Search results for ""spark""

All of us have experienced creative connection, and glimpsed its power. Yet, for centuries, the myth of the lone genius has obscured the critical story of the power of collaboration. In Powers of Two, Joshua Wolf Shenk argues that creative pairs are the exemplars for innovation. Drawing on years of research on great partnerships in history - from Lennon and McCartney to Marie and Pierre Curie, plus hundreds more in fields including literature, popular culture, art and business - Shenk identifies the common journey pairs take from the spark of initial connection, through the passage to a cognitive 'joint identity' to competition and the struggle for power. Using scientific and psychological insights, he uncovers new truths about epic duos - and sheds new light on the genesis of some of the greatest creative work in history. He reveals hidden partnerships among people known only for their individual work (like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien), and even 'adversarial collaborations' among those who are out to beat each other. This revelatory and lyrical book will make us see creative exchange as the central terrain of our psyches.

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Holiday fun for little ones! A perfect Christmas read-aloud story, this engaging board book is filled with bright photos of adorable animals and babies. The end of the book features a tree-shaped mirror where babies can see themselves and practice saying ho, ho, ho, too.Designed to spark a love of reading in babies and toddlers, Who Says Ho Ho Ho is a jolly story that little ones and caregivers can enjoy together. The mirror at the end of the book allows little ones to enjoy memorable peekaboo play with grown-ups, creating positive associations with reading from a young age. Simple, repetitive words encourage listening and speaking skills, boosting Baby's use of language.Ready for hands-on fun, the book’s sturdy wipe-off pages and rounded edges make it easy and safe for babies to touch and interact with the playful images. Who Says board books are small enough for little hands to hold on their own, and they fit easily in a diaper bag or purse to entertain little bookworms on the go. A great gift for a baby shower or for a new little one!

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The Nonconformism Revolution explores the evolution of dissenting thought and how Nonconformity shaped the transformation of England from a rural to an urban, industrialised society. The foundations for the Industrial Revolution were in place from the late Middle Ages when the early development of manufacturing processes and changes in the structure of rural communities began to provide opportunities for economic and social advancement. Successive waves of Huguenot migrants and the influence of Northern European religious ideology also played an important role in this process. The Civil Wars provided a catalyst for the dissemination of new ideas and helped shape the emergence of a new English Protestantism and divergent dissident sects. The persecution which followed strengthened the Nonconformist cause, and for the early Quakers it intensified their unity and resilience, qualities which would prove to be invaluable for business. In the years following the Restoration, Nonconformist ideas fuelled enlightened thought creating an environment for enterprise but also a desire for more radical change. Reformers seized on the plight of a working poor alienated by innovation and frustrated by false promises. The vision which was at first the spark for innovation would ignite revolution.

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#1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Dave Ulrich offers HR professionals a new line of defense in the corporate “war for talent.”Destined to be a classic in the field, this game-changing book from HR visionary Dave Ulrich tackles one of the greatest challenges in Human Resources today: the talent wars. As companies grow increasingly and aggressively competitive in hiring and nurturing individual employees, this book offers a refreshing, revolutionary alternative. By creating dynamic systems that leverage talent throughout the organization, you can create a unified whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. In the long run, that’s what gives your company the competitive edge it needs.Based on the research findings of the latest round of Ulrich’s legendary HR Competency Survey, this groundbreaking book is sure to spark debate, shatter myths, and inspire real change throughout the HR community. Filled with fact-based insights and field-tested strategies, it proves that your organization’s success lies, not in the talent you have, but what you do with the talent once you have it. This book shows you how to build capabilities, strengthen systems, and empower human capital—for longer lasting success.

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The enchanting second novel from the author of The Last Bear: the bestselling debut hardback of 2021 and The Times Children’s Book of the Week, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award ‘An irresistible ocean-loving yarn’ The Times Winner of the Edward Stanford Children’s Travel Book of the Year 2023 Shortlisted for BAMB Indie Book Awards for Children's Fiction 2023 THEIR BOND COULD SET THEM FREE . . . Rio has been sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, while his mum is in hospital. All Rio wants is for Mum to get better so he can return home. But everything changes when he joins a whale-watching trip and meets White Beak, a gentle giant of the sea. Rio forms an instant bond with the whale, and for the first time in ages he feels a spark of hope. Then White Beak goes missing and Rio may be the only person who can help. Can Rio draw on their special connection to somehow find and save his whale . . . ? Perfect for readers of 8+, beautifully illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold

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A University of Tradition is a fascinating compilation of history, customs, pictures, and facts about Purdue University from its founding in 1869 to the present day. Covering all aspects of Purdue, from the origin of the nickname of its students and alumni'Boilermakers'to a chronological list of all buildings ever constructed on the campus of West Lafayette, Indiana, this book presents the ultimate insider's guide to one of the world's great universities. It contains a wealth of facts about student, academic, sporting, and campus traditions, as well as biographical information on all the University presidents and other members of Purdue's family, including David Ross, Neil Armstrong, Eliza Fowler, Jack Mollenkopf, Helen Schleman, and Amelia Earhart.A University of Tradition spotlights many items that will spark the memories of any Purdue alumnus or fan. No matter if you were in the All-American Marching Band, lived in the Quad, participated in Grand Prix, wrote for the Purdue Exponent, or were on campus when the Boilermakers won the 1967 Rose Bowl, you will appreciate and enjoy this book. The second edition is fully updated for 2012 and includes information about new landmarks, new traditions, and the incoming twelfth president of the University.

