Search results for ""author neil""

More than fifty expeditions across all seven continents – by land, sea and air – have led adventurer Neil Laughton to some of the most remote places in the world. Adventureholic tells the stories of Neil’s most unforgettable and daring adventures yet. From summiting Mount Everest with Bear Grylls and playing cricket at the Geographic South Pole to piloting the world’s first road-legal flying car on a 10,000km journey across the Sahara Desert to Timbuktu, running with bulls, and train-surfing in Myanmar, Neil really has seen and done it all. Readers are invited to join Neil on a roller-coaster ride around the world, gaining the necessary insight, confidence and inspiration to add a little more adventure to their own lives.

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The Dutch Defence is an ambitious and underrated counter to the queen's pawn opening. With his very first move Black creates an asymmetrical pawn structure, thus unbalancing the position from a very early stage and allowing both White and Black players to fight for the initiative. Black also has many options within the Dutch Defence, from the ultra-solid Stonewall formation through to the fluid Classical System and the dynamic Leningrad Variation. In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Dutch Defence and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. The book's user-friendly design helps readers absorb ideas. It concentrates on the key principles of the Ruy Lopez and is ideal for the improving player.

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Two people trapped in their different worlds. One by wealth and one by poverty. Twenty years working for The Firm has given Marcus Barlow everything he wants but has taken his soul in return. Finding a way to leave has become an obsession. Claire Halford’s life hits rock bottom when she is caught stealing food from Tesco Express. Left alone by her husband with two small children and an STI, her suicide music is starting to play louder in her head. A chance meeting brings them together. As a mystery virus from China starts to run riot across the country, their world’s collide and they find they have more in common than they knew. Set in the early months of 2020, Maybe It’s About Time is a story about the difficulty of changing lives for the better. Starting as a funny and satirical view of the egocentric world of professional services, it gives way to a heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that rejuvenates Marcus and Claire, giving them both hope for a better future.

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With the intrigue of a psychological thriller, the heart of a romance and the beauty of a fantastical dive into history, The Tears of Boabdil tells the story of an undercover special agent unwittingly drawn into a forbidden romance and a glimpse of a distant past that mirrors today. Longlisted for the McKitterick Prize Sworn to his country and committed to his work, Vince is an undercover agent. He masquerades as an Islamic convert to infiltrate a British Jihadi group. There, he meets Ayesha, the beautiful sister of the leaders and soon becomes entangled in a way that threatens his grip on reality. The part he’s playing takes over, and he convinces himself he’s in love. Oblivious to the danger to Ayesha and to his sanity, he lures her into a relationship. Now he must choose between a duty that strengthens barriers or a love that breaks them. “A thematically ambitious novel, interweaving multiple narrative lines. Both disturbing and arresting.” Adam Craig, author of Vitus Dreams and fiction editor for Cinnamon Press “A joy to read—a range of emotions from sympathy to horror.” Alina Voyce, author of Lifelights

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'A spooky and unsettling tale about strangers, love and deceit' Sunday Express'A creepy tale' Daily Mail'A story about retribution, deceit, and guilt about allowing strangers to care for loved ones - as well as a hint of the supernatural' SunWhen Lizzy moves to a desolate shore to escape her past, she hopes to find sanctuary. But a mysterious stranger is waiting for her, her father's carer, and when darkness falls, something roams this wild stretch of beach, urging Lizzy to investigate its past. The longer she stays, the more the shore's secrets begin to stir. Secrets of a sea that burned, of bodies washed ashore -- and a family's buried past reaching into the present.And when Lizzy begins to suspect that her father's carer is a dangerous imposter with sinister motives, a new darkness rises. What happens next is everyone's living nightmare . . .From the bestselling author of The Ghost Hunters and The Lost Village, The Haunted Shore is a terrifying tale of suspense that does not let up until the last page is turned.'Imbued with addiction, loss, regret and the fallibility of memory . . . a perfect read for the Halloween season and beyond' Starburst'Perfect chiller-thriller for autumn nights' Lancashire Evening Post

