Search results for ""author robin"

Gold Medal Winner, Human Resources and Employee Training, 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards Trust, Pride and Camaraderie—transform your company into a "Great Place to Work" The Great Place to Work Institute develops the annual ranking of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. In this book, the authors explore the model of a Great Place to Work For-one which fosters employee trust, pride in what they do, and enjoyment in the people they work with. They answer the fundamental question, "What is the business value of creating a great workplace?" and brings the definition of a Great Place to work alive with anecdotes, best practices, and quotes from employees working at the best workplaces in the U.S. Reveals the essential ingredients in and the trends of the best places to work Explores Great Place to Work model developed in 1984 and validated through its enduring resonance in both the United States and in over 40 countries around the world Written by Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin two Great Place to Work Institute Insiders If you organization is struggling with the challenges of leveraging human capital, discover why some companies have what it takes to be great.

Read more less

Public services are in crisis. NHS backlogs, police forces in disarray and a housing crisis growing ever worse. Whole areas of our national infrastructure are in a mess including energy, water and rail. In this book, Sir Robin Wales and Clive Furness demonstrate how these issues are linked and what can be done to solve them. They reflect on the current frustration with public service bureaucracy and its failure to deliver as it should and demonstrate, with evidence and examples, what needs to be done to create public services which deliver on their original aspiration. They take readers on a rollercoaster journey through two successful decades in charge of one of Britain’s most deprived councils – highlighting how they changed the face of east London by overhauling political and social cultures and helping, in the process, to deliver London’s 2012 Olympic Games. Part autobiographical account of policy successes, part ode to the forgotten days of social democracy, and part critique of the Left’s current obsession with ‘woke’ culture, the authors draw on their vast experience and, with engaging humour, deliver 2023’s most important assessment of how the Labour movement can shake off its self-imposed shackles.

Read more less

Join Fancy Nancy on a trip to the beach in New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser's 8x8 picture book, complete with a fabulous set of stickers. In Fancy Nancy: Sand Castles and Sand Palaces, Nancy spends the day at the beach with her friends. They build the most magnificent sand palace imaginable! But when the tide comes in, what will happen to their beautiful creation? Fans of Fancy Nancy will delight in Nancy's sparkling creativity and imagination.

Read more less

"Jody Hedlund's novels are a joy to read."--ELIZABETH CAMDEN, RITA and Christy Award-winning author "A historical romance reader's delight. Treat yourself! Jody Hedlund does not disappoint."--ROBIN LEE HATCHER, Christy Award-winning author Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she's not worthy of a family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won't work on him, however, as she cannot outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man. A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning--and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.

Read more less

For anyone who has ever wished for a party every day of the year, this is a story about finding your own reasons to have cake.Christopher Robin had Pooh. Calvin had Hobbes. Audrey has Lion. This is the story of two friends learning the joy of celebrating the every day because sometimes it's important to enjoy things like Tuesdays, coconuts, orange, purple and lions.

Read more less

From the critically-acclaimed author of Prince of Thorns and Red Sister comes a chilling new epic fantasy series. 'If you like dark you will love Mark Lawrence. And when the light breaks through and it all makes sense, the contrast is gorgeous' – Robin Hobb Only when it's darkest can you see the stars. East of the Black Rock, out on the ice, lies a hole down which broken children are thrown On the vastness of the ice there is no room for individuals. No one survives alone. To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is different. Torn from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her life with, Yaz has to carve a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of danger. Beneath the ice, Yaz will learn that Abeth is older and stranger than she had ever imagined. She will learn that her weaknesses are another kind of strength. And she will learn to challenge the cruel arithmetic of survival that has always governed her people.

Read more less

From the bestselling author of The Robin, The Wren and The Twelve Birds of Christmas. With around 700,000 breeding pairs, the swallow is one of the most familiar birds in Britain. Though we consider the swallow to be 'our' bird, we also share this beloved creature with millions of others across the globe. Whilst we see it on a daily basis for half the year, the swallow then flies south to Africa, living on only in our memory in the long, dark winter.In The Swallow Stephen Moss documents a year of observing the swallow close to home and in the field to shed light on the secret life of this extraordinary bird. We trace the swallow's life cycle and journey, including the epic 12,000-mile round trip it takes every year, to enable it to enjoy a life of almost eternal sunshine, and the key part the swallow plays in our traditional and popular culture.With beautiful illustrations throughout, this captivating year-in-the-life biography reveals the hidden secrets of this charismatic and beautiful bird.PRAISE FOR STEPHEN MOSS: 'A superb naturalist and writer' Chris Packham'Inspired, friendly and blessed with apparently limitless knowledge' Peter Marren'Moss has carved out an enviable niche as a chronicler of the natural world' Daily Mail