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When the dust settles in this Texas town, who will be left standing?It’s been six weeks since Jack McBride’s life went to hell: the resolution of his first case as chief sparked a countywide drug war, his brother Eddie rode into town with a pocket full of cocaine and trouble on his mind, his estranged wife returned from her one-year sabbatical determined to win him back, and Ellie Martin ended their brief affair.To the Stillwater natives, the increase in local crime can be traced directly back to the day the outsider McBride took the job, and they’re gunning to get rid of him. One particular group is led by Joe Doyle, a successful local businessman who’s running for city council against Ellie and her plan to revitalize downtown. Now Jack has discovered proof Doyle is the biggest crime lord in the county, and, with murders piling up and the drug war intensifying, Jack suspects the crimes aren’t business, but personal—and he’s the target.The bitter election and Jack’s investigation spark old rivalries and new jealousies, making Ellie and those who love Stillwater most wonder if it’s even worth saving.

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From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the sixth novel in the warm and witty Not Quite series. No one drives in New York City. Everyone knows that, including California transplant Rachel Price. But that doesn’t stop her from driving into the city. From Connecticut. Every single morning. Rain or shine…or snow. When she runs the charismatic and good-looking Jason Fairchild off the road, their immediate spark is met with bad timing. There is also one tiny little detail: Jason is her boss. And a woman as intelligent and dedicated to her career as Rachel knows not to date her boss. As CEO of a private jet company, Jason Fairchild is more used to flying than driving. But if he hadn’t chosen to drive home one night, he wouldn’t have met the slowest—and most irresistible—driver in the entire metro area. Jason has never had time for love. Or dating. Or really anything that doesn’t involve work. But when he finds out that Rachel is the newest superstar in his marketing department, he can’t help wondering if fate has other plans…

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Rivalry, romance, and scandal run hot in this Wicked Wallflowers novel from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell. Regina (Reggie) Spark has loved Broderick Killoran, the resourceful and protective proprietor of the Devil’s Den, ever since he saved her from the streets and made her his right hand at the notorious gaming hell. For just as long, Reggie has never admitted her true feelings for him. Nor has she revealed her spirited ambitions—to buck convention and expectations and open a music hall. While Broderick built his gaming empire with ruthless cunning, his loyalty to his employees is boundless. So when he learns of Reggie’s plan to leave his side and take charge of her own future, the betrayal cuts Broderick to the core. He responds as he would to any business rival…with swift retribution. Instead of wilting, the savvy Reggie rebounds with a fury that shocks Broderick and stirs a desire he’s been holding in reserve for only ladies of nobility. But as their seductive battle of wills ignites under the harsh spotlight of the London Season, secrets are exposed as well—ones that could be ruinous in decent society but invaluable for the heart.

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Mention creativity, and what comes to mind? For many of us, creativity is the province of someone with a singular gift toiling away in service to their art. From this perspective, creativity is a solitary endeavor—the struggle of the individual to express their distinctive vision to the world. But what if we looked at creativity through a wider lens, as a dynamic force that animates us and connects us with every being on the planet? From this perspective, creativity is not just a spark igniting the fire of inspiration. It is a way of living spontaneously from the sacred space within us—from the source of infinite potential and positive qualities, such as love, compassion, and joy. Expression in any voice, any form that emerges from this core, has the power to heal us and benefit others. The heart of creativity is being of service.Acclaimed author and meditation master Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche draws on the ancient wisdom of the Tibetan Bon Buddhist tradition to guide us in developing the ability to show up fully for our lives and clear whatever blocks us from expressing our creative gifts for the greatest good.

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USA Today BestsellerNew York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world—and the people who make it home.Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

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An Observer Book of the Year A Times Science Book of the Year A New Statesman Book of the Year A Financial Times Science Book of the Year 'Astonishingly bold' Daily Mail 'It is hard to imagine a more timely book ... much of the modern world will make more sense having read it.' The Times We live in a world that's more interconnected than ever before. Our lives are shaped by outbreaks - of disease, of misinformation, even of violence - that appear, spread and fade away with bewildering speed. To understand them, we need to learn the hidden laws that govern them. From 'superspreaders' who might spark a pandemic or bring down a financial system to the social dynamics that make loneliness catch on, The Rules of Contagion offers compelling insights into human behaviour and explains how we can get better at predicting what happens next. Along the way, Adam Kucharski explores how innovations spread through friendship networks, what links computer viruses with folk stories - and why the most useful predictions aren't necessarily the ones that come true. Now revised and updated with content on Covid-19.

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Higher education institutions of all kinds—across the United States and around the world—have rapidly expanded the use of electronic portfolios in a broad range of applications including general education, the major, personal planning, freshman learning communities, advising, assessing, and career planning.Widespread use creates an urgent need to evaluate the implementation and impact of eportfolios. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the contributors to this book—all of whom have been engaged with the Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research—have undertaken research on how eportfolios influence learning and the learning environment for students, faculty members, and institutions.This book features emergent results of studies from 20 institutions that have examined effects on student reflection, integrative learning, establishing identity, organizational learning, and designs for learning supported by technology. It also describes how institutions have responded to multiple challenges in eportfolio development, from engaging faculty to going to scale. These studies exemplify how eportfolios can spark disciplinary identity, increase retention, address accountability, improve writing, and contribute to accreditation. The chapters demonstrate the applications of eportfolios at community colleges, small private colleges, comprehensive universities, research universities, and a state system.