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What’s the formula for a happy life? Neil Pasricha is a Harvard MBA, a Walmart executive, a New York Times–bestselling author, and a husband and dad. After selling more than a million copies of his Book of Awesome series, he now shifts his focus from observation to application.In The Happiness Equation, Pasricha illustrates how to want nothing, do anything, and have everything. If that sounds like a contradiction, you simply haven’t unlocked the 9 Secrets to Happiness.Each secret takes a common ideal, flips it on its head, and casts it in a completely new light. Pasricha then goes a step further by providing step-by-step guidelines and hand-drawn scribbles that illustrate exactly how to apply each secret to live a happier life today.Controversial? Maybe. Counterintuitive? Definitely.The Happiness Equation will teach you such principles as:· Why success doesn’t lead to happiness · How to make more money than a Harvard MBA · Why multitasking is a myth · How eliminating options leads to more choice

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A chilling tale based on true events from the bestselling author of The Ghost Hunters - now a major ITV drama starring Rafe SpallAt the height of the Cold War, officials at the Ministry of Defence conducted a highly secret investigation into unusual events that occurred along a strip of rugged coastline within the Pembrokeshire National Park nicknamed 'The Broad Haven Triangle'. The events made national headlines: lights and objects hovering in the sky, ghostly figures peering into farmhouse windows, cowering animals, and poltergeists plaguing a terrified family of witnesses.Thirty years later, official files pertaining to these occurrences were finally released for public scrutiny at the National Archives. The disclosure prompted a new witness to come forward to speak of what he knew. His testimony rocked the very foundations of the British Government. This is his story.

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"Everyone should have two copies - one for the car and one for the house to plan journeys. . . a reminder to think more about the places you pass and less about your route, because every British journey is through rich history." (Edward Stourton)From much-loved historian Neil Oliver, comes this beautifully written, kaleidoscopic history of a place with a story like no other.The British Isles, this archipelago of islands, is to Neil Oliver the best place in the world. From north to south, east to west it cradles astonishing beauty. The human story here is a million years old, and counting. But the tolerant, easygoing peace we enjoy has been hard won. We have made and known the best and worst of times. We have been hero and villain and all else in between, and we have learned some lessons.The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places is Neil’s very personal account of what makes these islands so special, told through the places that have witnessed the unfolding of our history. Beginning with footprints made in the sand by humankind’s earliest ancestors, he takes us via Romans and Vikings, the flowering of religion, through civil war, industrial revolution and two world wars. From windswept headlands to battlefields, ancient trees to magnificent cathedrals, each of his destinations is a place where, somehow, the spirit of the past seems to linger.

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_A Dark History of Sugar_ delves into our evolutionary history to explain why sugar is so loved, yet is the root cause of so many bad things. Europe's colonial past and Britain's Empire were founded and fuelled on sugar, as was the United States, the greatest superpower on the planet -and they all relied upon slave labour to catalyse it. _A Dark History of Sugar_ focusses upon the role of the slave trade in sugar production and looks beyond it to how the exploitation of the workers didn't end with emancipation. It reveals the sickly truth behind the detrimental impact of sugar's meteoric popularity on the environment and our health. Advertising companies peddle their sugar-laden wares to children with fun cartoon characters, but the reality is not so sweet. _A Dark History of Sugar_ delves into our long relationship with this sweetest and most ancient of commodities. The book examines the impact of the sugar trade on the economies of Britain and the rest of the world, as well as its influence on health and cultural and social trends over the centuries. Renowned food historian Neil Buttery takes a look at some of the lesser-known elements of the history of sugar, delving into the murky and mysterious aspects of its phenomenal rise from the first cultivation of the sugar cane plant in Papua New Guinean in 8,000 BCE to becoming an integral part of the cultural fabric of life in Britain and the rest of the West -at whatever cost. The dark history of sugar is one of exploitation: of slaves and workers, of the environment and of the consumer. Wars have been fought over it and it is responsible for what is potentially to be the planet's greatest health crisis. And yet we cannot get enough of it, for sugar and sweetness has cast its spell over us all; it is comfort and we reminisce fondly about the sweets, cakes, puddings and fizzy drinks of our childhoods with dewy-eyed nostalgia. To be sweet means to be good, to be innocent; in this book Neil Buttery argues that sugar is nothing of the sort. Indeed, it is guilty of some of the worst crimes against humanity and the planet.

