Search results for ""Author Shin"

Includes a code for free CD download of many of the bands featured in this book!Nirvana, the White Stripes, Hole, the Hives – all sprang from an underground music scene where similarly raw bands, enjoying various degrees of success and hard luck, played for throngs of fans in venues ranging from dive bars to massive festivals, but were mostly ignored by a music industry focused on mega-bands and shiny pop stars. We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001 tracks the inspiration and beautiful destruction of this largely undocumented movement. What they took, they fought for, every night. They reveled in '50s rock 'n' roll and '60s garage rock while creating their own wave of gut-busting riffs and rhythm.The majority of bands that populate this book – the Dwarves, the Gories, the Supersuckers, the Mummies, Rocket from the Crypt, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the Muffs, and the Donnas among them – gained little long-term reward from their nonstop touring and brain-slapping records. What they did have was free liquor, good drugs, guilt-free sex, and a crazy good time, all the while building a dedicated fan base that extends across America, Europe, and Japan. Truly, this is the last great wave of down-and-dirty rock 'n' roll.

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Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! Love triangle! Comedic antics!! Gang warfare?! You won’t want to miss out on Shonen Jump's laugh-out-loud feel-good manga series! It's hate at first sight when Raku Ichijo first meets Chitoge Kirisaki. But much to their chagrin, the two are forced into a false love relationship to keep the peace between their feuding gangster families. A meteor shower that comes only once in 50 years is said to bring lovers together, so both Chitoge and Kosaki want to declare their love to Raku when they all gather to watch the night sky! Meanwhile, Raku still hasn’t come to terms with his own feelings… What truth will shine on this starry evening? * A laugh-out-loud story that features a fake love relationship between two heirs of rival gangs! * Releases 6 times a year for 25 volumes. Series ends at volume 25. * Anime is streaming on Crunchyroll in North America, South America, and South Africa. * Great selection for “T” audience and librarians, as it has a good mix of lighthearted comedy, action, and romance. * “With a sense of fun that comes out in the art and text, some nice twists…and a crazy blond ninja guy named Claude, Nisekoi's first two books…are a nice pick-me-up or light bit of distraction. The delight it takes in itself is contagious, and in this case, that works out very well indeed.” –Anime News Network

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‘Each of us is born, I believe, with a unique mission, a purpose in life that only we can fulfill. We are linked by a shared responsibility: to help our human family grow kinder and happier.’ Tina Turner, one of the world’s most beloved artists and entertainers, reveals the deep wisdom that underpins her longstanding faith in Buddhism and provides a guide to these timeless principles so you can find happiness in your own life. In Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, Tina shows how all of us can overcome life’s obstacles—even transform the ‘impossible’ to possible—and fulfill our dreams. She shows how we, too, can improve our lives, empowering us with spiritual tools and sage advice to enrich our unique paths. Buddhism has been a central part of Tina Turner’s life for decades and, in music, film, and live performances, she has shined brightly as an example of generating hope from nothing, breaking through all limitations, and achieving success that endures. Drawing from the lessons of her own experiences–from rising out of adversity to stratospheric heights–Tina shows how the spiritual lessons of Buddhism helped her transform from sorrow, adversity, and poverty into joy, stability, and prosperity. Now, Tina offers the wisdom gained throughout her extraordinary life, making Happiness Becomes You the perfect gift of inspiration for you or anyone you love.

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Finding your way is never a simple journey… Alice sees the worst in people. She also sees the best.She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.Every. Single. Day. But it’s the dark thoughts.The sadness. The rage.These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her. Where will the journey to find herself begin? Everyone loves In a Thousand Different Ways… ‘Ahern makes Alice’s plight touchingly convincing . . . [her] pain is raw on the page’ The Times ‘An extraordinary and truly original story – a must read this month’ Prima ‘Stunning’ Irish Independent ‘Beautiful, moving and unexpected, In a Thousand Different ways is an unforgettable story. This is Cecelia Ahern at her very best’ Louise O’Neill ‘Utterly wonderful . . . Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller at the absolute peak of her powers. Her heroine, Alice Kelly, is completely unique – beguiling, complicated, extraordinary – and she’ll change the way you see the world’ Clare Pooley ‘A novel that’s so wise and profound, there’s gold on every page’ Donal Ryan ‘A thoughtful, engrossing novel that’s a joy to read’ Sunday Express ‘So moving’ Heat ‘Ahern’s original talent for sensitive storytelling shines through in this novel’ Woman’s Weekly Cecelia Ahern's book In a Thousand Different Ways was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 17-04-2023

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What Would Freud Do? uses the key ideas of more than 80 psychological thinkers, past and present, to shine new light onto today's everyday problems. Ever wondered what a great therapist like Freud or Jung would have to say about your horrible boss, your phone-checking addiction or an occasional wish to cheat on your partner? Ever wished someone would explain why you sometimes act like an idiot just when you want to look good, or generally keep doing things you don't really want to do?From Erich Fromm on how to find Mr/Mrs Right, to Jaak Panksepp on road rage and Magda Arnold on how to deal with 'banter', these theorists have intriuging suggestions for ways to see and do things differently. Divided into five sections, including 'What am I like?', and 'Why am I acting like this?', other questions include:-'My family's a nightmare -- shall I cut them off?'-'Is my partner lying to me?'-'Why do I keep buying the same brand all the time?'-'How can I stop people unfriending me on social media?'-'Why do I lie when she says "Does my bum look big in this?"'With Sarah Tomley's enlightening commentary throughout, this book provides the answers to the most deep and meaningful (or, indeed, shallow and meaningless) questions that you have ever pondered. A pocket guide to facing the hurdles and obstacles of life, with the advice of all the greatest psychologists at your fingertips.

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Shortlisted for the National Book Critics' Circle Award for Non-fiction, 2008'A brilliant, unsentimental, often darkly humorous account of America's nervous breakdown after 9/11.' -- Publishers Weekly *starred review*In this remarkable and strikingly original examination of America post-9/11, Susan Faludi shines a light on the psychological response to the attacks. Turning her acute observational powers on the media, popular culture, and political life, Faludi unearths a drama shot through with baffling contradictions. Why did Americans respond to an assault against their global dominance with a frenzied summons to restore 'traditional' manhood, marriage and maternity? Why did they react as if the hijackers had targeted not a commercial and military edifice but the family home and nursery? Why did an attack fuelled by hatred of Western emancipation lead them to a regressive fixation on 'Doris Day' womanhood and 'John Wayne' masculinity, with trembling mothers, swaggering presidential gunslingers, and the 'rescue' of a female soldier, Jessica Lynch, cast as a 'helpless little girl'?The answer, Faludi finds, lies in a uniquely American historical anomaly: the nation that in recent memory has been least vulnerable to domestic attack was forged in traumatizing assaults on town and village by non-white 'barbarians'. That humiliation lies concealed under a myth of cowboy bluster and feminine frailty, which is reanimated whenever threat and shame looms. The Terror Dream is a brilliant and important new look at what 9/11 revealed about America.

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In his late fifties and having one eye on a well-earned retirement Colin Murray, a full-time decorator and Church pastor in North East Scotland received the bombshell news he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. From the sheer panic of his first night following his MND diagnosis, Colin confronts the brutal, merciless muscle wasting disease head on with prayer and positivity. Accepting his diagnosis, he continues to fight his prognosis with positivity and prayer. In Life Matters, Colin reminds us that we should never minimise or over spiritualise anyone’s struggle with pain and that secular groups are more compassionate, empathetic, and Christlike than Christians with questionable doctrine. While many question their faith and recoil with fear in the face of a terminal diagnosis Colin remains a persevering, shining light to many during his declining health and an ever-increasing loss of mobility. This book is testimony that hope is real, Spirit life is real and in: “Gods strength is made perfect in weakness”. As a Church pastor Colin realises that his life now, is his greatest sermon. It is clear reading this powerful book that Colin is no whitewashed tomb. He is alive in Christ, already a possessor of the “life of the age to come”. Although outwardly wasting away Colin is being inwardly renewed “daily”. This is a must read for anyone battling a serious illness.

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'This honest and beautiful book is a story of resilience and doing life your way' Fearne Cotton'Kris's story should make you feel grateful for every second you're alive. It's a testament to her positivity, empathy, bravery and her unfailing sense of humour' Dermot O'Leary'A manifesto for how to be alive. It will leave you calm, hopeful and unafraid' Dawn O'PorterKris was living a totally normal life as a twenty-three-year-old: travelling the world, falling in love, making plans. However, when she found a lump in her boob and was told that it was not only cancer, but also incurable, life took on a completely new meaning. She was diagnosed at an age when life wasn’t something to be grateful for, but a goddamn right.Little did Kris know it was cancer that would lead her to a life she had never considered: a happy one. From founding a charity to visiting Downing Street, campaigning at festivals to appearing on TV, and being present at the birth of her nephew; in the face of all the possible prognoses, Kris is surviving, thriving, and resolutely living.Glittering a Turd is more than just another cancer memoir; it’s a handbook for living life to the fullest, shining a new perspective on survival and learning to glitter your own turd, whatever it might be. Kris has survived the unsurvivable for twelve years. Here, she begins to discover why.

