Search results for ""Spark""

In spite of, and because of, the attention recently paid to “big data” and the huge amount quantitative data available from online and point of sale transactions, qualitative and conceptual research is in greater demand than ever. Rather than the correlational and superficial view provided from the overflow of numerical data, qualitative and conceptual data help to make sense of what is really going on among consumers. Numerical approaches are a useful first cut at detecting changes in market patterns, but they fail to help understand the underlying and deeper meanings of these data among individual consumers, families, and consumption communities. By gathering data from observation (first hand and automated), depth interviews, projective measures, netnography, videography, qualitative marketing and consumer research help put flesh on the bones of often sterile quantitative data. This volume provides a good illustration of the sorts of insights that qualitative and conceptual analysis can provide. Using some of the latest qualitative research tools, this volume highlights insights about consumption ranging from how consumers process advertising messages, how skiers consume a ski resort, and how small retailers can combat the practice of “showrooming” by consumers comparing online prices with mobile devices to the nature of consumer “presence, rethinking the meanings of prices, and buying counterfeit luxuries with friends. These and other practices provide eye-opening insights of their own. But they also spark the imagination by demonstrating what qualitative research can do and why it is an increasingly popular set of techniques.

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This volume reflects Jacques Derrida's engagement in the late 1970s with French political debates on the teaching of philosophy and the reform of the French university system. He was a founding member of the Research Group on the Teaching of Philosophy (Greph), an activist group that mobilized opposition to the Giscard government's proposals to "rationalize" the French educational system in 1975, and a convener of the Estates General of Philosophy, a vast gathering in 1979 of educators from across France. While addressing specific contemporary political issues on occasion, thus providing insight into the pragmatic deployment of deconstructive analysis, the essays deal mainly with much broader concerns. With his typical rigor and spark, Derrida investigates the genealogy of several central concepts which any debate about teaching and the university must confront. Thus there are essays on the "teaching body," both the faculty corps and the strange interplay in the French (but not only the French) tradition between the mind and body of the professor; on the question of age in teaching, analyzed through a famous letter of Hegel; on the class, the classroom, and the socio-economic concept of class in education; on language, especially so-called "natural languages" like French; and on the legacy of the revolutionary tradition, the Estates General, in the university. The essays are linked by the extraordinary care and precision with which Derrida undertakes a political intervention into, and a philosophical analysis of, the institutionalization of philosophy in the university.

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Commodity Option Pricing: A Practitioner’s Guide covers commodity option pricing for quantitative analysts, traders or structurers in banks, hedge funds and commodity trading companies. Based on the author’s industry experience with commodity derivatives, this book provides a thorough and mathematical introduction to the various market conventions and models used in commodity option pricing. It introduces the various derivative products typically traded for commodities and describes how these models can be calibrated and used for pricing and risk management. This book has been developed with input from traders and features examples using real-world data, together with relevant up-to-date academic research. This book includes practical descriptions of market conventions and quote codes used in commodity markets alongside typical products seen in broker quotes and used in calibration. Also discussed are commodity models and their mathematical derivation and volatility surface modelling for traded commodity derivatives. Gold, silver and other precious metals are addressed, including gold forward and gold lease rates, as well as copper, aluminium and other base metals, crude oil and natural gas, refined energy and electricity. There are also sections on the products encountered in commodities such as crack spread and spark spread options and alternative commodities such as carbon emissions, weather derivatives, bandwidth and telecommunications trading, plastics and freight. Commodity Option Pricing is ideal for anyone working in commodities or aiming to make the transition into the area, as well as academics needing to familiarize themselves with the industry conventions of the commodity markets.

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An investigation into how Antioch maintained itself as an independent principality during a period of considerable challenges. Situated in northern Syria, on the eastern-most frontier of Latin Christendom, the principality of Antioch was a medieval polity bordered by a host of rival powers, including the Byzantine Empire, the Armenian Christians of Cilicia, the rulers of the neighbouring Islamic world and even the other crusader states, the kingdom of Jerusalem and the counties of Edessa and Tripoli. Coupled with the numerous Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities who populatedthe region, Antioch's Frankish settlers - initially installed into power by the military successes of the First Crusade - thus faced numerous challenges to their survival. This book examines how the ruling elites of the principality sought to manage these competing interests in order to maintain Antioch's existence during the troubled twelfth century, particularly following the death of Prince Bohemond II in 1130. His demise helped to spark renewed interest from Byzantium and the kingdom of Jerusalem, and came at a time of both Islamic resurgence under the Zengids of Aleppo and Mosul, as well as Armenian power growth under the Rupenids. An examination of Antioch's diplomatic and military endeavours, its internal power structures and its interaction with indigenous peoples can therefore help to reveal a great deal about how medieval Latins adapted to the demands of their frontiers. ANDREW BUCK is an Associate Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, from where he received his PhD in 2014.

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General Education Essentials "Full-time and part-time faculty in any discipline and at any size campus with any type of mission can pick up this volume and learn something that will help her or him improve teaching and learning.???"—From the Foreword by Terrel L. Rhodes, vice president for Curriculum, Quality, and Assessment, Association of American Colleges and Universities Every year, hundreds of small colleges, state schools, and large, research-oriented universities across the United States (and, increasingly, Europe and Asia) revisit their core and general education curricula, often moving toward more integrative models. And every year, faculty members who are highly skilled in narrowly defined fields ask two simple questions: "Why?" and "How is this going to affect me?" General Education Essentials seeks to answer these and other questions by providing a much-needed overview of and a rationale for the recent shift in general education curricular design, a sense of how this shift can affect a faculty member's teaching, and an understanding of how all of this might impact course and student assessment. Filled with examples from a variety of disciplines that will spark insights, General Education Essentials explores the techniques that can be used to ensure that students are gaining the skills they need to be perceptive scholars and productive citizens. "This is THE ONE BOOK for academics to get up to speed about reforming general education." —Jerry Gaff, senior scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities

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Film and television have never been more prevalent or watched than they are now, yet we still have little understanding of how people process and make use of what they see. And though we acknowledge the enormous role the media plays in our culture, we have only a vague sense of how it actually influences our attitudes and desires. In Perverse Spectators, Janet Staiger argues that studying the interpretive methods of spectators within their historical contexts is both possible and necessary to understand the role media plays in culture and in our personal lives. This analytical approach is applied to topics such as depictions of violence, the role of ratings codes, the horror and suspense genre, historical accuracy in film, and sexual identities, and then demonstrated through works like JFK, The Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Psycho, and A Clockwork Orange. Each chapter shows a different approach to reconstructing audience responses to films, consistently and ingeniously finding traces of what would otherwise appear to be unrecoverable information. Using vivid examples, charting key concepts, and offering useful syntheses of long-standing debates, Perverse Spectators constitutes a compelling case for a reconsideration of the assumptions about film reception which underlie contemporary scholarship in media studies. Taking on widely influential theories and scholars, Perverse Spectators is certain to spark controversy and help redefine the study of film as it enters the new millennium.