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From the bestselling author of the acclaimed novel AMERICAN GODS and the prize-winning THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE.In May 2012, Neil Gaiman delivered the commencement address at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, in which he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength. He encouraged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he urged them to make good art.The book MAKE GOOD ART, designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, contains the full text of Gaiman's inspiring speech.Praise for Neil Gaiman:'A very fine and imaginative writer' The Sunday Times'Exhilarating and terrifying' Independent'Urbane and sophisticated' Time Out'A jaw-droppingly good, scary epic positively drenched in metaphors and symbols... As Gaiman is to literature, so Antoni Gaudi was to architecture' Midweek'Neil Gaiman is a very good writer indeed' Daily Telegraph

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She was lying in the road when he found her, crumpled and broken, the car that hit her screaming away from the scene in haze of tyre smoke and exhaust fumes...Jennifer MacKenzie being hit by a car was a tragic accident. Or so it seemed. Until Connor is summoned to a meeting his girlfriend's dad, Duncan McKenzie. MacKenzie claims that Jen's accident was actually a message intended for him - and a way to force him to kill his trusted lieutenant Paulie King, who has now mysteriously disappeared.His request to Connor is simple. Find Paulie and the men who hurt his daughter. Do whatever it takes. As an all-out gang war threatens to explode across Central Scotland, Connor begins a journey that forces him to confront some uncomfortable truths about his girlfriend and the family he is connected to through her. But Connor is also driven by a vow - to find Paulie. And when he does, no quarter will be given.Praise of Neil Broadfoot'Tense, fast-moving and bloody. Broadfoot's best yet' Mason Cross'A true rising star of crime fiction' Ian Rankin'Tension that'll hold you breathless' Helen Fields

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′A landmark book for SEL. It provides an even-handed, scholarly appraisal of the latest research. This major contribution will advance SEL science, improve school-based practice, and benefit many students′ -Professor Roger Weissberg, University of Illinois at Chicago This important new book provides the first in-depth, authoritative and balanced examination of the critical issues pervading Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). The book highlights strengths and flaws in SEL theory and research, and sets the agenda for the next generation of inquiry. The book investigates key topics such as: - definitions and conceptualization - origins and influences - international policy and practice - assessment and monitoring - implementation - outcomes It will be valuable to researchers, policy-makers, students, teachers, and anyone interested in the role of schools play in promoting children′s social and emotional wellbeing. Neil Humphrey is Professor of Psychology of Education at the University of Manchester

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Written by ex-Commando and dad of three Neil Sinclair, this no-nonsense manual is a must-have for every man about to embark on his greatest mission: fatherhood.With straightforward and practical advice for all new recruits, from early reconnaissance right up to the deployment date, learn how to:- Prepare for your baby trooper's arrival- Manage your Commanding Officer (i.e., the mum-to-be) in all terrains- Pack your Deployment Kit list (i.e., the hospital bag) ... and much moreLet the mission begin!www.commandodad.com