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For many, video games are like magic. They hide in the dark and then appear from nowhere, fully formed. Based on over a dozen firsthand interviews that cover genre-defining games and the titles that inspired them Metal Gear Solid, Thief, Deus Ex, Dishonored, Assassin's Creed, Hitman, Splinter Cell, Prey, The Last of Us Part II, and more this book shines a flashlight into the shadowy corners of game development history, uncovering the untold stories behind these formative titles. These insider interviews cover development struggles, internal conflicts, changes in direction, and insight into the reasoning and challenges behind specific mechanics and development decisions. There's the story of how Thief was developed, in part, by an indie band. It covers Metal Gear Solid's localisation issues and the Americanisation of Hideo Kojima's seminal stealth series, along with a page from the original Metal Gear Solid design document. Elsewhere, one of IO Interactive's founders explains why Hitman's Agent 47 is inspired by Coca-Cola, the creator of Assassin's Creed tells us his vision for the future of the series, and there are plenty of surprises besides. Rather than looking back at the genre as a whole, it traces a line through and connects the dots via personal stories and anecdotes from the people who were there. Foreword written by Arkane's Harvey Smith.

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Told in woozy, narrative prose poems, the award-winning chronicle of a group of friends stumbling their way into 21st-century adulthood 'Genius . . . Keatsian in density and bloom' Brenda Shaughnessy 'Poppick represents a slice of his generation . . . he lets himself delight in verbal unpredictability, when figures of speech jump out, or sparkle and shine' The New York Times Book Review These poems tell the story of a generation in crisis: at odds with its own ideals, precariously (or just un-) employed, and absolutely terrified of seeing itself in the planet's future. Is our contemporary moment pure tragedy, or a dark joke? Can it be both? Ranging between elegiac lyrics and autobiographical accounts of a group of poets moving from Iowa to Brooklyn in the years before and after the 2016 election, Fear of Description reinvigorates the prose poem, exploring the slippery terrain between grief and friendship, artifice and technology, writing and ritual, hauntings and obsessions - searching for joy in art but instead finding it in pitch darkness. As the narrative cuts back and forth in time and circles around itself, the stories which begin to emerge in this remarkable book - of precarious employment, dead dogs speaking through Ouija boards and youthful brilliance cut short - explore at once the struggle to find one's place in the world, and the fear of being trapped once there. 'Through Poppick's memories we relive that brief window of youth when friendship is the magic audience that grounds us' Jennifer Moxley

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies introducing children to animals from the Gospel. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.Baby Touch and Feel: Bible Animals is an interactive and fun way to help your child learn about the Gospal, and meet a few cute farmyard friends along the way. Bold, bright pictures and colorful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby’s attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mom and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough bible board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes: • An amazing range of different textures to explore • Clearly labeled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design • Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building • A texture or eye-catching area on every page • Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teeth Learning to read should always be this fun, and the same goes for learning about Christ. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names of the baby animals to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal Easter baby gift. Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colors and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies that inspires hands-on learning, with the help of the few bamboo chewing pandasBaby Touch and Feel: Panda is an interactive and fun way to help your child about shapes, textures, and one of nature’s most happy and delightful animals - the Panda. Bold, bright, and sometimes black and white, pictures and colorful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby’s attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mom and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes: • An amazing range of different textures to explore • Clearly labeled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design • Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building • A texture or eye-catching area on every page • Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teeth Learning to read should always be this fun. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal baby gift.Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colors and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies that inspires learning, and introduce children to some water-based pals. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.Baby Touch and Feel: Splish! Splash! is an interactive and fun way to help your child learn about words, improve their motor skills, and enjoy their reading time! Bold, bright pictures and colorful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby’s attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mom and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes: • An amazing range of different textures to explore • Clearly labeled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design • Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building • A texture or eye-catching area on every page • Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teeth Learning to read should always be this fun. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal baby gift.Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colors and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies that inspires hands-on learning and helps your baby learn their numbers. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.Baby Touch and Feel: Counting is an interactive and fun way to help your child learn not only words but shapes and textures too. Bold, bright pictures and colourful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby's attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mum and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes: - An amazing range of different textures to explore- Clearly labelled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design- Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building- A texture or eye-catching area on every page- Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teethLearning to read should always be this fun. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal baby gift.Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colours and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies that inspires hands-on learning. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.Baby Touch and Feel: Truck is an interactive and fun way to help your child discover shapes, textures, and brand new words - as well as enjoy their favourite trucks!. Bold, bright pictures and colourful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby's attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mum and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes:- An amazing range of different textures to explore- Clearly labelled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design- Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building- A texture or eye-catching area on every page- Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teethLearning to read should always be this fun. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal baby gift.Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colours and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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An interactive touch and feel book for babies full of delightful, adorable, baby kittens. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.Baby Touch and Feel: Kittens is an interactive and fun way to help your child learn not only words but shapes and textures too. Bold, bright pictures and colourful illustrations will be more than enough to keep your baby's attention. This adorable picture book is a perfect first book for preschoolers and makes for an ideal baby gift.Not too big and not too small, this sturdy, padded sensory book is just the right size for little hands to hold. No need for Mum and Dad to turn the pages! Babies and toddlers can turn the tough board book pages themselves, which helps to develop their fine motor skills while building an early language foundation.This charming board book for babies includes: - An amazing range of different textures to explore- Clearly labelled pictures and a simple, easy to follow design- Easy to read text to encourage early vocabulary building- A texture or eye-catching area on every page- Rounded edges and chunky pages, protecting babies and their growing teethLearning to read should always be this fun. Kids will get hours of play from this sturdy board book for babies and toddlers, from making the noises and reading the names to feeling the different textures. Packed full of shiny objects and some bumps and grooves, this educational book will engage small children and stimulate early childhood development in different ways. This touchy feely book, with its strong, baby-safe jacket, makes for an ideal baby gift.Complete the SeriesThis delightful book is part of the Baby Touch and Feel range of board books for babies and toddlers from DK Books and includes titles like Baby Touch and Feel Animals, Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime, Baby Touch and Feel Colours and Shapes, and more for your little one to enjoy!

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The Times Book of the YearBBC History Magazine Book of the YearDaily Telegraph Book of the Year BOOK OF THE WEEK - The Times ‘The strength of this book lies in the cold realities it delivers. “The thirteen months of 1947-48,” writes Fenby, “provide trenchant examples of how realpolitik can serve a wider purpose if those in power know how to use it.” Crucible captures perfectly the urgency of the time…Read this book for the light it shines on a turbulent time; cherish it for the lessons it provides’ - Gerard DeGroot 'Looking back 70 years Jonathan Fenby argues convincingly that the period from 1947 to 1948 “really did change the world”. His book is an assured gallop across the terrain of contemporary history in this fateful year. The global devastation of the second world war had smashed longstanding institutions and bankrupted empires, leaving behind the kind of power vacuums that were major openings for change and chaos. Crucible swings from one region to the next in a fast-moving account of how local actors filled those vacuums, often with violence.’Mary Sarote, Financial TimesOne year shaped the world we know today. This is the page-turning story of the pivotal changes which were forged in the space of thirteen months of 1947-48 Two years after the end of the second conflict to engulf the world in twenty years, and the defeat of the Axis forces of Germany, Italy and Japan, this momentous time saw the unrolling of the Cold War between Joseph Stalin's Soviet Russia and the Western powers under the untried leadership of Harry Truman as America came to play a global role for the first time.The British Empire began its demise with the birth of the Indian and Pakistan republics with the flight of millions and wholesale slaughter as Vietnam, Indonesia and other colonies around the globe vied for freedom. 1948 also marked the creation of the state of Israel, the refugee flight of Palestinians and the first Arab-Israeli war as well as the victories of Communist armies that led to their final triumph in China, the coming of apartheid to South Africa, the division of Korea, major technological change and the rolling out of the welfare state against a backdrop of events that ensured the global order would never be the same again. This dynamic narrative spans the planet with overlapping epic episodes featuring such historic figures as Truman and Marshall, Stalin and Molotov, Attlee and Bevin, De Gaulle and Adenauer, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek, Nehru and Jinnah, Ben Gurion and the Arab leaders. Between them, they forged the path to our modern world.

