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Lonely Planet’s Peru is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, hike to the dramatic peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, and traverse three climatic zones in the Amazonian Parque Nacional Manu; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Peru and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Peru Travel Guide: Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak NEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of [destination’s] best experiences and where to have them What's new feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel Improved planning tools for family travellers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Over 50 maps Covers Lima, Arequipa, Canyon Country, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, the Highlands, Huaraz, the Cordilleras, Amazon Basin The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Peru, our most comprehensive guide to Peru, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for just the highlights? Check out Best of Peru, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

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'Five star gold! Inspiring, uplifting, and raw in its intensity' RT Book Reviews 'No one lays open the heart and soul quite like New York Times bestselling author Mia Sheridan . . . her stories will make you weep , but you'll be smiling through your tears' Amazon reviewerFrom the moment she met Callen Hayes, eleven-year-old Jessica Creswell knew he was a broken prince. Her prince. They became each other's refuge, a safe and magical place far from their troubled lives. Until the day Callen kissed her . . . and then disappeared from her life without a word.Years later, everyone knows who Callen Hayes is. Famous composer. Infamous bad boy. What no one knows is that Callen's music is now locked deep inside, trapped behind his own inner demons. Then he stumbles into the one person who makes the music return. Jessica. Who still sets his blood on fire.But they don't belong in each other's worlds anymore. There are too many mistakes. Too many secrets. Too many lies. All they have is that instinctive longing, that need, the one that's beginning to feel dangerously like love . . .Praise for Mia Sheridan:'If you loved Archer's Voice, you will love Most of All You... The writing was truly beautiful and just sweeps you away into the story' Aestas Book Blog'Utterly mesmerizing. An exquisite, beautifully written romance' Samantha Young, New York Timesbestselling author'Mia Sheridan has outdone herself with this beautiful, uplifting story of two broken souls finding themselves and each other. I savored each word of Most of All You. This story will stay with me forever' Corinne Michaels, New York Times bestselling author'Once again, Sheridan proves why she's an automatic purchase. With heart and finesse, she paints a romance in Most of All You that will captivate you, heal you, and make you believe that love can conquer all. An absolute five star must read' K. Bromberg, New York Times bestselling author'I love the men Mia writes. She's able to create sensitive real men with insane sex appeal' Renee Carlino, USA Today bestselling author'Exquisitely written and utterly unique, this is the touching tale of two broken people... and their journey of healing' Natasha is a Book Junkie'This is a story that will no doubt own you - a tale of love, determination, hope and healing brought to life by that intangible magic we've come to expect from Mia Sheridan' Vilma Iris'[A] magnificent story of two kindred, shattered spirits finding hope and partnership and eventually love' Washington Post'PHENOMENAL. This is Mia Sheridan at her very best - my favorite read of the year! A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author

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'Incredible... Each page of this book is saturated with life experience and a genuine warm desire to help everyone who holds it... Did I feel it? Absolutely!... Massive love! I can't recommend it enough!!!' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Do you often feel overwhelmed with stress?Does fear hold you back from your goals?Do you ever feel like quitting when it gets tough?At some point in our lives, we've all had to face what seems like an impossible challenge. But imagine being fully in control of your emotional state, and having a transformational toolkit that will allow you to deal with any obstacle life throws at you... In this life-changing book, James Elliott brings together all his years of experience as an accredited psychotherapist, resilience coach and ex-paratrooper to help you develop your Five Pillars of Mental Resilience: confidence, emotional intelligence, physical health, goals, and relationships. James's eye-opening pillars will show you how to: · Understand and manage your emotional response to any situation· Harness your fears and overcome insecurities to achieve your goals· Find strength in your vulnerabilities and reframe failure· Unlearn negative behavioural patterns and replace them with positive ones· Set boundaries and avoid toxic relationshipsPacked with practical techniques, including James's ground-breaking tried-and-tested MIND method, Think Yourself Resilient will show you how you can train your brain to tackle life's daily challenges, overcome self-doubt and turn surviving into thriving. Perfect for fans of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, Atomic Habits, and Mindset.What readers are saying about Think Yourself Resilient:'A self-help guru.' The Times'Boy did it open my eyes!! ... made me truly think about my frame of mind and how I personally will make changes.' Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆'James offers a powerful and pragmatic approach to understanding how to build resilience. He is authentic, relatable and inspiring in offering invaluable insights on how to overcome life's daily challenges.' Damian Hughes, high performance expert and bestselling co-author of High Performance'James provides an authentic and inspiring book that is thought provoking and powerful on every page ... easily digestible through the 5 pillars and most importantly can be achieved by all! It's as much brilliant as it is relatable and provides an in depth and compelling view on a topic previously difficult to articulate.' Coach Mike Chadwick, author of The Red On Revolution'If anyone has a lived experience of this subject, it's James Elliott ... I am learning from reading this book! Beg, borrow or steal a copy (if you're skint) or buy it like I did!'. Antony Cotton, actor'Simply brilliant'. Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆'A fantastic experience. The author's insights on building mental toughness and overcoming adversity were spot on and really resonated with me. Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

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'If you want to see what that future might look like, Duncan's book is a fun place to start'NPR'Intensely readable, downright terrifying, and surprisingly uplifting' Vanity Fair '5 books not to miss . . . A fascinating work of imaginative futurology'USA TodayOne of Time magazine's '32 Books You Need to Read This Summer' - 'a riveting read' One of David Baldacci and Elizabeth Acevedo's best summer reads, on USA Today's Today programme 'A refreshing variation on the will-intelligent-robots-bring-Armageddon genre . . . this colourful mixture of expert futurology and quirky speculation does not disappoint' Kirkus ReviewsWhat robot and AI systems are being built and imagined right now? What do they say about us, their creators? Will they usher in a fantastic new future, or destroy us? What do some of our greatest thinkers, from physicist Brian Greene and futurist Kevin Kelly to inventor Dean Kamen, geneticist George Church, and filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, anticipate about our human-robot future? For even as robots and AI intrigue us and make us anxious about the future, our fascination with robots has always been about more than the potential of the technology - it's also about what robots tell us about being human.From present-day Facebook and Amazon bots to near-future 'intimacy' bots and 'the robot that swiped my job' bots, bestselling American popular science writer David Ewing Duncan's Talking to Robots is a wonderfully entertaining and insightful guide to possible future scenarios about robots, both real and imagined.Featured bots include robot drivers; doc bots; politician bots; warrior bots; sex bots; synthetic bio bots; dystopic bots that are hopefully just bad dreams; and ultimately, God Bot (as described by physicist Brian Greene).These scenarios are informed by discussions with well-known thinkers, engineers, scientists, artists, philosophers and others, who share with us their ideas, hopes and fears about robots. David spoke with, among others, Kevin Kelly, David Baldacci, Brian Greene, Dean Kamen, Craig Venter, Stephanie Mehta, David Eagleman, George Poste, George Church, General R. H. Latiff, Robert Seigel, Emily Morse, David Sinclair, Ken Goldberg, Sunny Bates, Adam Gazzaley, Tim O'Reilly, Tiffany Shlain, Eric Topol and Juan Enriquez.These discussions, along with some reporting on bot-tech, bot-history and real-time societal and ethical issues with robots, are the launch pads for unfurling possible bot futures that are informed by how people and societies have handled new technologies in the past.The book describes how robots work, but its primary focus is on what our fixation with bots and AI says about us as humans: about our hopes and anxieties; our myths, stories, beliefs and ideas about beings both real and artificial; and our attempts to attain perfection.We are at a pivotal moment when our ancient infatuation with human-like beings with certain attributes or superpowers - in mythology, religion and storytelling - is coinciding with our ability to actually build some of these entities.

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As a child, Michael Charles Tobias encountered a wolf caged in a zoo. Gazing upon the pacing, desperate animal, Tobias asked his Father, "Why is he in jail?" For over half a century, Tobias has roamed the earth in search of an answer. This memoir is a testimony to Tobias' field research, expeditions, deliberations, and some answers to that haunting question. Systems ecologist, philosopher, historian of ideas, anthropologist, ethicist and philanthropist, Tobias has emerged as one of the most influential and far-reaching ecological philosophers of this generation. The Earth in Fragments: A Memoir by Michael Charles Tobias chronicles many of his most incisive areas of research, activism and philosophical inflections. Much of the data, conveyed in a personal and enlightening series of recollections, lends incisive clarity to the emergence and escalating challenges of the environmental and life sciences fields. Tobias shares glimpses into many of the often ethically-harrowing research conundrums confronting him and his wife, Jane Gray Morrison, as they have effectively endeavoured throughout the globe, focusing upon animal rights and conservation biology initiatives. Their more than 50 books and 75 films have shed a powerful spotlight on many of the most pressing issues of our time. The anecdotes pour forth, from an ancient monastery in the Sinai, across the Himalayas, to the Arctic and Antarctic, where Tobias was among the first to draw global attention to the crises mounting across the Last Continent. We see him behind the scenes, directing the ambitious ten-hour drama, "Voice of the Planet" in two-dozen countries, examining the Gaia Hypothesis; conducting a project in the heart of the 1989 catastrophic oil spill in Alaska; his irrepressible quest to understand the runaway train of human overpopulation across the planet in his book and accompanying PBS film "World War III." We follow his probing philosophical meditations-in-action as an animal liberationist from California, Mali, Kenya, China, Greece and Russia. We see his appeal for a "new human nature" in cutting-edge scientific research calling for an interspecies revolution that is at once pantheistic, ethically holistic, and as imaginative and ecologically paradoxical as it is pragmatic. The reader is led through a dazzling and provocative labyrinth of deeply moving eco-science in countries like New Zealand, Madagascar, Brazil, Chile's Rapa Nui, and throughout Europe, West Africa and Asia. From the Ecuadorian Amazon to Haiti; from Mozambique, Yemen, and Namibia to Borneo, Tobias and Morrison have worked to bring critical conservation strategies and policy priorities to government leaders and scientists throughout the world. With insights from palaeontology, Renaissance art history, deep demography, and the most recent advances in biodiversity conservation and biosemiotics, Tobias leads readers on an exquisite and uplifting journey that, while describing much devastation, provides hopeful glimpses into a near future that is not only possible, but essential for the well-being of the world, as viewed, lived and chronicled by one man at the heart of the Anthropocene.

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Open source software is changing the world of Information Technology. But making it work for your company is far more complicated than simply installing a copy of Linux. If you are serious about using open source to cut costs, accelerate development, and reduce vendor lock-in, you must institutionalize skills and create new ways of working. You must understand how open source is different from commercial software and what responsibilities and risks it brings. "Open Source for the Enterprise" is a sober guide to putting open source to work in the modern IT department. Open source software is software whose code is freely available to anyone who wants to change and redistribute it. New commercial support services, smaller licensing fees, increased collaboration, and a friendlier platform to sell products and services are just a few of the reasons open source is so attractive to IT departments. Some of the open source projects that are in current, widespread use in businesses large and small include Linux, FreeBSD, Apache, MySQL, PostgreSQL, JBOSS, and Perl. These have been used to such great effect by Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, and major commercial and financial firms, that a wave of publicity has resulted in recent years, bordering on hype. Large vendors such as IBM, Novell, and Hewlett Packard have made open source a lynchpin of their offerings. Open source has entered a new area where it is being used as a marketing device, a collaborative software development methodology, and a business model. This book provides something far more valuable than either the cheer-leading or the fear-mongering one hears about open source. The authors are Dan Woods, former CTO of TheStreet.com and a consultant and author of several books about IT, and Gautam Guliani, Director of Software Architecture at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. Each has used open source software for some 15 years at IT departments large and small. They have collected the wisdom of a host of experts from IT departments, open source communities, and software companies. "Open Source for the Enterprise" provides a top to bottom view not only of the technology, but of the skills required to manage it and the organizational issues that must be addressed. Here are the sorts of questions answered in the book: why is there a "productization gap" in most open source projects? How can the maturity of open source be evaluated? How can the ROI of open source be calculated? What skills are needed to use open source? What sorts of open source projects are appropriate for IT departments at the beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert levels? What questions need to be answered by an open source strategy? What policies for governance can be instituted to control the adoption of open source? What new commercial services can help manage the risks of open source? Do differences in open source licenses matter? And how will using open source transform an IT department?