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The great Elizabeth Raffald used to be a household name, and her list of accomplishments would make even the highest of achievers feel suddenly impotent. After becoming housekeeper at Arley Hall in Cheshire at age twenty-five, she married and moved to Manchester, transforming the Manchester food scene and business community, writing the first A to Z directory and creating the first domestic servants registry office, the first temping agency if you will. Not only that, she set up a cookery school and ran a high class tavern attracting both gentry and nobility. She reputedly gave birth to sixteen daughters, wrote book on midwifery and was an effective exorciser of evil spirits. These achievements gave her notoriety and standing in Manchester, but it all pales in comparison to her biggest achievement; her cookery book The Experienced English Housekeeper. Published in 1769, it ran to over twenty editions and brought her fame and fortune. But then disaster; her fortune lost, spent by her alcoholic husband. Bankrupted twice, she spent her final years in a pokey coffeehouse in a seedy part of town. Her book, however, lived on. Influential and often imitated (but never bettered), it became the must-have volume for any kitchen, and it helped form our notion of traditional British food as we think of it today. To tell Elizabeth's tumultuous rise and fall story, historian Neil Buttery doesn't just delve into the history of food in the eighteenth century, he has to look at trade and empire, domestic service, the agricultural revolution, women's rights, publishing and copyright law, gentlemen's clubs and societies, the horse races, the defeminization of midwifery, and the paranormal, to name but a few. Elizabeth Raffald should be revered, not unknown. How can this be? Perhaps we should ask Mrs Beeton

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This is the true story of respected businessman, Henry Wainwright, who had everything he needed in 1871: a loving wife and five children, a delightful London townhouse and successful family business, but just one year later, Henry's life would be turned upside down. He embarked on a risky affair, setting his mistress, Harriet Lane, up in lodgings with an allowance to look after herself and the couple's two children as they pretended to be husband and wife. It was at this time that Henry's finances tumbled out of control; with gambling debts and a failing business, bankruptcy loomed. His world started to crumble and what happened next as he tried to regain control involved a scandalous conspiracy which ended in murder and ruined the lives of three families. This fast-moving story will transport the reader to the East End of Victorian London, revealing information on the lives of those involved and detailing the police investigation and the subsequent Old Bailey trial. Fourteen years before the infamous Jack the Ripper Murders, it was the original 'Whitechapel Mystery' and probably the most sensational criminal case of the 1870s. It's a story of love, weakness and devious, desperate liars.

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In this book, MG Y Type owner and expert Neil Cairns provides the reader with a detailed history of the development of the MG Y as well as descriptions of the different models – the YA, the YT and the YB. Based on his own twenty-five years’ experience of owning and driving an MG Y, the book is packed with advice, hints and tips for buying and owning this classic post-war MG saloon. Although based on a pre-war body design, the MG Y Type was more radical than it looked. It was the first MG with independent front suspension, the first MG with rack and pinion steering and the first with a left-hand drive option. This book covers the development of the XPAG engine as well as other mechanical information covering the gearbox, chassis and rear axle. There is also a chapter on restoration and how to deal with corrosion.

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Line by Line: Scotland is an illustrated guide to the country’s railway, showcasing a collection of images captured over around twenty years. A celebration of both beautiful scenery and elegant engineering, it documents a variety of interesting rail traffic and will appeal to both local enthusiasts and those further afield. Featuring previously unpublished images that pay testament to Neil Gibson’s keen eye for a great shot, this is terrific record of the railways of Scotland.

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Ever wondered how a transfer deal is done? What a manager says during his pre-match team-talk? What he screams from the techincal area? What goes on in training sesions, and on those long away trips? How a manager carefully builds a team, and what he does when the planning is disrupted by injuries? How he lifts a team after a crushing defeat, and keeps their feet on the ground after a resounding victory? How the man in charge handles the ever-present danger of getting sacked in the ultimate results business? In short, how one of today's top professional footballer managers somehow copes with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, with having to live, breathe and sleep football 24 hours a day, 365 days a year? Then read The Gaffer.

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The dramatic story of Scotland - by charismatic television historian, Neil Oliver.Scotland is one of the oldest countries in the world with a vivid and diverse past. Yet the stories and figures that dominate Scottish history - tales of failure, submission, thwarted ambition and tragedy - often badly serve this great nation, overshadowing the rich tapestry of her intricate past.Historian Neil Oliver presents a compelling new portrait of Scottish history, peppered with action, high drama and centuries of turbulence that have helped to shape modern Scotland. Along the way, he takes in iconic landmarks and historic architecture; debunks myths surrounding Scotland's famous sons; recalls forgotten battles; charts the growth of patriotism; and explores recent political developments, capturing Scotland's sense of identity and celebrating her place in the wider world.

