2015.

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In this timely and very readable new work, Walvin focuses not on abolitionism or the brutality and suffering of slavery, but on resistance, the resistance of the enslaved themselves - from sabotage and absconding to full-blown uprisings - and its impact in overthrowing slavery. He also looks that whole Atlantic world, including the Spanish Empire and Brazil. In doing so, he casts new light on one of the major shifts in Western history in the past five centuries. In the three centuries following Columbus's landfall in the Americas, slavery became a critical institution across swathes of both North and South America. It saw twelve million Africans forced onto slave ships, and had seismic consequences for Africa. It led to the transformation of the Americas and to the material enrichment of the Western world. It was also largely unquestioned. Yet within a mere seventy-five years during the nineteenth century slavery had vanished from the Americas: it declined, collapsed and was destroyed by a complexity of forces that, to this day, remains disputed, but there is no doubting that it was in large part defeated by those it had enslaved. Slavery itself came in many shapes and sizes. It is perhaps best remembered on the plantations - though even those can deceive. Slavery varied enormously from one crop to another- sugar, tobacco, rice, coffee, cotton. And there was in addition myriad tasks for the enslaved to do, from shipboard and dockside labour, to cattlemen on the frontier, through to domestic labour and child-care duties. Slavery was, then, both ubiquitous and varied. But if all these millions of diverse, enslaved people had one thing in common it was a universal detestation of their bondage. They wanted an end to it: they wanted to be like the free people around them. Most of these enslaved peoples did not live to see freedom. But an old freed man or woman in, say Cuba or Brazil in the 1880s, had lived through its destruction clean across the Americas. The collapse of slavery and the triumph of black freedom constitutes an extraordinary historical upheaval - and this book explains how that happened.

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'Comforting and uplifting, this book is a joy to read' - MY WEEKLY, on The Farmhouse of Second ChancesSun, sand and secrets at the bay!As a kid, Nina O'Brien spent all her summers at her grandparents' cabin by the beach at Stepping Stone Bay. Long, sunny days full of fun and laughter with her best friends, Leo, Adrian, and Maeve, her friendship with Leo slowly blossoming into love. Until one fateful night changed everything for them all... Twelve years later, Nina must return to the bay to renovate the old cabin and pass it on to a new owner. But not only does Leo still live in the cabin next door, he works at his family's boathouse right there in the bay. As they begin to work through their differences and what happened all those years ago, can Nina really walk away from him twice? Maeve has finally returned home to face the past. Her eleven-year-old son, Jonah, loves the sea, unlike Maeve who is terrified of it. But she knows she can't keep Jonah away from the sea or the truth forever..A heartwarming and uplifting story about second chances and facing the secrets of the past. Perfect for fans of Philippa Ashley, Holly Martin and Ali McNamara. Readers adore Helen's heartwarming storytelling'Enchanting... Employing all the warmth and charm of Maeve Binchy, and a special brand of kindness that she has made her own, Rolfe weaves together elements of mystery, romance, family relationships and the warmth of community in a story guaranteed to bring laughter, tears and miles of smiles' Lancashire Post'A warm, comforting tale of family and community which brims with kindness and love' Annie Lyons'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness... If you're looking for a feelgood novel in these difficult times, this is definitely it!' Fiona Harper'A lovely community, full of friendship and love''I enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down''Lovely, feel-good...filled with lots of love''Gave you all the emotions: suspense, happiness and excitement''Helen Rolfe's writing brought a smile to my face''Loved loved loved this fabulous book'

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We all know the names: Grissom, Armstrong, Cernan—legends of the space age whose names resonate with people around the world and whose deeds need no introduction. We know less about the men who led the organization that planned and began the US exploration of space: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).Thomas O. Paine grew up an ordinary boy in northern California during the Great Depression of the 1930s. He would go on to serve as NASA’s third administrator, leading the space agency through the first historic missions that sent astronauts on voyages away from Earth. On his watch, seven Apollo flights orbited our planet and five reached our moon. From those missions came the first of twelve men to walk on the moon.Years later, in 1985, the Reagan administration would call on Paine again to chair the nation’s first-ever National Commission on Space. The Paine Commission Report of 1986 challenged twenty-first-century America to “lead the exploration and development of the space frontier, advancing science, technology, and enterprise, and building institutions and systems that make accessible vast new resources and support human settlements beyond Earth orbit, from the highlands of the Moon to the plains of Mars.”In Piercing the Horizon, Sunny Tsiao masterfully delivers new insights into the behind-the-scenes drama of the space race. Tsiao examines how Paine’s days as a World War II submariner fighting in the Pacific shaped his vision for the future of humankind in space. The book tells how Paine honed his skills as a pioneering materials engineer at the fabled postwar General Electric Company in the 1950s, to his dealings inside the halls of NASA and with Johnson, Nixon, and later, the Reagan and Bush administrations.As robotic missions begin leaving the earth, Tsiao invites the reader to take another look at the plans that Paine articulated regarding how America could have had humans on Mars by the year 2000 as the first step to the exploration of deep space. Piercing the Horizon provides provocative context to current conversations on the case for reaching Mars, settling our solar system, and continuing the exploration of space.