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Deploying a machine learning model into a fully realized production system usually requires painstaking work by an operations team creating and managing custom servers. Cloud Native Machine Learning helps you bridge that gap by using the pre-built services provided by cloud platforms like Azure and AWS to assemble your ML system’s infrastructure. Following a real-world use case for calculating taxi fares, you’ll learn how to get a serverless ML pipeline up and running using AWS services. Clear and detailed tutorials show you how to develop reliable, flexible, and scalable machine learning systems without time-consuming management tasks or the costly overheads of physical hardware. about the technologyYour new machine learning model is ready to put into production, and suddenly all your time is taken up by setting up your server infrastructure. Serverless machine learning offers a productivity-boosting alternative. It eliminates the time-consuming operations tasks from your machine learning lifecycle, letting out-of-the-box cloud services take over launching, running, and managing your ML systems. With the serverless capabilities of major cloud vendors handling your infrastructure, you’re free to focus on tuning and improving your models. about the book Cloud Native Machine Learning is a guide to bringing your experimental machine learning code to production using serverless capabilities from major cloud providers. You’ll start with best practices for your datasets, learning to bring VACUUM data-quality principles to your projects, and ensure that your datasets can be reproducibly sampled. Next, you’ll learn to implement machine learning models with PyTorch, discovering how to scale up your models in the cloud and how to use PyTorch Lightning for distributed ML training. Finally, you’ll tune and engineer your serverless machine learning pipeline for scalability, elasticity, and ease of monitoring with the built-in notification tools of your cloud platform. When you’re done, you’ll have the tools to easily bridge the gap between ML models and a fully functioning production system. what's inside Extracting, transforming, and loading datasets Querying datasets with SQL Understanding automatic differentiation in PyTorch Deploying trained models and pipelines as a service endpoint Monitoring and managing your pipeline’s life cycle Measuring performance improvements about the readerFor data professionals with intermediate Python skills and basic familiarity with machine learning. No cloud experience required. about the author Carl Osipov has spent over 15 years working on big data processing and machine learning in multi-core, distributed systems, such as service-oriented architecture and cloud computing platforms. While at IBM, Carl helped IBM Software Group to shape its strategy around the use of Docker and other container-based technologies for serverless computing using IBM Cloud and Amazon Web Services. At Google, Carl learned from the world’s foremost experts in machine learning and also helped manage the company’s efforts to democratize artificial intelligence. You can learn more about Carl from his blog Clouds With Carl.

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Collaborative Strategy enables you to move past thinking about alliances based on hunches and move toward real empirical insight into the use, creation, and management of successful alliances. It is a comprehensive review of the current cutting-edge thinking about alliances, which are becoming such an increasingly pervasive part of both private and public industry. Whether you are contemplating a new equity joint venture, entry into a new market, or reassessing your current alliance portfolio you'll find this book full of useful insights into what it takes to succeed at the alliance game. One of the most comprehensive looks at alliances I've seen, delivered succinctly and organized to be easily navigated.'- Russ Buchanan, Xerox Corporation'Alliances and networks present a broad range of challenges as well as opportunities for executives. Academics have studied these relationships from various disciplinary perspectives while employing diverse research methodologies. This volume unpacks this breadth and complexity, and covers many of the cutting-edge research questions in the field. The contributors are the ''Who's Who'' of the top scholars in the field. The volume is particularly valuable to scholars as well as students who are new to the area, and seek concise and insightful summaries of the many different streams of research on alliances and networks.'- Riitta Katila, Stanford University'For managers forming or having formed partnerships with other institutions, this is a must read. Collaborative Strategy reveals what we are doing and why, and how we can do it better, in a seldom-achieved style that addresses the complexity of the academic debate whilst presenting key implications for practitioners.'- Andreas Moosdorf, Pan-European Processes, AmazonThis book provides approachable and insightful chapters that summarize state-of-the-art thinking and research on alliances and networks. Contributions by leading scholars cover foundations or fundamentals as well as frontier areas through a diverse range of perspectives. Topics include: the theoretical foundations of collaborative strategy firms' partner selection and investment decisions contractual foundations of collaboration relational and behavioral aspects of collaboration, networks and portfolios novel collaborative relationships such as ecosystems and public-private partnerships, and the consequences of inter-organizational collaborations. For doctoral and masters students, as well as managers new to the area of collaborative strategy, this collection provides concise chapters and literature reviews that make it an invaluable resource. Business practitioners and consultants who want to learn about this area and the underlying theory will also find this book a useful reference.Contributors: A. Ariño, B. Arslan, N. Asgari, R.P. Bremner, S.M. Bruhs, C. Butter, S. Cabral, L. Capron, T. Chi, J. Choi, F.J. Contractor, Y. Doz, P. Dussauge, J. Dyer, K.M. Eisenhardt, D.W. Elfenbein, A. Gambardella, F. Habasche, J. Hagedoorn, D.P. Hannah, K.R. Harrigan, W. Hesterly, M.A. Hitt, W.H. Hoffmann, P. Kale, A. Keller, I. Kivleniece, T. Kretschmer, D. Lavie, S. Lazzarini, D. Li, J. Li, R. Madhavan, X. Martin, O.J. Martinez, K.J. Mayer, T. Mellewigt, L.F. Mesquita, W. Mitchell, K. Neumann, T. Nguyen, J.E. Oxley, C. Panico, L. Poppo, J. Prescott, B.V. Quélin, R. Ragozzino, J.J. Reuer, M. Rivera-Santos, A. Seth, B.S. Silverman, H. Singh, K. Singh, I. Stern, M. Stienstra, M. Sytch, S. Tallman, B.S. Vanneste, F. Wohlgezogen, X. Zhe, M. Zollo

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"Read this book, apply its concepts, and see how your business transforms.” — Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers 50 #1 Executive Coach and #1 Leadership ThinkerOutstanding leaders make business indispensable. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "Indispensable" as being absolutely necessary and not subject to being set aside or neglected. INDISPENSABLE: Build and Lead A Company Customers Can’t Live Without provides a framework that you can follow to transform your business and features dozens of examples from industry including those drawn from Amazon, Uber, Facebook and more. Each business example illustrates how the concepts offered in the book are already being used to make businesses indispensable in the marketplace. Keep in mind, though, only your customers can decide if your business is indispensable. We don’t get a vote on that. However, there are steps that we can take to improve our chances.A Leader's pursuit of greatness for his or her company is important, but, it’s not enough, and a business does not become indispensable by accident. Outstanding leadership is essential to bring a company from greatness to indispensability. This is an important distinction because anything less than outstanding leadership will not suffice. Why? Outstanding leaders lead by example. They demonstrate desired qualities and behaviors to their followers through their actions and conduct. By doing so, these leaders put forth a sense that they and their teams share the same goals and aspirations, and, that together, they are going to go about achieving these ambitions as one. Indispensable businesses share a common purpose so they need leaders that can set the example.As you read the book, you will come to recognize how vital TRUE leadership is to helping your business become indispensable. Regardless of your rank or position, you must study, learn, exemplify and LIVE these essential behaviors to be able to provide the people you work with and serve: A Captivating Vision: Outstanding leaders can articulate a vision for the future that every staff member can understand and buy-in to. This vision becomes the stuff of rallying cries and establishes the common goal that leader and team will share. Outstanding leadership is required to articulate the vision of being indispensable and to work to drive it deep into the enterprise. If the troops don’t “get” it, they won’t follow. Active Direction-Setting: Next, a game plan for execution must be built in support of that vision. But, building a plan without engaged direction-setting will not suffice. Outstanding leaders at every level will be fully involved, monitoring progress and charting the course for execution throughout their firm’s journey to indispensability. Enlightened Coaching: Outstanding leaders support their team and understand how to provide the “right” touch at the “right” time – directive when the path to success is unclear and supportive when it’s time to empower – just like any world-class coach does when building a champion. A Collaborative Environment: Outstanding leaders know how to establish a collaborative tenor within their area of responsibility. Selfish and egocentric behavior is stomped out; teamwork is recognized and rewarded. There are many great companies – only a few are indispensable. This book was written to help you build an indispensable business – one that your customers can’t live without.

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An insurance mathematician’s carefully ordered life is turned on its head when he unexpectedly loses his job and inherits an adventure park … with a whole host of problems. A quirky, tense and warmly funny thriller from award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen. **Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios** 'Laconic, thrilling and warmly human. In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?' Chris Brookmyre ‘The antic novels of Antti Tuomainen prove that comedy is not lost in translation … Tuomainen, like Carl Hiaasen before him, has the knack of combining slapstick with genuine emotion’ The Times 'The funniest writer in Europe, and one of the very finest. There is a beautiful rhythm and poetry to the prose … original and brilliant story-telling' Helen FitzGerald_______________ Just one spreadsheet away from chaos… What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal. And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back. But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri's relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets… Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life. _______________ ‘British readers might think they know what to expect from Nordic noir: a tortured detective, a bleak setting, a brutal crime that shakes a small community. Finnish crime novelist Tuomainen turns all of this on its head … The ear of a giant plastic rabbit becomes a key weapon. It only gets darker and funnier’ Guardian 'Antti Tuomainen turns the clichéd idea of dour, humourless Scandi noir upside down with The Rabbit Factor. Dark, gripping and hilarious … Tuomainen is the Carl Hiaasen of the fjords' Martyn Waites 'The Rabbit Factor is a triumph, a joyous, feel-good antidote to troubled times' Kevin Wignall ‘Finland's greatest export’ M.J. Arlidge ‘The Rabbit Factor is an astounding read. It has the suspenseful twists of a thriller, the laugh-out-loud moments of a comedy and a tragic dimension that brings a tear to the eye’ Crime Fiction Lover 'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York Times ‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times ‘Right up there with the best’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern’ Daily Express