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TV presenter Graham Hancock's multi-million bestseller Fingerprints of the Gods remains an astonishing, deeply controversial, wide-ranging investigation of the mysteries of our past and the evidence for Earth's lost civilization. Twenty years on, Hancock returns with a book filled with completely new, scientific and archaeological evidence, which has only recently come to light...The evidence revealed in this book shows beyond reasonable doubt that an advanced civilization that flourished during the Ice Age was destroyed in the global cataclysms between 12,800 and 11,600 years ago.Near the end of the last Ice Age 12,800 years ago, a giant comet that had entered the solar system from deep space thousands of years earlier, broke into multiple fragments. Some of these struck the Earth causing a global cataclysm on a scale unseen since the extinction of the dinosaurs. At least eight of the fragments hit the North American ice cap, while further fragments hit the northern European ice cap. The impacts, from comet fragments a mile wide approaching at more than 60,000 miles an hour, generated huge amounts of heat which instantly liquidized millions of square kilometres of ice, destabilizing the Earth's crust and causing the global Deluge that is remembered in myths all around the world.A second series of impacts, equally devastating, causing further cataclysmic flooding, occurred 11,600 years ago, the exact date that Plato gives for the destruction and submergence of Atlantis. But there were survivors - known to later cultures by names such as 'the Sages', 'the Magicians', 'the Shining Ones', and 'the Mystery Teachers of Heaven'. They travelled the world in their great ships doing all in their power to keep the spark of civilization burning. They settled at key locations - Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, Baalbek in the Lebanon, Giza in Egypt, ancient Sumer, Mexico, Peru and across the Pacific where a huge pyramid has recently been discovered in Indonesia. Everywhere they went these 'Magicians of the Gods' brought with them the memory of a time when mankind had fallen out of harmony with the universe and paid a heavy price.A memory and a warning to the future... For the comet that wrought such destruction between 12,800 and 11,600 years may not be done with us yet. Astronomers believe that a 20-mile wide 'dark' fragment of the original giant comet remains hidden within its debris stream and threatens the Earth. An astronomical message encoded at Gobekli Tepe, and in the Sphinx and the pyramids of Egypt,warns that the 'Great Return' will occur in our time...

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**The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller** **Audiobook shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018** Gary Barlow is one of the most successful British musicians and songwriters of all time, but fifteen years ago, as he himself admits, he hit rock bottom - he was out of shape, out of work and depressed. His mental and physical health were at an all-time low, and he struggled to see a way out. Faced with an underperforming solo career, tireless media taunts and other cruel twists of fate, Gary turned to food. For nine years, he struggled with his weight and went on every diet imaginable. Fasting, extreme dieting, and binge eating saw him on a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral for which he eventually sought professional help, asking a doctor what the 'cure' for obesity was. That was the moment he realised that he would have to dramatically change his life and relationship with food. So how did he go from an obese, out-of-work pop star to one of the UK's favourite superstars of music and TV, as well an accomplished musical songwriter and producer who is full of vitality, fitter, happier and more successful than ever before?" In this extraordinarily honest memoir, Gary tells of his journey back to mental and physical health, as well as musical success. A Better Me is a remarkably frank account of Gary's life as he battled with his demons, endured devastating personal tragedy, and recovered his health from the extremities of disordered eating and obesity. In his warm, witty and authentic voice, Gary recounts his story with compelling insight, captivating sincerity and a human side that people rarely see. From overcoming his weight problems and crippling obsession with food, to returning with a critically and commercially successful Take That and reigniting his own legendary song-writing career, going beyond recorded music to forge success on TV with The X Factor and Let It Shine, this is the story of how Gary found balance in both his personal and professional life. Here is one of the UK's most beloved pop stars, more open, honest and raw than ever before.

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Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s deployment to East Tennessee promised a chance to shine. The commander of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia had long been overshadowed by his commander, Robert E. Lee, and the now-martyred Second Corp commander, Stonewall Jackson. Lee had nonetheless leaned heavily on Longstreet, whom he called his “Old Warhorse.” Reassigned to the Western Theater because of sliding fortunes there, the Old Warhorse hoped to run free with—finally—an independent command of his own. This experience is depicted in A Fine Opportunity Lost: Longstreet’s East Tennessee Campaign, November 1863 – April 1864 by Ed Lowe (Col., Ret.)For his Union opponent, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, East Tennessee offered an opportunity for redemption. Burnside’s early war success had been overshadowed by his disastrous turn at the head of the Army of the Potomac, where he suffered a dramatically lopsided loss at the battle of Fredericksburg followed by the humiliation of “The Mud March.”Removed from army command and shuffled to a less prominent theater, Burnside suddenly found his quiet corner of the war getting noisy and worrisome. The mid-September loss by the Union Army of the Cumberland at the battle of Chickamauga left it besieged in Chattanooga, Tennessee. That, in turn, opened the door to Union-leaning East Tennessee and imperiled Burnside’s isolated force around Knoxville, the region’s most important city. A strong move by Confederates would create political turmoil for Federal forces and cut off Burnside’s ability to come to Chattanooga’s aid.Into that breach marched Longstreet, fresh off his tide-turning role in the Confederate victory at Chickamauga. The Old Warhorse finally had the independent command he had longed for and an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum he had helped create.Longstreet’s First Corps and Burnside’s IX Corps had shared battlefields at Second Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Unexpectedly, these two old foes from the Eastern Theater now found themselves transplanted in the Western—familiar adversaries on unfamiliar ground. The fate of East Tennessee hung in the balance, and the reputations of the commanders would be won or lost.

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In the nineteenth century, a small but dedicated group of European and American women rose to agitate for the inclusion of women in the medical profession. It is a historic tale that we have told and retold for decades, but it is far from where the story of women as physicians and healers begins. Stretching back into deepest antiquity, we possess accounts of women who were consulted by emperors and paupers alike for their medical expertise. They were surgeons, apothecaries, midwives, university lecturers, and medical researchers in correspondence with the most learned societies of their time. And then it all came crashing down. A History of Women in Medicine and Medical Research is the story of the women who participated in that early Golden Age, and of a medical establishment closing ranks against them so effectively that, by the early Victorian era, they not only were barred from practicing medicine, but from so much as stepping into a classroom where medical topics were being discussed. It is the story of that intrepid band of reformers and pioneers who built back the women's medical profession from the ashes and constructed a thriving new community of researchers and practitioners who within a century had retaken not only the ground that had been lost, but boldly advanced to levels of fame and achievement unimaginable to any previous era. Told through in-depth accounts of the lives of the pioneers and practitioners who built and rebuilt the women's medical movement, this title dives into the lives of not only legendary figures like Florence Nightingale, Gertrude Elion, Rosalyn Yalow, and Elizabeth Blackwell, but visits women the world over whose medical contributions broke down doors and advanced the cause of women's and world health, like the revolutionary medieval physician Trota of Salerno, the pioneering eighteenth century midwife and businesswoman Madame du Coudray, the microbiological research trailblazer Mary Putnam Jacobi, and the HIV researcher and world epidemic response coordinator Francoise Barre-Sinoussi. With over 140 stories spanning three millennia of global medicine, this book shines a light on the unknown heroes, towering discoveries, tragic missteps, and profound struggles that have accompanied the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the women's medical profession.

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mahogany is about the passing of time and unimaginable loss, strength, humor, and love/>/>mahogany takes its name from the dark wood prized for its durability, workability, and elegant look, and from the Diana Ross movie, whose theme song asks if what lies ahead is what you really want. This book is the third in a trilogy, and like the first two books it is steeped in pop music. Each poem here takes its title from a line of a Diana Ross and The Supremes song, as well as songs from Diana Ross' solo career. Short lines flow down the page like postmodern psalms, connecting dailyness to timelessness, merging the historical and the beloved through reverence for family, music, and the life we actually live. mahogany is a lament for the passing of time and unimaginable loss, and at the same time it models the daily search for joy, and the deep shine that can arise from the darkest times./>/>[sample poem]/>/>i'm like a woman who once knew splendor*/>/>/>sometimes i feel like the pink panther/>all naked and pink/>lost in the morass of/>do the best you can today/>and nigga heal thy self/>our end of winter/>spirits break/>like old tibetan snow/>i remember/>you was conflicted/>and i found myself alone/>here on my ancient hurt/>the disquieting hum/>of living history/>dear god, please/>put my head above my heart/>we can only be together/>if the stories are told/>plain face/>same instrument/>just a couple of coke bottles/>full of gasoline/>like god and rain/>is a waste of time/>my mother used to clean houses/>as a child/>some days i can barely/>get out of bed/>in my mind/>she's like diana ross/>scrubbing the white lady's stairs/>in lady sings the blues/>except prettier/>and with green eyes/>i've just been living/>off of cough drops/>and water and anger/>just sitting in the whole foods/>parking lot eating pineapple/>i am literally/>the definition of "hot mess"/>pain changes everything/>somebody come/>and pick up/>my limp body/>off the ground/>i am dying/>a slow ohio death/>we miss you starman/>it's our first sunrise of the burn