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Beth Sondquist, age twelve and a half, dreams of playing the part of Juliet. For now she’s just the cat in Cinderella, but one day, she’s determined to become a real actress. But all her hopes for an acting career come crashing down when the Oakfield Children’s Theater is slated to be closed. Its new owner has decided to make it into an adult theater, a real theater. Beth and her best friend, Zandy, are willing to do whatever it takes to save the theater, but their plans quickly go awry. When Beth’s father catches her sneaking back into her bedroom window well past bedtime, Beth is in big, big trouble.With eviction looming, the children’s theater director decides to close the theater with the same play the theater opened with fifty years ago—Romeo and Juliet. But Beth’s grounded for the next two weeks, and she won’t be able to try out. How will Beth pull off playing Juliet if she can’t even make tryouts?Playing Juliet is funny and honest and celebrates bravery and doing the right thing even when it gets you into trouble. It’s about having the courage to go after what you want and making your dreams come true. It’s also about friendship and family. As an almost-thirteen-year-old, Beth has a unique bond with thirteen-year-old Juliet, and she eventually recognizes just how silly and immature Juliet’s decisions are. Only Beth can play Juliet as the kid that she is. With a little bit of luck, maybe she’ll get her chance.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, 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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An Unflinching Look at a Black Chapter in Our War in Iraq and America’s Failure to Serve JusticeIn the waning days of 2005, twelve Marines were ambushed by Sunni Muslim insurgents on Route Chestnut, an ancient Mesopotamian road at the south edge of Haditha, Iraq, when an IED detonated under one of four Humvees they occupied, killing or wounding a quarter of their number. The surviving Marines quickly counterattacked. Their merciless response killed twenty-four Iraqi citizens, including an old man and ten women and children. This horrific encounter was quickly dubbed the Haditha Massacre and compared to My Lai, and its echoes still resonate today. Prompted by international condemnation, the Pentagon and Marine Corps initiated court-martial proceedings against the Marines involved.No Time for the Truth is the first book to show how the subsequent seven-year investigation and trial—which resulted in only a single minor conviction—was no more than theater meant to appease an outraged public and salvage US-Iraq relations. Authors Nathaniel Helms and Haytham Faraj, who served as defense counsel, reveal how the Pentagon pressured prosecutors to protect the integrity of the Marine Corps by hiding the fully gruesome nature of killings perpetrated by “battle-rattled” soldiers, with the intention of laying blame at the feet of a single staff sergeant. This is a stunning account of one of the darkest moments in the war in Iraq, a critical examination of whether justice was even sought after, and a powerful statement that in war, “truth is the first casualty.”Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history—books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, 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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Sue Macy presents an engrossing and deeply researched account of women's baseball in A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. "Play ball!" yelled the umpires as the teams of the AAGPBL took the field in the tense, war-torn days of 1943. Like all professional baseball players, these athletes scrambled to their positions, tossed balls across diamonds, and filled the air with chatter. But there was something different about them--they all wore skirts, went to charm school, and continually had to answer one question: "What is a woman doing playing baseball?" What were they doing? Having a great time, playing top-notch ball, and showing that a woman's place was at home only when she was at bat, behind the plate, or scoring a run. For twelve seasons, from 1943 to 1954, some of America's best female athletes earned their livings by playing baseball. This is their story in their own words, a tale of no-hitters and chaperones, stolen bases and practical jokes, home runs and run-ins with fans. Life in the league, however, was not all fun. Born out of a wartime "manpower" shortage, the AAGPBL ended with the growth of television and the ideal of the suburban home. Here, too, is the story of America's changing attitudes toward men and women and the roles we expect each to play. Author Sue Macy spent eleven years tracking down the women of the AAGPBL, interviewing them, and looking at their scrapbooks. Along the way she found that their odyssey did not end with the collapse of the league. The same courage and spunk the players displayed on the field led them to get back in touch with each other in the 1980s, to remind the world of what they had achieved, and to take their rightful places in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Balancing the voices of the women of the league with a lively, insightful overview of the changing patterns of American life, A Whole New Ball Game is a sports story full of telling insights about who we expect to be at home and how women can get back to first base.

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An evidence-based, action-oriented response to the persistent, everyday inequity of academic workplaces.Despite decades of effort by federal science funders to increase the numbers of women holding advanced degrees and faculty jobs in science and engineering, they are persistently underrepresented in academic STEM disciplines, especially in positions of seniority, leadership, and prestige. Women filled 47% of all US jobs in 2015, but held only 24% of STEM jobs. Barriers to women are built into academic workplaces: biased selection and promotion systems, inadequate structures to support those with family and personal responsibilities, and old-boy networks that can exclude even very successful women from advancing into top leadership roles. But this situation can—and must—change.In Building Gender Equity in the Academy, Sandra Laursen and Ann E. Austin offer a concrete, data-driven approach to creating institutions that foster gender equity. Focusing on STEM fields, where gender equity is most lacking, Laursen and Austin begin by outlining the need for a systemic approach to gender equity. Looking at the successful work being done by specific colleges and universities around the country, they analyze twelve strategies these institutions have used to create more inclusive working environments, including• implementing inclusive recruitment and hiring practices• addressing biased evaluation methods• establishing equitable tenure and promotion processes• strengthening accountability structures, particularly among senior leadership• improving unwelcoming department climates and cultures• supporting dual-career couples• offering flexible work arrangements that accommodate personal lives• promoting faculty professional development and advancementLaursen and Austin also discuss how to bring these strategies together to create systemic change initiatives appropriate for specific institutional contexts. Drawing on three illustrative case studies—at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison—they explain how real institutions can strategically combine several equity-driven approaches, thereby leveraging their individual strengths to make change efforts comprehensive. Grounded in scholarship but written for busy institutional leaders, Building Gender Equity in the Academy is a handbook of actionable strategies for faculty and administrators working to improve the inclusion and visibility of women and others who are marginalized in the sciences and in academe more broadly.