Read more less

"It's hard to imagine a more accessible introduction to voting" than Eileen Christelow's hilariously illustrated Vote!, now updated for the 2018 midterm elections. (Booklist, starred review) "It's hard to imagine a more accessible introduction to voting." - Booklist, starred review "Explains the whys and wherefores of the voting process . . . and why it all matters." - Washington Post Eileen Christelow's Vote! has everything you need to know about voting and how our democracy works - parties, voter registration, campaigns, rallies, debates, Election Day, even recounts! Topics are presented in a clear, kid-friendly graphic format as the story of a local election unfolds, with hilarious commentary by the candidates' pets. Includes updated back matter for the 2018 midterm election. AGES: 6 to 9 AUTHOR: Eileen Christelow has written and illustrated numerous best-selling picture books including ten popular stories about the Five Little Monkeys, Vote!, and Robins!: How They Grow Up.

Read more less

The SUNDAY TIMES bestselling series continuesPraise for world of THREADNEEDLEEnthralling and original fantasy' Jay Kristoff, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIREThe magic both gleams and threatens' Robin Hobb, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling authorAnna survived the attempt to bind her magic, but Anna and her coven aren't free from danger yet.Haunted by her aunt's death, living in fear of her curse, and fated to love the one man she can never have, the last thing Anna needs is a witch hunt. Now she must conceal her magic once more or risk losing everything.But when deadly hysteria strikes across the capital, and in her own school, the coven are left dangerously exposed. Delving deeper into the magical underworld of London, Anna and her twin sister Effie must find a way to work together to protect the coven.But as the witch hunt intensifies and the hysteria spirals out of control, can Effie and Anna truly trust each other?

Read more less

LONGLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2022 ___ A year of looking, listening and noticing across four unique seasons and thirty-five beautifully illustrated poems. 'Dazzling, moving... A book that will touch many, and be given often: here, take this, you must read this.' ROBERT MACFARLANE 'So vivid... A call out to our elemental relationship with love and nature. Beautiful.' WILLEM DAFOE ___ The world changed in 2020. Gradually at first, then quickly and irreversibly, the patterns by which we once lived altered completely. The Heeding paints a picture of a year caught in the grip of history, yet filled with revelatory perspectives close at hand: a sparrowhawk hunting in a back street; the moon over a town with a loved-one's hand held tight; butterflies massing in a high-summer yard - the everyday wonders and memories that shape a life and help us recall our own. Across four seasons and thirty-five luminous poems and illustrations, Rob Cowen and Nick Hayes lead us on a journey that takes its markers and signs from nature and a world filled with fear and pain but beauty and wonder too. Collecting birds, animals, trees and people together, The Heeding is a profound meditation to a time no-one will forget. At its heart, this is a book that helps us look again, to heed: to be attentive to this world we share and this history we're living through, to be aware of how valuable and fragile we are, to grieve what's lost and to hope for a better and brighter tomorrow. ____ 'The Heeding speaks to us all, guiding us through the emotional journey the nation has gone through during the past year, with humour, pathos and forensically sharp portrayals of people and nature at a time like no other.' Stephen Moss, author of The Robin 'Poignant and exquisite' Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden 'Vivid, beating, aching. The Heeding feels like both a eulogy and a defiant, wild challenge to go on. I loved it.' Josie George, author of A Still Life 'It is rare to find a writer that is able to tease apart the threads that make up the fragile fabric of our loves, hopes and despairs with such care and humility. An exceptionally good book for an exceptionally bad time.' Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars

Read more less

Growing up an Italian-American in the Bensonhurst neighbourhood of New York city, Marianna De Marco Torgovnick longed for college, culture, and upward mobility. Her daydreams circled around WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) heroes on television - like Robin Hood and the Cartwright family - but in Brooklyn she never encountered any. So she associated moving up with Ocean Parkway, a street that divides the working-class Italian neighbourhood where she was born from the middle-class Jewish neighbourhood into which she married. This book is Torgovnick's unflinching account of crossing cultural boundaries in American life, of what it means to be an Italian American woman who became a scholar and literary critic. Included are autobiographical moments interw oven with engrossing interpretations of American cultural icons from Dr. Dolittle to Lionel Trilling, "The Godfather" to Camille Paglia. The author's experiences allow her to probe the cultural tensions in America caused by competing ideas of individuality and community, upward mobility and ethnic loyalty, acquisitiveness and spirituality.