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Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish is the unexpected story of how one creature's journey out of the water made the human body what it is today - and one man's voyage of discovery in search of our origins. Have you ever wondered why our bodies look and work and fail the way they do? One of the world's leading experts in evolutionary history, Neil Shubin reveals the secrets of our biology: why if we want to understand our limbs we should take a close look at Tiktaalik, the first fish capable of doing a push-up; why if we want to know why we hiccup, the answer is in the way fish breathe; and why it is that fish teeth are surprisingly similar to human breasts. 'This would be Darwin's book of the year' Sunday Telegraph 'An intelligent, exhilarating, and compelling scientific adventure story' Oliver Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat 'Delightful ... his enthusiasm is infectious' Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics 'Profoundly fascinating ... a magisterial work ... expressed so clearly and with such good humour' Financial Times 'Will make you think about your organs in ways you have never considered before' Sunday Times Neil Shubin is a palaeontologist in the great tradition of his mentors, Ernst Mayr and Stephen Jay Gould. He has discovered fossils around the world that have changed the way we think about many of the key transitions in evolution and has pioneered a new synthesis of expeditionary palaeontology, developmental genetics and genomics. He trained at Columbia, Harvard and Berkeley and is currently Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Chicago.

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Get lost in the mystical art and stories of the Sandman. Both from the original collection of tales and from the adapted prose mini-series! The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition Book Five is a collection unlike anything else. Containing the story that forever changed the face of the Dreaming a wake in which all mourn their loss. And a humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox who are romantically drawn together. Find stories like these and more in this incredible deluxe edition containing The Sandman #70-75, The Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1-4, Sandman: Endless Nights {New Edition}, Sandman: Dream Hunters 30th Anniversary Edition (Prose Version), and Dust Covers: The Collected Sandman Covers.

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One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman s awardwinning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium s most gifted artists, the series is a rich blend of modern and ancient mythology in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven. The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition Book Two collects issues #17-31 of the original run of The Sandman, which includes the World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night s Dream and tales from the Angouleme International Comics Festival best script award-winning graphic novel Season of Mists. This volume also features the Sandman Special #1 and short stories from Vertigo: Winter s Edge #1-3 that further chronicle the enchanting world of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, and his kin, the Endless.

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The world's great fables, sagas and legends dramatically retold.Myths are the greatest stories ever told. Passed down over millennia, they are the templates for all our stories, with their eternal themes of creation and destruction, fate and cunning, heroism and cruelty, sensuality and war. Retold here are nearly 200 myths - from Prometheus defying Zeus to create man to the destruction of Troy; and from valiant battles against Frost Giants and Cyclopes to the heroic quests for the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail - including a commentary on their origins, common themes and meanings. Compellingly written, concise and with each myth illustrated with an iconic image, Myths in Minutes is the perfect way to understand and enjoy the world's major fables. Includes the great Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian legends: The Labours of Heracles; The Gods of Olympus; Zeus defeats the Titans; Hades and the Underworld; Theseus and the Minotaur; The Gorgons; Perseus and Andromeda; Oedipus and the Sphinx; The Judgment of Paris; The Trojan Horse; The Odyssey; Jason and The Golden Fleece; Romulus, Remus and the Founding of Rome; Mars, the God of War; The Eye of Ra; The Murder and Resurrection of Osiris; and more.The best of Celtic, Norse, Eastern, American, Oceanic and African myths: Gilgamesh and the Great Flood; Odin's Great Sacrifice; Thor's Adventures in the Land of the Giants; The Treachery of Loki; Ragnarok - The Last Battle; The Eight Immortals; The War Between the Sun and the Stars; Quetzalcoatl, The Plumed Serpent; Ganesh, the Elephant-headed; Ananse and the Sky God; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; the age-old stories of the Aboriginal Dreaming; and many; many more.