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A comprehensive volume providing broad and detailed coverage of marine mussels Marine Mussels: Ecology, Physiology, Genetics and Culture provides readers with in-depth, fully up-to-date information on all major aspects of marine mussels. Written by an internationally renowned expert in the field, this authoritative volume addresses morphology, ecology, ­feeding, phylogeny and evolution, reproduction and larval development, settlement and recruitment, genetics, disease, management of culture systems and more. The book encompasses many different species of marine mussels: genus Mytilus, other important commercial marine genera such as Perna, Aulacomya and Choromytilus, and non-commercial genera including Modiolus, Geukensia, Brachidontes and hydrothermal vent Bathymodiolus. Comprising twelve extensively cross-referenced chapters, the book discusses a diversity of integrated topics that range from fundamental physiology of marine mussels to new techniques being applied in their biology and ecology. Author Elizabeth Gosling reviews contemporary developments and issues in the field such as the use of DNA genetic markers in detecting and diagnosing different strains of pathogenic bacteria, the use of mussels as monitors of marine contaminants, sophisticated modelling techniques that simulate disease and forecast outbreaks, and the impacts of global warming, ocean acidification and hypoxia on marine mussels. Presenting an inclusive, highly detailed treatment of mussel biology, physiology, genetics, and culture, this invaluable resource: Contains thorough descriptions of external and internal anatomy, global and local distribution patterns, the impacts of mussels on marine ecosystems, and the processes of circulation, respiration, excretion and osmoregulation Reflects significant advances in mussel science and new areas of research in marine mussels Describes the fundamentals of mussel aquaculture, the types and levels of contaminants in the marine environment and new approaches for sustainable aquaculture development Discusses the application of genetic methods, population genetics, global breeding programmes and the emerging area of bivalve genomics Addresses the role of mussels in disease transmission to humans, including production and processing controls, regulation of monitoring and quality control Marine Mussels: Ecology, Physiology, Genetics and Culture is essential reading for biological scientists, researchers, instructors and advanced students in the fields of biology, ecology, aquaculture, environmental science, toxicology, genetics, pathology, taxonomy and public health.

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This is the first comprehensive and up-to-date history of Byzantium to appear in almost sixty years, and the first ever to cover both the Byzantine state and Byzantine society. It begins in A.D. 285, when the emperor Diocletian separated what became Byzantium from the western Roman Empire, and ends in 1461, when the last Byzantine outposts fell to the Ottoman Turks. Spanning twelve centuries and three continents, the Byzantine Empire linked the ancient and modern worlds, shaping and transmitting Greek, Roman, and Christian traditions—including the Greek classics, Roman law, and Christian theology—that remain vigorous today, not only in Eastern Europe and the Middle East but throughout Western civilization. Though in its politics Byzantium often resembled a third-world dictatorship, it has never yet been matched in maintaining a single state for so long, over a wide area inhabited by heterogeneous peoples. Drawing on a wealth of original sources and modern works, the author treats political and social developments as a single vivid story, told partly in detailed narrative and partly in essays that clarify long-term changes. He avoids stereotypes and rejects such old and new historical orthodoxies as the persistent weakness of the Byzantine economy and the pervasive importance of holy men in Late Antiquity. Without neglecting underlying social, cultural, and economic trends, the author shows the often crucial impact of nearly a hundred Byzantine emperors and empresses. What the emperor or empress did, or did not do, could rapidly confront ordinary Byzantines with economic ruin, new religious doctrines, or conquest by a foreign power. Much attention is paid to the complex life of the court and bureaucracy that has given us the adjective "byzantine." The major personalities include such famous names as Constantine, Justinian, Theodora, and Heraclius, along with lesser-known figures like Constans II, Irene, Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer, and Michael VIII Palaeologus. Byzantine civilization emerges as durable, creative, and realistic, overcoming repeated setbacks to remain prosperous almost to the end. With 221 illustrations and 18 maps that complement the text, A History of the Byzantine State and Society should long remain the standard history of Byzantium not just for students and scholars but for all readers.

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Could you follow your dreams if the whole world was against you? Gunhild dreams of becoming a real-life god, and everyone everywhere thinks it’s a terrible idea made up by a petulant twelve-year-old.In the world of Norse mythology, humans revere the mighty gods and fear the mystical, nature-wielding Jotuns, and Gunhild is a fire Jotun. Abandoned by her own kind and raised in a human girls’ orphanage, Gunhild wishes to prove to her peers that she’s more than a little troublemaker. Every step of the way, it becomes clear that Gunhild must fight for what’s right and follow her own sense of justice, seeing as no one else will fight for her. Gunhild’s quest leads her to meet all the famous gods she’s heard about in schools, like Odin and Thor, though the one she’s most interested in is the mischievous Jotun god Loki, who’s chained up in a cave hidden in a location known only by the gods. Her travels lead mainly to many foes, but a few enemies become friends, persuaded by Gunhild’s unwavering determination and burning passion for her own cause. Being a tiny Jotun against a big, powerful world, Gunhild must fight smart and learn a trick or two from Loki to earn the title of godhood. Certainly, Gunhild will stop at nothing to forge her own fantastic path and make her dream come true.Gunhild is rated Y for Youth, recommended for ages 10 and up. Saturday AM, the world’s most diverse manga-inspired comics, are now presented in a new format! Introducing Saturday AM TANKS, the new graphic novel format similar to Japanese Tankobons where we collect the global heroes and artists of Saturday AM. These handsome volumes have select color pages, revised artwork, and innovative post-credit scenes that help bring new life to our popular BIPOC, LGBTQ, and/or culturally diverse characters. Join in even more adventures with the other action-packed Saturday AM TANKS series:Apple Black, Clock Striker, Hammer, Henshin!, The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts, Oblivion Rouge, Saigami, Soul Beat, Titan King, Underground, and Yellow Stringer.