Read more less

"A fun and educational way to explore the natural world, this portable activity book teaches kids about hummingbirds, owls, robins and other feathered friends through puzzles, patterns, word searches and codes. These entertaining activities will keep kids engaged for hours as they learn about the world of birds. Parents and teachers alike use Vicki’s fun activities to demonstrate that learning can - and should - be fun! "

Read more less

Dick Grayson has proven himself as a protege to one of the most critical mentors of all time, Batman.When Dick decides to step out of the shadows as Robin and into the spotlight with his new superhero identity, Nightwing, will he fly or fall? Add a new base of operations in the crime-ridden city Blüdhaven, the former boy wonder will have his work cut out for him.

Read more less

Few things evoke thoughts and memories of the past more than a house from a bygone era, and few places are identified and symbolized more by historic dwellings than the American South. Plantation houses built with columned porticos and wide porches, stout chimneys, large rooms, and sweeping staircases survive as legacies of both a storied and troubled past. These homes are at the heart of a complex web of human relationships that have shaped the social and cultural heritage of the region for generations. Despite their commanding appearance, the region's plantation houses have proven to be fragile relics of history, vulnerable to decay, neglect, and loss. Today, only a small percentage of the South's antebellum treasures survive.In Southern Splendor: Saving Architectural Treasures of the Old South, historians Marc R. Matrana, Robin S. Lattimore, and Michael W. Kitchens explore almost fifty houses built before the Civil War that have been authentically restored or preserved. Methodically examined are restoration efforts that preserve not only homes and other structures, but also the stories of those living in or occupying those homes. The authors discuss the challenges facing specific plantation homes and their preservation.Featuring over 275 stunning photographs, as well as dozens of firsthand accounts and interviews with those involved in the preservation of these historic properties, Southern Splendor describes the leading role the South has played, since the nineteenth century, in the historic preservation movement in this country.

Read more less

A hilarious adventure from the author of the bestselling Who Let the Gods Out? series! SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2021 'Twists, turns, spies and surprises. What more do you want? Tears? Laughter? Maz Evans delivers them all.' FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE 'Vi Spy: Licence to Chill is brilliant – knockabout, laugh-a-minute, heartfelt fun' ROSS MONTGOMERY 'Wildly hilarious' THE GUARDIAN Divorce is tough for any kid. But when – like Vi's parents – your mum is ex-secret service and your dad is a retired bad guy, 'till death do us part' takes on a whole new meaning. And with her parents' focus on each other, the real super-villains are having a field day. To save her family – and the world – from evil domination, Vi must turn spy ... The first book in a brand new middle-grade comedy adventure series by the author of the Who Let the Gods Out? series; book 1 shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize in 2018. A laugh-out-loud funny, high-octane spy story perfect for readers aged 8 and up. Perfectly combines humour and heart: addresses the realities of being caught between divorcing parents. Praise for the WHO LET THE GODS OUT? series: 'I totally fell in love with Elliot and the gods, and I think you're all going to love them too.' ROBIN STEVENS 'One of the funniest new voices in children's literature. The laughs come thick and fast' DAVID SOLOMONS '[A] relentlessly witty, fast-paced middle grade adventure' M.G. LEONARD