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This volume reflects Jacques Derrida's engagement in the late 1970s with French political debates on the teaching of philosophy and the reform of the French university system. He was a founding member of the Research Group on the Teaching of Philosophy (Greph), an activist group that mobilized opposition to the Giscard government's proposals to "rationalize" the French educational system in 1975, and a convener of the Estates General of Philosophy, a vast gathering in 1979 of educators from across France. While addressing specific contemporary political issues on occasion, thus providing insight into the pragmatic deployment of deconstructive analysis, the essays deal mainly with much broader concerns. With his typical rigor and spark, Derrida investigates the genealogy of several central concepts which any debate about teaching and the university must confront. Thus there are essays on the "teaching body," both the faculty corps and the strange interplay in the French (but not only the French) tradition between the mind and body of the professor; on the question of age in teaching, analyzed through a famous letter of Hegel; on the class, the classroom, and the socio-economic concept of class in education; on language, especially so-called "natural languages" like French; and on the legacy of the revolutionary tradition, the Estates General, in the university. The essays are linked by the extraordinary care and precision with which Derrida undertakes a political intervention into, and a philosophical analysis of, the institutionalization of philosophy in the university.

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If you're fed up with learning the names of kings and queens or dates of battles, then this is the history book for you. This book only contains some of the most brilliant bits about medicine in history. No rubbish diagrams or grainy photos - just really cool facts, intriguing people and of course the best eureka moments - all beautifully illustrated.It includes: prehistoric trepanning, Hippocrates, Galen and Vesalius. It also looks at diseases such as scurvy and smallpox and how understanding vitamins and inoculation lead to millions of lives being saved. Later innovations include the discovery of penicillin, antiseptics and anaesthetics. Later, readers will discover heart surgery, psychiatry and scanning.We've curated for kids some of the best examples of medical marvels. The chronological order will help them get to grips with how and why one discovery can lead to another. It also shows how humans have continually strived to improve their lives and even the world by building on successes from the past, inspiring them to take leaps into the unknown or to reveal their genius to the world.Designed to spark the interest of children aged 8+ studying history and STEM topics at key stage 2, the text is snappy and completely relevant, so boredom is not an option. The 4-book series, A Short Illustrated History, celebrates some of the best thinkers, scientists, mathematicians, inventors, engineers and creative geniuses the world has ever seen!Titles in this series:Space ExplorationInventionsMedicine

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"Elegantly written, Tears We Cannot Stop is powerful in several areas: moving personal recollections; profound cultural analysis; and guidance for moral redemption. A work to relish." -Toni Morrison "Here's a sermon that's as fierce as it is lucid. It shook me up, but in a good way. This is how it works if you're black in America, this is what happens, and this is how it feels. If you're black, you'll feel a spark of recognition in every paragraph. If you're white, Dyson tells you what you need to know-what this white man needed to know, at least. This is a major achievement. I read it and said amen." -Stephen King As the country grapples with racist division at a level not seen since the 1960s, one man's voice is heard above the rest. In his New York Times op-ed piece "Death in Black and White," Michael Eric Dyson moved a nation. Isabel Wilkerson called it "an unfiltered Marlboro of black pain" and "crushingly powerful," and Beyonce tweeted about it. Now he continues to speak out in Tears We Cannot Stop-a provocative and deeply personal call for change. Dyson argues that if we are to make real racial progress we must face difficult truths, including being honest about how black grievance has been ignored, dismissed, or discounted. Short, emotional, literary, powerful-this is the book that all Americans who care about the current and long-burning crisis in race relations will want to read.

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Honorable Mention, 2019 MLA Prize for a First Book Sole Finalist Mention for the 2018 Lora Romero First Book Prize, presented by the American Studies Association Exposes the influential work of a group of black artists to confront and refute scientific racism. Traversing the archives of early African American literature, performance, and visual culture, Britt Rusert uncovers the dynamic experiments of a group of black writers, artists, and performers. Fugitive Science chronicles a little-known story about race and science in America. While the history of scientific racism in the nineteenth century has been well-documented, there was also a counter-movement of African Americans who worked to refute its claims. Far from rejecting science, these figures were careful readers of antebellum science who linked diverse fields—from astronomy to physiology—to both on-the-ground activism and more speculative forms of knowledge creation. Routinely excluded from institutions of scientific learning and training, they transformed cultural spaces like the page, the stage, the parlor, and even the pulpit into laboratories of knowledge and experimentation. From the recovery of neglected figures like Robert Benjamin Lewis, Hosea Easton, and Sarah Mapps Douglass, to new accounts of Martin Delany, Henry Box Brown, and Frederick Douglass, Fugitive Science makes natural science central to how we understand the origins and development of African American literature and culture. This distinct and pioneering book will spark interest from anyone wishing to learn more on race and society.

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Millions of Suns is an open invitation for all writers to create something new. Each chapter features a pair of essays-in-dialogue between two working artists, Sharon Fagan McDermott and M. C. Benner Dixon, which addresses a specific writing element such as metaphor, inspiration, place, surprise, or imagery. These hybrid essays reveal how two very different writers approach the building blocks of their craft. Explore how white space intersects with grief, how the act of reading changes over a lifetime, or how “familiarity, in life and in stories, invites us in and gives us a hand to hold.” Witness the ways that race and climate change find their way onto the page. Learn how memory can be an act of betrayal or healing. With decades of combined teaching experience, McDermott and Benner Dixon share practical craft-of-writing advice with the reader, including over fifty engaging writing prompts to spark the creative process. These prompts guide readers toward the freedom and joy that comes with finding one’s authentic voice. Embracing both the painful and the playful, Millions of Suns is an ideal text for classrooms, professional development, or daily writing practice. Through humor, lyricism, and poignancy, the fundamental message of the book remains the same for newcomers and career authors. Let Millions of Suns open a door for you into your creative work, inviting imagination, memory, and inspiration into your writing life.

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"Dictionary Stories isn’t just a book for word nerds, but for anyone for whom language and story matter. Everybody will find themselves thoroughly in love with this book." —Kory Stamper, editor for Merriam-Webster, and author of Word by WordEveryone has looked up a word in the dictionary. Some of us have even asked for it to be used in a sentence during our 2nd grade spelling bee. But few of us have ever really considered those example sentences: where they come from, how they’re generated…and why in heaven’s name they are so darn weird.Jez Burrows opened the New Oxford American Dictionary and sat, mystified. Instead of the definition of "study" he was looking for, he found himself drawn to the strangely conspicuous, curiously melodramatic sentence that followed it: "He perched on the edge of the bed, a study in confusion and misery." It read like a tiny piece of fiction on the lam and hiding out in the dictionary—and it wasn’t alone. Was it possible to reunite these fugitive fictions? To combine and remix example sentences to form new works? With this spark and a handful of stories shared online, Dictionary Stories was born. This genre-bending and wildly inventive collection glows with humor, emotion, and intellect. Effortlessly transcending sentence level, Burrows lights between the profound and the absurd, transporting readers into moments, worlds, and experiences of remarkable variety. Featuring original illustrations by the author, Dictionary Stories is a giddy celebration of the beauty and flexibility of language.