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Collaborative Strategy enables you to move past thinking about alliances based on hunches and move toward real empirical insight into the use, creation, and management of successful alliances. It is a comprehensive review of the current cutting-edge thinking about alliances, which are becoming such an increasingly pervasive part of both private and public industry. Whether you are contemplating a new equity joint venture, entry into a new market, or reassessing your current alliance portfolio you'll find this book full of useful insights into what it takes to succeed at the alliance game. One of the most comprehensive looks at alliances I've seen, delivered succinctly and organized to be easily navigated.'- Russ Buchanan, Xerox Corporation'Alliances and networks present a broad range of challenges as well as opportunities for executives. Academics have studied these relationships from various disciplinary perspectives while employing diverse research methodologies. This volume unpacks this breadth and complexity, and covers many of the cutting-edge research questions in the field. The contributors are the ''Who's Who'' of the top scholars in the field. The volume is particularly valuable to scholars as well as students who are new to the area, and seek concise and insightful summaries of the many different streams of research on alliances and networks.'- Riitta Katila, Stanford University'For managers forming or having formed partnerships with other institutions, this is a must read. Collaborative Strategy reveals what we are doing and why, and how we can do it better, in a seldom-achieved style that addresses the complexity of the academic debate whilst presenting key implications for practitioners.'- Andreas Moosdorf, Pan-European Processes, AmazonThis book provides approachable and insightful chapters that summarize state-of-the-art thinking and research on alliances and networks. Contributions by leading scholars cover foundations or fundamentals as well as frontier areas through a diverse range of perspectives. Topics include: the theoretical foundations of collaborative strategy firms' partner selection and investment decisions contractual foundations of collaboration relational and behavioral aspects of collaboration, networks and portfolios novel collaborative relationships such as ecosystems and public-private partnerships, and the consequences of inter-organizational collaborations. For doctoral and masters students, as well as managers new to the area of collaborative strategy, this collection provides concise chapters and literature reviews that make it an invaluable resource. Business practitioners and consultants who want to learn about this area and the underlying theory will also find this book a useful reference.Contributors: A. Ariño, B. Arslan, N. Asgari, R.P. Bremner, S.M. Bruhs, C. Butter, S. Cabral, L. Capron, T. Chi, J. Choi, F.J. Contractor, Y. Doz, P. Dussauge, J. Dyer, K.M. Eisenhardt, D.W. Elfenbein, A. Gambardella, F. Habasche, J. Hagedoorn, D.P. Hannah, K.R. Harrigan, W. Hesterly, M.A. Hitt, W.H. Hoffmann, P. Kale, A. Keller, I. Kivleniece, T. Kretschmer, D. Lavie, S. Lazzarini, D. Li, J. Li, R. Madhavan, X. Martin, O.J. Martinez, K.J. Mayer, T. Mellewigt, L.F. Mesquita, W. Mitchell, K. Neumann, T. Nguyen, J.E. Oxley, C. Panico, L. Poppo, J. Prescott, B.V. Quélin, R. Ragozzino, J.J. Reuer, M. Rivera-Santos, A. Seth, B.S. Silverman, H. Singh, K. Singh, I. Stern, M. Stienstra, M. Sytch, S. Tallman, B.S. Vanneste, F. Wohlgezogen, X. Zhe, M. Zollo

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This book presents a new way of seeing the business value of information, people and IT as well as a way of measuring and managing these capabilities in order to improve business performance. Packed with real-world examples, the book presents the best and worst practices companies have implemented to address these issues. Case studies from more than thirty international companies are strategically used throughout the book, including Banco Bilbao Vizcayo, Philips Business Electronics, Amazon, Dell Europe, Ernst Young, General Electric, IKEA, Ritz Carlton Hotels, and Wal Mart. This fascinating guide offers a diagnostic tool that senior managers can use to evaluate the three information capabilities of their company. Plus, the book provides hands-on management prescriptions on how to improve a company s information capabilities and how to use these capabilities in achieving business strategies and in the implementating change. We are all experiencing an information overload, be it internal to the organization or due to external influences of our own information intensive society. Much has been written on how companies should "tame the beast of information" and make it work in the organization's favour. What has not yet been covered is how an organization can actually comprehensively measure whether or not they are using information effectively to achieve better business performance, or in other words, how senior managers within an organization can measure "Information Orientation". Following a major 2 year global research project in conjunction with Andersen Consulting, the authors of this book have been able to demonstrate that when a company is high on IO it will be high on business performance. However, beyond just using IO as a diagnostic tool or a benchmark for the effective use of an organization's information, it can also predict the organization's business performance. Invariably, a company does not make the best use of available information. Having assessed why and where the failings are, this book will provide ways in which senior managers can actively manage the different elements of their Information Capabilities to improve the usage of information. Information Capabilities are defined in three ways: 1. Information Behaviours/Values 2. Information Management Practices 3. Information Technology practices. It is the total interaction of these three elements and the effective management of them that permits superior business performance. IO Maturity can be gained, but the authors illustrate that it is an iterative process that grows and changes in line with a turbulent environment. Managers of a high IO company realize the need to continually refine and improve their information use and to keep learning more about their business. IO begins at the top. It takes more than authorizing an IT investment and training staff to use information. It calls for different behaviours, values and practices by senior managers. This book provides the means to move towards IO maturity. It is the step beyond Information Technology to actually managing information. The aim of this book is to make a previously invisible dimension of business management visible. A manager, after reading this book, will be able to see, measure and manage the information resources, people and IT in the company and improve business performance.

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*REVISED AND UPDATED**SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK 2022**A TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEARS 2022**A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BUSINESS BOOK 2022*'A fascinating study of the tech giant and its symbiotic relationship with the Chinese government' - Guardian'Vital . . . More than a corporate hagiography, Ms. Chen's book offers insight into the company via executive interviews and exclusive details.' -- New York Times'Influence Empire by Lulu Yilun Chen is so much more than the long-awaited story of Tencent and its vital everything app, WeChat, the messaging tool used by 1.3 billion people. It's also the sobering account of an entire generation of high-flying Chinese tech entrepreneurs, whose wings were clipped by the omnipotent hand of their own government.' -- Brad Stone, author of Amazon Unbound and The Everything StorePRE-ORDER NOW: the definitive look at Tencent, one of the world's largest tech companies.__________In 2017, a company known as Tencent overtook Facebook to become the world's fifth largest company. It was a watershed moment, a wake-up call for those in the West accustomed to regarding the global tech industry through the prism of Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft.Yet to many of the two billion-plus people who live just across the Pacific Ocean, it came as no surprise at all.Founded by the enigmatic billionaire Pony Ma, the firm that began life as a simple text-message operator invested in and created some of China's most iconic games en route to dreaming up WeChat - the Swiss Army knife super-app that combines messaging, shopping and entertainment. Through billions of dollars of global investments in marquee names from Fortnite to Tesla and a horde of start-ups, Ma's company went on to build a near-unparalleled empire of influence.In this fascinating narrative - crammed with insider interviews and exclusive details - Lulu Chen tells the story of how Tencent created the golden era of Chinese technology, and delves into key battles involving Didi, Meituan and Alibaba. It's a chronicle of critical junctures and asks just what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in China.__________'There's so much fascinating detail here.' -- The Times'Lulu Yilun Chen has written a sharply informed, smart and compelling account of the rise of some of the most powerful companies in China, which also stand among the biggest and richest tech giants in the world. Despite their enormous size and power, few outside of China know of or understand these companies. Now, thanks to Influence Empire: Inside the Story of Tencent and China's Tech Ambition, that will finally change.' -- Howard French, former NY Times Shanghai bureau chief and author of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power'A book that tells Tencent's story has been long overdue, and Lulu Chen's account is not only comprehensive, but also a gripping business narrative. The globally influential company finally has the account it deserves.' -- David Barboza, The Wire*A Forbes Espana Top Ten Book 2022**A Project Syndicate 2022 Best Read*

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'Muse of Nightmares is a philosophical fantasy adventure, an epic love story, a daring quest that demands to be read and reread and deserves to be remembered forever.' Katherine WebberThe first hardback print run of Muse of Nightmares will have beautiful sprayed edges. Available for pre-order only! Don't miss out on this extra-special version of the book.AN ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY UNMISSABLE YA NOVEL FOR AUTUMN 2018**********************Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.She was wrong.In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice - save the woman he loves, or everyone else? - while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with the thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.'I was afraid to read too quickly because I didn't want it to be over . . . Laini has done something so special with this duology . . . It will leave you changed forever' Samantha Shannon'Coming off a boatload of recognition for that series-starter, the author is promising an even richer read . . . Taylor asks big questions about life and death in the new book, as humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the Citadel's near-fall.' Entertainment Weekly**********************Praise for Strange the DreamerAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERAN AUDIBLE BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF 2017A GOODREADS CHOICE BEST BOOK OF 2017A PASTE MAGAZINE BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2017AN NPR 2017 RECOMMENDED READAN AMAZON BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF 2017'Magical' Grazia'Prepare to be enchanted' Sun'Pulls you into its dreaming world and makes it hard to leave.' SciFiNow'Reads like a dream. One for you, your best friend, and any lover of myths and monsters you know' Heat'Leaves the reader enthralled, enchanted and entirely entranced' New York Journal of Books'Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other' Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom'Laini Taylor set my imagination on fire so hard that it spontaneously combusted . . . This is the kind of story that paves dreams.' Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star Touched Queen

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'I am sleep deprived having stayed awake desperate to find out what happened!' 'Gripping, electrifying, heartbreaking' - Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID / SHE SAID, on TATTLETALEThe new psychological thriller from Sarah J Naughton, for fans of Clare Mackintosh's LET ME LIE, Cara Hunter's CLOSE TO HOME and Lara Marshall's FRIEND REQUEST*************'Intelligent. Gripping. Colourful. Great setting. Absorbing characters.' - Jane Corry, bestselling author of MY HUSBAND'S WIFE and BLOOD SISTERSIt was meant to be the perfect honeymoon.A five-star resort in paradise.White sands, a private villa and world-class cuisine.A chance for newlyweds Asha and Ollie Graveney to recover from a recent tragedy, and enjoy the holiday of their dreams.Except someone has other plans...And paradise has turned into a nightmare.If you like Clare Mackintosh, BA Paris, Jenny Blackhurst, Rachel Abbott, Laura Marshall, Elle Croft, Cara Hunter or Lisa Jewell then you will be utterly gripped by this dark, twisty tale************* "From the moment Asha and Ollie set off on honeymoon the cracks begin to show, as Naughton skilfully weaves three timelines into a chilling drama... As the tension rose, I turned the pages faster and faster - until the denouement hit me like a juggernaut." - Alison Belsham, author of THE TATTOO THIEF'Brilliantly chilling and claustraphobic, the thought of being trapped in paradise yet knowing something wasn't right was such a frightening concept. I didn't guess at any point what was going to happen... I loved it!' - Karen Hamilton, author of THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND"I am sleep deprived having stayed awake desperate to find out what happened to Asha & Ollie in Vietnam. I wasn't disappointed, this is a very well setup ending, everyone is under suspicion with lots of clever red herrings." - Amazon reviewer, 5 stars Praise for Sarah J. Naughton's Tattletale: 'A perfect example of how a psychological thriller should be written - intricately plotted and full of shocking surprises.' Lisa Hall, author of BETWEEN YOU AND ME'a fast paced, brilliant page-turner...I predict a hit' Liz Nugent'...deliciously clever - I still haven't stopped thinking about the magnificent, twisted construction of it' Emma Kavanagh, author of THE MISSING HOURS'It's one of the best debuts I've read. It deserves to be MASSIVE.' Julia Crouch'Lies, mystery and murder wrought by childhood trauma in this compulsive, twisty thriller.' Helen Smith, author of BEYOND BELIEF'Like any great mystery, Tattletale would, at every twist, lead me to think I'd put the pieces together - only to turn the puzzle upside down.' Grazia'A twisty thriller that will leave you gasping your way through it as the story twists and turns.' Goodreads'This is a psychological thriller with a twist, and a very twisted heart. This story is what happens when two people from very broken beginnings are brought together. This story is what happens when fear eclipses the need for justice and fairness, when the strong and arrogant prey upon the weak. This book is one which deserves every bit of praise it is undoubtedly going to get.' Goodreads

