Search results for ""author christopher""

“It’s a strange thing, nyctophobia. You’re not born with it. It can start at any time. It comes and goes, and it’s one of the only phobias you can transmit to other people.”Newly-married architect Callie and her wealthy husband Mateo move to Hyperion House, a grand old home in southern Spain. It’s an eccentric place built in front of a cliff: serene and beautiful, but eerily symmetrical, and cunningly styled so that half the house is flooded with light, and half – locked up and neglected – is shrouded in darkness. Unemployed and feeling isolated in a foreign country, Callie determines to research the history of the curious building.But the past is sometimes best left alone. Uncovering the folklore of the house’s strange history, Callie is drawn into darkness and delusion. As a teenager Callie was afraid of the dark, and now with her adolescent nyctophobia returning she becomes convinced there’s someone in the darkened rooms.Somewhere in the darkness lies the truth about Hyperion House. But some doors should never be opened.

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An exploration of German esoteric history from prehistory to the present. No country is richer in occult and esoteric traditions than Germany. In this magical journey through the inner history of Deutschland, Christopher McIntosh explores many of these traditions from prehistory to the 21st century. Recounting the longstanding magical tradition of Germany, McIntosh investigates the numerous prehistoric sacred sites that point to a nearly-forgotten ancient shamanic civilization. He examines the survival and revival of the old pre-Christian gods in folklore, customs, and practices as well as witchcraft. He looks at Germany’s rich and many-faceted spiritual heritage and explores Christian mysticism and theosophy as exemplified by Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, and Jakob Boehme. Examining Rosicrucianism, which originated in Germany, the author also looks at other secret societies that flourished in Germany such as speculative Freemaso

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Learning to draw is as easy as 1, 2, 3, in DRAWING CARTOONS FROM NUMBERS, the fourth book in the Christopher Hart Books for Kids how-to-draw series. Your child can learn their numbers as they learn to draw a cast of cute characters! Every drawing is based on a number, starting from 1 to 10, then on multiples of 10 and beyond! Perfect for kids ages 4 and up, it makes learning fun. Includes step-by-step instructions for how to draw 130 different cartoon characters and animals.

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Join "Mr. Aluminum," a scientist who has made the study of aluminum his life's work, on a journey of discovery, reflection, and the science of aluminum. Professor Christopher Exley is a firm believer that science is only useful when it is properly communicated. Scientific papers are difficult vehicles for the wider communication of science and thus he has always endeavored to tell the story of his scientific research as widely as possible through myriad blogs, presentations, and interviews. Through a series of easy-reading entries written for non-scientists, Exley will educate readers about his lifelong scientific passion: aluminum. In scientific circles, aluminum—in relation to human health specifically—has gone the way of the dinosaurs (though, unlike dinosaurs, there has not yet been a popular revival!). Yet aluminum is also the greatest untold story of science. But why do we all need to know a little bit more about aluminum? Do we need a self-help guide for living in what Exley has coined "The Aluminum Age"? What is it about aluminum that makes it different? What about iron, copper, or any of the so-called "heavy metals," like mercury, cadmium, or lead? Why must we pay particular attention to aluminum? Because its bio-geochemistry, its natural history, raises two red flags immediately and simultaneously. These two danger signals are easily missed by all of us and easily dismissed by those whose interests are conflicted by aluminum’s omnipresence in human life and consequently, are purposely blind to its danger signals. First, aluminum, in all of its myriad forms, is super abundant; it is the third most abundant element (after oxygen and silicon) of the Earth’s crust. Second, aluminum is super reactive; it is both chemically and biologically reactive. However, these two red flags identify a paradox, as the abundant and biologically reactive aluminum has no biological function either in any organism today nor in any extinct biota from the evolutionary past. This means in practical terms that when we encounter aluminum in our everyday lives, our bodies only see aluminum as an impostor, something foreign, and something for which we have not been prepared through biochemical evolution. This in turn means that all of our encounters with aluminium are adventitious, random, and chaotic. And potentially dangerous. Imagine You Are An Aluminum Atom: Discussions With "Mr. Aluminum" examines the science of aluminum and human health and makes them understandable to all. Within the science you will find personal recollections of events, as well as opinions and reflections upon how the politics of aluminum have influenced and interfered with doing and reporting the science. It is at once both a personal recollection of Exley's life in aluminum research and a guide on the dangers of the constant exposure to aluminum we as humans face during this "Aluminum Age." It will inform, it will provide the means to question the science, and it will, if the reader is prepared to participate, answer those frequently asked questions on aluminum and human health.