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Most data scientists and engineers today rely on quality labeled data to train machine learning models. But building a training set manually is time-consuming and expensive, leaving many companies with unfinished ML projects. There's a more practical approach. In this book, Wee Hyong Tok, Amit Bahree, and Senja Filipi show you how to create products using weakly supervised learning models. You'll learn how to build natural language processing and computer vision projects using weakly labeled datasets from Snorkel, a spin-off from the Stanford AI Lab. Because so many companies have pursued ML projects that never go beyond their labs, this book also provides a guide on how to ship the deep learning models you build. Get up to speed on the field of weak supervision, including ways to use it as part of the data science process Use Snorkel AI for weak supervision and data programming Get code examples for using Snorkel to label text and image datasets Use a weakly labeled dataset for text and image classification Learn practical considerations for using Snorkel with large datasets and using Spark clusters to scale labeling

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If your organization is about to enter the world of big data, you not only need to decide whether Apache Hadoop is the right platform to use, but also which of its many components are best suited to your task. This field guide makes the exercise manageable by breaking down the Hadoop ecosystem into short, digestible sections. You'll quickly understand how Hadoop's projects, subprojects, and related technologies work together. Each chapter introduces a different topic-such as core technologies or data transfer-and explains why certain components may or may not be useful for particular needs. When it comes to data, Hadoop is a whole new ballgame, but with this handy reference, you'll have a good grasp of the playing field. Topics include: Core technologies-Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), MapReduce, YARN, and Spark Database and data management-Cassandra, HBase, MongoDB, and Hive Serialization-Avro, JSON, and Parquet Management and monitoring-Puppet, Chef, Zookeeper, and Oozie Analytic helpers-Pig, Mahout, and MLLib Data transfer-Scoop, Flume, distcp, and Storm Security, access control, auditing-Sentry, Kerberos, and Knox Cloud computing and virtualization-Serengeti, Docker, and Whirr

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Improves English progress at Key Stage 2 by 3.75 times the UK national average Dominic Traynor, the founder of LitFilmFest, and experienced educator Cath Bufton-Green offer a practical method for primary teachers to radically improve English attainment in their classroom. This innovative approach links global challenges including politics, social change, the environment, health and advertising to the five key National Curriculum areas in English: reports, instructions, persuasive language, fiction and poetry, and presentation skills. It develops reading and writing through exciting, real-world tasks such as emailing a politician, creating a viral video and using social media to start petitions. Literacy Beyond the Classroom presents ready-to-use lesson plans, exercises and activities to help teachers bring this concept to life in the primary classroom. This way of learning has been found to improve English progress at Key Stage 2 by 3.75 times the UK national average. The projects can be completed in Adobe Spark. By teaching English in this practical, purposeful and more meaningful way, we can inspire the YouTube generation to learn the literacy skills they need to influence the world around them and have a positive impact as global citizens.

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An interactive guide to staying creatively curious in your own life, curated by Brandon Stosuy (cofounder of The Creative Independent), with quotes and advice from artists across disciplines The second in a series of three interactive guides dedicated to the practical and emotional sides of living a creative life, Stay Inspired explores how to grow an idea into a project and how to keep the spark of creativity present in your daily life. This guide poses a series of questions on themes of tapping into your own story and circumstances of inspiration, identifying your influences, finding inspiring communities, and initiating partnerships and collaborations. Working artists from all walks of life—musicians, authors, filmmakers, dancers, designers, and visual artists—offer their responses to the questions posed throughout the book, providing an inspirational framework for discovering new ideas, channeling your influences, and making work in conversation with others. Part memoir, part zine, part "how-to," and oral history, in Stay Inspired, author and curator Brandon Stosuy taps into an incredible network of talent to provide diverse (and diverging) perspectives on how creativity can be inspired and channeled into your independent work, collaborations, and communities.

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Take a magic carpet ride through Disney’s wonderful world of films and entertainment experiences, and discover the wisdom within its most popular and enduring stories Philosophy begins in wonder, and there’s no question that Disney’s immersive worlds and iconic characters have enchanted generations of children and adults alike, inviting us to escape the mundane into a world of fantasy, imagination, and infinite possibility. In Disney and Philosophy, essays from thirty-two deep-thinking Disneyphiles chart a course through the philosophical world of Disney, tapping into the minds of the great sages of the ages—Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, and Goofy—to explore universal questions of freedom, personal identity, morality, family, and friendship: Can Sleeping Beauty know that she’s not dreaming? Does turning our emotions and memories “inside out” tell us who we are? What can Toy Story and Wall-E teach us about being human? Is hakuna matata really such a problem-free philosophy? If you’ve ever asked who you are, what is right, or what your purpose is, Disney and Philosophy will spark your curiosity and imagination with a whole new world of unexpected insight into the Magic Kingdom.