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LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDRÉ SIMON AWARD 2021 'Truffle Hound, like a truffle, charms by seducing us' Mark Kurlansky A captivating exploration into the secretive and sensuous world of truffles, the elusive food that has captured hearts, imaginations, and palates worldwide. The scent of one freshly unearthed white truffle in Barolo was all it took to lead Rowan Jacobsen down a rabbit hole into a world of secretive hunts, misty woods, black-market deals, obsessive chefs, quixotic scientists, muddy dogs, maddening smells, and some of the most memorable meals ever created. Truffles attract dreamers, schemers, and sensualists. People spend years training dogs to find them underground. They plant forests of oaks and wait a decade for truffles to appear. They pay £2,170 a pound to possess them. They turn into quivering puddles in their presence. Why? Truffle Hound is the fascinating account of Rowan's quest to find out, a journey that would lead him from Italy to Istria, Hungary, Spain, England, and North America. Both an entertaining odyssey and a manifesto, Truffle Hound demystifies truffles—and then remystifies them, freeing them from their gilded cage and returning them to their roots as a sacred offering from the forest. It helps people understand why they respond so strongly to that crazy smell, shows them there’s more to truffles than they ever imagined, and gives them all the tools they need to take their own truffle love to the next level. Deeply informed, unabashedly passionate, rakishly readable, Truffle Hound will spark Britain’s next great culinary passion.

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How to tap the real source of entrepreneurial power in you and in your organization The UnStoppables is based on foreword author Graham Weston's experience growing Rackspace, as well as fascinating case studies from such organizations as the Navy SEALs and Israeli Special Forces. In The UnStoppables Bill Schley, co-founder of the branding firm Brand Team Six shows how the best practitioners think continuously about two things: The Big Picture and the Little Picture--essence and essentials. The essentials are the business and financial mechanics required of any working enterprise. But the essence is the emotional mechanics to deal with obstacles, risk, fear and failure. Mastering the emotional mechanics is how entrepreneurs succeed and winners win. This is how you capture the unlimited power of entrepreneurship to spark a successful start-up or revitalize a mature organization. Explains why what's stopping you is more important than what's starting you, how to tap the essence of entrepreneurial power in you and in your organization, and how motion generates vision Bill Schley is an award winning author and established expert on branding and marketing communications, as well as the co-founder and creative director of the branding firm Brand Team Six Graham Weston is the internationally renowned co-founder and chairman of Rackspace, the world's #1 cloud computing and managed hosting company Locally, this book teaches you how to become an entrepreneur or to inspire an entrepreneurial mindset to boost any stage business. Globally, this book is about how this nation can launch thousands more entrepreneurs for the future.

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Thomas Paine was the spark that ignited the American Revolution. More than just a Founding Father, he was a verbal bomb-thrower, a rationalist, and a rebel. In his influential pamphlets Common Sense and The American Crisis, Paine codified both colonial outrage and the intellectual justification for independence, arguing consistently and convincingly for Enlightenment values and the power of the people. Today, we are living in times that, as Paine famously said, "try men's souls." Whatever your politics, if you're seeking to understand the political world we live in, where better to look than Paine? The Daily Thomas Paine offers a year's worth of pithy and provocative quotes from this quintessentially American figure. Editor Edward G. Gray argues that we are living in a moment that Thomas Paine might recognize--or perhaps more precisely, a moment desperate for someone whose rhetoric can ignite a large-scale social and political transformation. Paine was a master of political rhetoric, from the sarcastic insult to the diplomatic apercu, and this book offers a sleek and approachable sampler of some of the sharpest bits from his oeuvre. As Paine himself says in the entry for January 20: "The present state of America is truly alarming to every man who is capable of reflexion." The Daily Thomas Paine--the newest addition to the University of Chicago Press's ongoing series of collected wisdom from notable writers--should prove equally incendiary and inspirational for contemporary readers with an eye for politics, even those who prefer the tweet to the pamphlet.

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The Promise of Welfare in the Postwar British Novel offers a new literary history of the Second World War and its aftermath by focusing on wartime visions of rebuilding Britain. Shifting attention from the "People's War" to the "People's Peace," this book shows that literature returns to the historic transition from warfare to welfare to narrate its transformative social potential and darker failures. The welfare state envisioned that managing individuals' private lives would result in a more coherent and equitable community, a promise encapsulated in the 1942 Beveridge Report's promise of care from the "cradle to the grave." The postwar novel reveals the intimate effects that follow when infrastructures of collective living seek to organize social interaction, tracing these effects through quasi-administrated home spaces such as girls' hostels, makeshift sanatoria, and experimental schools. Mid-century writers including Elizabeth Bowen, Muriel Spark, and Samuel Selvon used the militarized Home Front to present postwar Britain as a zone of lost privacy and new collective logics. As the century progressed, and as the unrealized dreams of welfare came to be dismantled, authors including Alan Hollinghurst, Michael Ondaatje, and Kazuo Ishiguro registered an unfulfilled nostalgia for a Britain that never was, situating British domestic policies within trajectories of historic and social violence. Contemporary fiction continues to reanimate the transition from a warfare state to a welfare state, preserving its transformative potential while redefining its possible futures. With this long view of postwar fiction, this volume demonstrates the holding power of welfare's promises of repair and Britain's mid-century on the British cultural imagination.

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The #1 New York Times bestselling book for many weeks, Jack Levin presents a beautifully designed account of George Washington’s historic crossing of the Delaware River and the decisive Battle of Trenton, with a foreword by his son, #1 New York Times bestselling author and radio host Mark R. Levin.With the warm-hearted patriotism and passion he brought to his beautiful volume Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Illustrated, Jack E. Levin illuminates a profound turning point of the American Revolution: the decisive Battle of Trenton and its prelude—General George Washington leading his broken and ailing troops in a fleet of small wooden boats across the ice-encased Delaware River.While one iconic nineteenth-century painting made the crossing a familiar image, the significance of the against-all-odds victory put into motion on Christmas night, 1776, cannot be told enough. Jack Levin brings to light several vital perspectives, and draws his text from General Washington’s letter to the Continental Congress to describe the amazing account of the unlikely defeat of the Hessian army at Trenton.As a father, Jack Levin inspired his sons—including Mark Levin, and Douglas, and Robert—with his love for America. Around the family table, he would share the facts and events of the nation’s founding, spark lively debates, and pass along his extensive knowledge and his deep and abiding patriotism. Featuring Revolution-era artwork, portraiture, and maps, George Washington: The Crossing imparts the same vivid, intimate telling, that of a father to his sons—the kind of history lesson that lives in the heart forever.

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Ever since the Warren Commission concluded that a lone gunman assassinated President John F. Kennedy, people who doubt that finding have been widely dismissed as conspiracy theorists, despite credible evidence that right-wing elements in the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service—and possibly even senior government officials—were also involved. Why has suspicion of criminal wrongdoing at the highest levels of government been rejected out-of-hand as paranoid thinking akin to superstition?Conspiracy Theory in America investigates how the Founders’ hard-nosed realism about the likelihood of elite political misconduct—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—has been replaced by today’s blanket condemnation of conspiracy beliefs as ludicrous by definition. Lance deHaven-Smith reveals that the term “conspiracy theory” entered the American lexicon of political speech to deflect criticism of the Warren Commission and traces it back to a CIA propaganda campaign to discredit doubters of the commission’s report. He asks tough questions and connects the dots among five decades’ worth of suspicious events, including the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, the attempted assassinations of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan, the crimes of Watergate, the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal, the disputed presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, the major defense failure of 9/11, and the subsequent anthrax letter attacks.Sure to spark intense debate about the truthfulness and trustworthiness of our government, Conspiracy Theory in America offers a powerful reminder that a suspicious, even radically suspicious, attitude toward government is crucial to maintaining our democracy.