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The Color of Desire tells the story of how, in the aftermath of gay liberation, race played a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of queer, German politics. Focusing on the Federal Republic of Germany, Christopher Ewing charts both the entrenchment of racisms within white, queer scenes and the formation of new, antiracist movements that contested overlapping marginalizations. Far from being discrete political trajectories, racist and antiracist politics were closely connected, as activists worked across groups to develop their visions for queer politics. Ewing describes not only how AIDS workers, gay tourists, white lesbians, queer immigrants, and Black feminists were connected in unexpected ways but also how they developed contradictory concerns that comprised the full landscape of queer politics. Out of these connections, which often exceeded the bounds of the Federal Republic, arose new forms of queer fascism as well as their multiple, antiracist contestations. Both unsettled the appeals to national belonging, or "homonationalism," on which many white queer activists based their claims. Thus, the story of the making of homonationalism is also the story of its unmaking. The Color of Desire explains how the importance of racism to queer politics cannot—and should not—be understood without also attending to antiracism. Actors worked across different groups, making it difficult to chart separable political trajectories. At the same time, antiracist activists also used the fractures and openings in groups that were heavily invested in the logics of whiteness to formulate new, antiracist organizations and, albeit in constrained ways, shifted queer politics more generally.

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'The Destroyers is a smart, sophisticated literary thriller; for all its originality, it invokes the shades of Lawrence Durrell and Graham Greene' Jay McInerney, author of Bright, Precious DaysWhen Charlie and I were young, we played a game called Destroyers . . . We were sharpening our instincts, jettisoning attachments. We were honing strategies for survival ... Ian Bledsoe is on the run, broke and humiliated, fleeing the emotional and financial fallout of his father's death. His childhood friend Charlie – rich, exuberant and basking in life on the Greek island of Patmos – is his last hope. At first, Patmos is like a dream – sun-soaked days on Charlie’s yacht and the reappearance of a girlfriend from Ian’s past – and Charlie readily offers the lifeline he desperately needs. But, like Charlie himself, this beautiful island conceals a darkness beneath. When he vanishes leaving behind his murky business affairs, Ian finds himself caught in a terrifying labyrinth of deceits. As boys, the pair played a game called Destroyers – a game, he now realizes, they may never have stopped playing.Expansive, vivid and suspenseful, in the vein of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, The Destroyers is a mesmerizing drama of power and fate, fathers and sons, self-invention and self-deception. 'Equal parts Graham Greene, Patricia Highsmith and F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Destroyers is at once lyrical and suspenseful, thoughtful and riveting' Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You ‘The Destroyers manages to be both fast-paced and contemplative, an excellent entertainment and also something more lasting, a haunting meditation on friendship and desperation’ Guardian, Best Holiday Reads of 2017

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Highly Commended in Internal medicine in the 2017 BMA Medical Book AwardsThe Renal System at a Glance is a highly illustrated and practical guide to the structure and function of the kidney, renal, and urinary system. It also covers related disorders and abnormalities and their treatment. Fully updated to reflect the many exciting new developments in the understanding of nephrology, this new edition has been restructured to better integrate basic science and clinical examples to the medical school curricula. New chapters on glomerular filtration and global kidney medicine are included, while the latest guidance and approaches to acute kidney injury, chronic kidney diseases, and renal replacement therapy have also been incorporated. The Renal System at a Glance: Offers clear explanations on tricky topics such as electrolytes, fluid balance and acid-base handling Features new sections on glomerular filtration, and a new chapter on the global differences in kidney problems Includes cross-referencing between basic science and related clinical content Focuses on clinical disorders and investigations – ideal for those embarking on medicine rotations Illustrates each topic in a double page spread, complete with charts, graphs, and photographs An updated companion website is available at www.ataglanceseries.com/renalsystem featuring animations and MCQs This new edition is the perfect guide for medical students, junior doctors, and allied health professionals, including specialist nurses, who wish to learn, or refresh their knowledge, on the kidney and renal system in health and disease.