Read more less

While much has been written about the sociological significance of the blues, this is a unique inquiry into the blues and the mind, a study of the blues as thought. Here, the subconscious power of the blues is examined from a poetic and psychological perspective, illuminating the blues' deepest creative sources and exploring its far-reaching influence and appeal. Like Surrealist poetry in particular, blues communicate through highly charged symbols of aggression and desire--eros, crime, magic, night, and drugs, among others. A close analysis of classic blues lyrics, along with a wealth of source material from Freud and James Frazer, to Breton and Marcuse, conveys the blues' major poetic function of spiritual revolt against repression. First published in 1975, Blues and the Poetic Spirit is a blues literature classic. This long-awaited new edition assesses developments in the blues since that time and outlines the social and political forces that continue to shape its evolution. "Paul Garon's study of the blues represents a new and important approach to the analysis of the blues as a psychopoetic phenomenon...this work is an important starting place for researchers who want to investigate the essence of the blues. "-Samuel Floyd "Absolutely the best book on the blues."-Robin D.G. Kelley Paul Garon has written about the blues for nearly fifty years. A co-founder of Living Blues, he is also the author of The Devil's Son-in-Law: The Story of Peetie Wheatstraw and His Songs, Blues and the Poetic Spirit and What's the Use of Walking if a Freight Train's Going Your Way, as well as a small collection of prose poems, Rana Mozelle. He and his wife, co-author Beth Garon, own and operate Beasley Books, a used and rare book business in Chicago.

Read more less

An insightful and funny new collection of short stories from award-winning author Tim Wynne-Jones. In “War at the Snow White Motel,” Rex and his family are vacationing in Vermont. A thoughtless act launches him into war with an older teenager at their motel, but a much bigger conflict — the Vietnam War — looms large on the horizon. Ant wants to join the #FridaysForFuture movement — and impressing the new girl at school is only one good reason why. Joseph and Danny are determined to right an old wrong, no matter the consequences. Michel takes a road trip to spot a rare bird, and along the way learns what his father is really afraid of. Robin has to battle her anxiety when her great-grandfather sends her in search of an old stuffed toy with a storied past. Walker is home for the summer, in time to help his little sister expose a local company’s dubious environmental practices. A boy can’t figure out why the class bully won’t leave him alone — it’s not anything he could have foreseen. Tim Wynne-Jones brilliantly captures pivotal moments small and large as these characters fight for understanding, courage and a better future. This new collection features six brand-new stories and three that have been previously published. Key Text Features author’s note humor Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

Read more less

Mark Waid and Dan Mora continue to craft instantly classic stories featuring the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel. These two superstar creators are tackling the biggest superheroes ever conceived in the third volume of their run on Batman/Superman: World s Finest! Up first in this collection, a date between Robin and Supergirl?!? What could go right?

Read more less

Written by JIM STARLIN and MARV WOLFMAN Art by JIM APARO, GEORGE PEREZ and others Cover by JIM APARO It’s a new paperback edition of the classic Batman tale that sealed the fate of the second Robin, Jason Todd, collected from BATMAN #426-429 and 440-442 and THE NEW TITANS #60-61! On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 272 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Read more less

From New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser comes Nancy Clancy starring in the eighth installment of her chapter book series: Nancy Clancy and the Late-Breaking News. Now in paperback! From New York Times bestselling team Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser comes the eighth and final installment of the Fancy Nancy chapter book series: Nancy Clancy and the Late-Breaking News! Nancy Clancy is working to be the star reporter of the Third Grade Gazette—that’s a fancy word for newspaper. When the latest issue comes out, Nancy and Bree decide the articles just aren’t interesting enough and set out to find some really exciting news to report on. But when Nancy overhears something she shouldn’t and the news gets out, she learns that a good reporter knows when to keep things confidential and may even get some surprising and unexpected news herself.

Read more less

A moving and heartwarming World War I saga. For readers of Catherine Cookson and Dilly Court. 'When I'm the farmer,' began Mairi, and then she stopped, for she would never be the farmer. She was a girl.Ever since she was nine years old, Mairi McGloughlin has known she wants to be a farmer, but by the law of the land it's her scholarly brother Ian who will someday inherit. The next best thing might be to marry a farmer, and charming, confident Jack could be the perfect answer. But then there's Robin, her brother's best friend, more a man of books than of the land - and yet there's something about him. . .But with the outbreak of the Great War, their choices change completely and neither Mairi, Ian or Robin can hope to escape unscathed.As the world around them changes, only the land and love remain constant. But can it be enough to see them through?Previously published as Harvest of Courage.