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A powerful German counterattack in Normandy in August 1944 might have been one of the Wehrmacht's great shining moments in the Second World War. The odds were certainly in their favour. Determined to drive the Allies back to the English Channel, elements of four combat-hardened panzer divisions faced off against a single American infantry division near the town of Mortain. Instead, the Americans held their ground, enabling the Allied armies to secure the invasion and ultimately liberate France.In a vivid recreation of this pivotal battle—less celebrated than the encounter at the Falaise Pocket but just as decisive—Mark Reardon tells how the 30th Infantry Division held off the German panzer juggernaut, which was designed to drive a wedge between Allied forces. In recounting this showdown, he offers a new perspective on the German defeat in Normandy and a convincing counterpoint to the conventional view of most military analysts that Germany lost the war as a result of Allied materiel superiority or Hitler's strategic meddling.Through vigorous prose laced with compelling anecdotes, Reardon reconstructs the battle from both sides of the firing line to explain why it evolved and ended as it did. He reveals how professional rivalries and lack of accurate battlefield information hampered the efforts of German generals to execute a successful counteroffensive. He also tells how the U.S. Army profited from the bitter lessons of hedgerow fighting to gain superiority in ground manoeuvre, fire support, and the use of airpower, logistics, communications, and reconnaissance in the face of more experienced and better armed opponents.Reardon's riveting tale reveals that Americans GIs could fight as well as their more vaunted opponent, which gave the U.S. Army the confidence it needed to take the war into the enemy's homeland. Equally important, their victory prevented the Germans from retaking strategic points that would have kept the war bottled up in Normandy.Drawing not only on exhaustive research in Anglo-American and German archives but also on first hand accounts by more than two hundred American soldiers, Reardon's detailed reconstruction fills an important gap in the history of World War II combat that has existed for more than half a century.

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When the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education was handed down in 1954, many civil rights advocates believed that the decision finding public school segregation unconstitutional could become the Holy Grail of racial justice. Fifty years later, despite its legal irrelevance and the racially separate and educationally ineffective state of public schooling for most black children, Brown is still viewed by many as the perfect precedent. Derrick Bell here shatters this shining image of one of the Court's most celebrated rulings. He notes that, despite the onerous burdens of segregation, many black schools functioned well and racial bigotry had not rendered blacks a damaged race. Brown's recognition of racial injustice, without more, left racial barriers intact. Given what we now know about the pervasive nature of racism, the Court should have determined--for the first time--to rigorously enforce the "equal" component of the "separate but equal" standard. By striking it down, the Court intended both to improve the Nation's international image during the Cold War and offer blacks recognition that segregation was wrong. Instead, the Brown decision actually enraged and energized its opponents. It stirred confusion and conflict into the always vexing question of race in a society that, despite denials and a frustratingly flexible amnesia, owes much of its growth, development, and success, to the ability of those who dominate the society to use race to both control and exploit most people, black and white. Racial policy, Bell maintains, is made through silent covenants--unspoken convergences of interest and involuntary sacrifices of rights--that ensure that policies conform to priorities set by policy-makers. Blacks and whites are the fortuitous winners or losers in these unspoken agreements. The experience with Brown, Bell urges, should teach us that meaningful progress in the quest for racial justice requires more than the assertion of harms. Strategies must recognize and utilize the interest-convergence factors that strongly influence racial policy decisions. In Silent Covenants, Bell condenses more than four decades of thought and action into a powerful and eye-opening book.

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A fiercely intelligent, hilarious, and deeply feminist collection of interrelated personal stories from Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award–winning actress and director Christine Lahti.For decades, actress and director Christine Lahti has captivated the hearts and minds of her audience through iconic roles in Chicago Hope, Running on Empty, Housekeeping, And Justice for All, Swing Shift, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, God of Carnage, and The Blacklist. Now, in True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness, this acclaimed performer channels her creativity inward to share her own story for the first time on the page.In this poignant essay collection, Lahti focuses on three major periods of her life: her childhood, her early journey as an actress and activist, and the realities of her life as a middle-aged woman in Hollywood today. Lahti’s comical and self-deprecating voice shines through in stories such as "Kidnapped" and "Shit Happens," and she takes a boldly honest look at the painful fissures in her family in pieces such as "Mama Mia" and "Running on Empty." Taken together, the collection illuminates watershed moments in Lahti’s life, revealing her struggle to maintain integrity, fight her need for perfection, and remain true to her feminist inclinations.Lahti’s wisdom and candid insights are reminiscent of Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck and Joan Rivers’s I Hate Everyone—and yet her experiences are not exclusive to one generation. The soul of her writing can be seen as a spiritual mother to feminist actresses and comedic voices whose works are inspiring today’s young women, including Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Caitlin Moran, and Jenny Lawson. Her stories reveal a stumbling journey toward agency and empowerment as a woman—a journey that’s still very much a work in progress.True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness is about the power of storytelling to affirm and reframe the bedrock of who we are, revealing that we’re all unreliable eyewitnesses when it comes to our deeply personal memories. Told in a wildly fresh, unique voice, and with the unshakable ability to laugh at herself time and again, this is Christine Lahti’s best performance yet.

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A timely celebration of the many attributes our Queen brings to the nation – fortitude, stoicism, diplomacy, family values, sense of fun and style among them.Queen Elizabeth II – Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Head of the Commonwealth – has reigned over us for a record-breaking sixty-seven years. Now in her ninety-fourth year, this timely celebration sheds new light on the myriad attributes and personal qualities she brings to the nation. From fortitude in the face of adversity to standing as the nation’s ambassador all over the world, no one could doubt the work ethic that powers this remarkable woman, even into her nineties. Equally, her love of family – from her rock of over sixty years’ marriage, Prince Philip, to her great grandchildren – shines through. But what are the secrets of her success? How does she still approach her day-to-day with such vitality and aplomb, even when culture and society are changing rapidly all around her?The Queen on fame: When an MP commented that it must be a strain meeting so many strangers all the time, the Queen smiled, ‘It is not as difficult as it might seem. You see, I don’t have to introduce myself. They all seem to know who I am.’The Queen on fashion: In the late sixties when Mary Quant and the mini skirt came to epitomize all that was fashionable, Princess Anne suggested her mother might also consider shortening her hemline. The Queen was adamant, ‘I am not a film star.’ The Queen on family: As Great Britain’s most famous great grandmother, it is no surprise that the Queen values family life. ‘Marriage gains from the web of family relationships between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, cousins, aunts and uncles.’In this book Karen Dolby unpicks the key elements that make the Queen so special to – and so loved by – the nation and presents a guide to how you too could put into practice some of Her Majesty’s traits to help overcome adversity, find inner strength and present yourself as wonderfully considered and calm, even when all about you seems in chaos.

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How serialized crime shows became an American obsession TV shows and podcasts like Making a Murderer, Serial, and Atlanta Monster have taken the cultural zeitgeist by storm, and contributed to the release of wrongly imprisoned people—such as Adnan Syed. The popularity of these long-form true crime docuseries has sparked greater attention to issues of inequality, power, social class, and structural racism. More and more, the American public is asking, Who is and is not deserving of punishment, and who is and is not protected by the law? In The New True Crime, Diana Rickard argues that these new true crime series deserve our attention for what they reveal about our societal understanding of crime and punishment, and for the new light they shine on the inequalities of the criminal justice system. Questioning the finality of verdicts, framing facts as in the eye of the beholder—these new series unmoor our faith in what is knowable, even as, Rickard critically notes, they often blur the lines between “fact” and “fiction.” With a focus on some of the most popular true crime podcasts and streaming series of the last decade, Rickard provides an in-depth analysis of the ways in which this new media—which allows for binge-listening or watching—makes crime into a public spectacle and conveys ideological messages about punishment to its audience. Entertainment values have always been entwined with crime news reporting. Newsworthy stories, Rickard reminds us, need to involve sex, violence, or a famous person, and contain events that can be framed in terms of individualism and conservative ideologies about crime. Even as these old tropes of innocent victims and deviant bad guys still dominate these docuseries, Rickard also unpacks how the new true crime has been influenced by the innocence movement, a diverse group of organizers and activists, be they journalists, lawyers, formerly incarcerated people, or family members, who now have a place in mainstream consciousness as DNA evidence exonerates the wrongly convicted. The New True Crime questions the knowability of truth and probes our anxieties about the “real” nature of true crime media. For fans of true crime shows and anyone concerned about justice in America, this book will prove to be essential reading.