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The Königstein Fortress, located not far from Dresden on a rocky plateau high above the Elbe River, is considered one of the most interesting and best preserved fortifications in Europe. It has a long eventful history dating back to the Bronze Age. Königstein was first mentioned in documents in 1241. It was not until the end of the 16th century that the former castle began to be expanded into a fortress, which was then constantly adapted to new conditions. However, it was spared from warlike destruction over all the centuries. Instead, it was sometimes used as a prison camp in times of war, for example during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 and for the last time during the Second World War. In 1949, the then GDR set up a youth workshop in the fortress based on the teachings of Soviet pedagogue Anton Semyonovich Makarenko. In 1955, the GDRs Ministry of Culture finally converted Königstein into a museum and since 1991, now owned by the Free State of Saxony, it has undergone extensive structural renovation. The managing director of Festung Königstein gGmbH, Angelika Taube, became aware of Hans Dieter Schaal as early as 1997, and in the following years established an intensive collaboration with him, which has now resulted in six permanent and twelve temporary exhibitions. They illustrate the multifaceted history of the fortress in a way that clearly stands out from pure documentation and always creates something new and original from the factually given. This book presents these exhibitions in large-format colour illustrations. In addition, it contains descriptions and comments by Schaal that clarify the history of the exhibitions and also give the reader insights into the creative processes. Hans Dieter Schaal, born in Ulm in 1943, architect, stage designer, exhibition and landscape planner, makes the complexity of reality visible through his analytically differentiated stagings and brings its background into the field of vision of the attentive viewer. His works, the majority of which have been published by Edition Axel Menges, have since found an audience far beyond the borders of his native country. The author lives and works in a village near Biberach an der Riss.

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Kim Heacox, author of the National Outdoor Book Award-winning novel Jimmy Bluefeather, returns with a new, brilliant novel about family love and the lengths one will go to protect it."A sprawling novel brimming with suspense, ideas and unforgettable characters, On Heaven's Hill paints a captivating group portrait of a rebel alliance discovering their true selves in America's most glorious natural landscape. This book will appeal equally to aging idealists reared on Edward Abbey and adventurous kids hooked on Gary Paulsen. Oh, and it's laugh-out-loud funny, too."—Mark Adams, New York Times bestselling author of Tip of the Iceberg and Turn Right at Machu Picchu"Kim Heacox poses the age-old question—what price progress?—with new urgency in On Heaven’s Hill, his compelling novel of an Alaskan hamlet whose remote location is no defense against big-money development. All that stands in its way is a pack of wolves and the twelve-year-old girl determined to save them. Reminiscent of John Nichols' The Milagro Beanfield War, Heacox deftly weaves lyrical tributes to the healing power of nature with a fast-paced plot that builds to a heart-pounding conclusion."—Gwen Florio, author of Silent Hearts and the Lola Wicks seriesThe small town of Strawberry Flats sits on a remote Alaska coast, peacefully left to itself—until controversial plans for a road and a bridge threaten to upend everything.Former trapper Salt d’Alene never thought he’d find himself in the midst of such a dispute, but he’ll do anything to provide the best care for his son Solomon, recently diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Eleven-year-old Kes Nash just wants her father—back from war in Afghanistan—to be normal again. And circling the perimeter of the town is a wolf, Silver, and his pack, quietly watching.Told from three alternating perspectives, On Heaven’s Hill is a vividly powerful story about rediscovering hope and finding new life in the aftermath of trauma. Filled with humor and compassion, it depicts the best of America, a place composed of wildness and kindness.

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The Bugatti Type 46 was announced in the autumn of 1929. The new Bugatti chassis, at almost twelve feet in length and powered by an 8-cylinder engine of 5300cc, was intended to be the basis of a superlative large luxury car - and so it proved to be. Bodied by the greatest European coachbuilders to the highest standards of quality and style for rich and discerning clientele, the T46 was in many ways a smaller Royale and is said to have been the favourite of Ettore Bugatti. Later, an optional supercharger became available to create the 46S model.In 1930 the Bugatti Type 50 superseded the T46. The new model still used the T46's chassis and most of its running gear, but featured a new, high-performance, twin-overhead-camshaft engine of just under 5-litre capacity. This supercharged unit gave the T50 very spirited performance for such a large and luxurious car, placing the model firmly in the Grand Sport category.1931 saw a team of T50s take part in the Le Mans 24-Hour race, but the cars were withdrawn before the race finished after Rost's car crashed, tragically killing a spectator in the process.In total, fewer than five hundred T46 and T50 Bugattis were built in but, with the obvious exception of the Royale, these cars represented the pinnacle of luxury car manufacture for the famous Molsheim marque. See fabulous coachbuilt bodies by Gaston Grummer, Chapron, Ghia, James Young, Van Vooren, Weymann, Billeter & Cartier, Gangloff, Joss Neuce, Mllion-Guiet, Freestone & Webb, Van den Plas, Arthur Mulliner, Kellner, Lancefield, Corsica, Visse et Haf, Ottin, Brainsby-Woollard, Sodomka, Graber, Weinburger, Abbots of Farnham as well as Bugatti's standard bodies.Barrie Price's work is a concise history of the Bugatti Types 46 and 50, an engineering analysis and the most thorough survey yet of the many coachbuilt bodies fitted to these famous chassis. Appendices include a complete chassis listing and reproductions of promotional material produced by Bugatti, Bugatti agents and others."...a galaxy of superb coachbuilt and standard bodies on both chassis ..." - The Automobile"Barry price writes with great authority ...a fine collection of rare photographs and period advertising material ..." - Classic Car Weekly