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One of Time magazine's '32 Books You Need to Read This Summer' -- 'a riveting read'.'Intensely readable, downright terrifying, and surprisingly uplifting.'Vanity Fair'A fascinating work of imaginative futurology, a science journalist takes a look at our current technologies and anticipates the human-robot future that could await us - one full of warrior bots, politician bots, doctor bots and sex bots.'One of Barbara VanDenburgh's '5 Books Not to Miss', USA TodayOne of the best summer reads of 2019, according to top authors David Baldacci and Elizabeth Acevedo on USA Today's Today programme. 'A refreshing variation on the will-intelligent-robots-bring-Armageddon genre . . . this colorful mixture of expert futurology and quirky speculation does not disappoint' Kirkus ReviewsWhat robot and AI systems are being built and imagined right now? What do they say about us, their creators? Will they usher in a fantastic new future, or destroy us? What do some of our greatest thinkers, from physicist Brian Greene and futurist Kevin Kelly to inventor Dean Kamen, geneticist George Church and filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, anticipate for our human-robot future? For even as robots and AI intrigue us and make us anxious about the future, our fascination with robots has always been about more than the potential of the technology - it also concerns what robots tell us about being human.From present-day Facebook and Amazon bots to near-future 'intimacy' bots and 'the robot that swiped my job' bots, bestselling American popular science writer David Ewing Duncan's Talking to Robots is a wonderfully entertaining and insightful guide to possible future scenarios about robots, both real and imagined.Featured bots include robot drivers; doc bots; politician bots; warrior bots; sex bots; syntheticbio bots; dystopic bots that are hopefully just bad dreams; and ultimately, God Bot (asdescribed by physicist Brian Greene). These scenarios are informed by discussions with well-known thinkers, engineers, scientists, artists, philosophers and others, who share with us their ideas, hopes and fears about robots. David spoke with, among others, Kevin Kelly, David Baldacci, Brian Greene, Dean Kamen, Craig Venter, Stephanie Mehta, David Eagleman, George Poste, George Church, General R. H. Latiff, Robert Seigel, Emily Morse, David Sinclair, Ken Goldberg, Sunny Bates, Adam Gazzaley, Tim O'Reilly, Tiffany Shlain, Eric Topol and Juan Enriquez.These discussions, along with some reporting on bot-tech, bot-history and real-time societal andethical issues with robots, are the launch pads for unfurling possible bot futures that are informed by how people and societies have handled new technologies in the past.The book describes how robots work, but its primary focus is on what our fixation with botsand AI says about us as humans: about our hopes and anxieties; our myths, stories, beliefs andideas about beings both real and artificial; and our attempts to attain perfection.We are at a pivotal moment when our ancient infatuation with human-like beings with certainattributes or superpowers - in mythology, religion and storytelling - is coinciding with ourability to actually build some of these entities.

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The discovery of a human foot in an Edinburgh park, the inexplicable circumstances of a dying woman, and the missing daughter of Jenny’s violent ex-husband present the Skelf women with their most challenging – and deadly – cases yet… Book THREE in the addictive The Skelfs series! ‘Simply stunning. Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham ‘If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Nobody portrays modern Edinburgh better than Doug Johnstone. The Great Silence speaks volumes about the power of story’ Val McDermid ______________ Keeping on top of the family funeral directors’ and private-investigation businesses is no easy task for the Skelf women, and when matriarch Dorothy discovers a human foot while walking the dog, a perplexing case presents itself … with potentially deadly results. Daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah have their hands full too: The mysterious circumstances of a dying woman lead them into an unexpected family drama, Hannah's new astrophysicist colleague claims he's receiving messages from outer space, and the Skelfs' teenaged lodger has yet another devastating experience. Nothing is clear as the women are immersed ever deeper in their most challenging cases yet. But when the daughter of Jenny’s violent and fugitive ex-husband goes missing without trace and a wild animal is spotted roaming Edinburgh's parks, real danger presents itself, and all three Skelfs are in peril. Taut, dark, warmly funny and unafraid to ask big questions – of us all – The Great Silence is the much-anticipated third instalment in the addictive, unforgettable Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever. ______________ ‘This is their third outing and the stories get better each time … Told with a wry humour and affection, the novel underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become’ Daily Mail ‘The power of this book lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times Crime Club STAR PICK ‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun ‘Mysteries aplenty … a poignant reflection on grief and the potential for healing that lies within us all. A proper treat’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. That great city really came alive for me in this gripping tale. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes ‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly The Skelfs series has been: ***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***

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*SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK 2022**A TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEARS 2022**A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BUSINESS BOOK 2022**A FORBES ESPANA TOP TEN BOOK 2022**A PROJECT SYNDICATE 2022 BEST READ*'A fascinating study of the tech giant and its symbiotic relationship with the Chinese government' - Guardian'Vital . . . More than a corporate hagiography, Ms. Chen's book offers insight into the company via executive interviews and exclusive details.' New York Times'Influence Empire by Lulu Yilun Chen is so much more than the long-awaited story of Tencent and its vital everything app, WeChat, the messaging tool used by 1.3 billion people. It's also the sobering account of an entire generation of high-flying Chinese tech entrepreneurs, whose wings were clipped by the omnipotent hand of their own government.' -- Brad Stone, author of Amazon Unbound and The Everything StoreORDER NOW: the first definitive look at Tencent, one of the world's largest tech companies. __________In 2017, a company known as Tencent overtook Facebook to become the world's fifth largest company. It was a watershed moment, a wake-up call for those in the West accustomed to regarding the global tech industry through the prism of Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft.Yet to many of the two billion-plus people who live just across the Pacific Ocean, it came as no surprise at all.Founded by the enigmatic billionaire Pony Ma, the firm that began life as a simple text-message operator invested in and created some of China's most iconic games en route to dreaming up WeChat - the Swiss Army knife super-app that combines messaging, shopping and entertainment. Through billions of dollars of global investments in marquee names from Fortnite to Tesla and a horde of start-ups, Ma's company went on to build a near-unparalleled empire of influence.In this fascinating narrative - crammed with insider interviews and exclusive details - Lulu Chen tells the story of how Tencent created the golden era of Chinese technology, and delves into key battles involving Didi, Meituan and Alibaba. It's a chronicle of critical junctures and asks just what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in China.__________'There's so much fascinating detail here.' -- The Times'Lulu Yilun Chen has written a sharply informed, smart and compelling account of the rise of some of the most powerful companies in China, which also stand among the biggest and richest tech giants in the world. Despite their enormous size and power, few outside of China know of or understand these companies. Now, thanks to Influence Empire: Inside the Story of Tencent and China's Tech Ambition, that will finally change.' -- Howard French, former NY Times Shanghai bureau chief and author of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power'A book that tells Tencent's story has been long overdue, and Lulu Chen's account is not only comprehensive, but also a gripping business narrative. The globally influential company finally has the account it deserves.' -- David Barboza, The Wire

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*SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK 2022**A TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEARS 2022**A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BUSINESS BOOK 2022**A FORBES ESPANA TOP TEN BOOK 2022**A PROJECT SYNDICATE 2022 BEST READ*'A fascinating study of the tech giant and its symbiotic relationship with the Chinese government' - Guardian'Vital . . . More than a corporate hagiography, Ms. Chen's book offers insight into the company via executive interviews and exclusive details.' New York Times'Influence Empire by Lulu Yilun Chen is so much more than the long-awaited story of Tencent and its vital everything app, WeChat, the messaging tool used by 1.3 billion people. It's also the sobering account of an entire generation of high-flying Chinese tech entrepreneurs, whose wings were clipped by the omnipotent hand of their own government.' -- Brad Stone, author of Amazon Unbound and The Everything StoreORDER NOW: the first definitive look at Tencent, one of the world's largest tech companies. __________In 2017, a company known as Tencent overtook Facebook to become the world's fifth largest company. It was a watershed moment, a wake-up call for those in the West accustomed to regarding the global tech industry through the prism of Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft.Yet to many of the two billion-plus people who live just across the Pacific Ocean, it came as no surprise at all.Founded by the enigmatic billionaire Pony Ma, the firm that began life as a simple text-message operator invested in and created some of China's most iconic games en route to dreaming up WeChat - the Swiss Army knife super-app that combines messaging, shopping and entertainment. Through billions of dollars of global investments in marquee names from Fortnite to Tesla and a horde of start-ups, Ma's company went on to build a near-unparalleled empire of influence.In this fascinating narrative - crammed with insider interviews and exclusive details - Lulu Chen tells the story of how Tencent created the golden era of Chinese technology, and delves into key battles involving Didi, Meituan and Alibaba. It's a chronicle of critical junctures and asks just what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in China.__________'There's so much fascinating detail here.' -- The Times'Lulu Yilun Chen has written a sharply informed, smart and compelling account of the rise of some of the most powerful companies in China, which also stand among the biggest and richest tech giants in the world. Despite their enormous size and power, few outside of China know of or understand these companies. Now, thanks to Influence Empire: Inside the Story of Tencent and China's Tech Ambition, that will finally change.' -- Howard French, former NY Times Shanghai bureau chief and author of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power'A book that tells Tencent's story has been long overdue, and Lulu Chen's account is not only comprehensive, but also a gripping business narrative. The globally influential company finally has the account it deserves.' -- David Barboza, The Wire

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An insurance mathematician’s carefully ordered life is turned on its head when he unexpectedly loses his job and inherits an adventure park … with a whole host of problems. A quirky, tense and warmly funny thriller from award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen, FIRST in a series…**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios**'Laconic, thrilling and warmly human. In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?' Chris Brookmyre‘The antic novels of Antti Tuomainen prove that comedy is not lost in translation … Tuomainen, like Carl Hiaasen before him, has the knack of combining slapstick with genuine emotion’ The Times‘A thriller with black comedy worth of Nabokov’ Telegraph_______________Just one spreadsheet away from chaos…What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri's relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life._______________‘Inventive and compelling’ Vaseem Khan ‘Readers might think they know what to expect from Nordic noir: a tortured detective, a bleak setting, a brutal crime that shakes a small community. Finnish crime novelist Tuomainen turns all of this on its head … The ear of a giant plastic rabbit becomes a key weapon. It only gets darker and funnier’ Guardian'The funniest writer in Europe, and one of the very finest … original and brilliant story-telling' Helen FitzGerald‘Full of refreshing wit and wisdom … a treat’Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ‘A dark and delightful novel with an intelligent, brave, and persnickety hero’ Foreword Reviews 'Antti Tuomainen turns the clichéd idea of dour, humourless Scandi noir upside … Dark, gripping and hilarious. Tuomainen is the Carl Hiaasen of the fjords' Martyn Waites‘A triumph … a joyous, feel-good antidote to troubled times' Kevin Wignall‘Finland's greatest export’ M.J. Arlidge‘An astounding read. It has the suspenseful twists of a thriller, the laugh-out-loud moments of a comedy and a tragic dimension that brings a tear to the eye’ Crime Fiction Lover'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York Times‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times‘Right up there with the best’ Times Literary Supplement‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern’ Daily Express For fans of Fargo, Fredrik Backman, Richard Osman