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Curiously, economists, whose discipline has much to do with human well-being, have shied away from factoring the study of happiness into their work. Happiness, they might say, is an "unscientific" concept. This is the first book to establish empirically the link between happiness and economics--and between happiness and democracy. Two respected economists, Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer, integrate insights and findings from psychology, where attempts to measure quality of life are well-documented, as well as from sociology and political science. They demonstrate how micro- and macro-economic conditions in the form of income, unemployment, and inflation affect happiness. The research is centered on Switzerland, whose varying degrees of direct democracy from one canton to another, all within a single economy, allow for political effects to be isolated from economic effects. Not surprisingly, the authors confirm that unemployment and inflation nurture unhappiness. Their most striking revelation, however, is that the more developed the democratic institutions and the degree of local autonomy, the more satisfied people are with their lives. While such factors as rising income increase personal happiness only minimally, institutions that facilitate more individual involvement in politics (such as referendums) have a substantial effect. For countries such as the United States, where disillusionment with politics seems to be on the rise, such findings are especially significant. By applying econometrics to a real-world issue of general concern and yielding surprising results, Happiness and Economics promises to spark healthy debate over a wide range of the social sciences.

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Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk have built their careers on unconventional creative thinking. As the team behind Dove's Evolution video, they famously stripped away the photoshopping, lighting and make-up to sell real beauty. But after years of winning awards for rethinking brands, they realized that they wanted to spend more of their time rethinking the way we work-or, in many cases and places, the way our work doesn't work for us, and especially for women. And so they tackled the problem in their hallmark style-by turning expectations upside down and shaking them. Soundly. Darling, You Can't Do Both, is a smart, relatable guide for all of the women who embraced the spirit of Lean In but were left wondering where to start-how could they, in all industries and at all levels, really start to change the institutions they work in from the ground up. Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk's answer is that women need to start breaking rules they've always tacitly accepted, and start understanding how being a woman in business is an asset, not a liability. They argue that motherhood creates better leaders, that you should be letting the intern help solve your biggest problems and that networking isn't just the icky business of golf clubs and business cards. Darling, You Can't Do Both will spark a new thread of conversation about women in the workplace--one that isn't about accepting defeat or blaming ourselves, but is instead about moving (and looking) forward.

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This book reveals a great untold story of enterprise and innovation based on the relationship between the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Elkington & Co., the renowned industrial art and design manufacturer of the 19th-century. The Birmingham-based company pioneered and patented the industrial art of electro-metallurgy to create original artworks, perfect replicas, and mass-reproduced luxury consumer goods that used electricity to ‘grow’ metal into shape at a molecular level. This technological revolution created a profound legacy, which continues to influence the way modern material culture looks and operates today.Elkington’s syntheses of science and art into industrial manufacturing processes revolutionized the design and production, replication and reproduction of precious metalwork, metal sculpture, and ornamental art metalwork. Elkington & Co. gained huge public acclaim at the Great Exhibition of 1851. They subsequently produced artworks and luxury goods, including world-renowned sports trophies like the Wimbledon Singles Trophies, as well as luxury dining services for great steamships and railways, including tableware that sank with the Titanic.Elkington played a crucial role in shaping and building the V&A’s permanent collection from its foundation in 1852 (following the Great Exhibition) until the First World War. The V&A’s collections in turn had a profound influence on Elkington’s output. The great success of their relationship cemented both the museum’s status as a leading cultural institution, and the E&Co ‘makers-mark’ as one of the world’s first truly multinational designer brands. Elkington’s electrical alchemy helped spark the electrical revolution that founded the modern world.

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Still Life Drawing is a creative drawing activity book filled with quick, achievable and fun exercises from graphic artist and designer Alice Oehr. It takes inspiration from the traditions of still life drawing, helping you to create artworks with what you have on hand. Since the dawn of time, humans have drawn the items that surround them. Ancient Roman paintings of fruits and flowers kicked off a tradition adopted by artists from Caravaggio to Van Gogh. Still life requires us to slow down and pay attention to often-overlooked details – an art in itself. Colours, patterns and textures are everywhere, and noticing the shape of the coffee cup on our desk or the orange of a pumpkin at the market can spark all kinds of ideas. With Still Life Drawing learn to: Use uncomplicated techniques to represent objects on paper, Experiment with pattern and colour, Create texture with different mediums: collage, paint or even pixels, Take the time to appreciate the small things and build creativity into your routines, And of course use artistic license and find your own style. So many people say they can't draw, but everyone can. Still Life Drawing reminds us that putting pen to paper is a simple pleasure, available to anyone. And when it comes to combining colours, playing with pattern and exploring shapes, there are no rules. Taking inspiration from the objects we encounter is a great place to start, and can help us to find creativity and meaning in our everyday lives.

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Foreword by Elaine WelterothIn this stunningly illustrated essay collection inspired by the popular podcast Life, I Swear, prominent Black women reflect on self-love and healing, sharing stories of the trials and tribulations they’ve faced and what has helped them confront pain, heal wounds, and find connection. With essays by Eniafebiafe Isis Adewale • Lauren Ash • Gabrielle Williams • Lindsey Farrar • Nneke Julia • Elaine Welteroth • Meryanne Loum-Martin • Lili Lopez • Deun Ivory • Morgan Ashley • Dydine Umunyana • Adriana Parrish • Orixa Jones • Offeibea Obubah • Alex Elle • Kalkidan Gebreyohannes • Esther Boykin • Brooke Hall • Qimmah Saafir • Josefina H. Sanders • Julee Wilson • Shay Jiles • Danasia FantasticA mixture of poignant essays, gorgeous photography, and sophisticated design elements, Life, I Swear is a chronicle of transformation and growth by and for modern-day Black women. Some of today’s most influential Black female voices chronicle their private journeys, offering testimonies of living through pain and joy with raw honesty and unapologetic self-love.In each episode of her podcast, Life, I Swear, emotive storyteller Chloe Dulce Louvouezo explores the nuances of our diverse experiences. In one-on-one interviews and personal prose, the podcast centers on personal stories that offer universal insights into topics relevant to modern women’s lives, from identity and family to trauma and motherhood, told through the lens of Black women. A catalyst for change, this revelatory book builds on the premise of the podcast by diving deeper into themes of mental health, identity and resilience. Life, I Swear is sure to spark lively, thought-provoking, and necessary conversations that encourage Black women to return home to themselves through self-examination and grace. Life, I Swear features 100-125 full-color photographs throughout.

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An argument for the constitutional responsibility to participate in jury duty It’s easy to forget how important the jury really is to America. The right to be a juror is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed to all eligible citizens. The right to trial by jury helped spark the American Revolution, was quickly adopted at the Constitutional Convention, and is the only right that appears in both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But for most of us, a jury summons is an unwelcome inconvenience. Who has time for jury duty? We have things to do. In Why Jury Duty Matters, Andrew Guthrie Ferguson reminds us that whether we like it or not, we are all constitutional actors. Jury duty provides an opportunity to reflect on that constitutional responsibility. Combining American history, constitutional law, and personal experience, the book engages citizens in the deeper meaning of jury service. Interweaving constitutional principles into the actual jury experience, this book is a handbook for those Americans who want to enrich the jury experience. It seeks to reconnect ordinary citizens to the constitutional character of a nation by focusing on the important, and largely ignored, democratic lessons of the jury. Jury duty is a shared American tradition. It connects people across class and race, creates habits of focus and purpose, and teaches values of participation, equality, and deliberation. We know that juries are important for courts, but we don’t know that jury service is important for democracy. This book inspires us to re-examine the jury experience and act on the constitutional principles that guide our country before, during, and after jury service.