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A beautiful, lively tour through the portraits of one of the most celebrated painters of 17th century Europe In this sumptuously illustrated volume, eminent art historian Sir Christopher White places the portraiture of renowned Flemish painter Anthony Van Dyck (1599–1641) in context among the work of his contemporaries working in and around the courts of seventeenth-century Europe. Van Dyck’s artistic development is charted through his travels, beginning in his native Antwerp, then to England, Italy, Brussels, the Hague, and back again. Combining historical insights with a discerning appreciation of the work, White brings Van Dyck’s paintings to life, showing how the virtuoso not only admired his artistic predecessors and rivals but refashioned what he learned from them into new kind of portraiture. Beautifully produced and a pleasure to read, this book is an important contribution to the literature on a celebrated painter.Distributed for Modern Art Press

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A comprehensive history of censorship in modern BritainFor Victorian lawmakers and judges, the question of whether a book should be allowed to circulate freely depended on whether it was sold to readers whose mental and moral capacities were in doubt, by which they meant the increasingly literate and enfranchised working classes. The law stayed this way even as society evolved. In 1960, in the obscenity trial over D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, the prosecutor asked the jury, "Is it a book that you would even wish your wife or your servants to read?" Christopher Hilliard traces the history of British censorship from the Victorians to Margaret Thatcher, exposing the tensions between obscenity law and a changing British society.Hilliard goes behind the scenes of major obscenity trials and uncovers the routines of everyday censorship, shedding new light on the British reception of literary modernism and popular entertainments such as the cinema and American-style pulp fiction and comic books. He reveals the thinking of lawyers and the police, authors and publishers, and politicians and ordinary citizens as they wrestled with questions of freedom and morality. He describes how supporters and opponents of censorship alike tried to remake the law as they reckoned with changes in sexuality and culture that began in the 1960s.Based on extensive archival research, this incisive and multifaceted book reveals how the issue of censorship challenged British society to confront issues ranging from mass literacy and democratization to feminism, gay rights, and multiculturalism.

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“These notes are about the process of design: the process of inventing things which display new physical order, organization, form, in response to function.” This book, opening with these words, presents an entirely new theory of the process of design.In the first part of the book, Christopher Alexander discusses the process by which a form is adapted to the context of human needs and demands that has called it into being. He shows that such an adaptive process will be successful only if it proceeds piecemeal instead of all at once. It is for this reason that forms from traditional un-self-conscious cultures, molded not by designers but by the slow pattern of changes within tradition, are so beautifully organized and adapted. When the designer, in our own self-conscious culture, is called on to create a form that is adapted to its context he is unsuccessful, because the preconceived categories out of which he builds his picture of the problem do not correspond to the inherent components of the problem, and therefore lead only to the arbitrariness, willfulness, and lack of understanding which plague the design of modern buildings and modern cities.In the second part, Mr. Alexander presents a method by which the designer may bring his full creative imagination into play, and yet avoid the traps of irrelevant preconception. He shows that, whenever a problem is stated, it is possible to ignore existing concepts and to create new concepts, out of the structure of the problem itself, which do correspond correctly to what he calls the subsystems of the adaptive process. By treating each of these subsystems as a separate subproblem, the designer can translate the new concepts into form. The form, because of the process, will be well-adapted to its context, non-arbitrary, and correct.The mathematics underlying this method, based mainly on set theory, is fully developed in a long appendix. Another appendix demonstrates the application of the method to the design of an Indian village.

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Are humans by nature hierarchical or egalitarian? Hierarchy in the Forest addresses this question by examining the evolutionary origins of social and political behavior. Christopher Boehm, an anthropologist whose fieldwork has focused on the political arrangements of human and nonhuman primate groups, postulates that egalitarianism is in effect a hierarchy in which the weak combine forces to dominate the strong.The political flexibility of our species is formidable: we can be quite egalitarian, we can be quite despotic. Hierarchy in the Forest traces the roots of these contradictory traits in chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and early human societies. Boehm looks at the loose group structures of hunter-gatherers, then at tribal segmentation, and finally at present-day governments to see how these conflicting tendencies are reflected.Hierarchy in the Forest claims new territory for biological anthropology and evolutionary biology by extending the domain of these sciences into a crucial aspect of human political and social behavior. This book will be a key document in the study of the evolutionary basis of genuine altruism.