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CPT® 2024 Professional Edition is the definitive American Medical Association (AMA)-authored resource to help health care professionals correctly report and bill medical procedures and services. Health care professionals want accurate reporting of services rendered and reimbursement. Payers want efficient claims processing. Correct reporting and billing of medical procedures and services begins with CPT® 2024 Professional Edition. Only the AMA, with the help of physicians and other experts in the health care community, creates and maintains the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set. No other codebook has the accurate, complete official guidelines for the latest and current procedural terminology for procedures and services to help you code and report medical services and procedures properly. The AMA also takes the copyright protection of its content very seriously and is committed to providing the most effective anti-piracy efforts for its authors and readers, such as inclusion of the Amazon Anti Privacy Sticker and nonintrusive light-yellow dots on almost every page to reduce print reproduction in accordance with current copyright rules and laws. Recognizing that racism is a threat to the advancement of health equity and a barrier to appropriate medical care, as well as the power of images in contributing and limiting what bodies physicians, medical professionals, and students learn to see and define as normal and standard, the CPT 2024 Professional Edition will feature diversity-related illustrations to counter a deep-seated, culturally, and systemically biased norm. These diversity-related images continue advancing inclusive and equitable representation of a diverse range of skin tones in our medical educational resources for everyone who uses our codebook in their daily work, practice, and education. FEATURES AND BENEFITS The CPT® 2024 Professional Edition codebook covers hundreds of code, guideline and text changes and features: CPT® Changes, CPT® Assistant, and Clinical Examples in Radiology citations — provides cross-referenced information to popular AMA resources that can enhance your understanding of the CPT code set. A comprehensive index — locate codes related to a specific procedure, service, anatomic site, condition, synonym, eponym or abbreviation quickly. Anatomical and procedural illustrations — help improve coding accuracy and understanding of the anatomy and services/procedures discussed. Overall codebook table of contents —enable a quick search of the entire codebook’s content for quick access. Section table of contents — provide a useful tool to navigate effectively and quickly through each section’s codes. Complete list of the additions, deletions and revisionsfor codes and code descriptors — provide a summary and quick reference of the 2024 changes in the codes without having to compare editions. Multiple appendices — offer additional information for modifiers, add-on codes, images vascular families, re-sequenced codes, MAAAs and PLA services, COVID-19 vaccines and administration codes, and digital medicine-services taxonomy. New Appendix S — Artificial Intelligence Taxonomy (AI) for Medical Services and Procedures — provide guidance for classifying various AI applications of AI for medical services and procedures. New Appendix T — Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered Via Telephone or Other Real-Time Interactive Audio-Only Telecommunications System—–list all audio-only telemedicine CPT codes. Comprehensive E/M code selection tables — aid physicians and coders in assigning the most appropriate evaluation and management codes. Notes pages at the end of every code set section and subsection.

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'SMART, SOPHISTICATED, SUSPENSEFUL, AND WRITTEN WITH REAL INSIDER AUTHENTICITY. A WINNER' LEE CHILD It's not who you know, it's what you know about them . . . Among Washington D.C. power players, everyone has something to hide, including Sean Serrat, a Supreme Court lawyer. Sean transformed his misspent youth into a model adulthood, and now has one of the most respected legal careers in the country. But just as he learns he's on the short list to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, his daughter, Abby, a talented and dedicated law student, goes missing. When Abby's lifeless body is discovered shoved into a shelf at the Supreme Court Library, Sean is wracked with grief. Does her murder have anything to do with the secret he's been keeping for years? He follows the footsteps of his daughter's last days and stumbles over secrets within his own family - as well as the lies of some of the most powerful people in the country. People who will stop at nothing to prevent Sean from exposing the truth . . . Praise for The Advocate's Daughter: 'Keeps twisting and turning right up until its shock of an ending. Long-buried secrets and shadowy agendas murderously collide - smack in the middle of a heated Supreme Court nomination clash [...] Read and marvel' GREGG HURWITZ 'The tension starts on the very first page, and keeps ratcheting up. Once it grabs you it won't let go' JOSEPH FINDER 'A brilliant thriller that's smart, well-written, and heart-stopping' LINDA FAIRSTEIN 'A taut and twisting thriller ... It crackles with authenticity and moves with an irresistible momentum' LISA UNGER 'A smart, suspenseful thriller filled with insider knowledge of the Supreme Court, D.C. politics, and collisions between the two. It's also an absorbing story about families and the sacrifices we make for the people we love' ALAFAIR BURKE 'Fast paced, sharply plotted ... A blast!' ROBERT DUGONI 'Engaging and riveting ... This no-holds-barred potboiler shines a light on Washington's halls of power only to reveal the darkness lurking within them' PROVIDENCE JOURNAL 'The 'best of the best' when it comes to suspense' SUSPENSE MAGAZINE 'A taut, twisting thriller' HUFFINGTON POST 'This fast-paced thriller will appeal to fans of Brad Meltzer, Joseph Finder, and Scott Turow' BOOKLIST 'Rich and fine in plot background with a flowing narrative style - this is fiction rooted in reality ... Highly recommended' NEW MYSTERY READER MAGAZINE 'Judicial fiction at its finest' FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS.COM 'A riveting legal thriller that will keep you turning pages until the breathtaking end' ABOVE THE LAW 'Tautly written and expertly put together, if there is one crime thriller you want to add to your collection, then let this be it' CRIMINAL ELEMENT What Amazon reviewers are saying: 'Nobody does it better [...] than Franze. He's perfectly suited to tell this story, himself a starred Supreme Court advocate. And he tells it so well, smoothly slipping in and blending day-to-day Supreme Court realisms with a highly suspenseful tale' 'Best leisure read of my life. Real. Intoxicating. Impactful. Superior. Franze's latest offering is fueled by uncommonly salacious access to many elements of the world's highest and most exclusive secret society' 'A tremendously enjoyable read. Finished in just a couple days - actually a couple very late nights. If you enjoy fast paced thrillers, then you will not be disappointed' 'Franze does a great job drawing in the reader, and rewards them with deep characters and constant action. Definitely recommended!'

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This book explodes many popular myths about anger and includes important information, much of it new, about the causes, effects, triggers and behaviour patterns of anger and aggression: why anger is a natural 'fight of flight' response, and essential for our survival; what happens when we get angry; how excessive anger can inhibit physical and mental health, as well as general wellbeing; how to avoid common triggers for anger; how to predict anger outbursts in yourself and others; hy venting angry feelings will not make anger go away, and could in fact increase it; and, why talking about angry feelings rarely helps - especially for men.It also explores: the connection between anger and depression; how to inoculate yourself against stress and anger; the importance of teaching communication skills to people in order to convert anger impulses into controlled responses, particularly in children; a simple yet effective technique to use every day: the life model of effective communication; and, using body language to build rapport and lower the emotional temperature of a situation."The Human Givens Approach" series was launched in 2004 with How to lift depression...fast. This immediately became a top-selling book and consistently held the No.1 position for books about depression on Amazon for a year after its launch. In May 2005, "Freedom from Addiction" was published to critical acclaim and the most recent book, "How to Master Anxiety" (published in November 2006) has featured in many healthcare and women's magazines. Each book in the series explores a recognised psychological or behavioural problem and shows in clear, non-jargonistic language how to treat it effectively. They all include new knowledge not found elsewhere. Future titles will cover: psychosis, disturbed children, self-harming, workplace stress, antisocial behaviour, ageing, disability and saving families."Release from Anger" explains why rage and aggression is on the increase in our society and offers strategies to curb excessive anger in yourself and others - at home, in the workplace, in public and even whilst driving. Based on the human givens approach to psychotherapy, it contains science-based insights into human behaviour, our innate emotional needs and how to get them met so that you can control inappropriate anger outbursts. It deals with appropriate anger, anger as an addiction and anger disorders, including what happens when compulsive, angry outbursts are driven by 'molar memories', and the ongoing stress this can cause us all.Down-to-earth and easy-to-read, "Release from Anger" explains the difference between healthy anger and destructive anger, and why anger is a natural survival strategy. It goes on to give clear advice and practical examples of what to do when confronted with excess inappropriate anger, either your own or someone else's. It explains what happens, both mentally and physiologically, to our bodies when anger suddenly erupts and why 'angry people' die young. The book shows how effective communication skills, verbal and non-verbal, can often unlock the trance-like state of anger and diffuse aggression in even potentially violent situations.The book is full of informative case studies - ranging from anger in children, autistic anger and anger related to workplace bullying - together with examples from psychotherapists' case books which show how they work with people suffering from anger disorders.

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An Exciting and Inspiring Collection of Vividly Told Stories of Christians Who Really Made A Difference. Half a Million of the Series Sold! Five Books in the Box Great for 9 – 14–year–olds Stories for Both Girls and Boys Box Sets Make an Excellent Gift for When a Single Book is Not Enough It is quite obvious that the USA has produced some incredible human beings who have in their own way, changed, or affected the world. Well, this is also true when it comes to Christianity. Here are five very different people who in their own way, left their mark, not only on America but the world. With a passion to reach the Ecuadorian Auca Indians, an indigenous tribe considered dangerous to outsiders back in 1950, a small team, starting slowly with gift parcels, then meeting with one or two, ended up being murdered by those they were trying to reach. Just when it looked like it was all over, it is hard to believe what happened next. We then learn about a woman who was to become a respected author and speaker, and was married to one of the team above, but was in no way in his shadow. In fact, she was to see and be involved in what came about because of their deaths, and it was, and still is, amazing. Then we find out about a young woman who, inspired by the early aviators, became a pilot, and served during WW2, along with many unsung heroines, ferrying planes and supplies around the country to help the war effort. She would eventually go on to help found what would become Missionary Aviation Fellowship, an incredible organisation to this day. There are many evangelists in the world today – why not discover if one from the past was very different, especially one whose name is on many Christian organisations to this day. Lastly, we learn about a very educated and privileged young woman from the 19th century who felt called to China for most of her life. There is an annual offering for missions each year in her name, which has so far raised 1.5 billion dollars! Explore the lives of these Americans who certainly left their Christian mark on our world. You Will Meet… Jim Elliot – He forfeited his own life to bring the good news to the Auca Indians. Read the story of Jim’s love for a fighting people and his fight for a loving God. Elisabeth Elliot – From the jungles of the Amazon, to the lecture halls and radio shows of the culture wars, Elisabeth was a vibrant role model for godly women all over the world. Betty Greene – Betty Greene was one of the early women pilots. After WWII, Betty helped to set up an organisation that used planes to help mission work – and she was its first pilot. D. L. Moody – D. L. Moody was the outstanding evangelist of his time – in his pioneering endeavour and fervour Moody has become an enduring figure of stature and inspiration. Lottie Moon – Lottie Moon was a dark–eyed, raven–haired mischief at school. Yet she went to China as a missionary to share the good news of Jesus with thousands of people. Extra Features Includes Timelines and Thinking Further Features Over 50 Other Brilliant Titles in the Series 6 Other Fabulous Box Sets Available Published in 14 Languages!