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White identity is in ferment. White, European Americans living in the United States will soon share an unprecedented experience of slipping below 50% of the population. The impending demographic shifts are already felt in most urban centers and the effect is a national backlash of hyper-mobilized political, and sometimes violent, activism with a stated aim that is simultaneously vague and deadly clear: 'to take our country back.' Meanwhile the spectre of 'minority status' draws closer, and the material advantages of being born white are eroding. This is the political and cultural reality tackled by Linda Martín Alcoff in The Future of Whiteness. She argues that whiteness is here to stay, at least for a while, but that half of whites have given up on ideas of white supremacy, and the shared public, material culture is more integrated than ever. More and more, whites are becoming aware of how they appear to non-whites, both at home and abroad, and this is having profound effects on white identity in North America. The young generation of whites today, as well as all those who follow, will have never known a country in which they could take white identity as the unchallenged default that dominates the political, economic and cultural leadership. Change is on the horizon, and the most important battleground is among white people themselves. The Future of Whiteness makes no predictions but astutely analyzes the present reaction and evaluates the current signs of turmoil. Beautifully written and cogently argued, the book looks set to spark debate in the field and to illuminate an important area of racial politics.

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A funny, big-hearted novel about loving yourself for being exactly who you are! When a mega-famous pop group announces a competition for fans to be part of their next music video, Erin decides to go for it. She wants to show her younger brother that in life, there are no limits - even if you don't look like most other kids. But making an audition video is proving more difficult than Erin expected; it's almost like her best friend is trying to ruin it! And when an opportunity comes up that might increase her chances, Erin begins to wonder: can she stay true to herself and pursue her dreams? Erin's character is inspired by co-author Cara Mailey, who has achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism) and was featured on CBBC's documentary "My Life: Made to Measure" and BBC One's "Keeping Up with the Maileys" Co-author Chrissie Sains is also the author of An Alien In the Jam Factory Perfect for fans of The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones, A Kind of Spark and Can You See Me? PRIASE FOR I GOT THIS "One of the manifest strengths of this novel is the way telling details about achondroplasia are mentioned in the most natural and unforced way [...] It is an impressive accomplishment for these two authors (Mailey herself has achondroplasia) to have produced a work of seamless integrity, a work which leaves the reader aching for Erin to find her place" - Books For Keeps "I Got This is not just about life with achondroplasia, it’s about how limitless life can be with positivity, empathy, and support from the people who love us." - Books For Topics

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A re-examination of the social processes behind religious conversions in the Ancient and Early Middle Ages. This volume explores religious conversion in late antique and early medieval Europe at a time when the utility of the concept is vigorously debated. Though conversion was commonly represented by ancient and early medieval writersas singular and personally momentous mental events, contributors to this volume find gradual and incomplete social processes lurking behind their words. A mixture of examples and approaches will both encourage a deepening of specialist knowledge and spark new thinking across a variety of sub-fields. The historical settings treated here stretch from the Roman Hellenism of Justin Martyr in the second century to the ninth-century programs of religious and moral correction by resourceful Carolingian reformers. Baptismal orations, funerary inscriptions, Christian narratives about the conversion of stage-performers, a bronze statue of Constantine, early Byzantine ethnographic writings, and re-located relics are among the book's imaginative points of entry. This focused collection of essays by leading scholars, and the afterword by Neil McLynn, should ignite conversations among students of religious conversion andrelated processes of cultural interaction, diffusion, and change both in the historical sub-fields of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages and well beyond. This book is one of two collections of essays on religious conversion drawn from the activities of the Shelby Cullum Davis Center for Historical Studies at Princeton University between 1999 and 2001. The other volume, Conversion: Old Worlds and New, is also published by the Universityof Rochester Press. Contributors: Susan Elm, Anthony Grafton, Richard Lim, Rebecca Lyman, Michael Maas, Neil McLynn, Kenneth Mills, Eric Rebillard, Julia M. H. Smith, Raymond Van Dam.

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Improve engagement, productivity, and motivation with effective employee recognition Recognizing and Engaging Employees for Dummies gives you the tools and information you need to improve morale, productivity, and personal achievement with a successful employee recognition program. Written by a world-leading authority in employee recognition, this book walks you step-by-step through the design and implementation process and describes the incentives that work, the behaviors to reward, and the mechanisms that must be in place for the program to be effective in the long term. You'll learn how to pinpoint the places where engagement and recognition could improve the bottom line, and how to structure the reward for optimal balance between motivational, financial, and organizational effectiveness. With clear explanations and a fun, friendly style, this book is your quick and easy guide to boosting productivity, profit, and customer satisfaction. Most Americans who leave their jobs cite lack of recognition as the driving factor. When your employees feel appreciated, they stick around, work harder, achieve more, and drive your business onward and upward. This book shows you how to bring that dynamic to your workplace, with step-by-step guidance and helpful advice. Design successful recognition programs Create powerful incentives for employees Reduce turnover, improve engagement, and drive excellence Foster a happier and more productive workplace Happy employees are productive employees. They get results. They innovate. They are the force behind the advancement of industries. Effective employee recognition programs are self-sustaining motivational tools that keep the fire lit. If you're ready to spark the flame, Recognizing and Engaging Employees for Dummies is the ideal guide for designing, implementing, and maintaining the program your employees have been waiting for.

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A leading film theorist and a filmmaker discuss the lasting contributions of the most prominent living filmmaker, Jean Luc-Godard Probably the most prominent living filmmaker, and one of the foremost directors of the postwar era, Jean Luc-Godard has received astonishingly little critical attention in the United States. With Speaking about Godard, leading film theorist Kaja Silverman and filmmaker Harun Farocki have made one of the most significant contributions to film studies in recent memory: a lively set of conversations about Godard and his major films, from Contempt to Passion. Combining the insights of a feminist film theorist with those of an avant-garde filmmaker, these eight dialogues–each representing a different period of Godard's film production, and together spanning his entire career–get at the very heart of his formal and theoretical innovations, teasing out, with probity and grace, the ways in which image and text inform one another throughout Godard's oeuvre. Indeed, the dialogic format here serves as the perfect means of capturing the rhythm of Godard's ongoing conversation with his own medium, in addition to shedding light on how a critic and a director of films respectively interpret his work. As it takes us through Godard's films in real time, Speaking about Godard conveys the sense that we are at the movies with Silverman and Farocki, and that we, as both student and participant, are the ultimate beneficiaries of the performance of this critique. Accessible, informative, witty, and, most of all, entertaining, the conversations assembled here form a testament to the continuing power of Godard's work to spark intense debate, and reinvigorate the study of one of the great artists of our time.