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From Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho comes a beautiful anthology of monthly nature poems which encourage a love for the natural world and the importance of looking after it. See how animals behave through the seasons, and the cycle of trees and plants, from the first blossoms of spring through to the stark winter wonderland in December. Twelve inspiring poems from Joseph Coelho, one for each month of the year, paired with folk art from Kelly Louise Judd give this book year-round appeal. A beautiful book for your bookshelf, to spark an idea for your own poem, or to teach a love for nature and to help children foster a love for the natural world. 'Heart-flutteringly lovely and powerful' - Book Trust 'In the classroom, this book could be used as a reference for writers to create their own season poems; play with the language of the original poems or pair their own personal memories with the weather or changing seasons.' - North Somerset Teachers Book Award 'This will appeal to all ages and never date...' - LoveReading4KidsWith stunning illustrations, this true celebration of the world we live in is a treasure for you and your child to share.

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'[Lippman] only seems to be getting better.' Entertainment Weekly'A first-rate collection.' BooklistFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLThe award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories.A married couple - longing for that old romantic spark - creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences. A husband's secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife. Lippman's beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father.In eleven brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong, Laura Lippman's sharp and acerbic stories explore the contemporary world and the female experience through the prism of classic crime, where the stakes are always deadly.Readers love Seasonal Work:***** 'These stories are the best I've ever read. I want to read everything this woman has written.'***** 'Such a unique collection of short stories. All excellent. I couldn't wait to finish each one.'***** 'Fantastic Stories!!! Her short stories blew me away!'***** 'Phenomenal. . . proof that you don't need 250 pages to write a killer story!'

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In his gripping and provocative debut, anthropologist Jason De Leon sheds light on one of the most pressing political issues of our time-the human consequences of US immigration policy. The Land of Open Graves reveals the suffering and deaths that occur daily in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona as thousands of undocumented migrants attempt to cross the border from Mexico into the United States. Drawing on the four major fields of anthropology, De Leon uses an innovative combination of ethnography, archaeology, linguistics, and forensic science to produce a scathing critique of "Prevention through Deterrence," the federal border enforcement policy that encourages migrants to cross in areas characterized by extreme environmental conditions and high risk of death. For two decades, this policy has failed to deter border crossers while successfully turning the rugged terrain of southern Arizona into a killing field. In harrowing detail, De Leon chronicles the journeys of people who have made dozens of attempts to cross the border and uncovers the stories of the objects and bodies left behind in the desert. The Land of Open Graves will spark debate and controversy.

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Fascinating profiles of the leading architects of the 1930s during a crucial period in the evolution of modernism Architect, designer, and architectural critic, George Nelson (1908–1986) was a young and impressionable architect when he wrote a series of articles in 1935 and 1936 that eloquently introduced astonishing buildings and fascinating personalities from across the Atlantic to wider American audiences. Building a New Europe presents this important collection of writings together for the first time. The subjects of Nelson’s essays include figures both major (Mies van Der Rohe and Le Corbusier) and minor (Helweg-Moeller and Ivar Tengbom). All of these architects would soon be affected by World War II—they would be put out of work or seek new careers abroad. Nelson’s essays spark fascinating questions about the canon of modernism: how would circumstances in the pre-war years cause some architects to rise and others to fall? Accompanied by a comprehensive introduction and a wide selection of archival photographs, many never before published, this unique study is a significant contribution to the history of modern architecture.Published in association with the Yale University School of Architecture

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From two leading, agenda-setting feminist editors, Believe Me brings readers into the current landscape of the anti-sexual violence movement--and outlines how believing women is the critical foundation for future progress. Essays include Jessica Valenti writing about how a woman's word has never been enough in our country, giving context to the question of why we don't believe women. Jaclyn Friedman draws that idea out further, articulating why it matters that women are believed about sexual violence - because doing so finally grants us bodily sovereignty, impacting whether we can be trusted about pain, about pleasure, about reproduction and beyond. Other top-tier contributors touch on: how race and class impact which kinds of women are believed; the ways that women's behaviour (what they wear, what they were drinking) trumps their testimony and words; how believing white women has harmed communities of colour; visions of masculinity that aren't dependent on undermining women. Part taking stock of recent feminist movements, part visions for a way forward, Believe Me has the potential to spark real change and to appeal to the countless men and women who have been engaging with #metoo and looking to feminist leadership for next steps.

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The “British Invasion” ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s is but a spark next to the bonfire that is the inferno of South Korean culture now consuming audiences around the world. From K-pop bands like BTS headlining at the United Nations to the wellness industry’s obsession with kimchi's probiotic benefits, Korea is everywhere. Topping this greatest hits chart is Squid Game, a genre-bending Netflix series that has ignited social media platforms and inspired fascinated devotion across the world.The seeds for a deep collaborative relationship between Netflix and K-drama had been sown long before the phenomenal success of Squid Game, but what particular social conditions allowed for this show to speak viscerally to global audiences today as the most-watched drama in ninety countries? In Way Ahead of Squid Game, scholar of Korean pop culture Suk-Young Kim throws back the curtain to reveal the multiple factors accounting for the global dominance of K-culture. It investigates the origins, manifestations, and future prospects for this cultural juggernaut, making it essential reading for both content creators and fans of Korean culture across all media.