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Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, American Prometheus, by Kai Bird amd MartinSherwin, the film stars Cillian Murphy stars as the physicist who designed the bomb thatdestroyed Japan in 1945 and, in the aftermath, said: 'I am become death, de-stroyer of worlds.'Also part of this ArtomicAtomic Age cast are Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, andRobertr Downey,Jr.

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A remarkable, heartfelt, beautifully written analysis of the late work of 19 major artists that Max Porter describes as ‘completely and utterly marvellous’. ‘Painting … exists and exults in immortal thoughts’ William Blake In 2020, as the spread of Covid-19 causes pandemonium worldwide, an elderly artist returns to his childhood home to watch the transcendent beauty of the seasons and reflect on the final work of the artists he most admires. It seems to him that in their final art works – their late style – that they have something remarkable in common. This has more to do with intuition and memory than with rationality or reason and comes from trying to write about painting itself. Immortal Thoughts: Late Style in a Time of Plague is an anthology of these reflections. In this personal and moving account, nineteen short essays on artists are interspersed with short accounts of the cataclysmic global progress of the disease in poignant contrast to the beauty of the seasons in the isolated house and garden, narrative strands that are closely intertwined. From Cézanne's last watercolours to Michelangelo’s final five drawings, Rembrandt and suffering to Gwen John and absence, Christopher Neve dwells on artists’ late ideas, memory, risk, handling and places, in the terrible context of Time and mortality. As much art history as a discussion of great art in the context of the Dance of Death, Neve writes with renewed passion about Bonnard, Michelangelo, Morandi, Poussin, Soutine and many others in his distinctive style.

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A lively reimagining of how the distant medieval world of war functioned, drawing on the objects used and made by crusaders Throughout the Middle Ages crusading was justified by religious ideology, but the resulting military campaigns were fueled by concrete objectives: land, resources, power, reputation. Crusaders amassed possessions of all sorts, from castles to reliquaries. Campaigns required material funds and equipment, while conquests produced bureaucracies, taxation, economic exploitation, and commercial regulation. Wealth sustained the Crusades while material objects, from weaponry and military technology to carpentry and shipping, conditioned them. This lavishly illustrated volume considers the material trappings of crusading wars and the objects that memorialized them, in architecture, sculpture, jewelry, painting, and manuscripts. Christopher Tyerman’s incorporation of the physical and visual remains of crusading enriches our understanding of how the crusaders themselves articulated their mission, how they viewed their place in the world, and how they related to the cultures they derived from and preyed upon. A note to readers: the grey-shaded pages throughout this volume look at the Crusades in detail, exploring individual themes such as food and drink, medicine, weapons, and women’s role in the Crusades. These short essays are interspersed throughout the chapters and the main text will continue after each one. For instance, “Taking the Cross” runs from pages 4 to 7, and the Introduction continues on p. 8.

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Cloud computing continues to expand dramatically and the 'as a Service' model is now both mainstream and ubiquitous. Cloud now encompasses everything from the remote provision of essential computer processing and storage resources, through to delivery of complex business and government services, logistics, healthcare, education, and entertainment. The Covid-19 pandemic provided a striking demonstration of cloud computing's global scalability and resilience, as billions of workers and students switched in a matter of weeks to working and studying 'from home'. This book delivers an accessible analysis of the key legal and regulatory issues that surround cloud computing. Topics covered include contracts for cloud services, information ownership and licensing, privacy and data protection, standards and competition law, law enforcement access to data, and international tax models for cloud and other digital services. The book is organised in four parts. Part I explains what cloud computing is, why it matters, and what non-technical readers need to know about how it works. Part II includes a detailed review of standard contracts for 40 cloud services and highlights key legal and commercial issues that arise in negotiated transactions for cloud services. Ownership of, and access to, 'digital assets' are also explored. Part III focusses on the application of data protection and cybersecurity rules, including an in-depth assessment of the impact of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on providers and users of cloud services. Finally, Part IV addresses governance issues relating to public sector use of cloud, access to cloud data by law enforcement authorities, competition rules and standards, and the disruption to global taxation models caused by the rapid shift to cloud services.