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CMI MANAGEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 - SHORTLIST'Business Recoded is a great source of inspiration for leaders who want to explore, shape and prepare themselves for the future.'ALEXANDER OSTERWALDER, author of Business Model Generation and The Invincible Company 'It is not often that we have moments of magic in any business. What Peter has given us is more than just ideas and inspiration, but a whole way of thinking about how we could reinvent our future, and start making it happen tomorrow.'ALBERTO UNCINI-MANGANELLI, GM and SVP, Adidas 'With energy, enthusiasm and a deep reservoir of fantastic examples, Peter Fisk maps out what each of us needs to do in order to re-calibrate ourselves and our organizations to create the future. Business Recoded is persuasive and compelling.'STUART CRAINER, founder, Thinkers50 'Peter Fisk’s excellent new book, Business Recoded, will help ‘recode’ your business by tapping into the minds of some of the world’s most brilliant business leaders. It’s a must-read for anyone in need of a quick fix of inspiration and tried-and-tested advice.'MARTIN LINDSTROM, author of Buyology and Small Data 'Peter Fisk is a terrific storyteller with an encyclopaedic grasp of best business practices across the globe. If you want to disrupt the future of your business, this book is your decoder ring.'WHITNEY JOHNSON, author of Disrupt Yourself 'A brilliant collection of practical guidelines intended to refresh and reinvent our mindsets, from a global thoughtful leader with vast experience in management development.'SANTIAGO INIGUEZ, President of IE University. 'Business Recoded is definitely a must-read for leaders that want to succeed with their organizations in our fast-changing world.'ANTONIO NIETO-RODRIGUEZ, author of The Project Revolution Business needs a new code for success!Change is dramatic, pervasive and relentless. The challenges are numerous. The opportunities are greater. Incredible technologies and geopolitical shifts, complex markets and stagnating growth, demanding customers and disruptive entrepreneurs, environmental crisis and social distrust, unexpected shocks and uncertain futures. The old codes that got us here don't work anymore. Moving forwards needs a new mindset. Business Recoded is for business leaders who seek to progress in today’s rapidly changing world, and to create the organisations that will thrive in tomorrow's world. It explores how to lead a better future, to reimagine your business, to reinvent markets, to energise your people. It describes how to combine profit with more purpose, intelligent technologies with creative people, radical innovation with sustainable impact. It dives deep into the minds of some of today's most inspiring business leaders - people like Anne Wojcicki and Jeff Bezos, Emily Weiss and Devi Shetty, Daniel Ek and Tan Le, Mary Barra and Masayoshi Son, Satya Nadella and Zhang Ruimin. Learn from the innovative strategies of incredible companies – Alibaba and Amazon, Babylon and BlackRock, Meituan Dianping and Microsoft, Narayana Health and Netflix, Patagonia and PingAn, Spotify and Supercell, and many more. The book is built on 7 seismic shifts driving a more enlightened future of business, unlocking 49 codes that collectively define a new DNA for organisations and their leadership. It's about you – realising your future potential - by developing your own codes for more enlightened progress, personal and business success. Do you have the courage to create a better future, for you and your business?

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A faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal… ‘A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh' Val McDermid ‘Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham ‘A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs … Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant!’ Gytha Lodge_________________________________________ Death is just the beginning… The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events. A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman’s obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave … pushing her to breaking point. As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly… _________________________________________ ‘The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in’ Ambrose Parry ‘Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion … How wonderful to be immersed once more in the world of the Skelfs, three generations of indomitable women who light up Edinburgh's literary pantheon’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ’If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Dynamic and poignant … Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery’ Marni Graff ‘It’s difficult to come away from Black Hearts without feeling inspired, uplifted and in a way spiritually laundered’ Café Thinking ‘Just when you thought you couldn’t love the Skelfs more, Doug Johnstone finds a way to turn up the heat’ Live & Deadly Praise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year*** ‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland ‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer ‘A tense ride strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue ‘The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times ‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun ‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes ‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly

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'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian 'A book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight, and a world of richly imagined wonder' – Cressida Cowell * WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER * BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER * FOYLES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR * SHORTLISTED FOR AMAZON KIDS AND YA BOOK OF THE YEAR * THE TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER There’s a place where all the wildest stories began … From Katherine Rundell, winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize comes the first novel in a landmark trilogy for 9+ fans of His Dark Materials Christopher is stunned when he discovers a passage to the Archipelago: a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures of myth still live and breed and thrive in their thousands. There he meets Mal: a girl from the islands, who is in possession of a flying coat and a baby griffin, and who is being pursued by a killer. Together they embark on an urgent quest to discover why the creatures are suddenly perishing, voyaging across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, in a bid to save both the islands and the world beyond them from a rising evil – before it's too late. 'A marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle – a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime' – Jacqueline Wilson 'The world of this new book is so intriguing and so well put together that I couldn’t resist it. Readers who already know her books will seize this with delight, and new readers will love it and demand all her others at once' - Philip Pullman 'Katherine Rundell is a phenomenon.' – Neil Gaiman ‘A masterpiece to rival Tolkien and Pullman’ – The Daily Telegraph 'Fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant. Rundell’s best, which is something to be marvelled at' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave 'Between the covers of Impossible Creatures is a world as enchanting, as perilous, as richly imagined as Narnia or Middle Earth' – Frank Cottrell-Boyce ‘Rundell's book packs a punch with imagination and creativity in its purest form. She has created a story with potential to be adored by fantasy lovers for years to come’ – The Independent 'With a delightful cast of characters, breathless adventure, and an abundance of myth and magic, Impossible Creatures offers the very best of fantasy' – Aisha Bushby 'A fierce, fantastic, wild-hearted adventure that roars and bristles with imagination. I devoured it like a hungry dragon' – Sam Sedgman 'A rare and remarkable feat of glittering imagination from a truly masterful storyteller' – Catherine Doyle 'The action is gripping. Every sentence sparkles. You can feel the flutter of griffin feathers and the menace of strange poisonous shrews. Magnificent’ – The Times ‘Surely the next classic’ – The I 'My Book of the Year' – Lauren St. John

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The DC Icons Series has finally arrived bringing Batman: Nightwalker, Wonder Woman: Warbringer, and Catwoman: Soulstealer in one box set! BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER This dark and twisty BATMAN in the blockbuster DC Icons series is an action-packed thrill ride from #1 New York Times bestselling author MARIE LU. Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy. The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list. Bruce is turning eighteen and inheriting his family s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Industries and all the tech gadgetry that he could ever desire. But on the way home from his birthday party, he makes an impulsive choice that leads to community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison. There, he meets Madeleine Wallace, a brilliant killer with ties to the Nightwalkers. A girl who will speak only to Bruce. She is the mystery he must unravel, but is he convincing her to divulge her secrets or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce Wayne is proof that you don t need superpowers to be a super hero, but can he survive Madeleine s tense game of intrigue and deception? WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER She will become one of the world's greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Leigh Bardugo, this graphic novel adaptation brings to life Diana's first adventure beyond the hidden shores of Themyscira. Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law risking exile to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world. Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn't know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies mortal and divine determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war. CATWOMAN: SOULSTEALER Sarah J. Maas's young adult novel is adapted as a graphic novel by comics legend Louise Simonson and artist Samantha Dodge! It's been two years since Selina Kyle last set eyes on Gotham City...and now that Batman is gone, Selina is back! Or at least, Holly Vanderhees is. As Gotham's newest socialite, she'll put her old talent for picking pockets to new use while rubbing shoulders with the city's finest citizens. But her past is catching up to her, and she is running out of time... Luke Fox has been looking for just the right opportunity to show Batman he can protect the city from Gotham's worst as Batwing. When several high-profile fundraisers are disturbed, Luke's clandestine activities clash with his parents' expectations. As a scion of one of Gotham's finest families, he's expected to attend these events with pride. As Batwing, he's trying to stop a new team of villains from ruining his mother's plans. Now he feels permanently one step behind... Will Selina have what it takes to outsmart Batwing before it's too late? Or will she be the final victim of her greatest heist yet?

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Two men meet a big bear in the forest. One of them sits down to put on his running shoes. The other looks at him and says: "It's no use. You cannot outrun a bear anyway". The first one answers: "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you." Speed against competitors is just one of the key lessons outlined in this book from Lars Tvede and Peter Ohnemus. E-business is here for good and people are waking up to the fact that traditional marketing techniques may not stand up to new requirements set out by the "new economy". The question is, "which of the traditional techniques still work, and which techniques need to be revamped?" The authors outline marketing strategies that use traditional methods where appropriate but, where required, introduce new techniques. These techniques are part of a new, distinctive school of thought in marketing - the 'Digital School of Marketing'. Traditional marketing schools, for example, have observed the importance of moving fast - in the Digital School fast is not just important, it is crucial: it took Microsoft ten years to reach 100 million dollars in revenue, AOL spent nine years, Yahoo! spent five years, Onsale four, Amazon three, and Priceline spent just one and a half years reaching 100 million dollars in revenue. Speed is just one of the key lessons to learn from this book. Whether you are an entrepreneur out there on your own or a marketer in a large company, read on to discover how you can temper your marketing strategies to bring them in line with what is required today. Synopsis The high tech industry is expanding and will continue to expand rapidly. Every year it attracts new professionals, some of whom come from other industries that are very different in nature, especially where marketing is concerned. Also, these individuals, whilst technically very able, have limited understanding of marketing. This book will be the definitive guide to anyone involved in the marketing of high tech products and, as such will fill a gap for a book that describes all aspects of marketing management as practised by the most successful executives in the high tech industry. Although there is a plethora of books on the subject of the digital economy, e-commerce and high tech marketing this is the first book to actually provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the high tech markets. It also contains information on how companies in this sector need to position themselves correctly so that they can capture value; and to provide the information for the creation of a strategy to leverage their resources through co-operation with other companies. While some aspects of marketing strategy apply across many sectors, there are a number of factors that are distinctive to high-tech businesses. It is therefore of value to any manager in the high-tech industry to understand the specific challenges and opportunities that a marketing strategist will confront when operating within the high-tech industry. Marketing Strategies for the New Economy provides clear explanations of how and where value and profits typically are generated in the high-tech business and how management can develop and execute strategies to position their high-tech companies for lasting success. To give the book a practical edge beyond these concepts, the authors present a "critical path" which is a coherent framework that pulls together these concepts, enabling the reader to implement a winning strategy in this highly competitive field. This work is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the high tech markets. It presents examples of marketing plan structures, a high-tech marketing audit, and a chronology of major marketing breakthroughs.

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Despite popular belief to the contrary, entrepreneurship in the United States is dying. It has been since before the Great Recession of 2008, and the negative trend in American entrepreneurship has been accelerated by the Covid pandemic. New firms are being started at a slower rate, are employing fewer workers, and are being formed disproportionately in just a few major cities in the U.S. At the same time, large chains are opening more locations. Companies such as Amazon with their "deliver everything and anything" are rapidly displacing Main Street businesses. In The New Builders, we tell the stories of the next generation of entrepreneurs -- and argue for the future of American entrepreneurship. That future lies in surprising places -- and will in particular rely on the success of women, black and brown entrepreneurs. Our country hasn't yet even recognized the identities of the New Builders, let alone developed strategies to support them. Our misunderstanding is driven by a core misperception. Consider a "typical" American entrepreneur. Think about the entrepreneur who appears on TV, the business leader making headlines during the pandemic. Think of the type of businesses she or he is building, the college or business school they attended, the place they grew up. The image you probably conjured is that of a young, white male starting a technology business. He's likely in Silicon Valley. Possibly New York or Boston. He's self-confident, versed in the ins and outs of business funding and has an extensive (Ivy League?) network of peers and mentors eager to help his business thrive, grow and make millions, if not billions. You’d think entrepreneurship is thriving, and helping the United States maintain its economic power. You'd be almost completely wrong. The dominant image of an entrepreneur as a young white man starting a tech business on the coasts isn't correct at all. Today's American entrepreneurs, the people who drive critical parts of our economy, are more likely to be female and non-white. In fact, the number of women-owned businesses has increased 31 times between 1972 and 2018 according to the Kauffman Foundation (in 1972, women-owned businesses accounted for just 4.6% of all firms; in 2018 that figure was 40%). The fastest-growing group of female entrepreneurs are women of color, who are responsible for 64% of new women-owned businesses being created. In a few years, we believe women will make up more than half of the entrepreneurs in America. The age of the average American entrepreneur also belies conventional wisdom: It's 42. The average age of the most successful entrepreneurs -- those in the top .01% in terms of their company's growth in the first five years -- is 45. These are the New Builders. Women, people of color, immigrants and people over 40. We're failing them. And by doing so, we are failing ourselves. In this book, you'll learn: How the definition of business success in America today has grown corporate and around the concepts of growth, size, and consumption. Why and how our collective understanding of "entrepreneurship" has dangerously narrowed. Once a broad term including people starting businesses of all types, entrepreneurship has come to describe only the brash technology founders on the way to becoming big. Who are the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs? What are they working on? What drives them? The real engine that drove Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs. The government had a much bigger role than is widely known The extent to which entrepreneurs and small businesses are woven through our history, and the ways we have forgotten women and people of color who owned small businesses in the past. How we're increasingly afraid to fail The role small businesses are playing saving the wilderness, small towns and redlined communities What we can do to turn the decline in entrepreneurship around, especially be supporting the people who are courageously starting small companies today.