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Arduino programming for the absolute beginner, with project-based learning Adventures in Arduino is the beginner's guide to Arduino programming, designed specifically for 11-to 15-year olds who want to learn about Arduino, but don't know where to begin. Starting with the most basic concepts, this book coaches you through nine great projects that gradually build your skills as you experiment with electronics. The easy-to-follow design and clear, plain-English instructions make this book the ideal guide for the absolute beginner, geared toward those with no computing experience. Each chapter includes a video illuminating the material, giving you plenty of support on your journey to electronics programming. Arduino is a cheap, readily available hardware development platform based around an open source, programmable circuit board. Combining these chips with sensors and servos allows you to gain experience with prototyping as you build interactive electronic crafts to bring together data and even eTextiles. Adventures in Arduino gets you started on the path of scientists, programmers, and engineers, showing you the fun way to learn electronic programming and interaction design. Discover how and where to begin Arduino programming Develop the skills and confidence to tackle other projects Make the most of Arduino with basic programming concepts Work with hardware and software to create interactive electronic devices There's nothing like watching your design come to life and interact with the real world, and Arduino gives you the capability to do that time and again. The right knowledge combined with the right tools can create an unstoppable force of innovation, and your curiosity is the spark that ignites the flame. Adventures in Arduino gets you started on the right foot, but the path is totally up to you.

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Take Blended Learning to the Next Level by Building an Effective Professional Learning Community! Technology is permeating classrooms and offering teachers and students opportunities to reimagine teaching and learning. Many schools and districts are shifting from traditional teacher-led instruction to blended learning with the goal of placing students at the center of learning. It’s time to power up your approach to professional learning to ensure teachers feel inspired and supported as they make this shift and embrace technology. This book provides an effective and actionable framework for school leaders looking to implement a long-term professional learning plan that extends professional development beyond a handful of days each year to create "coaching culture" that supports teachers as they move toward blended learning. Blended Learning expert Catlin Tucker provides a clear path for professional learning that is embedded in the school’s culture, blending targeted training (the "spark"), 1:1 coaching, and professional learning communities. This comprehensive approach to professional learning ensures that teachers in a blended environment work continually to improve learning outcomes for students, stay up-to-date on current technology, and learn with their colleagues. This text is full of concrete resources and strategies for leaders and blended learning coaches. It includes Coaching protocols Virtual coaching strategies Templates for feedback Lesson planning resources for designing blended lessons Rubrics for evaluation Stories and tips from blended learning coaches Vignettes from teachers who have successfully shifted to a blended learning model Reflection questions for leading book studies This book provides the tools and tips you’ll need to support teachers as they move toward blended learning. From articulating the why behind a shift to blended learning, to creating and implementing an actionable roadmap for building a professional learning infrastructure, this must-have resource will take your PD plans to the next level!

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As seen on The TODAY Show!Break out of that rut and fall in love with your life again by joining stand-up comic, SiriusXM host, and mom of six Jennifer Fulwiler in finding your blue flame. Every one of us has a blue flame--a special skill, a personal passion, a gift or talent. But when caught up in life's busyness, it's too easy to make a habit of suppressing our most joyful contributions to the world.As Jennifer learned, the secret to a life you love isn't necessarily jumping the track, quitting your job, or hustling to make your dream your full-time reality. Rather, it's about doing more of what makes you come alive in your actual life. Your Blue Flame is your upbeat playbook to rekindling your energy, sparking those meaningful "first loves" back to life again, and discovering the unique way each one of us can make the world a better, brighter place.With Jennifer's wit and straight-forward, practical insights, this helpful guide will show you: How to channel your blue flame's contagious energy Why your blue flame is both personally fulfilling and a sacred duty to others Tips and tricks to boldly make time for your passions How to rethink dreaming big for your actual life No matter where you are in life, you'll be inspired with stories of others who found their flames, like the couple who packed up their three kids and moved to a farm, the woman who discovered a passion for letter-writing at age ninety-five, and of course Jennifer's own story of self-producing her own stand-up comedy tour after being turned down by the entertainment industry establishment.It's been said that the glory of God is the soul fully alive. It's time to start chasing our spark, and Your Blue Flame will show you how.

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USA Today Bestseller"It is a truth universally acknowledged that the young lady everyone assumes is mousy has uncharted depths... particularly when there's a scientific sister, an aphrodisiac, and the stepbrother of a duke around. Creative, unique, and racy --this story is not unlike the very elixir around which it is based."--Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of LightContinuing her bestselling Rogue Files series, Sophie Jordan brews up a scintillating romance about a timid wallflower who discovers a love potion and ends up falling for a dashing rogue.A love potion…Charlotte Langley has always been the prudent middle sister, so her family is not surprised when she makes the safe choice and agrees to wed her childhood sweetheart. But when she finds herself under the weather and drinks a “healing” tonic, the potion provokes the most maddening desire…for someone other than her betrothed.With the power…Kingston’s rakehell ways are going to destroy him and he’s vowed to change. His stepbrother’s remote estate is just the place for a reformed rogue to hide. The last thing he wants is to be surrounded by society, but when he gets stuck alone with a wallflower who is already betrothed... and she astonishes him with a fiery kiss, he forgets all about hiding.To alter two destinies.Although Charlotte appears meek, Kingston soon discovers there’s a vixen inside, yearning to break free. Unable to forget their illicit moment of passion, Kingston vows to relive the encounter, but Charlotte has sworn it will never happen again—no matter how earth-shattering it was. But will a devilish rogue tempt her to risk everything for a chance at true love?

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Inspired by Ayn Rand's characters in Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, penetrating profiles of both the innovators who move our world forward and those who seek to destroy the achievement of others John Galt, the fictional character from Ayn Rand's bestselling novel, Atlas Shrugged, has come to embody the individualist capitalist who acts in his own enlightened self interest, and in doing so lifts the world around him. Some of today's most successful CEOs, journalists, sports figures, actors, and thinkers have led their lives according to Galt's (i.e., Rand's) philosophy. Now, in I Am John Galt, these inspiring stories are gathered with the keen insight and analysis of well-known market commentator Donald Luskin and business writer Andrew Greta. Filled with exclusive interviews, profiles, and analyses of leading financial, business, and artistic stars who have based their lives, and careers, on the philosophy of the perennially popular Ayn Rand, this book both inspires and enlightens. On the other side are Rand's arch villains?the power-seekers, parasites, and lunatics who would destroy that which the creators and builders make. Who are today's anti-heroes, fighting the creativity of the innovators? Contains insightful interviews, profiles, and analyses of the individuals who have lived by a Randian code to achieve greatness for themselves and others Offers a probing analysis of those who seek to destroy or undo the achievements of others?from academics, pundits, and government bureaucrats to fraudsters who have wreaked havoc on our world Engaging and entertaining, I Am John Galt examines how the inspiration that is Galt thrives more than 50 years after publication of Atlas Shrugged. It will spark the interest of Ayn Rand fans everywhere, as well as those seeking a way to succeed in today's turbulent and confusing times.