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An irresistibly brilliant graphic novel adaptation of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, adapted by award-winning illustrator P. Craig Russell. This is the second of two volumes. Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it's in the land of the living that the real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives, and he has already killed Bod's family.

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Can a killer ever be on the side of justice? In 1983, Professor Robert Balfour was found floating in Airthrey Loch at the heart of Stirling University's campus. His death was deemed a tragic accident but there were other, darker rumours. The death of a politics professor allegedly linked to the armed wing of the Scottish Liberation Brigade was always going to attract conspiracy theories. But that's all they were. Theories. Until now. To mark the 40th anniversary of his father's death, Jonathan Rodriguez has travelled back to Stirling - and he's brought a camera crew with him. Rodriguez is convinced his father's death was no accident - and that at least one of the killers wore a uniform. Desperate to make the problem go away, DCI Malcolm Ford turns to Connor Fraser for help. And then another body is found at nearby Bannockburn.On the trail of a double killer, Connor is forced to confront dark truths about the meaning of justice. And those truths may just break his heart - or stop it, for good. Praise for Neil Broadfoot:'Give Reacher a Scottish accent and a better moral compass and you get Connor Fraser' Tony Kent 'Tense, fast-moving and bloody. Broadfoot's best yet' Mason Cross'A true rising star of crime fiction' Ian Rankin'Beautifully crafted . . . There's no filler, no exposition, just action, dialogue and layering of tension that'll hold you breathless until the very end' Helen Fields'Wonderfully grisly and grim, and a cracking pace' James Oswald'A frantic, pacy read with a compelling hero' Steve Cavanagh

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A new title in the SPCK Library of Ministry, this book describes how, in adopting an organic approach to ministry development, it is possible to make a real impact on people's lives and ministries; this approach is based on the organics model proposed by James Hopewell.

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"Mr. Dahlstrom...has written a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture. We now know the whole story of when farming, business and the free-market economy diverged, divided and conquered." —Wall Street JournalDiscover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years.Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming. By the turn of the twentieth century, four million people had left rural America and moved to cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and threshing. That’s why the introduction of the tractor is an innovation story as essential as man’s landing on the moon or the advent of the internet—after all, with the tractor, a shrinking farm population could still feed a growing world. But getting the tractor from the boardroom to the drafting table, then from factory and the farm, was a technological and competitive battle that until now, has never been fully told. A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In Tractor Wars, Dahlstrom offers an insider’s view of a story that entwines a myriad of brands and characters, stakes and plots: the Reverend Daniel Hartsough, a pastor turned tractor designer; Alexander Legge, the eventual president of International Harvester, a former cowboy who took on Henry Ford; William Butterworth and the oft-at-odds leadership team at John Deere that partnered with the enigmatic Ford but planned for his ultimate failure. With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, Tractor Wars is the untold story of industry stalwarts and disruptors, inventors, and administrators racing to invent modern agriculture—a power farming revolution that would usher in a whole new world.

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The challenge of developing forms of practice that are effective in tackling discrimination and oppression remains a major one. In Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity, internationally renowned author Dr Neil Thompson explores a wide range of issues relating to equality and diversity. Topics include the case for equality and diversity, understanding and challenging discrimination in relation to age, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and religion.

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Members of the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE), founded in 1997, continue to research, hold international conferences, and publish books and essays in order to reveal the lives, journeys and achievements of these less well-known men and women who have made such a contribution to the present day historical and geographical knowledge of this region of the world and who have also given us a better understanding of its different peoples, languages and religions. The men and women from the past who are written about in this volume are a mixture of the incredibly rich or the very poor, and yet they have one thing in common, the bravery to tackle an adventure into the unknown without the certainty they would ever return home to their families. Some took up the challenge as part of their job or to create a new business, one person travelled to learn how to create and manage a harem at his house in London, others had no choice because as captives in a military campaign they were forced to make journeys into Ottoman controlled lands not knowing exactly where they were, yet every day they were looking for an opportunity to escape and return to their homes, while hoping the next person they met would guide them towards the safest route. Apart from being brave, many of these men and women travellers have something else in common: they and others they encountered have left a collective record describing their travels and their observations about all manner of things. It is these forgotten pioneers who first gathered the facts and details that now fill numerous modern guidebooks, inflight magazines and websites.