Read more less

This magical postcard set features iconic film posters from Disney's most beloved films and animated shorts. Filled with art from the Disney archives, these 100 unique postcards span from Disney's early 1930s shorts to the studio's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to more contemporary classics like Robin Hood and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Set in a gorgeous box with a satin ribbon, these postcards offer fans of Disney animation a chance to relive the joy of their favorite films in a deluxe format that's perfect for sharing, displaying, and gifting to friends and family. Films include: • One Hundred and One Dalmatians • Alice in Wonderland • The Aristocats • Bambi • Cinderella • Fantasia • Lady and the Tramp • Robin Hood • The Sword in the Stone • Pinocchio • Peter Pan • Sleeping Beauty • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • Classic animated shorts featuring Mikey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and more.

Read more less

In Hot Thespian Action! Robin Whittaker argues that newplays can thrive in amateur theatres, which have freedoms unavailableto professionalized companies. And he proves it with 10 relevant,engaging playscripts originally produced by one of Canada’slongest-running theatres, Edmonton’s acclaimed Walterdale TheatreAssociates. This collection challenges notions that amateur theatre is solely aphenomenon of the pre-professional past. Whittaker makes an importantcontribution to Canadian theatre studies with the first North Americananthology in 80 years to collect plays first produced by anonprofessionalized theatre company.

Read more less

Count up to ten and back down again in this board book starring ten traveling dogs and one very tenacious cat!One by one, each dog escapes its yard and joins the adventure in this hilarious counting story. Vehicle-obsessed readers will love seeing all the modes of transportation that the pups use—until the family cat decides to round them all up to go back home. Gabi Snyder’s charming text and Robin Rosenthal’s delightful illustrations are a surefire combination in this winning board book.

Read more less

Two Nancy Clancy chapter books in one! Fans of Nancy Clancy will delight in this bindup featuring New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser's Sees the Future and Secret of the Silver Key-together in one book. Fans of Fancy Nancy will love joining Nancy Clancy in this sweet and funny chapter book series. The central theme of all the Nancy Clancy books shines through: the power of positive thinking and the will to never give up.

Read more less

When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, a straightforward crime of passion soon turns into a baffling mystery. Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion - and the body count - rises, he's forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent. Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

Read more less

The Greek Myths contains some of the most thrilling, romantic and unforgettable stories in all human history. From Achilles rampant on the fields of Troy, to the gods at sport on Mount Olympus, from Icarus flying too close to the sun, to the superhuman feats of Heracles, Theseus and the wily Odysseus, these timeless tales exert a fascination and inspiration that have endured for millennia. There are few people as steeped in the Ancient World as Robin and Kathryn Waterfield, and in their hands the heroism, humour, mystery, sensuality and brutality of the Greek Myths are brought brilliantly to life.

Read more less

Meet Martin Dobbs. He's a hot-tempered, foul-mouthed former mercenary and gun-for-hire who's just been forced out of retirement-with both funny and violent results. DEAD EYES is equal parts Unforgiven, The Equalizer, and Robin Hood, from two of comics' most irreverent creators: writer GERRY DUGGAN (Deadpool) and artist JOHN McCREA (Hitman)! Collects DEAD EYES #1-4

Read more less

How to Clean a Hippopotamus, a book about animal symbiosis, offers readers a close-up, step-by-step view of nature's fascinating partnerships. You can find out why a mongoose comes running when a warthog lies down, how a crab and an iguana help each other out, why ravens follow wolves, and more. You can witness the ingenious lifestyles of some of the world's most unusual animal partners in this book of curious biology, a symbiotic collaboration by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.

Read more less

Something fishy is going on in Gotham City Harbour! An ancient shark curse has taken a bite out of a whale-watching charity event, and it’s up to Mystery Inc. and the Dynamic Duo to dive into danger. Can Scooby and his friends help Batman and Robin reel in an aquatic kingpin, or is the calamitous cruise doomed to the depths of the sea? Find out in this action-packed chapter book for fans of Batman and Scooby-Doo!