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Whether you'd like to sail around the entire world or just part of it, the well-tested sea wisdom in "How to Sail Around the World" will make your voyage easier and more successful. Here's clear and authoritative information on how to buy a small sailing yacht at a modest price, how to sail her on a big ocean, and what it's like to live aboard. Hal Roth has been a long-distance sailor for 37 years. He has sailed around the world three times and has logged 200,000 miles at sea either with his wife or by himself. His books "Two Against Cape Horn", "Two on a Big Ocean", and "Always a Distant Anchorage" are recognized classics of voyaging literature, and his instructional book "After 50,000 Miles", published a quarter century ago, ranks among the most influential sailing books ever written.Yet Roth's first sympathies are still 'for the beginner with stars in his eyes and not much money,' and "How to Sail Around the World" emphasizes the simple, the essential, and the affordable for ordinary people who would like to see the world from a new and challenging perspective. To a rare degree, Roth combines a mastery of technical content with an ability to render it in elegant writing that's a pleasure to read. "How to Sail Around the World" is at once authoritative and accessible. Roth's strongly held opinions, convincingly argued (he chooses not to sail with a refrigerator, for example), add to the book's appeal. "How to Sail Around the World" will tell you how sailing yachts are built and rigged, how to handle the sails, and what you need to know about anchors and anchoring. There are details of cooking and eating aboard, sailing at night, planning the trip, foreign paperwork, and exact figures on what it all costs, as well as the clearest and most comprehensive directions ever published on how to deal with storms at sea. In the beginning, voyaging can be a terrifying prospect. The storms, the leaks, the anchoring, handling the sails, deciding on the route - so many unknowns. But what a payoff!You can sail to Venice, London, Sydney, San Francisco, or Hong Kong. You can pick an island in the middle of the Aegean, listen to green and yellow parrots in the wilds of the Amazon, or visit a thousand places in between. It's exciting to sail to a distant landfall at a slow and leisurely pace, and to meet people in foreign lands. Fortunately, yachts travel slowly and give you time to learn the fundamentals of long-distance sailing. With patience you will begin to put it all together; life aboard will suddenly start to click. It will happen sooner than you think, and this book will help you. The big secret of world travel is to do it in a sailing yacht. You take your deluxe hotel with you, which gives you everything you need to exist pleasantly and comfortably - a snug berth, a writing desk, a navigation center, and a compact little galley - all in a small and neat package.Once you have your own boat, you can sail for years without the terrible daily costs and hassles of hotels, restaurants, and airplanes. You entirely sidestep the annoyance of reservations, standing in line, security screening, and dragging around awkward luggage. You do things at your own pace because you're in charge. Where do you begin? Start by reading "How to Sail Around the World". In this guide, based on 200,000 miles of hands-on world-cruising experience, Hal Roth gives you all the information you need to plan, launch, and relish every moment of a journey that is every sailor's dream. You'll learn how to: find a suitable boat for your voyaging ; assemble a versatile sail inventory; select tools and spare parts; plan your route and timing; choose the right anchors and how to use them; minimize costs; stay warm, dry, and well fed; cope with paperwork in foreign ports; and, much more!

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER "'BLITZ, Trump Will Smash the Left and Win', by David Horowitz. Amazon #1 Bestseller. Hot book, great author!" — President Donald J. Trump BUCKLE UP—2020 WILL BE THE POLITICAL RIDE OF YOUR LIFE! IN NOVEMBER TRUMP WILL SMASH THE LEFT AND WIN! “We love David Horowitz. He thinks Trump is gonna win in a landslide in November, and he gives reasons why in the book, and he says Republicans are gonna be singing 'Happy Days Are Here Again' once November comes and the election is over and the votes are counted.” — Rush Limbaugh "He is one of the bravest guys. He found the real intent [of the Left] was to control America. He has never, ever sat down. A true national treasure.” — Glenn Beck “If you’re interested in debating deranged liberals with facts, you won’t want to miss this latest book.” — Donald Trump, Jr. “BLITZ is a MUST-read for those who want to better understand what is really happening in the ‘idea war’ for the soul of America.” — Governor Mike Huckabee BLITZ reveals the attacks made against Trump have been the most brutal ever mounted against a sitting president of the United States. Blinded by deep-seated hatred of his person and his policies, the left even desperately tried to oust Trump in a failed impeachment bid. Horowitz shows that their very attacks—targeting a man whose mission has been to “Drain the Swamp” and “Make America Great Again” backfired, turning Trump himself into a near martyrwhile igniting the fervor of his “base.” With the 2020 election upon us, New York Times bestselling author David Horowitz chronicles the brutal battles, bitter backlash, and leftwing lies Trump has faced as Democrats repeatedly try to sabotage his presidency. You’ll discover the left’s terrifying socialist and, in some cases, communist agendas as you’ve never seen them before. Trump’s response? In the meantime, he’s going to steamroll this opposition in November using the same playbook he has used to win before. In BLITZ you will find shocking revelations: The 9 biggest dangers to America the left poses—their agenda will blow your mind. Show me the money: naming the billionaires and fat cats really out to get Trump. How patriotism suddenly became “white nationalism” linking Trump to Hitler and the KKK . The growing secularism of the left and how the hate pushed against Christians will backfire. Why every effort to demonize Trump and his supporters is failing like crazy. Obama’s agenda: how the former president casts a much greater shadow over Trump’s political woes than you ever imagined. The Genius: how Trump’s brilliant strategy has worked and will continue to work, making him president again in 2021! The effort to remove and destroy our duly elected President may be the greatest challenge America has faced since the Civil War, explains Horowitz. For the first time BLITZ exposes the left’s strategy to take down Trump, and how Trump not only beat them at their own game, but how he’s turning the tables on them to achieve a stunning reelection win come November. “An indispensable book—BLITZ— explaining why today’s Democrats are so dangerous and why President Trump is their nemesis.” — Mark R. Levin, New York Times bestselling author of Unfreedom of the Press “BLITZ is the latest must-read from Horowitz: insightful, hard-hitting, controversial, and uncompromising. Ignore him at your peril.” — Peter Schweizer, New York Times bestselling author of Clinton Cash and Profiles in Corruption “This is the book your anti-Trump relatives and friends should read...as clear a moral indictment of the anti-Trump left as has been written.” — Dennis Prager, President of PragerU and New York Times bestselling author “Unparalleled insight into the current political climate, how we got here and what it means for 2020 elections.” — Sean Spicer, Host of Spicer & Co., Newsmax TV “Horowitz understands the left's malevolent goals and how to stop them. This is a must read-book!” — Charlie Kirk, New York Times bestselling author of The MAGA Doctrine “[David Horowitz] author and political activist believes President Donald Trump should focus on the issue of keeping Americans safe to help secure his re-election in the fall.” – One News Now

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A beautiful, step-by-step guide for bringing movement-based meditation into your yoga practice and your life. (website: brief marketing statement – 385/500 cwsm) Distilled from Elena Brower and Erica Jago’s acclaimed workshops and training programs, Art of Attention has become an essential resource among instructors and students seeking to bring movement-based mindfulness into their practice. This beautiful illustrated book guides you through pose-by-pose practices, journaling, and luminary wisdom into the deeper experiences of yoga practice. (website: description area copy – no character length limit) Yoga begins with physical well-being. But it can also transport us—through meditation, self-awareness, and movement—into a lifelong exploration of presence, elegance, and deeper life purpose. With Art of Attention, Elena Brower and Erica Jago show us the way. Distilled from their acclaimed workshops and training programs, this multifaceted book can be used as: • A step-by-step workshop for merging movement-based mindfulness with traditional yoga • A "tool kit" of asanas, meditations, self-inquiry questions, and healing practices for creating your own daily spiritual practice • An uplifting source of visual beauty and wisdom teachings for inner reflection and elevation For students and teachers at every level, this one-of-a-kind resource takes us further into yoga—and the art of living—with clarity, creativity, wonder, and depth. Includes contributions from MC YOGI, Gabrielle Bernstein, Donna Karan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christy Turlington Burns, and others inspired by Elena and Erica’s work. (website: "Highlights" sidebar) Chapters: 1. Reduce Tension and Find Forgiveness (preface by MC YOGI) 2. Let Go of Blame (preface by Gabrielle Bernstein) 3. Breathe and Find Stillness (preface by Donna Karan) 4. Explore Your Highest Possibilities (preface by Gwyneth Paltrow) 5. Let Your Life Reflect Your Practice (preface by Christy Turlington Burns) (amazon/eloquence copy) "The wondrous images accompanying this invitation to practice set this book apart, conveying the beauty and adventure of contemporary yoga practice." --Kaitlin Quistgaard, former editor-in-chief, Yoga Journal "I’ve been inspired by Elena’s commitment to bring us closer to our bodies and hearts, and this book accomplishes her objective beautifully. Art of Attention is an instructive, healing homage to the practice of yoga." --Dr. Frank Lipman, founder and director of Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center, New York City "Every once in a while a book arrives in this world that contains magic so profound it will transform you forever, it will wake you up, turn up the light on your soul, and provide an oasis of healing, rejuvenation, and restoration for you to return to over and over again. Art of Attention is such a book. It will carry you gently into a deep yoga practice, while enlivening your mind, opening your heart, and soothing your soul." --Mark Hyman, MD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Blood Sugar Solution "The beauty, wisdom, and guidance in Art of Attention will not only strengthen your yoga practice, it will lead you to a deeper knowing and acceptance of yourself." --Kris Carr, author of the New York Times bestseller Crazy Sexy Diet "Elena and Erica have taken us on a journey, an initiation, a soulful exploration of the embodiment of divine movement through yoga. This book is a beautiful expression of their attention to luminous detail and sacred practice, and now it is a gift for all of us. Thank you goddesses!" --Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow "Full of inspiration, creativity, and awareness, Art of Attention will sensitize and energize your cells from the inside out, and jolt you into finding new expressions and discoveries in your practice and your life." --Tara Stiles, bestselling author of Yoga Cures and Slim Calm Sexy Yoga "Can a book be a sanctuary? With Art of Attention, Erica and Elena have manifested an interactive portal to somatic consciousness, inner beauty, and self-reckoning. It stirs the heart, mind, and body to actively introvert and attend to the deepest layers of being." --Jill Miller, anatomy and movement specialist, creator of Yoga Tune Up®