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Digital is far-reaching and ubiquitous - everything you know is about to change. We are living in the fourth age of humanity. First, we became human. Then we became civilized. The third age saw the creation of commerce. Now, we are becoming digital. Technology has changed the way we communicate, trade, and transact, with repercussions extending far beyond our personal spheres. Digital Human is a visionary roadmap for the future, a timely guide on how to navigate the world of finance as we create the next generation of humanity. It explores the digital evolution's impact and offers clear insights on thriving in this new era. Human and business relationships are evolving, and existing businesses must undergo substantial transformative changes to compete with the smaller, "lighter," and more agile companies that are able to quickly maneuver to match shifting consumer demands. A lack of online presence has become unthinkable, as consumer preferences continue to trend heavily toward online business and transactions—is your company equipped to thrive in this new era? While there is no definitive guide to this new reality, this insightful resource provides the starting point and roadmap to digital success in the financial services arena, covering aspects such as: Digital is not merely a “bolting on” of technology to produce results faster and cheaper, but a complete rethinking of common business practices and notions of efficiency and customer engagement Rethinking business starts with the customer - new business models are constructed entirely around this single, guiding principle A digital business model is all about connectivity, with front-office apps tied in to both back-office analytics and marketplaces with many players and segments Businesses must open their operations to this marketplace of players through APIs, necessitating a conversion of many core systems Central business and technology systems must change to adapt to new market entrants and new technologies that range from AI for back-office analytics to Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) for global operations Leaders must rethink their businesses to be fit for the future digital age, and this comprehensive resource shines a spotlight on the key elements to this transformation.

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This guide contains 20 circular walks in Shropshire, covering the very best of the county's wide-ranging landscape, from high up on the Shropshire Hills down to glorious woodland and wildlife-rich mosses; through historical towns and villages and along meandering waterways. There are recommendations for spring, summer, autumn and winter walks - including the best places to see bluebells in spring or wildflowers in summer, where best to appreciate autumn colours, and the perfect views for those crisp and clear winter days. The routes range from 21/2 to 8 miles. SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS: SPRING A sea of bluebells in Sallow Coppice & Clun A riot of rhododendrons in Burwarton, on the eastern slopes of Brown Clee Hill Ellesmere: a springtime walk with the chance of seeing herons nesting on Moscow Island SUMMER Take in magnificent views from Ragleth Hill Titterstone Clee Hill: an Iron Age hillfort, a frozen-in-time village & one of the best views in England A must-do walk at Stiperstones when the heather is in full bloom AUTUMN Collecting sweet chestnuts on an atmospheric walk in Comer Woods Foraging for fungi & wildlife-spotting at Whixall Moss Blazing autumn colours on a walk among the 300-year-old beech trees of Lydham WINTER Cound: woodland, fields & a valley carpeted with snowdrops A waterside walk on the Severn Way, taking in wildfowl at Chelmarsh Reservoir Weston Rhyn: check out formidable Chirk Castle & cross the border into Wales WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE - 20 circular Shropshire walking routes varying in length & difficulty, covering the hidden gems, must-see landmarks & noted beauty spots that make this such a special county for walking A WALK FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR - Walks chosen specifically for each season, with specific places that shine at certain times in the calendar ALL THE INFO YOU'LL NEED - All of these Shropshire walks include parking info & how to get there, recommended local pubs & cafes, points of interest along the way & other places to visit nearby EASY TO FOLLOW - Full colour maps & pictures throughout, with clear written instructions making it easy to find your way

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'Timely, necessary and important' J.K. Rowling'[This book is] guaranteed to remind us what we have still to fight for. I can't think of a single person who wouldn't benefit from reading it' Observer'Bindel is a rock star of second-wave feminism . . . an important, courageous book' The Times'Bindel delivers a robust call to arms in every chapter . . . this book could not be timelier . . . As a young feminist who has finally seen the light, I consider it essential reading' The CriticFeminism is a quest for the liberation of women from patriarchy. Feminism strives for a world in which women are not oppressed. Feminism prioritises exposing and ending male violence towards women and girls.This is Julie Bindel's feminism, a definition born of 40 years at the front line of the feminist movement. Why then, she asks, is feminism the only social justice movement in the world that is expected to prioritise every other issue before pursuing its own objective of women's liberation? Why does the movement appear to be moving backwards, accommodating the rights and feelings of men and leaving women in the cold? Women make up half the global population yet why is feminism still treated as a minority movement?In this searing and ground-breaking book, Bindel deconstructs the many pervasive myths about feminism - Do women really want what men have? Can men be feminists? Are women liberated by sexual violation? - assessing whether feminism has achieved its goals and debunking theories that second wave feminism is irrelevant and one-dimensional.Bindel shines a light on the most important issues, including pornography, sexual violence and prostitution. Drawing on Bindel's own experiences, as well as countless interviews with women and girls of all ages and backgrounds (as well as contributions from commentators such as Gloria Steinem and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie), Feminism for Women presents a clear-sighted view of why feminism is a proud social movement that every woman on the planet benefits from.The invisible forces of misogyny affect us all.This book is a call to arms to reclaim feminism for all women.Only together can we resist and overcome.

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‘One of the best books I have read in a very, very long time.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader ReviewTo follow her dream, she’s gone from city to village – but can she ever fit in?October 1940. Bobby Bancroft is working as a typist for a city newspaper, but she longs to be breaking the news herself. She is thrilled to secure a junior reporter role at The Tyke, a magazine serving the Yorkshire Dales.However, when Bobby moves to Silverdale, she discovers rural life is a different world. The close-knit villagers and cantankerous local animals prove difficult to win over, while mischievous vet Charlie seems determined to lead her astray.As Bobby struggles to find her place amongst the dalesfolk, she wonders if she’s made a huge mistake. Will the city girl ever make a home of the beautiful but hostile countryside of the Dales?An uplifting, lively World War Two rural saga that fans of Annie Murray, Rosie Hendry, Gervase Phinn and James Herriot will love.Readers are loving the first book in this captivating rural saga series:‘A gorgeous setting, appealing characters and brimming with warmth and humour. It’s a long time since a book has so thoroughly captured my heart. Don’t miss it!’ Kate FieldWhat a brilliant book…Family saga at its best.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘LOVED IT!!!...My heart ached when reading this… A lovely story, full of heart and home. I didn't want it to end…’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Read in 24 hours! Exceptional!...The storyline was strong and the characters were all likeable and relatable... There were lots of twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘I absolutely loved this book! The life and times of a wartime Yorkshire village and its people shine through, authentic, realistic and charming, and Bobby is a highly likeable heroine with ambition and heart… I am so pleased to see that there are going to be more books to come in this series. Can't wait!’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'I am beyond impressed with this book. I hope this truly is the start of a long series’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

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This book provides an insightful sociological study of the shrinking Japanese population through a regional variation perspective as it varies significantly by municipality, even within the same prefecture. Using demographic data on municipal levels, the book identifies the power unique to each municipality, which can mobilize a shrinking but sustainable Japan. The study identifies the principal explanatory factors based on the small area data of e-Stat through GPS statistical software tools such as G-census and EvaCva within a historical perspective. The theoretical framework of this study, i.e., the reason for regional variations in Japan, is the Goki-Shichido (Five Home Provinces and Seven Circuits of Ancient Japan). This historical knowledge helps in understanding the significance of the regional cultural heritage that remains in each municipality today. The book pays special attention to municipal variations within the same prefecture, utilizing a completely unique approach, unlike those that have been pursued by other researchers. This book studies three present-day prefectures for detailed analyses based on the Goki-Shichido framework for impacts of regional variations of population decline in Japan. They are Niigata Prefecture, made up of the formerly named Echigo and Sado provinces; Ishikawa Prefecture, formed by the ancient Kaga and Noto provinces; Fukui Prefecture, based on the earlier Wakasa and Echizen provinces of the Hokurikudo; Nagano Prefecture, still called Shinano province today and commonly divided into four areas and ten regions; and Gifu Prefecture, composed of the ancient Mino and Hida provinces of the Tosando as examples of the impact of municipal power on regional variations of shrinking Japan. However, due to the limitation of the number of pages set forth for Springer Briefs in Population Studies: Population Studies of Japan, for which the current publication is a part, it has become necessary to divide the book into two volumes, namely Volume I and Volume II. Because of this limitation, the current Volume II consisted of four chapters. They are Chapter 1: Fukui Prefecture in the Hokurikudo; Chapter 2: Nagano Prefecture in the Tosando; Chapter 3: Gifu Prefecture in the Tosando, and Chapter 4: Epilogue: The Future of Shrinking Japan. The remaining two prefectures, i.e., Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures in the Hokurikudo area have been discussed in the Volume I of this book. By presenting unique analyses of regional variations on small municipal levels, with demographic variables, social indicators, and historical identities, this book offers suggestions for effective regional policies to revitalize a shrinking Japan to a sustainable one.