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The Gun That Starts the Race, alternately like a David Lynch film or an episode of The Simpsons, finds the uncanny in the everyday, surprise you, make you laugh and weep (sometimes simultaneously) with recognition at the fleeting spark of our existence. Many of these poems are like archaeological sites between the sturm und drang of people's fleeting dramas, exploring in language playgrounds recently vacated, graves recently inhabited, basements and dark corners where life and death goes on without us.From free-verse lyrics to masterful sonnets, Norman's poems weld form and content together organically. They neither baffle nor condescend. Blending an effortless style to surprising metaphors, and striking images with a restless, roving intellect, they try to get to the bottom of things, while never satisfied there it is no false bottom. Here, Bolsheviks play tennis with Marxist rules; crows, maggots, and spiders go about their business, oblivious to our sufferings; and the Mole Men of Zug break into song.In The Gun that Starts the Race, Peter Norman gives us a world that lives and breathes and endures, and of which we are only a temporary part.

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‘Hyland, a seasoned firefighter, ensures the climactic inferno takes your breath away. More please.‘ – Mark Sanderson, The Times‘An atmospheric gripper‘ – Crime Monthly‘A gritty, inventive slice of Outback noir‘ – Paul Burke, Crime Fiction Lover‘had me gripped from beginning to end. I hope this is the start of a series as I'll be looking out for the next Jesse Redpath book.‘ – Victoria Goldman, LoveReadingCanticle Creek is a twisty crime thriller set in small town Australia. Two bodies. One long hot summer. A town that will never be the same. When Adam Lawson's wrecked car is found a kilometre from Daisy Baker’s body, the whole town assumes it’s an open and shut case. But Jesse Redpath isn’t from Canticle Creek. Where she comes from, the truth often hides in plain sight, but only if you know where to look. When Jesse starts to ask awkward questions, she uncovers a town full of contradictions and a cast of characters with dark pasts, secrets to hide and even more to lose. As the temperature soars, and the ground bakes, the wilderness surrounding Canticle Creek becomes a powderkeg waiting to explode. All it needs is one spark.

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Discover the joy of the great outdoors and the pleasures of slow travel with Kinfolk Wilderness. Whatever your pace or purpose, the stories within will provide you with a fresh perspective on what it means to be "outdoorsy," whether that means trekking from hut to hut in New Zealand, saddling up at a Patagonian ranch or simply taking a moment for mindfulness amid the pristine peaks of Bhutan. Featuring vibrant photography, practical guidance and thoughtful reflections on land stewardship, Kinfolk Wilderness brings together inspiring itineraries from five continents that promise adventure, inspire awe and spark a deeper connection to the landscape. You'll find entry points into bucolic European idylls from Denmark to Romania, discover new hiking trails through the ancient hills of Iraqi Kurdistan and learn how to stargaze in the haunting dark-sky deserts of California. Guided by the belief that travel is as much a state of mind as an action or itinerary, Kinfolk celebrates a way of exploring our world that not only fosters thoughtful perspectives on the places we visit but also deepens our relationship with home once the journey is over.

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Breathtaking, Vibrant, Simple-Your Must-Have Guide to Everything Oil Pastels Master the art of creating stunning oil pastel drawings under the guidance of Anna Koliadych, the creator of DearAnnArt and the bestselling author of 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces. Let her walk you through 50 gorgeous, four-step projects and teach you all the must-know oil pastel tips and techniques you need to create vivid landscapes, botanicals, cute animals and more. Revel in dozens of beautiful projects that will spark your creativity. Try your hand at recreating the Aurora Borealis, or draw a breathtaking Magical Lightning landscape. Compose some Autumn Forest Mushrooms, a Blooming Sakura or even a Fluffy Sheep. And with only four steps, every project is assured to be a breeze. Each step is also accompanied by a photo, so you can effortlessly follow along! Anna's experience as an art educator makes it easy for beginners to jump right in, and her expertise guarantees that even pros will find something new to learn. With straightforward, no-fluff directions and dozens of projects to inspire you, you'll work your way from novice to master in a matter of pages.

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Learn to illustrate and create unique manga art and characters in this fun and engaging step-by-step book written and illustrated by award-winning manga artist Sonia Leong.Beginning Manga treats aspiring illustrators to a fun, interactive learning experience with a variety of creative prompts, tips, exercises, and engaging step-by-step projects.Starting with an introduction to tools and materials, you can learn new drawing and inking techniques, as well as how to work with color, thanks to a variety of simple step-by-step projects and prompts designed to spark creativity and inspire you to create unique manga worlds of your own. The easy-to-follow projects focus on character design, facial expressions, popular poses, characters from different genres like science fiction and fantasy, and much more.Also included are templates and practice pages to assist with developing your craft in addition to brainstorming, sketching, and gathering project inspiration. Create your own manga story using page layout tips and Sonia Leong’s well-crafted script and design instructions.For even more manga drawing instruction, see Sonia Leong’s second book with Walter Foster, Illustration Studio: Drawing Manga Heroines & Heroes.