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‘Impossible to summarise and delightfully absorbing, Hadley’s book is comfortably the most unexpected history book of the year’ Sunday Times A luminous journey through a thousand years of folklore and English history. Once upon a time in a Hertfordshire field, an ancient yew tree hid a dragon hunted by a giant named Piers Shonks. Today, the dragon and its slayer are the survivors of an 800-year battle between rural legend and national record, storytellers and sceptics. In this brilliant and lyrical history, Christopher Hadley journeys from churches to tombs to manuscript margins, to explore history, memory and legend, and the magical spaces where all three meet.

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These helpful guides in the Cover to Cover series are ideal for group and individual study. Experience the reality of Bible events like never before and live through the inspiring lives of key characters in Scripture. Learn how to apply God's Word to your life as you explore seven compelling sessions and gain a new depth in your Bible knowledge. Philemon: From slavery to freedom A runaway slave, an imprisoned apostle, and a newly-converted slave owner: three of the main characters of this little-known letter of the Bible, written by Paul to his Christian friend, Philemon, over a seemingly insignificant domestic occurrence. Christopher Brearley shows us how the book of Philemon, with its message of love and reconciliation, still holds valuable lessons for us today. Through following the heart-warming story of the probably reconciliation between slave and master (now brothers in Christ), we learn the biblical answer to slavery, how to tackle social injustice and the way in which God can transform ordinary people like ourselves. Icebreakers, Bible readings, eye openers, discussion starters, personal application make this a rich resource for group or individual study.

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Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year AwardIn 1704 a bankrupt English merchant sent home the colt he had bought from Bedouin tribesmen near the ruins of Palmyra. Thomas Darley hoped this horse might be the ticket to a new life back in Yorkshire. But he turned out to be far more than that: and although Mr Darley's Arabian never ran a race, 95% of all thoroughbreds in the world today are descended from him. In this book, for the first time, award-winning racing writer Christopher McGrath traces this extraordinary bloodline through twenty-five generations to our greatest modern racehorse, Frankel.The story of racing is about man's relationship with horses, and Mr Darley's Arabian also celebrates the men and women who owned, trained and traded the stallions that extended the dynasty. The great Eclipse, for instance, was bred by the Duke who foiled Bonnie Prince Charlie's invasion (with militia gathered from Wakefield races) and went on to lead the Jockey Club. But he only became a success once bought and raced by a card-sharp and brothel-keeper - the racecourse has always brought high and low life together. McGrath expertly guides us through three centuries of scandals, adventures and fortunes won and lost: our sporting life offers a fascinating view into our history. With a canvas that extends from the diamond mines of South Africa to the trenches of the Great War, and a cast ranging from Smithfield meat salesmen to the inspiration for Mr Toad, and from legendary jockeys to not one, but two disreputable Princes of Wales (and a very unamused Queen Victoria), Mr Darley's Arabian shows us the many faces of the sport of kings.

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In 25 carefully planned walks, "Walks in the Country Near London" reveals the myriad treasures that lie just beyond London's urban sprawl. From easy rambles through apple orchards and lush pastures in Kent to more exhilarating rambles along Sharpenhoe Clappers' chalk escarpments in Bedfordshire, there is a walk here for everyone. Full-colour photographs capture each area's refreshing rural charms, while clear mapping pinpoints everything from designated trails and stately homes to traditional pubs and cosy tea rooms. With characteristic humour, Christopher Somerville guides readers along hedged, grassy lanes, across open, airy farmland and through some of the finest historic homes, castles and churches that England has to offer. Along the way, he shares fascinating tales about the characters who trod these same paths throughout the centuries - from persecuted Catholic priests making their way to safe houses under the cover of night, to such celebrated figures as Anne Boleyn, John Bunyan, William Blake and Benjamin Disraeli. With a wealth of interesting anecdotes and intriguing information, this is the perfect guide for history buffs and casual walkers alike.

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What is Britishness? What allowed one small island group to rule a quarter of the world and, even today, to have the most spoken language after Chinese? What makes Americans admire the guts, traditions and loyalties of these island Anglo-Saxon and Celtic peoples? What is it that makes cynical Europeans and once-dominated Asians look to the British for opinion, literature, social norms and justice? The answers lie within the creation of British institutions, both Commoner and Aristocracy, during the past 2000 years.Following the thought-provoking style of the original This Sceptred Isle, this new volume brings to life the character and frustrations so carefully studied by allies and enemies for twenty-one centuries - from Romans to al-Qaeda. Here Lee makes all the connections with institutions and changing industrial and social characteristics that even show us that Britishness is not exclusively British.At a time when a major section of the British, the English, appear to be less and less sure who they are and who they are meant to be, This Sceptred Isle confirms who it is we really are.