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'Full of fun, friendship and romance - a real escapist treat' Jill Shalvis on What Happens In Vegas'If you are looking for a fun, sexy and swoon-worthy series about friendships and love, I can't recommend this one enough' Hopeless Romantics Book Blog'A five-star read that will whisk you away' Goodreads reviewer In the second warm, funny and romantic novel in the Girls' Weekend Away series, four best friends embark on the ultimate girls' getaway filled with hijinks and a sprinkling of romance. For any fan of Bridesmaids and Sex and the City and readers of Jo Watson, Lauren Layne, Joanna Bolouri and Cate Woods.The single mom... When Celia Fox's ex-husband serves her with custody papers during the same weekend he's getting remarried, she expects things to go downhill from there. So when her best friends show up to whisk her away for a girls' getaway to San Francisco, it's just what the doctor ordered. Add in the chance to see Landon Bryant again, and she can't wait for the weekend to begin. And the playboy millionaire... Landon and Celia shared stolen moments of passion in Vegas, and Landon hasn't been able to stop thinking about her since. He knows she's under pressure to hold her family together, but he's determined to prove he's there for her - and that she deserves some fun of her own. Are about to get wild. As Celia rediscovers who she used to be and her relationship with Landon deepens, she begins to believe he's someone she can rely on. But Celia has been keeping a secret from everyone - if the truth comes out, will they play it safe or take a leap of faith?Look for the other Girls' Weekend Away novels, including What Happens In Vegas!Rave reviews for Meet Me In San Francisco!'This book definitely falls into my top five list of contemporary romance series. Shana Gray has made these characters so "real"' Goodreads reviewer'The second in the "Girls Weekend Away" series, this book is as breezy as the first one. Half girlfriend road-trip, half wonderful guy sweeps woman off of her feet, there is plenty for everyone to like' Goodreads reviewerOmg!! Landon is truly sexy beast, I mean, he is a knight in shining armour' Goodreads reviewer'I thoroughly enjoyed Landon and Celia's story, but the girls were magic. On to Landon and Celia. They had some serious chemistry' Goodreads reviewer

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Bring the magic of color and form into your everyday life. Color and form are powerful—and not just for creative work. When used purposefully, color and shape are tools we can use to help us manifest, attract the energy we want, and become our best selves. In this accessible guide, designer and intuitive Nicole Pivirotto breaks down properties of shapes and colors, the basics of getting started with magic, and spell ideas that use color and form, like color meditation and altar building. Whether you have an existing magic practice, want to develop one, or want to use the power of color and form in your creative work, this book is an essential companion to the magic of aesthetics. With gorgeous holographic foil on the cover and book page edges, it is also a beautiful gift for any contemporary seeker with a love of bold color and design. ACCESSIBLE APPROACH TO MAGIC: This book approaches magic as a flexible and empowering practice for manifestation, healing, and self-care. And there's no need to have any special tools to get started. This book shows how visual elements we interact with every day—color, shapes, and symbols—can help you to manifest and become your best self. It's a perfect entry to magic practice for creative types and a unique guide for those looking to infuse an existing practice with more color and creativity. SPELL IDEAS: In addition to overviews of the properties of colors, a library of magical symbols, and an introduction to magic practice, this book offers spell ideas to help you achieve a desired energy or state. All the spells are simple and most are easy to perform with everyday materials. Etch a candle with a symbol and burn to release its energy around you; or, create a custom symbol personalized to your unique intention. This book encourages getting creative, and offers plenty of practical examples to illustrate how you can tailor these spells to your interests and intentions. DISPLAY-WORTHY OBJECT: With shining foil-stamped accents, vibrant illustrations and photography, and a prismatic design, this book is a stunning addition to the coffee table or nightstand, and it makes a gorgeous gift. Perfect for: • modern mystics and those looking for gifts for them • color lovers, creatives, designers, and visual thinkers with a mystic mindset

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"Talton shines in weaving together the mystery elements of the plots with historical events from the Prohibition period. Fast-paced, gritty, and exciting, this one will have fans of both Depression-era and southwestern-set crime fiction begging for more!"—Booklist, Starred ReviewA fresh take on classic noir, City of Dark Corners reveals the seedy underbelly of the budding city of Phoenix in the 1930s and the lengths one man will go to uphold justice no matter the cost.Phoenix, 1933: A young city with big dreams and dark cornersGreat War veteran and rising star Gene Hammons lost his job as a homicide detective when he tried to prove that a woman was wrongly convicted of murder to protect a well-connected man. Now a private investigator, Hammons makes his living looking for missing persons—a plentiful caseload during the Great Depression, when people seem to disappear all the time.But his routine is disrupted when his brother—another homicide detective, still on the force—enlists his help looking into the death of a young woman whose dismembered body is found beside the railroad tracks. The sheriff rules it an accident, but the carnage is too neat, and the staging of the body parts too ritual. Hammons suspects it's the work of a "lust murderer"—similar to the serial strangler whose killing spree he had ended a few years earlier. But who was the poor girl, dressed demurely in pink? And why was his business card tucked into her small purse? As Hammons searches for the victim's identity, he discovers that the dead girl had some secrets of her own, and that the case is connected to some of Phoenix's most powerful citizens—on both sides of the law.Perfect for fans of David Baldacci and historical mysteries, City of Dark Corners puts readers at the heart of the fear and uncertainty of the Great Depression and the lawlessness of America during prohibition.Additional praise for City of Dark Corners:"This gritty stand-alone deals with Phoenix's rough-and-tumble past and its questionable police force in the 1930s. Talton excels at creating the ambiance of historic Phoenix. [Suggested] for fans of realistic historical mysteries or Phoenix Noir."—Library Journal, Starred Review"References to movie actors and other celebrities of the day, as well as speakeasies and bootleggers, lend atmosphere to this well-crafted tale involving desperate people who could easily disappear."—Publishers Weekly

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Gasoline & Vestal Lady on Brattle is volume number 8 in the City Lights Pocket Series. "Open this book as you would a box of crazy toys, take in your hands a refinement of beauty out of a destructive atmosphere. These combinations are imaginary and pure, in accordance with Corso's individual (therefore universal) desire." --Allen Ginsberg "Gregory is a gambler. He suffers reverses, like every man who takes chances. But his vitality and resilience always shine through, with a light that is more than human: The immortal light of his muse." --William S. Burroughs "...A touch young kid from the Lower East Side who rose like an angel over the rooftops and sang Italian songs as sweet as Caruso and Sinatra, but in words...Amazing and Beautiful Gregory Corso, The one and only Gregory the Herald. Read slowly and see."--Jack Kerouac "[M]ore than fifty years on from when it was first published in 1958, Gasoline (City Lights, 1958) by Beat poet Gregory Corso is a seminal book in the birth of that particular literary generation." --Paul Stubbs, 3AM Magazine Gregory Corso's first book of poetry, The Vestal Lady on Brattle, was published by City Lights Press in 1955. Born in New York City and raised in Little Italy, Gregory Corso was an American Poet and the youngest of the iconic Beat Generation writers. Homeless and family-less, Corso was arrested at 13 for petty theft and larcenry and spent some time in New York's infamous jail "The Tombs." He was arrested again, but was admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center. On the night of his 18th birthday, he was arrested again and convicted as an adult, resulting in being detained in Clinton State Prison. Gasoline is dedicated to "the Angels of Clinton Prison..." Corso met Allen Ginsberg in 1951 and Ginsberg recognized Corso as "spiritually gifted." Together they traveled from New York to San Francisco to Paris where Corso wrote some of his most famous poems Bombs and Marriage. His journey to, in, and around Paris resulted in his third book of poetry which included poems The Happy Birthday of Death, Minutes to Go, The American Express, and Long LIve Man. He returned to New York in 1958 only to discover he and the other Beat writers had become famous literary figures. Corso and Ginsberg traveled to college campuses and read their famous works Howl and Bomb and Marriage. On January 17, 2001, Corso died from prostate cancer.