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At times writers—from the unpublished to jaded lifers—need a fire lit under them to pursue the complex work of self-exploration. Acetylene Torch Songs provides that spark for memoirists and essayists seeking mentor-based instruction and inspiration. Drawing on twenty-five years of teaching and mentoring writers, Sue William Silverman stresses practice over theory. She encourages craftiness as well as craft and urges writers to embark on emotional quests in pursuit of their art. Acetylene Torch Songs uniquely illustrates how the writer’s imaginative spirit comes alive on the page through metaphor, literary masks, sensory memories, voice, obsessions, and more. This holistic approach to writing emphasizes how the creative process brings together the heart, mind, and senses to illuminate the human condition through language. Featuring a personal essay in each chapter, Silverman uses her own work to model a specific concept or approach, demonstrating how obsessions, secrets, and memories can burn on the page. Through guided prompts, worksheets, checklists, publishing advice, personal essays, and strategies, Silverman encourages writers to find the confidence and courage to write stories that reach beyond the page through their intimacy, social engagement, and honesty.

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From news and speeches to informal chatter on social media, natural language is one of the richest and most underutilized sources of data. Not only does it come in a constant stream, always changing and adapting in context; it also contains information that is not conveyed by traditional data sources. The key to unlocking natural language is through the creative application of text analytics. This practical book presents a data scientist’s approach to building language-aware products with applied machine learning. You’ll learn robust, repeatable, and scalable techniques for text analysis with Python, including contextual and linguistic feature engineering, vectorization, classification, topic modeling, entity resolution, graph analysis, and visual steering. By the end of the book, you’ll be equipped with practical methods to solve any number of complex real-world problems. Preprocess and vectorize text into high-dimensional feature representations Perform document classification and topic modeling Steer the model selection process with visual diagnostics Extract key phrases, named entities, and graph structures to reason about data in text Build a dialog framework to enable chatbots and language-driven interaction Use Spark to scale processing power and neural networks to scale model complexity

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‘A wonderfully crafted masterpiece’ Melanie Blake ‘A delightful cast of characters’ Woman’s Weekly Praise for Alex Brown: ‘An intriguing story you will love’ Jill Mansell ‘The cleverly entwined stories kept me turning the pages’ Trisha Ashley ‘I adored it’ Lesley Pearse ‘Evocative and engaging … a story to fall in love with.’ Cathy Bramley ‘A warm, emotional tale of love, friendship and following your heart.’ Milly Johnson 1940: Beatrice Crawford left her safe life in England to nurse the soldiers in the fields of France during the Great war. Once the war was over, she never returned home, and during the darkest days of WW2, her beloved Paris is occupied by the Nazi’s. Beatrice must once again do her bit, but who can she trust in this dangerous new world? Present day: Keen to put the spark back into her life, Annie Lovell volunteers to investigate her neighbour’s inherited apartment in Paris. There she discovers a bundle of secret diaries hidden within its walls. Captivated by the City of Light, Annie must piece together the events from the past if she is to fulfil the legacy that Beatrice left for her to find…

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'A gripping exploration of one of the most fundamental, but also perplexing aspects of existence.' PROF. LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Origins'Such an enjoyable read...full of delightful nuggets that you will want to impress your friends and family with.' PROF. JIM AL-KHALILI, NYT bestselling author of The World According to Physics'This is a lovely, fascinating book. It blends history, geology, chemistry, philosophy and, of course, physics in a way that's delightful to read.' - ABIGAIL BEALL, author of The Art of Urban Astronomy--------Discover the secrets of one of the biggest puzzles in our history - Time. As a subject, it has perplexed and fascinated generations of scientists, historians and more, and continues to spark the most intriguing questions being asked in science today. Can time be stopped? Is time travel possible? Does time even exist...? In these ten bite-sized essays, Colin Stuart delves into these big questions and uncovers the most awe-inspiring and revealing things we should all know about time. Perfect for readers of Carlo Rovelli and anyone fascinated by space and the universe, this is a must-read for those short on time, but not curiosity.

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The ultimate antidote to screen time – outdoor play with your kids! Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a Forest School leader or anyone else looking after children, this invaluable guide to nature-based play is full of ideas to get kids outdoors, learning about and connecting with nature, developing new skills and having fun. These new Forest School crafts, games and survival activities are all themed around the elements of earth, air, fire and water, with an underlying message of sustainability and wonder at the amazing web of life. For earth, make a mud slide, try Bogolan mud painting on cloth, or hurl mud missiles at a moving target. For air, make a bullroarer or a whistle, build a kite and fly it, or predict the weather by reading the clouds. For fire, dig a Dakota fire pit, make a bug-repellent torch or learn how to navigate using a shadow stick. For water, mix natural dyes, build and test a rainproof den, or drink foraged birch twig tea from a crafted log cup. There are also four magical stories to tell the children – one for each of the elements –guaranteed to spark their imagination.