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WITH AN EXCLUSIVE NEW CHAPTER FOR THE PAPERBACK EDITIONThe Amazon No.1 BestsellerThe Sunday Times BestsellerTHE ROYAL BOOK OF THE YEAR_________________________________'Eye-poppingly revealing. . . impeccable sources, historical heft and canny insights served up with a zingy wit. There are many royal biographers, but few as good as this. She turns gossip into the first draft of history.' TELEGRAPHFrom the Queen's stoic resolve to the crisis of Meghan and Harry. From the ascendance of Camilla and Kate to the downfall of Andrew. Full of remarkable inside access, The Palace Papers by Sunday Times bestselling author Tina Brown will change how you understand the Royal Family.'Clever, well-informed and disgustingly entertaining' THE TIMES'There are royal books, and there are royal books. But The Palace Papers is in a genre of its own' RADIO TIMES'Jaw dropping! What a book . . . if you ever want to feel like a fly on the wall of any of the palaces, this is it.'LORRAINE KELLY'Brown's prose has the swoosh of an enjoyably OTT ballgown' FINANCIAL TIMES'The world's sharpish and best-informed royal expert' PIERS MORGAN'Riveting and rigorous' PANDORA SYKES'A witty, rip-roaring read . . . full off perceptive and witty observations' i Newspaper'A rollicking ride through recent royal family history . . . Tina Brown's sparkling prose and eye for detail enliven an entertaining exposé' OBSERVER'The most explosive royal book of the year' THE SUN'Gloriously irreverent, racily written and often very funny. The early chapters on the long affair between Prince Charles and Camilla read like a non-fiction version of Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles' NEW STATESMAN'A motherlode of delectable gossip . . . Brown has produced a work both scholarly and scandalous that makes us think about what the post-Elizabethan world may bring, alternately amusing and horrifying us along the way . . . vivid and richly-embroidered' INDEPENDENT'The devil is in the delicious detail . . . Brown tackles her subjects with the same brio she brought to her years as a highly regarded magazine editor . . . Her access to those who flit around the royals gives her writing an edgy authenticity' DAILY MAIL'Brown thrashes her way through absolutely everything that has happened to the family since the end of the last book in 1997 . . . Charles and Camilla are vividly brought to life in a series of well-researched stories and anecdotes' SUNDAY TIMES'The Palace Papers is a sharp-nibbed observation of a generation of tumult for the House of Windsor, bookended by the deaths of Princess Diana and Prince Philip. It's a story about media as much as monarchy, and it draws from almost every chapter in Brown's career in journalism' FINANCIAL TIMES'It's hard to look away as Tina Brown delves into decades' worth of royal scandals' GUARDIAN'Utter brilliance . . . a rip-roaring read' SCOTSMAN'A brilliant book. Tina Brown has inside knowledge and writes so well' LADY ANNE GLENCONNER (author of Lady in Waiting)_________________________________'Never again', became Queen Elizabeth II's mantra shortly after Diana's death. More specifically, there could never be 'another Diana' - a member of the family whose global popularity upstaged, outshone, and posed an existential threat to the British monarchy. Picking up where The Diana Chronicles left off, The Palace Papers reveals how the royal family reinvented itself after the traumatic years when Diana's blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet.Tina Brown takes readers on a tour de force journey that shows the Queen's stoic resolve as she coped with the passing of Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother and her partner for seven decades, Prince Philip, and triumphed in her Jubilee years even as the family dramas raged around her. She explores Prince Charles's determination to make Camilla his queen, the tension between William and Harry who are on 'different paths', the ascendance Kate Middleton, the disturbing allegations surrounding Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, and Harry and Meghan's stunning decision to 'step back' as senior royals. Despite the fragile monarchy's best efforts, 'never again' seems fast approaching.Sunday Times bestseller, February 2023

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This series is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets The Bad Guys in a funny, visually daring adventure series for reluctant readers, teachers, and librarians alike. This hilarious, visually groundbreaking read is the conclusion to a major series by children's literature legend Jon Scieszka. The book follows a final mission, where AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug must find a planet fit for human life after we've finally made Earth unlivable. Time is up for our friends the AstroNuts. In fact, time is up for you, too. If they don't succeed on this mission, Earth is doomed! So when the team finds out they're being sent to a place called "the perfect planet," their mission sounds way too easy. Unfortunately, the second they land, they realize they'll be dealing with the most dangerous species of all time . . . humans. Huh? Where in the universe is this supposedly perfect place? And how will the Nuts manage to convince the humans to risk death . . . for the sake of their lives?! Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, Planet Earth as the narrator, an out-of-this-world gatefold, and how-to-draw pages in the back, eager and reluctant readers alike will be over the moon about this new mission. Full of laugh-out-loud humor with a thoughtful commentary on the reality of climate change at the core of the story, this creatively illustrated, full-color, action-packed space saga is a can't-put-it-down page-turner for readers of all levels and fans ready to blast past Dogman. EXCITING BIG-NAME TALENT: Jon Scieszka is one of the biggest names in children's books. The first National Ambassador of Young People's literature, he and Steven Weinberg toured extensively for this series. They'll continue making their way around the world for Book 3! You might have met them at ALA, the National Book Festival, the Rabbit HOle, the Brooklyn Book Festival, the Illinois Reading Council, the Tween Reads Book Festival, the Texas Book Festival, the NYC Department of Education Fall Conference, the 826 Story Soirée in New York, or NCTE in Baltimore! POPULAR SERIES: MISSIONS 1 and 2 received starred reviews, amazing blurbs, and tons of industry love. MISSION 1 was an Amazon Best Book of the Year! Dav Pilkey, Jennifer Holm, LeUyen Pham, and Gene Luen Yang are all big fans—check out those blurbs! FUN AND SCIENTIFIC: The book incorporates STEM elements in a way that readers will find fun and entertaining, while teachers and librarians will find it clever and original. PERFECT FOR BUDDING GRETA THUNBERGS: This book successfully talks about the effect of climate change and impels its readers to take action, without feeling didactic or message-y at all. TIES TO REAL-WORLD ISSUES: Readers will recognize quite a few dilemmas the AstroNuts face from current events on Earth. Making connections between fiction and non-fiction is a big developmental milestone for young readers, and this book works as an effective allegory for our most dire contemporary concerns. RELUCTANT READER–FRIENDLY: The book is a great vehicle for reluctant readers, featuring cool topics and bright art, and relying on visual literacy and very few words. A CONSTELLATION OF TOPICS: Space, STEM, and talking animals: There's something here for every reader! LOLs FOR DAYS: The book is funny and will delight kids who love books like Wimpy Kid, The 39-Story Treehouse, Dog Man, and Captain Underpants. While it contains serious ideas, it's a quick, easy, and fun visual read. GROUNDBREAKING DESIGN: The hundreds of pages of full-color art are dynamic and engaging—and it doesn't look like anything else out there. Steven Weinberg bases his art on public domain pieces from the Smithsonian museum! Teachers turn to the books for this element of the art and use it in classrooms to talk about collage, idea sourcing, history, and art medium. PERFECT ART PROJECT: On the website, kids can download pages of the "original" art and use it to make their own hybrid animal collages. Perfect for: • Perfect for fans of Dog Man, Big Nate, Wimpy Kid, and Captain Underpants • Families who care about the environment • Grandparents • Teachers and educators who are looking to introduce STEM and environmental topics to children • Librarians

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Carmen Boullosa’s Cleopatra Dismounts tells three versions of the life of Cleopatra. In the first sequence, Marc Antony had just disemboweled himself, knowing they had lost the war against Octavian and believing that Cleopatra was dead. Hugging his corpse, Cleopatra castigates Octavian and history for its betrayal of her, recalling variously how she had herself delivered to Caesar in a roll of carpet, and bore his child (Caesarion); the twins and third child she bore to Marc Antony; the bitterness of the recent military defeat. At this point Diomedes, variously described as an informer and her official chronicler, intercedes, admitting that this version of the story is not true to the brilliant, accomplished woman who was the true Cleopatra really was. Telling of how he betrayed Cleopatra, by altering the histories of her reign and allowing Caesar and others to destroy or change her scrolls, he begins again with the story of Cleopatra’s flight from Pompey (the Roman leader who was placed in charge of Cleopatra and her brothers and sisters after Ptolemy Auletes, her father and ruler of Egypt, died). The girl queen (Cleopatra inherited the throne as a teenager) sneaks with several faithful servants out of the palace into a wagon, accompanied by a group of brightly costumed gladiators, on her way to Ascalon. She and her supporters carve the words “Queen of Kings” (Cleopatra’s motto in real history) into the boards of the wagon in which she is traveling, and leave it behind when they reach Rome. When they are beset by pirates, Cleopatra stages an elaborate show using some costumes the young gladiator Apollodorus, who has become part of her retinue, helped her buy. She convinces the pirates that she is Isis (a myth which was in reality part of her statecraft). She makes an alliance with them and is taken in peace to Cilicia. The third and longest version of the Cleopatra story is a delightful interlude in which Cleopatra goes live with the Amazons. Cleopatra is at war with the Ruling Council of her husband and brother Ptolemy (she was, historically, forced to marry her brother because she could not rule alone as a woman). The Ruling Council has sent an envoy to summon her to Alexandria to make peace, but when she realizes it is a trap, she flees with her retinue. She arrives in Pelusium, a trade center on the Mediterranean, where many merchants have been stranded by bad weather, and where, as if by magic, she sees a replica of the cart, carved with the words “Queen of Kings,” she left behind in Rome. Chased by the “reception committee” of the Ruling Council, she escapes on the back of a magical bull. He carries her across the Mediterranean to the land of the Amazons, who take her in. The Amazons welcome her into their society of women, eschewing marriage and traditional female roles to live as warriors and hunters. They sing her the stories of their joining the Amazons and of the many myths that surround them. She meets a group of aged poets, kidnapped by the Amazons to write verses for them, because they love poetry and music. She learns that one Amazon, Orthea, is in love with a god who has the power of extreme heat and cold, and who caused an earthquake that day. The Amazons go to bed, falling into each other’s arms and making love. Though initially disgusted, eventually Cleopatra falls asleep in the protective (and erotic) embrace of Hippolyta, the Amazons’ queen. The next day, the Amazons go to battle a group of rebellious male warriors who charge the Amazons and seek, ultimately, to follow the Sirens. Charging them on their horses, driving cattle at them, the Amazons battle the men. One of their prized poets, however, in an act of suicide, surrenders himself to the Sirens, who devour him before everyone. This breaks the spell and the men cease their clamoring to get to the Sirens. Cleopatra sees Orthea consummating her passion for the god, which kills her. The Cyrene male warriors, who withstood the Sirens’ onslaught in their fort by plugging the windows with rocks and mud, invite Cleopatra and the Amazons to their court to celebrate their successful protection of so many men. Hippolyta declines but sends Cleopatra with her blessing. Once there, she is joyfully reunited with the gladiator Apollodorus and her faithful maidservant and right hand Charmian. The Cyrenes offer to ally with her against her enemies in Ptolemy’s Ruling Council. The alliance between Cleopatra and Caesar (wherein she was smuggled to him rolled up in a carpet, and he assisted her in defeating her enemies in Egypt, part of history) is presaged. At the close of the piece, Cleopatra returns to bid goodbye to the Amazons. She finds them naked, covered in blood, having just sacrificed a horse. Hippolyta is holding the horse’s castrated penis. She repudiates her earlier alliance with the Amazons and returns to Cyrene alone, to her military campaign to become the queen history knows.

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