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Diddy Disciples is a creative and playful new worship and Bible storytelling resource for those who work with babies, toddlers and young children. This inspiring book aims to encourage participation, discipleship and leadership from children’s earliest years, using storytelling, singing, colour, repetition, art and lots and lots of movement! Leaders can use the material to create a service that follows the pattern of their church’s Sunday worship, a simple mid-week baby and toddler singing session or anything in between! Book 2 includes: · 36 weeks’ worth of fully worked-out sessions for key festivals and seasons of the church year · plenty of opportunities to tailor the material to your own context · all sorts of creative ‘starter ideas’ for using everyday art and play resources to spark children’s imaginations The units are: - Jesus, Light of the World! (Epiphany) - John the Baptist (the weeks before Lent) - The Journey to the Cross (Lent) - Jesus Is Alive! Alleluia! (Easter) - Let Your Kingdom Come (Green Time) - God’s Best Friend, Moses (Green Time) ‘This is a book for those who take children seriously. A wonderful, practical resource for those who want to nurture children to be disciples in their own right: to pray, to engage with Scripture, to contribute to worship, to play their part as children of God. A must-read for those who work and volunteer with very young children.’ The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury ‘An exceptional and inspiring resource.’ Dr Rebecca Nye, Godly play expert and researcher in children’s spirituality ‘Sharon Moughtin-Mumby brings the wisdom of a professional biblical scholar to the task of communicating the essence of the Bible to very young children . . . Very user-friendly material from which adults can learn too.’ The Revd John Barton, Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford

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USA TODAY BestsellerA visual history of one of childhood’s most beloved icons—the Little Red Wagon—told through a rich collection of photos and stories that highlight its unique place in American culture.For generations, the Radio Flyer—the fire engine red wagon with the distinctive white logo emblazoned on its side—has fueled the imaginative adventures of children, transforming them into astronauts on a rocket ship to the moon, racecar drivers in the Indy 500, and pioneers traveling into the badlands of the Wild West. The Radio Flyer is the story of childhood—a story of wondrous journeys often accompanied by someone important: a parent, a sibling, a friend, a pet.Since 1917, the family-owned business Radio Flyer Inc. has created this cherished wagon, building a legacy of high quality, timeless, and innovative toys that spark children’s imaginations and inspire active play outdoors. With more than 100 million wagons sold—many of them passed down from generation to generation—Radio Flyers have carried, hauled, and fueled more hours of magical escapades than any other children’s ride-on toy in America.This beautifully designed and illustrated keepsake book pays homage to this cultural touchstone as it celebrates its first centenary and embarks on its second. Packed with 250 exclusive full-color and black-and-white illustrations, stories, and original drawings from the Radio Flyer Inc. archives, Radio Flyer chronicles the history of this popular brand for the first time. Radio Flyer’s story is America’s story—a story of an enterprising Italian immigrant’s dream realized, and a testament to the value and strength of family ties.Including a host of tender reminiscences from fans across the country, this touching tribute is a special piece of childhood, and the perfect gift for everyone who’s ever loved a Little Red Wagon.

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"If you like a slow burn romance, awesome action scenes, and well developed characters, I highly recommend this series." - Caitlin, GoodreadsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin comes the third book in the Aunare Chronicles An Aunare Chronicles Novella*Amihanna di Aetes is used to fighting, surviving, and relying on her strength to get through the hard times. She thought the worst was over when she accepted her engagement to Lorne ni Taure, the High King of the Aunare, and claimed her place as the future High Queen.It should be easy to slide into her new role. How hard can it be living in luxury with your soulmate after growing up alone on the streets?But the more she learns about the Aunare and their politics, the more she realizes that the true test of her strength is just beginning.Amihanna di Aetes is in for the battle of her life if she wants the Aunare to accept her.The Aunare Chronicles1. Off Planet2. Off Balance3. In Command4. On Mission5. On Destiny"Counting the days until the next installment." - Nicole B, Goodreads"If you're looking for a well written, engrossing sci-fi read filled with romance, action and intrigue you will love this series." - Sharon, Obsession with Books"Suspenseful sci-fi with complex world-building and a tough-as-nails heroine you'll want to root for!"— Elizabeth Briggs, NYT Bestselling Author of Future Shock"I will probably read it several times this year before the next book comes out." - Janine B, Goodreads"In this bleak world, one spark of hope soon turns into an inferno. And just like a fireball, once this story is ignited, it just doesn't stop." — Maria V. Snyder, NYT bestselling author of Navigating the Stars.*In Command is a 40K novella that takes place between Off Balance and On Mission (Book 3 of the Aunare Chronicles). The series can be enjoyed without reading this story, but you can't enjoy this story without reading the series.

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In this pioneering book, Irwin M. Wall unravels the intertwining threads of the protracted agony of France's war with Algeria, the American role in the fall of the Fourth Republic, the long shadow of Charles de Gaulle, and the decisive postwar power of the United States. At the heart of this study is an incisive analysis of how Washington helped bring de Gaulle to power and a penetrating revisionist account of his Algerian policy. Departing from widely held interpretations of the Algerian War, Wall approaches the conflict as an international diplomatic crisis whose outcome was primarily dependent on French relations with Washington, the NATO alliance, and the United Nations, rather than on military engagement. Wall makes extensive use of previously unexamined documents from the Department of State, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and heretofore secret files of the Archives of the French Army at Vincennes and the Colonial Ministry at Aix-en-Provence. He argues convincingly that de Gaulle always intended to keep Algeria French, in line with his goal to make France the center of a reorganized French union of autonomous but dependent African states and the heart of a Europe of cooperating states. Such a union, which the French called Eurafrica, would further France's chance to be an equal partner with Britain and the United States in a reordered 'Free World.' In recent years the Algerian War has reclaimed its place in popular memory in France. Its interpreters have continued to view the conflict as a national, internal drama and de Gaulle as the second-time savior who ended French participation in a ruinous colonial war. But by analyzing the conflict in terms of French foreign policy, Wall shows the pivotal role of the United States and counters certain political myths that portray de Gaulle as an emancipator of colonial people. Wall's interpretation of the Algerian conflict may well spark controversy and will open important new avenues of debate concerning postwar international affairs.

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Whether you want to eat deep-dish pizza, explore the The Field Museum of Natural History, or bike along the lakefront, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Chicago are here to help! Fodor’s Chicago guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s Chicago includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 10 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Chicago’s Best Outdoor Activities,” “Chicago’s Best Museums,” “Best Idea for a Night Out,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “How to Experience the Lakefront,” “Chicago Then and Now,” “The Sky’s the Limit,” and Frank Lloyd Wright LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: The Loop, Near North, River North, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Pilsen, Little Italy, Prairie Avenue, and more. Planning on visiting more of the USA’s great cities? Check out Fodor’s New York City. *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Whether you want to eat lobster, sail on a windjammer, or hike Cadillac Mountain, the local Fodor's travel experts in Maine are here to help! Fodor's Maine Coast: with Acadia National Park guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This brand new title has been designed with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.Fodor's Maine Coast travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 20 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Seafood Shacks,” “Best Beaches,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Maine Coast with Kids” and “What to Eat and Drink in Maine” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: The Kennebunks, Ogunquit, Portland, Freeport, Boothbay, Bath, Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Monhegan Island, Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park Planning on visiting other destinations in New England? Check out Fodor's New England, Fodor's Boston, or Fodor's Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor's has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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The companion to The Call of the Wild + Free: styled in the lush aesthetic of the Wild + Free brand, a four-color book offering outdoor activities and essays, that parents, educators, and caregivers can use to inspire their children.Wild and Free Nature is a beautiful, four-color resource book for parents, educators, and caregivers to enjoy doing hands-on activities outside with kids. One of the core philosophies behind Wild + Free is the belief that nature is the best classroom we could ever hope for. It unlocks the imagination and inspires creativity in ways that a schoolroom never could.Being out in nature has a number of benefits. Studies show that children are more likely to interact with kids of different ages and learn to problem solve in natural settings. Being in natural settings stimulates the brain and restores cognitive function. Children who spend time in natural settings also interact better with kids of all ages and learn to solve problems more easily. They build muscle and coordination and fend off obesity. It cultivates a sense of responsibility for caring for the earth, not to mention, encourages imaginative play, curiosity, and other qualities necessary to spark a love for investigation and learning.This resource book will help equip parents and adults who work with children to get them outdoors with activities such as: Build a treehouse in the woods. Cultivate a garden plot. Make land art and nature crafts. Create a mud kitchen in the backyard. Go for a nature walk each morning. Find a secret swimming hole. Go to the creek to learn about the water cycle. Plant a garden to see what will grow in your backyard. Raise monarch caterpillars and feed them milkweed until they transform into butterflies. Set up a birdwatching station in your front window equipped with binoculars, notebooks, and bird guides. Make a wilderness fort with the fallen branches from trees. With the same lush photography as The Call of the Wild + Free, this book includes step-by-step pictures that show parents how to do the activity, and essays on the importance of nature in a child's life.