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Preparing For A World That Doesn't Exist - Yet is about an emerging Second Enlightenment and the capacities you will need to achieve success in this new, fast-evolving world.

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Orthodox Christianity is one of the world’s major religions, and the Russian Orthodox Church is by far its largest denomination. Few know its history and spiritual richness, however. Neil Kent’s comprehensive new book fills that gap. The Russian Orthodox Church’s Eastern roots, including its dogma, canons, and practices, are explored, along with the political and military contexts in which it carried out its mission over the centuries. Hemmed in between the Catholic powers of pre-Reformation Europe in the West, the Mongol steppe empires to the East, and the Islamic civilizations to the South, Russia and its Church found themselves in a difficult position during the Middle Ages.The Russian Orthodox Church’s greatest strength was in the spiritual power of its liturgy, prayerfulness, icons, and monastic life. But even as the Church consolidated its authority under its own metropolitan, and later patriarch, it came into conflict with political rulers who sought to undermine it. After defeating foreign challenges, the Church underwent a painful reformation and schism, finally coming under government control. The Church survived this “Babylonian Captivity,” and, in philosophical and spiritual terms, flourished under tsarist rule while still facing rising opposition. The fall of the monarchy in 1917 led to the Church’s brief rejuvenation, but communist rule spelled relentless persecution with little respite at home and a lively émigré church carrying Russian traditions abroad. In post-Soviet times, however, the Church enjoyed an extraordinary resurrection and, benefiting from the spiritual richness and reunion with the Russian Orthodox Church abroad, once again became a spiritual pillar of the Russian people and a beacon of hope and Christian values, not only in Russia but anywhere it is currently practiced.

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In his latest collection of essays, Neil Davidson brings his formidable analytical powers to bear on the concept of the capitalist nation-state. Through probing inquiry, Davidson draws out how nationalist ideology and consciousness is used to bind the subordinate classes to 'the nation', while simultaneously using 'the state' as a means of conducting geopolitical competition for capital. Davidson argues that a Marxist understanding of the meaning of contemporary nation-states must begin from the inseparable connections between them.

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The vast and mysterious universe is explored in this anthology from award-winning editor and anthologist Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld magazine, The Best Science Fiction of the Year).The urge to explore and discover is a natural and universal one, and the edge of the unknown is expanded with each passing year as scientific advancements inch us closer and closer to the outer reaches of our solar system and the galaxies beyond them.Generations of writers have explored these new frontiers and the endless possibilities they present in great detail. With galaxy-spanning adventures of discovery and adventure, from generations ships to warp drives, exploring new worlds to first contacts, science fiction writers have given readers increasingly new and alien ways to look out into our broad and sprawling universe. Stories include are: A Jar of Goodwill — Tobias S. Buckell Mono no aware — Ken Liu Rescue Mission — Jack Skillingstead Shiva in Shadow — Nancy Kress Slow Life — Michael Swanwick Three Bodies at Mitanni — Seth Dickinson The Deeps of the Sky — Elizabeth Bear Diving into the Wreck — Kristine Kathryn Rusch The Voyage Out — Gwyneth Jones The Symphony of Ice and Dust — Julie Novakova Twenty Lights to “The Land of Snow” — Michael Bishop The Firewall and the Door — Sean McMullen Permanent Fatal Errors — Jay Lake Gypsy — Carter Scholz Sailing the Antarsa — Vandana Singh The Mind is Its Own Place — Carrie Vaughn The Wreck of the Godspeed — James Patrick Kelly Seeing — Genevieve Valentine Travelling into Nothing — An Owomoyela Glory — Greg Egan The Island — Peter Watts The Final Frontier delivers stories from across this literary spectrum, a reminder that the universe is far large and brimming with possibilities than we could ever imagine, as hard as we may try.

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