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Help your future genius become the smartest baby in the room! If you're looking for toddler homeschooling books similar to Baby Loves Quantum Physics then you'll love Nuclear Physics for Babies, the next installment of the Baby University board book series by Chris Ferrie!Written by industry experts, Nuclear Physics for Babies is a colorfully simple introduction to what goes on in the center of atoms. Babies (and grownups!) will learn all about the nucleus and the amazing process of nuclear decay. Co-written by Cara Florance, who has a PhD in Biochemistry and a BS in Chemistry with work experience in astrobiololgy and radiation decontamination.With a tongue-in-cheek approach that adults will love, this physics for babies installment of the Baby University board book series is the perfect way to introduce basic concepts to even the youngest scientists. After all, it's never too early to become a nuclear physicist!Baby University: It only takes a small spark to ignite a child's mind.Other Baby University titles include:Quantum Physics for BabiesQuantum Computing for BabiesNeural Networks for BabiesOrganic Chemistry for Babies

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Five children meet on their first day of school, one bright September morning. Drawn by that magical spark of connection that happens to the young, Gabby, Billy, Izzie, Andy and Sean – each bursting with their own personality, all with strikingly different looks and diverse talents – soon become an inseparable group, known to everyone else as the Big Five. As they grow up, their seemingly perfect lives are altered by families falling apart, unfortunate mistakes, and losses and victories great and small. Throughout their adolescence, the five are able to turn back to their trusted group to regain their footing and steady their course. But as they emerge from school, their futures seem neither safe nor clear. As their lives separate, the challenges and risks they face become greater, the losses sharper, and it becomes much harder to know the right path to choose.But despite life’s ups and downs, together they are able to face up to challenges with the help of the important bonds forged all those years ago. And the five realise just how lucky they are to treasure valuable friendships that last a lifetime.

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There’s a problem with school lunch in America. Big Food companies have largely replaced the nation’s school cooks by supplying cafeterias with cheap, precooked hamburger patties and chicken nuggets chock-full of industrial fillers. Yet it’s no secret that meals cooked from scratch with nutritious, locally sourced ingredients are better for children, workers, and the environment. So why not empower “lunch ladies” to do more than just unbox and reheat factory-made food? And why not organize together to make healthy, ethically sourced, free school lunches a reality for all children? The Labor of Lunch aims to spark a progressive movement that will transform food in American schools, and with it the lives of thousands of low-paid cafeteria workers and the millions of children they feed. By providing a feminist history of the US National School Lunch Program, Jennifer E. Gaddis recasts the humble school lunch as an important and often overlooked form of public care. Through vivid narration and moral heft, The Labor of Lunch offers a stirring call to action and a blueprint for school lunch reforms capable of delivering a healthier, more equitable, caring, and sustainable future.

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The Forever Inspired Coloring Books are designed specifically for younger colorists. This exciting new series includes tons of whimsical illustrations that are designed to spark creativity in growing young minds and to provide hours of fun at the same time! Additionally, the books’ outlines aren’t overly complicated, so coloring can be a blast for the whole family—they’re perfect to share with a younger sibling, a friend, or even a parent!This delightful new collection includes forty-four full-page, black-and-white illustrations featuring the chic and cutting-edge fashions of Paris! Paris has always been on the forefront of the art and fashion worlds. Through these unique and beautiful designs, young artists everywhere can apply their favorite colors to a variety of outfits inspired by the romantic city of light!Each page is perforated so that every tween artist can easily remove their masterpieces and decorate any place they want to—whether it’s their bedroom ceiling or their locker at school! It’s never been simpler to share and display their creations with their pals. Grab a copy of Forever Inspired Coloring Book: Paris Fashions and fill this fanciful French wardrobe with your favorite colors.

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A leader in digital communication and grassroots political campaigns explains how the internet and modern media have undermined America and how we can reclaim our voices for the good of civic life.The creators of the internet promised us jetpacks: better experiences, more choices, and deeper relationships.Built on a diversity of voices, our online freedom was supposed to spark a democratic transformation. But our platforms don’t work for us—we’re the inventory and our outrage fuels a tech revolution optimized for profit, not civic life.As one of the top digital strategists for Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns, Michael Slaby saw the beginning of a new kind of national division. What he witnessed would spawn the Tea Party movement, upset the 2016 election, and accelerate the polarization of American civic life.Slaby presents the four core areas which can be reclaimed to work better for all of us: platforms, government institutions, corporations, and even the users ourselves. Optimistic, future-focused, and deeply passionate, For ALL the People breaks down how we got here, and how we, the users, can work toward a better democracy through tech.

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Spark your child's imagination through science and learning with this captivating astronomy book for toddlers. When it comes to kids books about black holes nothing else can compare to this clever science parody from the #1 science author for kids, Chris Ferrie!PLUS, use a black light to reveal secret, invisible text and artwork that reverses the story from nothing to the scientific creation of everything!Using the familiar rhythm of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," follow along as the black hole swallows up the universe and everything that exists in it, from the biggest to the smallest pieces of matter. The silly, vibrant artwork is sure to make stargazers of all ages smile and start a love of science in your baby.There was a black hole that swallowed the universe.I don't know why it swallowed the universe—oh well, it couldn't get worse.There was a black hole that swallowed a galaxy.It left quite a cavity after swallowing that galaxy.It swallowed the galaxies that filled universe.I don't know why it swallowed the universe—oh well, it couldn't get worse.

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Every flame begins with a spark. Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

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“What are you going to do with all these babies now?” Trish Ann Konieczny didn’t always dream of being a wildlife rehabilitator, but that changed as soon as four orphaned raccoons fell out of a tree, into her yard and into her heart. Since the Raccoon Gang first dropped in, her life has been energized by a passion to share God’s love for all creatures by rescuing birds and beasts alike. Now Trish shares her most unique encounters with her needy new friends and how they’ve each provided a window into the animal kingdom God has created for us to care for and enjoy. You’ll find enchanting stories from her time at Lion’s Den Rehab, like those of… Spark: an abandoned baby squirrel nursed back to health and eventual freedom George: a homely, headstrong pigeon who loved rehab so much he wouldn’t leave Bunny: an adorable but high-risk rescue rabbit determined to survive and thrive Filled with heartwarming antics and up close looks at life in animal rescue, this book will delight every lover of furry and feathered babies—and reveal incredible insights into our relationship with God’s magnificent creation.