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Six California Kitchens is the quintessential California cookbook, with farm-to-table recipes and stories from Sally Schmitt, the pioneering female chef and original founder of the French Laundry. Sally Schmitt opened The French Laundry in Yountville in 1978 and designed her menus around local, seasonal ingredients-a novel concept at the time. In this soon-to-be-classic cookbook, Sally Schmitt takes us through the six kitchens where she learned to cook, honed her skills, and spent her working life. Six California Kitchens weaves her remarkable story with 115 recipes that distill the ethos of Northern California cooking into simple, delicious dishes, plus evocative imagery, historic ephemera, and cooking wisdom. With gorgeous food and sense-of-place photography, this is a masterful, story-rich cookbook for home and aspiring chefs who cook locally and seasonally, food historians, fans of wine country, and anyone who wants to bring the spirit of Northern California home with them. CALIFORNIA CONNECTION: This is a California cookbook from a native Californian chef, who founded one of the most well-known and revered restaurants in California (and in the world). The book was written, photographed, and designed by members of Sally's family. PERSON OF NOTE: Sally Schmitt was the great unsung hero of California cuisine, a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement, and original founder of the French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley. This book celebrates a respected, reputable chef and shares a collection of her best recipes from a lifetime of cooking. COMPELLING PACKAGE: This book is full of evocative images of Napa Valley, rustic kitchens, and the rugged California coastline. With lifestyle photography that offers a peek into the history of Northern California and its food revolution, this book will appeal to readers with its lovely design and package-but they'll stay for the inspiring story and approachable recipes. Perfect for: • Home cooks who cook locally and seasonally, who live in California, or who enjoy California cuisine • Foodies who collect regional cookbooks rich with history and visuals • People who bought Twelve Recipes, Zuni, and Gjelina • Fans of the French Laundry and Alice Waters

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You may know Dude Perfect from their mind-blowing, world record-breaking, viral trick shot?videos and hilarious Overtime videos! Now, with the guys’, massive, step by step book Dude Perfect 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff, you’ll experience a behind-the-scenes look at their stunts and their personal lives,?plus photographic instructions so you can attempt their tricks at home! At Dude Perfect, we do everything we can to bring families closer together, and that’s why we’re excited?to share this book with you. Follow our step-by-step instructions to have your own Dude Perfect–style fun! Whether it’s for Christmas, Father’s day, or a family reunion, Dude Perfect 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff has all your trick shot needs.Tweens and teens, ages 8 to 12, will enjoy complete panda-monium with this in-depth look at Dude Perfect: five guys who are kickin' it, throwin' it, tossin' it, and shootin' it for more than 55 million YouTube?subscribers and more than twelve billion views. With an oversize format and fun, informative graphics, Dude Perfect 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff?includes: Step-by-step instructions to perform your own real life trick shots using everyday objects. A behind-the-scenes view of those hilarious Overtime videos and extreme sports moments. Dude Perfect teaching about what a blast patience, perseverance, teamwork, friendship, and faith can be. Fun science facts behind the seemingly impossible tricks—because really, how did they do that?! Infographics with "No way!" truths from the inspirational to the absurd. A deeper look into each Dude's personal life, including stats, favorite stunts, and insights. Each trick in?Dude Perfect 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff?is the perfect combination of challenging and doable to keep your young reader off-screen for hours. This interactive book is a great gift for birthdays, Easter baskets, holiday gift giving, or just because. Whether your own trickster wants to perform solo, challenge a friend, or host a family date night, this visually engaging book is a slam dunk for anyone who is young at heart.

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Cradled among the world's highest mountains - and sheltering one of its most devout religious communities - Tibet is, for many of us, an ultimate destination, a place that touches the heavens, a place only barely in our world, at its very end. In recent decades Western fascination with Tibet has soared, from the rise of Tibetan studies in academia to the rock concerts aimed at supporting its independence to the simple fact that most of us know - far from any base camp - exactly what a sherpa is. And yet any sustained look into Tibet as a place, any attempt to find one's way around its high plateaus and through its deep history, will yield this surprising fact: we have barely mapped it. With this atlas, Karl E. Ryavec rights that wrong, sweeping aside the image of Tibet as Shangri-La and putting in its place a comprehensive vision of the region as it really is, a civilization in its own right. And the results are absolutely stunning. The product of twelve years of research and eight more of mapmaking, A Historical Atlas of Tibet documents cultural and religious sites across the Tibetan Plateau and its bordering regions from the Paleolithic and Neolithic times all the way up to today. It ranges through the five main periods in Tibetan history, offering introductory maps of each followed by details of western, central, and eastern regions. It beautifully visualizes the history of Tibetan Buddhism, tracing its spread throughout Asia, with thousands of temples mapped, both within Tibet and across North China and Mongolia, all the way to Beijing. There are maps of major polities and their territorial administrations, as well as of the kingdoms of Guge and Purang in western Tibet, and of Derge and Nangchen in Kham. There are town plans of Lhasa and maps that focus on history and language, on population, natural resources, and contemporary politics. Extraordinarily comprehensive and absolutely gorgeous, this overdue volume will be a cornerstone in cartography, Asian studies, Buddhist studies, and in the libraries or on the coffee tables of anyone who has ever felt the draw of the landscapes, people, and cultures of the highest place on Earth.

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In 1944, a compilation of medical reports from the main prisoner of war work camps along the infamous Thailand-Burma railway was submitted to General Arimura Tsunemichi, commander of the Japanese Prisoner of War Administration. The authors stated that the reports were neither complaints nor protests, but merely statements of fact. The prisoners received only one reply -that all copies of the documents must be destroyed. As one officer later recalled, Of course, this was not done' and copies of these reports survived, stored away in dusty files, for future generations to learn the truth. Work on the railway began in June 1942, the Japanese using mainly forced civilian labour as well as some 12,000 British and Commonwealth PoWs. Such is well-known. So are the stories of ill-treatment and brutality, many of which have been published. The vast majority of these accounts, however, were written after the war, coloured by the sufferings the men had endured. The reports presented here are quite unique, for they were written by the medical officers in the camps as the events they describe were unfolding before their eyes. The health and well-being of the PoWs was the medical officers' primary concern, and these reports enable us to learn exactly how the men were treated, fed and cared for in unprecedented detail. There are no exaggerated tales or false memories here, merely facts, shocking and disturbing though they may be. We learn how the medical officers organised their hospitals and dealt with the terrible diseases, beatings and malnutrition the men endured. As the compilers of the reports state, 45 per cent of the men under their care died in the course of just twelve months. But equally, we find that the prisoners did have a voice and had the facilities, and the courage, to write and submit such reports to the Japanese, perhaps contradicting some of the long-held beliefs about conditions in the camps. Through the words of the Medical Officers themselves, some of the detail of what really happened on the Death Railway, for good or ill, is revealed here.