Read more less

Robin Dreeke is a senior agent at the FBI and an 18 year veteran of the Bureau. He was, until recently, the head of the Counterintelligence Division’s Behavioral Analysis Program where his primary mission was to thwart the efforts of foreign spies and recruit American spies. His core approach in this mission was to inspire reasonable, well-founded trust among people who could provide valuable information. The Code of Trust is based on the system Dreeke devised and implemented during years of field work at the highest levels of national security. Applying his system first to himself, he rose up through the FBI, and then taught to law enforcement and military officials throughout the country. The Code of Trust has since elevated executives to leadership and changed the culture of entire companies, making them happier and more productive as morale soars. Inspiring trust is not a trick, nor is it an arcane art. It’s an important, character-building endeavor that requires only a sincere desire to be helpful and sensitive and the ambition to be more successful at work and at home. The Code of Trust is based on 5 principles: 1) Suspend Your Ego 2) Be Nonjudgmental 3) Honor Reason 4) Validate Others 5) Be Generous All a reader needs to be successful is the willingness to spend eight to ten hours learning a system that took Robin Dreeke almost a lifetime to create.

Read more less

Braiding together illustration, observation, and reportage, artist and naturalist Robin Lee Carlson offers a watershed work that will forever change how we live with wildfire in the West.When the nature reserve at Cold Canyon went up in flames—a casualty of California’s raging fire seasons—Robin Lee Carlson embarked on a five-year journey to learn the legacy of the burn. Spurred by scientific curiosity, Carlson’s deep digs into the natural history of this fire-swept ecosystem unearth mind-bending revelations about nature’s wild wisdom. Her transformative story of fire as a force for renewal underscores what scientists are urgently working to understand: that in California’s wildfire ecologies, fire functions as an elemental power that does not destroy the diverse habitats of California, but regenerates them. Richly illustrated in pen, ink, and watercolor, this snapshot of Cold Canyon’s wildlife emerging from the ashes introduces the reader to the wonder of ecological kinship and its cycles in our wild lands. Carlson’s artistic and scientific journey ultimately leads her (and us) to a new understanding of how we must live in relationship to fire and to the land. With fire suppression and climate change undermining the essential regenerative work of fire in our ecosystem, Carlson’s story is an urgent one—one that shows us how cultivating intimacy with our natural world teaches us what we need to do to sustain it.

Read more less

AI is changing the world at frightening speed. A bestselling author decides to find out more… ‘Something profound and utterly brilliant is going on… hilarious.’ THE TIMES Is ChatGPT the end of creative industries as we know them? An ethical quagmire from which there is no return? A threat to all our jobs, as we keep hearing on the news? Bestselling children’s author Andy Stanton has made a career out of writing differently – from the unconventional ‘hero’ of his bestselling Mr Gum series to his penchant for absurdist plots, his children’s books are anything but formulaic. When a friend introduces him to ChatGPT, the new large language chatbot, Andy is as sceptical as he is curious. Can this jumble of algorithms really mimic the spontaneity of human thought? Could it one day replace human authors like him for good? And are we soon to be ruled over by despotic robot overlords? He decides there’s only one thing for it – he must test this bot’s capabilities. Eventually, he settles on a prompt that will push the algorithm to its creative limits: ‘tell me a story about a blue whale with a tiny penis.’ Chaos ensues. What follows is a surprising and illuminating battle between Andy and ChatGPT that maybe, just maybe, might help us all understand AI a little bit better. Join Andy and his beleaguered AI lackey on a rollicking metafictional journey through the art of storytelling. Presenting his prompts and the AI-generated narrative alongside extensive commentary, Stanton provides a startling paean to the art of a good story and boundless human creativity. Hopeful and hilarious, Benny the Blue Whale provides a joyfully anarchic meditation on AI, literature and why we write. *** A WATERSTONES AND NEW SCIENTIST BEST BOOK OF 2023 ‘There’s no book like it. Scholarly, childish, fascinating and hilarious – one of our funniest writers dissects what it takes to build a story and what that tells us about being human. It’ll really make you think, if you can stop laughing.’ —Chris Addison, co-creator of BREEDERS ‘Entertaining and alarmingly relevant, provocative and philosophically satisfying, it’s ultimately a profoundly human text.’ OBSERVER ‘A magnificent experiment by a perfect fool – deep and shallow and stupid and clever – the perfect use of AI (Andy Intelligence).’ —Robin Ince, author of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING INTERESTED ‘Benny the Blue Whale is many things. It’s a fascinating discourse on the nature of language and storytelling. It’s a philosophical treatise on the possibilities of artificial intelligence. It’s a receptacle for obscenely hilarious jokes... A brilliant and beautiful cyborg: part human brain, part computational muscle. It’s a post-post-modern work of genius.’ —Anthony McGowan, Carnegie Medal-winning author of LARK