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Mila Azul is one of MetArts all-time top models, a vivacious brunette with a sweet face and huge natural breasts. The adorable Ukrainian babe takes such obvious pleasure from sharing her spectacular body, her smile bewitching as she bares her flawless ass and lets her big, beautiful breasts bounce enticingly. Her slender frame and tiny waist make those whopping natural wonders all the more astonishing. Since her first appearance in 2016 at the tender age of 19, Mila has been viewed on MetArt more than three million times, and she is frequently voted the worlds number one erotic star by its members. Her innate self-assurance and playful sex appeal are simply irresistible, whether shes dressed up in sexy lingerie, playing the charming girl-next-door, or perfectly nude. And whenever she gets naked, her dark eyes shine with such naughtiness you cant help falling a little bit in love. MetArt listet Mila Azul als eines der "Allzeit-Top-Models". Die lebhafte Brunette punktet mit süßem Gesicht und ihren natürlichen Brüsten. Die begehrenswerte ukrainische Schönheit genießt es sichtlich, Ihren Körper zu präsentieren und flirtet hemmungslos mit der Kamera. Ihr Lächeln betört uns genauso wie ihr strammer Hintern und ihre prächtigen Brüste, die mehr bieten als die übliche aristokratische Handvoll. Die gertenschlanke Figur und schmale Taille bringen diese zwei hüpfenden Wunderdinger magisch zur Geltung. Seit ihrem Debut mit 19 Jahren haben die MetArt-Freunde den Auftritt dieses antörnenden Springinsfelds mehr als 3 Millionen mal angeschaut. Und sie wird von den MetArt-Abonnenten fortwährend als weltweit bester Erotik-Star ausgezeichnet. Ihr heißer und spielerischer Sexappeal ist einfach unwiderstehlich, egal ob in Lingerie, als Girl von nebenan oder ganz nackt. Und wenn Mila frech mit ihren dunklen leuchtenden Augen schaut, dann kann man als entfernter Voyeur durchaus Regungen einer ersten Liebeswallung empfinden Wie definieren Sie Schönheit? Mit dieser Frage beschäftigt sich MetArt seit zwanzig Jahren. Als weltweit führendes Unternehmen im Bereich der künstlerischen Aktfotografie und des Films hat es sich MetArt zur Aufgabe gemacht, die bezauberndsten Mädchen zu präsentieren, die unseren Planeten zieren, wobei viele von ihnen sich zum ersten Mal vor der Kamera ausziehen. Besuchen Sie noch heute www.MetArt.com und erlangen Sie Zutritt zum grössten Erotik-Portal der Welt.

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"Who doesn’t know Paul Newman? The man with the beautiful blue eyes, the chiselled face and body, the 50-plus years of memorable acting and directing roles, the awards, the movie-star marriage. Well, it turns out, there is lots more to know." — Parade Magazine "Newman’s preternaturally piercing baby blue eyes shine through in every picture, and he was well aware of how his fame rested on the colour of his irises." — Peter Sheridan, Daily Express "Hollywood Hunk Paul Newman as you've never seen him before." — Yahoo! News "Paired with raw and unvarnished commentary from the photographers themselves, Newman's incomparable authenticity and appealing persona bleed through each page." — Newsweek Once, when asked how he’d like to be remembered, Paul Newman replied: "I’d like to be remembered as a guy who tried. Tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being." As an actor who became a film star, Newman repeatedly tapped into his times and in doing so redefined what movie stardom could be. Newman was a new kind of movie star, bringing a particular authenticity, intensity and sensitivity to his performances. Throughout his career, Newman was extensively photographed: these images enriched film audiences’ connection to him as a cool and graceful presence both on and off-screen. Milton Greene, Douglas Kirkland, Lawrence Fried, Terry O’Neill, Al Satterwhite and Eva Sereny are amongst the photographers who worked with Newman on and off-set across his career. From early stage work with his wife, Joanne Woodward, to his love of racing cars, to the essential 1980s drama Absence of Malice to the great success of the new western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the cult favourites, Pocket Money and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Newman’s movies were an essential part of American culture. With comment and contributions from the photographers, Paul Newman: Blue Eyed Cool, gathers together portraits, stage, racing and on-set photography — including never before seen images — in a celebration of an actor who was always… cool. Paul Newman: Blue Eyed Cool is a must-have for fans who see in Newman’s work and in his life a true hero.

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The Story of the Masters is the first comprehensive year-by-year history of the world's most famous golf tournament. Veteran golf journalist David Barrett draws upon contemporaneous reporting and other source material to offer dramatic accounts of each year the tournament has been played, starting in 1934. The story of the tournament progresses from the early years when it was founded by golf great Bobby Jones and quickly established itself as an elite event, to the post-World War II era when Sam Snead and Ben Hogan dominated. The thrilling exploits of dashing hero Arnold Palmer brought the tournament into the television age and the sustained excellence of Jack Nicklaus helped to further the prestige of the tournament. Nearly two full decades of European dominance of the Masters heralded the international age of golf. Then Tiger Woods came along and used the Augusta stage for his coming-out party in 1997 and then for his epic comeback in 2019. In Barrett's telling, each year has its own story to tell as the Augusta National course provides the perfect setting for tournament excitement, noted for suspenseful back-and-forth action between multiple contenders—the norm at the Masters. The nature of the course's layout creates opportunities for stirring charges and heroic shots to determine the champion, while filled with enough danger to provoke monumental collapses that also become part of Masters lore. Through the decades, the game's greatest players have shined their brightest at the Masters. Many golfing careers have been shaped and defined by this tournament, and Barrett shares unknown and forgotten stories of not only the sport's stars, but also the many others who challenged them over the years at Augusta.

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Moms, you need these words of hope and light during the early days while you cradle your new baby in the midnight hours.Often, mothers are told about the joyful, exciting things that they are about to embark on as they enter into parenthood. What people fail to share is the hard seasons of motherhood: loneliness, anxiety, depression, insecurity, comparison, disconnect with the Lord and their husbands, and loss of identity. These seasons can consume their hearts and steal their joy, leaving them hopeless and full of shame. Most mothers hide during this time, thinking that they are alone or that something is wrong with them. The simple truth is that having children changes everything. But so does Jesus. His Word can breathe life into every space, and MIDNIGHT LULLABIES meets the weary mama in the trenches of motherhood while she does Kingdom work within the four walls of her home, shining light and giving hope when it seems most far away.In MIDNIGHT LULLABIES, over 31 days, Lauren Eberspacher explores those places of motherhood that are often left unspoken. While embarking on her own journey of being a mama, she has encountered seasons that shocked and surprised her. But there is always hope. As a storyteller, Lauren takes the everyday moments and gives biblical insight to the mother facing these hard seasons, giving the reader a sense that they are having a conversation with a friend around a cozy kitchen table.Mothers often just want to hear another mom say she's in it with them. And when Eberspacher addresses these hard issues, she not only says, "I've been there; I understand," but she follows it with, "But God." Eberspacher shows that Jesus can be found in every moment of motherhood and that His strength and His Word are enough for you.

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Use cognitive diversity to your advantage and transform your organization Work That Works is a guide to building better teams and an exceedingly positive workplace culture. Based on the tools and principles of Emergenetics, this book helps you improve communication, connection, and performance through an enlightening process of self-discovery and sharing. You'll discover the unique combination of strengths you bring to the table, and understand the power of your Thinking and Behavioral Preferences to gain greater clarity and a better understanding of your skills, habits and behavior. As people understand and share their Profiles, the real magic happens—teams can be built synergistically, and team members can collaborate more effectively by "borrowing another person's brain." Cognitive diversity is a given whenever a group of people work together toward a common goal; the critical factor is whether those differences become an obstacle or a catalyst. By bringing each person's "true self" to light, you provide a window through visible elements of diversity and shine a light on their gifts—and it's only then that those gifts can be leveraged to their utmost capacity. Dr. Geil Browning's second book outlines this process of discovery, effective communication, using thoughtful language, addressing challenges and instituting long-term behavioral change. By honoring the Preferences and Attributes of all employees, you lay the groundwork for enhanced performance and engagement. Learn how changing your language changes your thought patterns, and eventually leads to changes in behavior Dig into the real differences between you and your co-workers at the cognitive and behavioral levels Discover the strengths each person brings to the table, and synergize those strengths to collaborate more effectively Learn how to apply these same principles to social activities and family life to improve all communications and connections Work That Works provides a blueprint for the transformation, and the practical guidance you need to build a better organization.

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Jackie Robinson famously said that a life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives. As we celebrate Robinson’s 100th birthday in January 2019, A Fine Team Man profiles not only Robinson, but nine other figures whose lives were altered by the “great experiment,” as the integration of baseball was called then. Profiled here are Rachel Robinson, the stoic and enduring wife; Branch Rickey, the tight-fisted but far-sighted general manager/owner of the Dodgers; baseball commissioner ”Happy” Chandler, who navigated political factions as he paved the way for integration; Clyde Sukeforth, the jack of all trades whose assessment, instruction, and encouragement of Robinson were crucial to the player’s success; Red Barber, whose own views on integration were altered by Robinson’s example of grace under pressure; Wendell Smith, the prominent black journalist who helped Robinson navigate through the trappings of a racist society; Burt Shotton, whose low-key style of managing helped Robinson into his best seasons; Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers captain who united the team behind Robinson; and finally, Dixie Walker, the veteran Dodgers star who vowed never to play alongside Robinson, but who was eventually so changed by Robinson’s courage that he spent his last years working to improve the skills of such African-American players as Maury Wills, Jim Wynn, and Dusty Baker. While the story of Jackie Robinson has often been told and retold, seeing it through the lens of the lives he changed gives it a fresh shine. Perhaps more than ever, Robinson’s excellence sparkles through A Fine Team Man to demonstrate that change remains not only possible, but certain for both great heroes and for those who are savvy or fortunate enough to share the journey or at least stand in the wake during the hero’s finest moments.