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There are few women in English history more famous or controversial than Queen Anne Boleyn. She was the second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I and the first English queen to be publicly executed. Much of what we think we know about her is coloured by myth and legend, and does not stand up to close scrutiny. Reinvented by each new generation, Anne is buried beneath centuries of labels: homewrecker, seductress, opportunist, witch, romantic victim, Protestant martyr, feminist. In this vivid and engaging account of the triumphant and harrowing final year of Queen Anne Boleyn's life, the author reveals a very human portrait of a brilliant, passionate and complex woman. The last twelve months of Anne's life contained both joy and heartbreak. This telling period bore witness to one of the longest and most politically significant progresses of Henry VIII's reign, improved relations between the royal couple, and Anne's longed-for pregnancy. With the dawning of the new year, the pendulum swung. In late January 1536, Anne received news that her husband had been thrown from his horse in his tiltyard at Greenwich. Just days later, tragedy struck. As the body of Anne's predecessor, Katherine of Aragon, was being prepared for burial, Anne miscarried her son. The promise of a new beginning dashed, the months that followed were a rollercoaster of anguish and hope, marked by betrayal, brutality and rumour. What began with so much promise, ended in silent dignity, amid a whirlwind of scandal, on a scaffold at the Tower of London. Through close examination of these intriguing events considered in their social and historical context, readers will gain a fresh perspective into the life and death of the woman behind the tantalising tale. "Natalie Grueninger skilfully unravels the myths surrounding Anne Boleyn's downfall, and presents the most compelling account of her final months to date. A Triumph." - Dr Owen Emmerson, Historian and Assistant Curator, Hever Castle "A heart-stirring account of Anne Boleyn's last living year. Researched flawlessly, the events are revealed in a compelling read; little-known facts adding to the tension which builds toward an emotional end. A must-read for fans and students of Tudor history." - Sandra Vasoli, author of Anne Boleyn's Letter From the Tower: A New Assessment "Genuinely ground-breaking, provocative yet sensitive, exquisitely well-researched and fair - both to Anne's friends and enemies - Natalie Grueninger's book shows us the complexities, and the secrets, that wove together during Anne Boleyn's final twelve months as queen. This is an exciting and important book of Tudor history." - Gareth Russell, Historian and author of The Ship of Dreams and Young and Damned and Fair "Astonishingly well-researched, The Final Year of Anne Boleyn triumphantly re-writes the fall of one of England's most famous queen consorts, shedding new light on a well-known story. A riveting and emotional read." - Kate McCaffrey, Assistant Curator, Hever Castle "The Final Year of Anne Boleyn is proof that a thoughtful, serious, and sensitive work of scholarship can also be entertainingly and delightfully written. Grueninger grasps the nitty-gritty and gives us a deeply considered, elegantly restrained, and often freshly compelling interpretation of this thrilling, contested, and fatal year." - Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, Historian, Author and Broadcaster. "Meticulously researched: check, well-referenced: check, a fascinating read: check, an engaging style: check. That's what I look for in a history book! Thank you, Natalie, for meddling in Anne's cause so delightfully well." - Claire Ridgway, Author and Historian "From the scaffold, she asked that we 'judge the best', but history has not been fair to Anne Boleyn. Finally, in this engrossing and meticulously researched exploration of the final year of the controversial queen's life, the real Anne leaps to life in all her tangible humanity. Brilliant, loving, compassionate, acerbic, resilient and breathtakingly bold, this is the Anne we've never fully met. From her dedication to the most vulnerable in her community, to her courage in fronting up to injustice, here was a woman who was speaking truth to power centuries before the term entered the lexicon. The prevailing patriarchy thought they'd silenced her but her enduring popularity has proven them wrong. Weaving primary sources and exhaustive contemporary research, Natalie Grueninger masterfully places the reader front and centre of one of the most portentous years in English history, untangling the complex web of intrigue that ended in the sanctioned murder of an English queen."- Karina Machado, Author and Podcaster

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Twelve years ago, tragedy struck a sleepy Texas town. Only a small number of those impacted surviveda group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away. This is their story.HER SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE: After spending years struggling to move on, Kincaid Breslin has put all of her energy into making life full and interesting. She may have lost her soulmate, but she doesn''t have to let that young tragedy shape who she is now...or continue to complicate her relationship with former best friend turned near-stranger, Ash.HIS CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT: Ashton Isaacs has spent his life runningfrom his past, from the best friend he''s always secretly loved, and from the truth of how he failed her when she needed him most. Now, over a decade later, it''s time to stop running and finally face the girl his heart never forgot.But Kincaid doesn''t know about everything that happened that night. She doesn''t know what he did, or why Ash is so certain she''ll never be able to forgive him. All she knows is that she''s missed having him in her life, and she''s willing to fightfor them, for the kids they used to be, and for this one final chance to let the past go forever. With Ash, her heart may finally be ready to healor shatter completely once and for all.By turns heart-wrenching and deeply romantic, this award-winning spicy contemporary romance will challenge the way you see life, love, and happily ever after.Readers are raving about this white-hot, deeply emotional survival romance:Phenomenal. Gets my highest recommendation!LORELEI JAMES, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authorUnforgettable Roni Loren at her best!KRISTEN CALLIHAN, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authorUnique, swoony, and lively. The Ones Who Got Away is the best kind of second-chance romance!SARINA BOWEN, USA Today bestselling authorThe Ones Who Got Away is EXACTLY what I love in romance; angsty, hot, conflicted, funny! Roni Loren delivers on all of it! Don''t let this book get away!M. O''KEEFE, USA Today bestselling authorThe Ones Who Got Away:The Ones Who Got Away, book 1The One You Can''t Forget, book 2The One You Fight For, book 3The One for You, book 4