Read more less

Rachel''s boyfriend Frank is different from other people. His strangeness is part of what she loves about him: his innocence, his intelligence, his passionate immersion in the music of JS Bach. As a coder, Frank sees patterns in everything, but as his theories slide further towards the irrational, Rachel becomes increasingly concerned for his wellbeing. There are people Frank knows online, people who share his view of the world and who insist he has a unique role to play. In spite of Rachel''s fears for his safety, Frank is determined to meet them face to face.When Frank disappears, Rachel is forced to seek help in the form of Robin, a private detective who left the police force for reasons she will not reveal. Like Frank, Robin is obsessed with the music of Bach. Like Frank, she has unexplained connections with the criminal underworld of southeast London.An obscure science fiction story from the 1950s appears to offer clues to Frank''s secret agenda, but not to wher

Read more less

There's a new addition to our strong family! Now that Pequeño is born, mom and baby are ready to move together. From tummy time, to sitting up and crawling, to those exciting first steps, baby is growing stronger every day. And mom and dad are right there with her, laughing, dancing, working out, and resting. Because this family is stronger together.Preaching progress over perfection, Robin Arzón uses her popular Peloton mantras to pair with baby's first physical milestones, encouraging parents and baby to move together.

Read more less

Three Shadowhunter titles in one collection: The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and Ghosts of the Shadow Market.Delve into the world of the Shadowhunters and follow the adventures of Magnus Bane, Simon Lewis and Jem Carstairs in these companion titles to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series.These short stories are written by Cassandra Clare, with Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman and Kelly Link.

Read more less

The action and humor continues in this all-new, all-ages comic book series based on the hit CARTOON NETWORK animated series! Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven continue their partying in this jam-packed, adventure filled volume of TEEN TITANS GO! Collects TEEN TITANS GO! #13-18.

Read more less

Poetry. "In THE WINDOW FACING WINTER, the urgency of the beautiful andsometimes murderous urban landscape, set alongside the seductive, intricateoasis of the Japanese garden, renders possible a vision into 'sliver ofthe absolute.' With unflinching accuracy, LaFemina delivers a sacred, ifmomentary, world, laying bare its essential loneliness, its obstinatebeauty" --Robin Behn.

Read more less

Anna and Benjamin live in the city but love to stay with their cousin Robin in the countryside. Robin takes the children to see his favourite tree in the nearby forest: a 300-year-old giant oak.Each time the children visit, they are amazed at how the forest and the mighty oak changes with the seasons. In autumn, they build a cosy den in the tree's roots to watch the squirrels. In winter, they learn to ski in the shelter of the forest. In spring, they search the forest for animals. But some creatures can be dangerous, and one night, the old oak tree helps Benjamin when he discovers something he wasn't expecting… Join Anna and Benjamin as they spend the seasons with the great oak tree, and discover the fascinating plants and animals that live around it.This new, expanded edition of A Year Around the Great Oak is a compelling combination of engaging story and educational information to delight and teach readers. Discover new detailed and accurate illustrations and fascinating fact pages, alongside the wonderful seasonal story from Gerda Muller, creator of the beloved Seasons board books, A Year in Our New Garden and How Does My Garden Grow?

Read more less

This comprehensive drawing handbook covers all aspects of drawing birds including essential concepts such as light, tone and composition. With its clear step-by-step labelled drawings, this is an essential book for any budding artist who would like to master the art of drawing birds: from barn owls to kingfishers, from robins to swans, from ducklings to bald eagles.

Read more less

This collection opens in Mongolia with a poem called "Yoghurt". It is spring in Ulan Bator and Hoo Gerjan is seeking legal advice. This is the first of 12 narratives in the book interspersed with lyric moments such as one involving Samuel Beckett's telephone, a narrative ending with two blue dogs, "The Ballad of Robin Hood and the Deer", and a metaphysical narrative bringing a Christmas message from the Vatican.