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Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas and little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle. Josh is sure he saw Santa take a shovel to the head and now the seven year old has only one prayer: Please Santa, come back from the dead!But coming to Earth, seeking a small child whose wish needs granting, is none other than Archangel Raziel. Unfortunately, he's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch and before you can say 'Kris Kringle,' he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

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Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. That is, until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: BITE ME.Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else saw a thing- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (ne Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot- and his research facility is trashed- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.

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The stories are set in the UK, France and America. A man sells his tin-making invention in the States. A small town in France is out on a Sunday after the long hard years of war. Liverpool women sweep the streets during the 1915 riots. There is a sense of loss and of restricted lives in a number of these stories.

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Annabelle and the Talking Squawking Ducks follows the second character in the Alexander Books series – Annabelle – and her journey in learning right from wrong. Annabelle loves feeding ducks but, when it is time to go and have lunch, she wonders if the ducks are still hungry want more. Annabelle knows that stealing is wrong, but after having taken bread from the local café she is met by an elderly wizard duck. He shows her the error of her ways and, by using a bit of magic, he is able to reset her error and help Annabelle. When Mum realises Annabelle has snuck away to go back to the ducks … Annabelle is in trouble again!Educating Through Reading – The book is written to allow children to learn to read through rhyme. The simple style allows children to sound words out and recognise them. There is regular repetition of words which allows children to become familiar with larger words, having to read them more often. There may be a number of words that they have not read before or do not recognise – this is intended to spark conversation. The book has bright illustrations for the younger reader which are eye catching and detailed.

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Alexander and the Curly Wurly Caterpillar follows the adventure of the main character Alexander, after he loses his favourite toy ball in a dark and scary bush. Alexander has to crawl in past prickly thorns and flower buds to try and retrieve it. Once in the bush he gets lost, cold, wet and dirty and needs help to get out. With help from a magical caterpillar (and a few magic words) Alexander is saved and returns home with his favourite ball. However, all is not as it seems. When Mum realises Alexander is still muddy and his clothes are torn, Alexander is in trouble again. Educating Through Reading - The book is written to allow children to learn to read through rhyme. The book is written simplistically to allow children to sound words out and recognise them. There is regular repetition of words which allows children to become familiar with larger words having to read them more often. There may be a number of words that they have not read before or do not recognise which is intended to spark conversation. The book has bright illustrations for the younger reader which are eye catching and detailed.

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Looking for Joan and Other Stories is a collection of stories set in UK, Ireland, and New York. A bereft widower roams the city in search for his late wife. His ‘search’ is advanced in five of the stories. The odyssey of a couple separating and finding their way back to each other. Four Marylebone Cricket Club Members at Lord’s Cricket Ground. A bibulous old actor is guide for the walk: ‘Murder in London’s West End’. Two small-time criminals work the bar at Fortnum and Masons in Regent’s Street. A woman remembers King’s Cross, London. Men lay turf in preparation for a VIP ceremony in a London Park. A soprano and her pianist are stranded in Bristol. A woman escapes to Ireland from the consequences of a fatal car accident. Review of America Awaits Us, My Lovely: ‘They are sensitive and engaging and I have enjoyed reading them very much’ – Penny Thomas former fiction editor, Seren Books. ‘A wonderful story collection! They are so touching, unflinching, melancholy - everybody just about holding on.’ - Chris Buckton, writer, educationist.

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Didn’t Cleopatra look like Elizabeth Taylor? Didn’t Shakespeare look like Shakespeare? Doesn’t Mazzini deserve to have a biscuit named after him? Did Napoleon pass his French exam? Did Nelson really see no ships? Van Gogh…or Van Gogh? And can you spot Hitch’s cameo appearance this time? Potted Portraits is an enjoyable saunter through a portrait gallery of varied personalities from History; revered or reviled, loved or loathed, each led a remarkable life that continues to be of interest today. In a series of light verse biographies which delight in testing the limits of tolerance with their rhymes, puns and general linguistic convolutions, discover a few new things about some familiar characters; or reacquaint yourself with some familiar stories in a new way. Included are some perhaps rather less well-known figures, though no less deserving of attention and rewarding to read about. If you want a little light didacticism, with the reasonable chance of a smile – even a laugh – this is the book for you!