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Mackie Shilstone is famous for helping world-class athletes achieve the body, drive, stamina and performance they need to win. Now, with four decades of health and fitness expertise, he focuses on providing solutions to the problem of childhood obesity. Today, one in three children are overweight. If no intervention is made, 80 percent of them will stay overweight as adults, which can put them at risk of medical problems (for example, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and asthma) and make them more susceptible to low self-esteem and depression. MACKIE SHILSTONE'S BODY PLAN FOR KIDS is a comprehensive guide to gaining control of your child's weight and the first book on weight loss in children to offer specific strategies for eating healthily, getting fit and feeling good about yourself, targeted to eight- to twelve-year-olds. Current research on overweight and obese children indicates that at this formative age, parents are a child's strongest role model and best able to affect positive eating and lifestyle changes. Research shows also that unsatisfactory role modeling by overweight parents with poor nutrition and sedentary habits are major causes of childhood obesity. Because of this, you, as parent and role model, are key to making the Body Plan for Kids work. Now Mackie trains you to become a trainer to your own family. Features of the plan include, how to: · Take height and weight measurements and determine body-fat percentage to accurately assess and monitor weight status; · Work with your child's doctor to determine an ideal target weight and a pounds safe to lose per week and much more. - Make better food choices and involve kids in label reading, shopping for healthy foods and meal planning and preparation; · Increase daily physical activity with the more than two-dozen games and activities included; · Track eating, exercise and weight loss electronically, upload photos; see quick stats and other visual motivators. Complete with age-specific advice from a pediatrician, nutritionist, clinical psychologist and other specialists, 50 recipes and more than 100 online and print resources for information on food and nutrition, physical fitness, weight-related issues, BODY PLAN FOR KIDS gives you the solutions and tools to bring about effective weight loss in your child (and you) with the goal of keeping it off as they become teenagers and adults.

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THE REESE WITHERSPOON OCTOBER BOOK CLUB PICK'Governments are right to fear words. They can change hearts and topple tyrannies....It's impossible not to be moved by Margaret Miu's courage, or to applaud her craftiness...And Bird is a brave and believable character, who gives us a relatable portal into a world that seems more like our own every day' Stephen King, New York Times'As lyrical as it is chilling, as astonishing as it is empathic, Our Missing Hearts arguably achieves literary perfection' Booklist (starred review)From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, a deeply heart-wrenching novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear.Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard's library. He knows not to ask too many questions, stand out too much, stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve 'American culture' in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic - including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him through the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can turn a blind eye to the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power - and limitations - of art to create change in the world, the lessons and legacies we pass onto our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.

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A Complete Learning-Program for Intermediate Spanish Willey is proud to present a flexible new Intermediate Spanish series that makes learning fun! Two texts combined with a workbook and a complete audio program immerse students in the language via real-life vignettes, media, and photos! All components of the program are closely coordinated to reinforce key grammatical and vocabulary points. Mundo Unido: Repaso y conversación Marí a Canteli Dominicis, St. John’s University 58485–1 Reinforcing all four skills, the grammar review features clear explanations and numerous realia-based exercises. The exercises promote an active use of the language with many pair and group and self-expression activities. Turns grammar review into a fun, culturally enriching experience by placing it in a realistic meaningful context. This is achieved through the inclusion of brief readings, lots of realia and photos, and profiles of famous Hispanics. Crystal clear grammatical explanations are immediately applied in dialogues and prose. English is used to help clarify more difficult points. Directions and the exercises themselves are given in Spanish. Unique escenas illustrate vocabulary and provide a springboard for conversations and activities. Contemporary readings open each chapter to introduce the theme and provide contextualized vocabulary. Mundo Unido: Lectura y escritura Robert L. Nicholas, University of Wisconsin-Madison 58484–3 Thematically and lexically tied to the accompanying grammar book, the reader focuses on Hispanic life in the 90’s. Grammar capsules and numerous realia-based exercises reinforce four language skills. A wide selection of short and long readings includes both cultural and literary selections with the majority reflecting Hispanic life in the 90’s. Some of the authors featured include Isabel Allende, Octavio Paz, Carmen Martin Gaite, and Gloria Fuertes. A great smorgasbord of realia-based exercises that range from traditional grammatical and vocabulary review to more communicative exercises encourage self-expression and pair and group work. Reading and writing strategies enhance reading habits, vocabulary acquisition, and writing skills. The Other Program Elements Workbook/Lab Manual—contains grammar and verb review to better prepare students for the in-class communicative exercises. It also has fun vocabulary applications through descriptive visuals, crossword puzzles, realia, etc. The lab portion includes oral exercises for practicing vocabulary, listening comprehension, and oral expression activities. Audio Cassettes—twelve 30-minute cassettes that reinforce vocabulary, listening comprehension, and oral expression. A Tapescript is also available.