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Celebrate how hope can be found in so many surprising moments and places as it fills our lives with beauty and wonder.A beautiful rhyming text and cozy illustrations remind readers that hope can be found daily in so many aspects of life. From a poppy turning its face to the sun to a firefly lighting up the night. From putting all your effort into learning how to ride a bike, to asking for help to play ball. Hope can be found in so many places--in that shelf full of books waiting to be read, in a dog wagging its tail, and especially when you’re waiting at the window for a loved one’s visit. Readers will be uplifted as they see all the ways hope can connect us and help us to live our best lives, and they may even be inspired to write a few verses of their own about where they find hope. Whatever hope is to you, wherever you find it in your life, this book shows how "Hope can glow bright or be just a spark. / Hope is the warmth at home in your heart."

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Great ideas don’t just happen. Innovation springs from creative thinking—a method of the human mind that we can study and learn. In The Art of Ideas, William Duggan and Amy Murphy bring together business concepts with stories of creativity in art, politics, and history to provide a visual and accessible guide to the art and science of new and useful ideas.In chapters accompanied by charming and inviting illustrations, Duggan and Murphy detail how to spark your own ideas and what to do while waiting for inspiration to strike. They show that regardless of the field, innovations happen in the same way: examples from history, presence of mind, creative combination, and resolution to action. The Art of Ideas features case studies and exercises that explain how to break down problems, search for precedents, and creatively combine past models to form new ideas. It showcases how Picasso developed his painting style, how Gandhi became the man we know today, and how Netflix came to disrupt the movie-rental business. Lavishly illustrated in an appealing artistic style, The Art of Ideas helps readers unlock the secret to creativity in business and in life.

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New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world-and the people who make it home.Piper Manning's about as tough as they come, she's had to be. She raised her siblings and they've thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she's free.When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There's a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can't deny, making her yearn for something she doesn't understand. And her siblings...well, they need each other.Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself...and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons The answer is closer than she thinks-just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

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The modern workplace has evolved from a dehumanized cubicle landscape to space designed for intelligent human life. While utility and amenity are vastly improved, wh at advances have been made in building truly creative communities that spark creativity, knowledge sharing and collaboration? Is the 21st century office performing at peak? Clive Wilkinson - The Theatre of Work proposes an intensified relationship between office users and the space they occupy. The new workspace should amplify and celebrate the activity of work and of human community, and in the process, becoming vital and compelling Theatre. In defining this new landscape, the author examines global devel opments in workplace thinking, historical antecedents, the performance touch-points for the new office, and proposes seven humanistic principles that will inform a holistic design process that can bring this concept of Theatre to fruition. Each of these principles is demonstrated through case studies of the work of his renowned design studio, Clive Wilkinson Architects (CWA), with rich iconography, diagrammatic strategy and contextual ingenuity. The outcome of this process, with its multiple performative la yers, effectively promotes elevating a corporate brief of basic needs and goals to a profoundly human-centred presentation of ‘work as theatre’ .

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Get ready! With this game, you'll gain insights into how you create, present, and evaluate social design solutions in a fast and fun way. PERFECT TOOL FOR GENERATING IDEAS, BRAINSTORMING & TEAM-BUILDING: Beyond Design The Game will help amp up your associative thinking skills and help you quickly generate ideas whilst working collaboratively. DEVELOP SYSTEM THINKING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Get better at streamlining your thinking and communicating your ideas effectively. UNCOVER EXISTING INSPIRATION AND CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES: Spark new inspiration with existing ideas and explore new possibilities of bringing it to life. GET BETTER AT CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING: Learn to generate innovative solutions to complex social issues quickly. IMPROVE CONFIDENCE IN PITCHING YOUR IDEAS: Practice makes perfect. The game provides a supportive framework for anyone to practice and get better at enrolling people in their ideas. IDEAL FOR CLASSROOMS, WORKSHOPS, AND GROUPS: Whether you're using the game as an experiential teaching tool for students, facilitating a workshop for your team, or hosting an activity for you and your friends. The Beyond Design game is a perfect group activity for adolescents, adults, and kids age 12+.

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Headed by the slogan “Design Thinking,” a debate has unfolded over the last ten years about design methods, which goes far beyond the specialist boundaries of design disciplines. Executives and business owners today recognize the potential for economic innovation lying in the creative and analytical mindset of designers. The extensive literature available on “Design Thinking” focuses on the methodology of the design process, while the conditions necessary to spark innovation processes in the first place, have long remained more or less unnoticed. Driving Desired Futures starts here and asks how established innovations arise from a simple idea. What criteria are mostly likely to be the basis from which the ideas of an individual can take hold in a social system? What are conditions, under which they can become incorporated into a diverse group of people? What topics induce managers to choose and then to invest in a specific idea? Questions such as these are pursued in international contributions by renowned experts, using the first digital camera as a case study. They identify the individual and social processes associated with the exchange and implementation of new ideas.

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