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Gods at War examines the role played by religions in starting or supporting wars from ancient Egypt and Israel to the current conflicts in Yemen and the Ukraine. It not only analyses the traditionally recognised wars of religion such as the Crusades and the Thirty Years War and the many Islamic jihads, but also addresses the role played by nearly all religions in encouraging warrior kings, dictators and even democracies to wage wars, supporting them with money, promises of paradise in the after-life, guarantees of victory (God is on their side) and ceremonial to keep up morale. Onward Christian Soldiers. Oliver Thomson assesses the level of religious involvement in wars, including less obvious ones such as the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Japanese War in the Pacific; the prime minister of Japan who launched the attack on Pearl Harbor was a devout Buddhist. There are examples of wars inspired by Judaism, rival Christian and Muslim sects, Sikhism and Japanese Shinto. The first section of the book discusses several different types of religious influence in conflicts, ranging from almost purely religious wars like the French or German wars of religion, to the many others where religion only played a supportive but still significant role. It also explores the reasons why religious sanction has been welcomed by war leaders and why religions chose to cooperate. Distinctions are drawn between the documented faith of each religion and its manipulation by its leaders when it suited them. Four main sections cover wars from the pre-Christian era, the Middle Ages, the early modern period and finally the conflicts of the twenty-first century, including the use made of the Russian church by Vladimir Putin, of Sunni Islam by Mohammed bin Salman - even of Pentecostalism in Guatemala.

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For years, the history of the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany was hidden and distorted by Cold War politics. Providing a much-needed corrective, Red Orchestra presents the dramatic story of a circle of German citizens who opposed Hitler from the start, choosing to stay in Germany to resist Nazism and help its victims. The book shines a light on this critical movement which was made up of academics, theatre people, and factory workers; Protestants, Catholics and Jews; around 150 Germans all told and from all walks of life. Drawing on archives, memoirs, and interviews with survivors, award-winning scholar and journalist Anne Nelson presents a compelling portrait of the men and women involved, and the terrifying day-to-day decisions in their lives, from the Nazi takeover in 1933 to their Gestapo arrest in 1942. Nelson traces the story of the Red Orchestra (Rote Kapelle) resistance movement within the context of German history, showing the stages of the Nazi movement and regime from the 1920s to the end of the Second World War. She also constructs the narrative around the life of Greta Kuckhoff and other female figures whose role in the anti-Nazi resistance fight is too-often unrecognised or under appreciated. This revised edition includes: * A new introduction which explores elements of the Red Orchestra’s experience that resonate with our times, including: the impact of new media technologies; the dangers of political polarization; and the way the judiciary can be shaped to further the ends of autocracy. The introduction will also address the long-standing misconception that the German Resistance only took action when it was clear that Germany was losing the war. * Historiographic updates throughout the book which take account of recent literature and additional archival sources

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The Fashion Designer's Sketchbook is a must-have resource for both fashion students and practising designers who wish to learn new ways of generating design ideas in order to create successful fashion collections, and who wish to develop their own creative aesthetic. It demonstrates how the fashion design sketchbook serves as a crucial creative tool for professional development - and a valuable portfolio of design work to present to potential employers. This book identifies four distinct types of creative journal, each representing a different phase in the design process: the inspiration diary, the working journal, the presentation journal and the design log; and it explores how one develops out of the other, each stage in the idea generation process moving the process forward organically from discovery, to direction, to design development and delivery. The Fashion Designer's Sketchbook shows readers how to turn their sketchbooks into source books; how to generate design ideas from everyday experience; explores multiple ways of presenting and arranging elements within pages; details digital search and storage techniques as well as bulletin board journalling; and provides exercises to improve readers' illustration skills and enquiry, promoting in-store sketching and visual analysis to focus awareness of design aesthetics, taste levels and design vision. The book also explores the need to address market realities, consumer profiles and trend analysis, and shows how to build design collections based on target customer demographics and different markets. Beautifully illustrated and filled with a vast range of inspirational and full-colour design illustrations, The Fashion Designer's Sketchbook also features interviews with designers and industry experts. With a strong emphasis on exploratory design, this exciting resource provides readers with stimulating exercises designed to enable readers' sketchbook work and their creative vision to shine.

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The bestselling guide to Toyota’s legendary philosophy and production system—updated with important new frameworks for driving innovation and quality in your businessOne of the most impactful business guides published in the 21st Century, The Toyota Way played an outsized role in launching the continuous-improvement movement that continues unabated today. Multiple Shingo Award–winning management and operations expert Jeffrey K. Liker provides a deep dive into Toyota’s world-changing processes, showing how you can learn from it to develop your own improvement program that fits your conditions. Thanks in large part to this book, managers across the globe are creating workforces and systems that produce the highest-quality products and services, establish and retain customer loyalty, and drive business profitability and sustainability. Now, Liker has thoroughly updated his classic guide to include: Completely revised data and updated information about Toyota’s approach to competitiveness in the new world of mobility and smart technology Illustrative examples from manufacturing and service organizations that have learned and improved from the Toyota Way A fresh approach to leadership models The brain science and skills for learning to think scientifically How Toyota applies Hoshin Kanri, a planning process that aligns objectives at all levels and marries them to business strategy Organized into thematic sections covering the various aspects of the Toyota Way—including Philosophy, Processes, People, and Problem Solving—this unparalleled guide details the 14 key principles for building the foundation of a powerful improvement system and managing it for ultimate competitive advantage. With The Toyota Way, you have an inspiration and a model of how to set a direction, continuously improve and learn at all levels, continually "flow" value to satisfy customers, improve your leadership, and get quality right the first time.

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Become a corporate change agentLearn to implement and cultivate a culture of improvement with the assistance of one of the world’s most respected experts Managing a business so that it achieves a supreme pace of improvement requires that all members of an organization can and do make their best contributions to the success of the enterprise. Management must provide employees with a shared set of values and beliefs so that they can decide for themselves how to behave in accordance with the expectations of a nurturing and empowering culture. A Culture of Rapid Improvement is intended for those leaders seeking to encourage dramatic improvement within their organizations. It shows these change agents how they can— · Develop the shared values and beliefs that serve as the foundation for a dynamic culture · Engage all employees to join the new culture and provide opportunities for these stakeholders to initiate and participate in improvement · Measure, evaluate, and manage the performance of the new culture Filled with lessons garnered from practical examples, this text is based on Raymond C. Floyd's 40 years of industrial management experience, including his more than 20 years at Exxon Mobil. He is the winner of a Shingo Prize and also holds the unique distinction of having led businesses from two different industries that were both recognized by IndustryWeek magazine as being among the Best Plants in America. If you approach the task of improvement with proper action and full participation, improvement is not just possible, but inevitable. At six months, you will notice a difference in your organizational culture; at the end of two years, you will be operating with near–world-class performance.

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ASIAN RELIGIONS “A unique introduction to Asian religions, combining the scholarly rigor of an established historian of Asian religions with the willingness to engage empathetically with the traditions and to suggest that readers do the same.”Joseph A. Adler, Kenyon College “Randall L. Nadeau has accomplished what only a few have tried, but which has been much needed in the study of religions. He has written a genuinely novel approach to the religions of Asia… This is a work that should find its way into Asian humanities, history, religion, and civilization courses.”Ronnie Littlejohn, Belmont University This all-embracing introduction to Asian religious practices and beliefs takes a unique approach; not only does it provide a complete overview of the basic tenets of the major Asian religions, but it also demonstrates how Asian spiritualities are lived and practiced, exploring the meaning and significance they hold for believers. In a series of engaging and lively chapters, the book explores the beliefs and practices of Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Japanese religions, including Shintō. Using a comparative approach, it highlights the contrasts between Asian and Western modes of thinking and living, and debates the influence of religion on real-world issues including work, economic growth, the environment, human rights, and gender relations. Nadeau, a leading figure in this field, takes an empathetic approach to Asian religious and cultural traditions, and considers Asian spiritualities to be viable systems of belief for today’s global citizens. Integrating exercises, activities, and an appealing mixture of examples, such as novels and biographies, this refreshing book leads readers to an enhanced understanding of the ideas and practice of Asian religions, and of their continuing relevance today.

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