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“Original and imaginative . . . Ripping suspense, sheer terror, and a wrenching love story.” —Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author of FrictionThe terrible truth about Manderley is that someone is always watching. Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new twenty-story hotel on the California coast. It’s about to open its doors, and the world--at least those with the means to afford it--will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security. But someone is determined that Manderley will never open. The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next twelve hours they will be killed off, one by one. Writing in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, and with a deep bow to Daphne du Maurier, author Gina Wohlsdorf pairs narrative ingenuity and razor-wire prose with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is grand guignol storytelling at its very best. A shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a multifaceted love story unlike any other, Security marks the debut of a fearless and gifted writer. “Be surprised, be very surprised: Gina Wohlsdorf brings more than just plot twists and a terrifically tender love story to this thriller . . . It’s her playful homage to Hitchcock and du Maurier that had me reading, howling, and just plain loving this novel.” —Sara Gruen, author of At the Water’s Edge “Grand Hotel meets Psycho in the age of surveillance . . . Security is cinematically vivid, crisply written, and sharp enough to cut . . . Wohlsdorf brilliantly subverts our expectations of the action genre in this smart, shocking, poignant thriller.” —Emily Croy Barker, author of The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic “The thrill of this novel goes beyond its wickedly clever, split-screen, high-tech wizardry—a kind of video gamer’s literary retake of Hitchcock’s Rear Window--and emanates from its strange, disembodied narrator . . . The effect is terrifying, sexy, dizzying, and impossible to look away from.” —Tim Johnston, author of Descent “Shocking and filled with Tarantino-ish dark humor. . . Structurally reminiscent of the amazing Jennifer Egan,Wohlsdorf’s book is certainly a hybrid, like nothing else. Get ready.” —Ann Beattie, author of The State We’re In “Flawless . . . Security is perfectly tuned for blockbuster status . . . They don’t make a hotel big enough to house all the people who will want to read this, and soon, as in Manderley, all eyes will be on Wohlsdorf.” —Daniel Kraus, Booklist, starred review

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An epic and unforgettable love story begins in Saving 6, the third book in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh. The power and pain of first love has never been more deeply felt than in Chloe Walsh's extraordinary stories about the irresistible Boys of Tommen, which will give you the ultimate book hangover. The reader reaction to The Boys of Tommen says it all! 'Absolute perfection. This book will ruin you' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'I have no words as to how heartbreakingly beautiful this book is and the talent of Chloe is unmeasured in my eyes' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Chloe Walsh is a genius when it comes to creating characters and writing, making you feel every emotion' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'There's not enough stars to rate this book it is simply outstanding!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ......................... He's a boy who's lost. She's girl who might just be the home he's never had.The second born son in a broken marriage, Joey Lynch has spent a lifetime picking up the pieces of a family unravelling. When his older brother Darren skips town, twelve-year-old Joey finds himself thrown into the role of protector to his younger siblings and mother. Plagued by self-loathing, and furious with the world, he grapples with teenage life and his unwavering sense of duty to his family, while balancing precariously close to a life of addiction that threatens to swallow him whole. The only light in his sea of darkness is his boss's firecracker of a daughter who refuses to back down. A girl who just so happens to be his classmate.Aoife Molloy has never been backwards in coming forward. Her bubbly and self-assured nature has never led her astray. Until her first day of secondary school when she collides with a hot-headed boy who sparks a burning curiosity inside of her that only grows stronger by the day.Falling into a complicated friendship with her father's apprentice, Aoife works to unravel the secrets around Joey Lynch's life - while he desperately fights to keep her out.......................... Want more of Joey, Aoife and the rest of The Boys of Tommen? Read the rest of the series so far: Binding 13 Keeping 13 Saving 6 Redeeming 6Taming 7 - preorder Claire and Gibsie's story now!

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“Anyone with even the vaguest interest in food (or other people’s houses generally) should order Carrie Solomon and Adrian Moore’s newly released Chefs’ Fridges.”—British Vogue"If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite chef eats at home, now’s your chance to find out. Chefs’ Fridges hops all over the continents of North America and Europe, peeking inside the home fridges of Nancy Silverton, Hugh Acheson, Enrique Olvera, José Andrés, Jessica Koslow, and more acclaimed chefs."—Food & WineFind out what’s in some of the world’s most esteemed chef’s kitchens with this fascinating compendium that showcases more than thirty-five of today’s masters, including José Andrés, Christina Tosi, Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, Nancy Silverton, Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Ludo Lefebvre, and Carla Hall—in up-close profiles and gorgeous color photos, plus two recipes for the dishes they like to cook at home.For authors Carrie Solomon and Adrian Moore, and demonstrably, to the rest of the world, chefs are intriguing creatures. Their creations shape our culture and become an indelible part of our experience. They make food delicious beyond our wildest dreams. But what happens when the chef whites come off and they head home? Filled with exclusive photographs and interviews granted especially for this book, Chefs’ Fridges is a personal look into the refrigerators and kitchens of more than 35 of the world’s most esteemed chefs, including twelve chefs with thirty-six Michelin stars shared between them. You will feel as if you are having a conversation with a great chef as they stand before an open fridge, deciding what to eat.Each chef’s entry contains an anecdotal essay that sheds light on his or her personal and culinary background; numerous annotated full-bleed spreads of the contents of their refrigerators and freezers so you can see what makes their culinary clock tick; a short, straightforward Q&A section; an informal portrait in their kitchen; and recipes. The featured chefs include: Hugh Acheson, José Andrés, Dan Barber, Pascal Barbot, Kristian Baumann, Daniel Boulud, Sean Brock, Amanda Cohen, Dominique Crenn, Wylie Dufresne, Kristen Essig, Pierre Gagnaire, Carla Hall, Mason Hereford, Jordan Kahn, Tom Kitchin, Jessica Koslow, Ludo Lefebvre, Nadine Levy Redzepi, Barbara Lynch, Greg Marchand, David McMillan, Enrique Olvera, Ivan Orkin, Paco Perez, Anthony Rose, Marie-Aude Rose, Carme Ruscalleda, Nancy Silverton, Clare Smyth, Mette Soberg, Alex Stupak, Christina Tosi, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Alice Waters.

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