Read more less

In a world where magic is tightly controlled, the most powerful man in history must choose between his kingdom and his son - in the first book of the New York Times bestselling Lightbringer series. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie.EVERY LIGHT CASTS A SHADOW.Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.With over four million copies sold, Brent Weeks is one of the fastest-selling fantasy authors of all time.'Brent Weeks is so good it's beginning to tick me off' Peter V. Brett'Weeks has a style of immediacy and detail that pulls the reader relentlessly into the story. He doesn't allow you to look away' Robin Hobb'I was mesmerised from start to finish. Unforgettable characters, a plot that kept me guessing, non-stop action and the kind of in-depth storytelling that makes me admire a writers' work' Terry Brooks'Weeks has truly cemented his place among the great epic fantasy writers of our time' British Fantasy Society Books by Brent WeeksLightbringerThe Black PrismThe Blinding KnifeThe Broken EyeThe Blood MirrorThe Burning WhiteNight AngelThe Way of ShadowsShadow's EdgeBeyond the ShadowsThe Kylar ChroniclesNight Angel NemesisPerfect Shadow: A Night Angel NovellaThe Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel

Read more less

Being antiracist is not something you are. It is something we do. In his global, game-changing bestseller How To Be An Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi, director of the Centre for Antiracist Research at Boston University, showed that when it comes to racism, neutrality is not an option: until we become part of the solution, we can only be part of the problem. Crucially, it requires 'persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism and regular self-examination'. In this workbook he uses his extraordinary gifts as a teacher to provide the reader with a series of activities, exercises and reflections to help them do this vital work, to cultivate an instinctive awareness of racism in all its forms and to take the action necessary to promote racial equity in the world around them. He asks us to reflect on our thinking around race through prompts including 'Describe the most racist moment of your life,', 'Have you ever been hesitant to use the R-word? Why?' and 'What does resistance mean to you?' helping us understand that the heartbeat of anti-racism is confession. It is self-reflection. The heart of racism is denial. It is refusing to self-reflect. 'Transformative and revolutionary' Robin DiAngelo, bestselling author of White Fragility 'Gives us the tools to make changes in our own life and society' June Sarpong

Read more less

What better way to celebrate spring than with a fashion show hosted by Fancy Nancy and her friend Bree! Nancy and Bree create magnificent costumes for their dolls Marabelle and Chiffon to wear at the Spring Fling Fashion Show. Join them as they celebrate springtime in this special 8x8 storybook adventure from New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, complete with a fabulous set of stickers!

Read more less

A favourite bedtime classic, beautifully retold by bestselling and award-winning author, Geraldine MccaughreanThis beloved childhood classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett is now available in a sumptuous gift book edition with dazzling new art.When Mary Lennox is sent from India to live with her uncle at gloomy Misselthwaite Manor, she is the most spoiled and contrary child you could ever meet. But she is also extremely lonely. Until one day, she discovers a walled garden that has been kept secret for years. With the help of a little robin, Mary unearths the key and unlocks the wonder that lies beyond the garden walls - and finds that making friends can be every bit life-changing as a magical garden. A captivating picture book retelling for young children by acclaimed author Geraldine McCaughrean, who has won, among many others, the Carnegie Medal twice, the Whitbread Children's Book Award and the Smarties Bronze Award.Discover more beautiful gift books in the Nosy Crow Classic range including Heidi, The Velveteen Rabbit and Peter PanA timeless keepsake gift with beautiful illustrations by Margarita Kukhtina that will be treasured by generations.With sumptuous details including cloth binding, foil cover, full colour illustrations throughout, textured paper jacket, ribbon marker and head and tail bands.

Read more less

I once was a Pirate what sailed the 'igh seas-But now I've retired as a com-mission-aire:And that's how you find me a-takin' my easeAnd keepin' the door in a Bloomsbury Square.Join Cat Morgan, the swashbuckling pirate as he sails the Barbary Coast in this sixth picture book pairing from Arthur Robins and T. S. Eliot's Old Possum Cats.

Read more less

Perched above Spirit Falls in the lush Wisconsin woodland, Robin Bentley's cabin is remote enough for her and her book club friends to shed the restraints of city living, hike in the woods, take moonlight walks and go skinny dipping under the waterfall. But when a body washes up below the falls, the No Ordinary Women find themselves up to their bifocals in a real mystery. And one of them could be the next victim.

Read more less

The feisty heroines of these six folk tales all share one important quality: they are extremely SMART!The smart heroines of these folk tales come from different countries around the world. Natasha from Russia is full of comical fantasies but can still outwit the devil; Yamuna from India has eyes like the sun a mind to match; English Marian ... well, she wants to be an outlaw like Robin Hood!

Read more less