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Send my Roots Rain explores ways in which the life-giving water of the Spirit can soak down to the roots of a priest’s life and work. Many priests know what it is to be thirsty: to be overwhelmed by the pressures inherent within their ministry and have little time for themselves or for God. Yet, each priest is also a disciple, whose spiritual, physical and emotional health matters to God, who calls each one by name. Send My Roots Rain explores attitudes, practices and ways of prayer capable of refreshing and sustaining priests and pastors amidst the challenges and stresses of their way of life. Christopher Chapman draws on more than thirty years’ experience of spiritual direction, formational training and leading retreats for priests and ordinands to offer a book full of wisdom that new and experienced priests will turn to again and again.

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A timeless gardening classic by Christopher Lloyd, one of Britain's most highly respected plantsmen, updated for the 21st century. With a new foreword by Anna Pavord.This is a classic work by a gardener who combines a passionate love of his subject with a critical intelligence and a good helping of wit. THE WELL-TEMPERED GARDEN is packed with the sort of information keen gardeners crave - from planting, weeding and the pleasures of propagation to annuals, water lilies and vegetables. Hailed as a masterpiece when it was first published, THE WELL-TEMPERED GARDEN is as fresh, enlightening and necessary for gardeners in the 21st century as it was when it first appeared more than 40 years ago.

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"A charming, well-crafted tale of ghosts and the people who help them that is sure to delight fans of CBS's Ghosts and The Good Place." - Comic Book Resources She's stoned. She's selfish. She's all that stands between us and the end of the world. Where do you go when you die? Kat, a stoner with a flexible moral code, can answer that, and the answer is: not very far. Unfortunately for Kat's peace of mind, a near-death experience left her with the ability to see and hear ghosts, as well as take them into her "mindscape" so she can bring them to locations of their choosing, essentially playing transporter to the deceased. But when Kat discovers she's inadvertently played into a demonic plan to screw up the whole world, she is forced to take an active role in the battle between good and evil. And she's not thrilled about it. Eisner-nominated Christopher Sebela (Injustice: Ground Zero, Crowded), Kendall Goode (The Doorman), and Gab Contreras (Witchblood) team up for a supernatural, stoner action-comedy that puts the "boo" in booze cruise. "I loved it, completely original and enveloping." -- Scott Snyder, author of The Batman Who Laughs

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DESCRIPTION Project tracking systems, test and build tools, source control, continuous integration, and other built-in parts of the software development lifecycle generate a wealth of data that can be used to track and improve the quality and performance of products, processes, and teams. Although the iterative nature of Agile development is perfect for data-driven continuous improvement, the collection, analysis, and application of meaningful metrics often fades in favor of subjective measures that offer less insight into the real challenges of making better software. Continuous Improvement: Measuring and enhancing the performance of Agile teams is a practical book that shows how to take the data already being generated to make teams, processes, and products better. It points out which metrics to use to objectively measure performance and what data really counts, along with where to find it, how to get it, and how to analyze it. The book also shows how all team members can publish their own metrics through dashboards and radiators, taking charge of communicating performance and individual accountability. Along the way, it offers practical data analysis techniques, including a few emerging Big Data practices. KEY SELLING POINTS Straightforward to-the-point writing Contains techniques and tools to improve output Uses everyday examples to get readers up and running quickly Empowers and motivates Agile teams to measure and improve AUDIENCE The reader will ideally be on or be responsible for a team that is practicing Agile development or is about to begin using Agile development. ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY All practices in this book are designed to work with any development process or tool stack. For its examples, this book uses the Groovy scripting language to gather data and Grails to create the web based dashboards and radiators. MongoDB, a flexible database with built in data analysis, is used to dissect and serve up the data.

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Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a masterful epic science fiction novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini.'Action-packed SF adventure that zings along at hyperluminal speed' – Peter F. HamiltonKira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.Now she’s awakened a nightmare.During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope . . .Praise for Christopher Paolini and his work: 'Christopher Paolini is a true rarity' – Washington Post'An authentic work of great talent' – New York Times Book Review'A breathtaking and unheard of success' – USA Today'Christopher Paolini makes literary magic' – People

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