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'China threat or China opportunity, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Western imaginations of China come under close scrutiny in this book, in a new, philosophical depth seldom attempted before. Dr Pan displays in full force his analytical skills and his mastery of knowledge, both East and West. Contrary to conventional approaches, he takes a step back to exercise a powerful reflective process to watch the China watchers, with illuminating results. Dr Pan's book deserves wide and careful reading.'- Professor Gerald Chan, University of Auckland, New Zealand'The rise of China is largely seen as either a threat or an opportunity. Chengxin Pan exposes both of these representations as expressions of Western fears and desires for certainty and predictability. His call for a more reflective and culturally sensitive understanding of China offers an important contribution to one of the big political debates of our time.'- Professor Roland Bleiker, University of Queensland, AustraliaHow is the rise of China perceived in the West? Why is it often labelled as 'threat' and/or 'opportunity'? What are the implications of these China imageries for global politics?Taking up these important questions, this groundbreaking book argues that the dominant Western perceptions of China's rise tell us less about China and more about Western self-imagination and its desire for certainty. Chengxin Pan expertly illustrates how this desire, masked as China 'knowledge', is bound up with the political economy of fears and fantasies, thereby both informing and complicating foreign policy practice in Sino-Western relations. Insofar as this vital relationship is shaped not only by China's rise, but also by the way we conceptualize its rise, this book makes a compelling case for critical reflection on China watching.Knowledge, Desire and Power in Global Politics is the first systematic and deconstructive analysis of contemporary Western representation of China's rise. Setting itself apart from the mainstream empiricist literature, its critical interpretative approach and unconventional and innovative perspective will not only strongly appeal to academics, students and the broader reading public, but also likely spark debate in the field of Chinese international relations.

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THE TALE OF A WOMAN THE WORLD SHALL NEVER FORGET . . .'Vivid with fury, passion and strength, this is a fabulous myth retelling' JENNIFER SAINT'A blaze of a novel, fiery and furious - and alight with murderous revenge' DAILY MAIL'A powerhouse of a novel. Clytemnestra's rage, heartbreak and determination radiate off the page' ELODIE HARPER'A thrilling tale of power and prophecies, and the fierce Queen who fought back at those who wronged her' COSMOPOLITAN, 'The best books to look forward to in 2023'__________Mother. Monarch. Murderer. Magnificent.You are born to a king, but marry a tyrant. You stand helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore and comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own.You play the part, fooling enemies who deny you justice. Slowly, you plot.You are Clytemnestra.But when the husband who owns you returns in triumph, what then?Acceptance or vengeance - infamy follows both. So you bide your time and wait, until you might force the gods' hands and take revenge. Until you rise. For you understood something that the others don't. If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.A blazing novel set in the world of Ancient Greece and told through the eyes of its greatest heroine, this is a thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred and love, perfect for fans of ARIADNE and THE SONG OF ACHILLES.__________'Strong and immersive. Well-worth plucking from the pile of chiton-lit' THE TIMES'Casati brings the blood-soaked world of Greek mythology fully alive in this powerful novel' WOMAN & HOME'A heroine of fierce spirit. With the fire and spark of Madeline Miller and the depths of Mary Renault' MANDA SCOTT'A passionate picture of a fiercely patriarchal society and her heroine's refusal to be bound by itsrules' SUNDAY TIMES'Rivals House of the Dragon in conspiracies and feminine brutality. An electrifying read' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE'Redefines the mythical retelling genre with a warrior queen who, instead of enduring suffering, avenges it' ANNIE GARTHWAITE'A thrilling reimagining of an infamous Greek figure' RED

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Whether you want to explore the Smithsonian Museums, stroll along the Wharf, or dine in the city's increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene, the local Fodor's travel experts in Washington D.C. are here to help! Fodor's Washington D.C. guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.Fodor's Washington D.C. travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 20 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “What to Buy,” “Under the Radar,” “D.C. with kids,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “What to Watch and Read Before You Visit,” and “What to Eat and Drink” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: The Washington Monument, the White House, the Capitol Building, the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian museums, Arlington National Cemetery, Georgetown's boutiques, U Street's restaurants, Alexandria, Mount Vernon, Annapolis, Baltimore, and more. Planning on visiting other parts of the east coast? Check out Fodor's New York City, Fodor's Boston, and Fodor's Maine Coast.*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor's has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Whether you want to view an active volcano, see the beaches of the Kohala Coast, or visit the scenic Waipio Valley, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Hawaii are here to help! Fodor’s Big Island of Hawaii guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s Big Island of Hawaii travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 30 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Big Island Beaches,” “Best Natural Wonders on the Big Island,” “What to Eat and Drink in Hawaii,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Flora and Fauna in Hawaii,” “What to Watch and Read Before You Visit,” and “Hawaiian Cultural Traditions” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Kailua-Kona, the Kohala Coast, Waimea, Mauna Kea, Hilo, Puna, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Waipio Valley, and much more. Planning on visiting other destinations in Hawaii? Check out Fodor’s Oahu, Fodor's Kauai, and Fodor's Maui.*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Whether you want to explore Auckland, bungee-jump in Queenstown, or visit The Lord of the Rings sights in Middle-earth , the local Fodor’s travel experts in New Zealand are here to help! Fodor’s Essential New Zealand guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s “Essential” guides have been named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020! Fodor’s Essential New Zealand travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 45 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best National Park Adventures,” “Best Wineries,” "Best Beaches," and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Maori Art,” “Searching for Middle Earth,” and “Tramping New Zealand,” "Wines of New Zealand," and more LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: ● Auckland, Wellington, Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Abel Tasman National Park, Christchurch, Hawke's Bay, Milford Sound, Rotorua, Waitomo, and more. Planning on visiting other destinations in Southeast Asia or the Pacific? Check out Fodor’s Essential Australia, Fodor's Essential Vietnam, and Fodor's Essential Thailand . *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS : Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Whether you want to cruise through Halong Bay, eat street food in Hanoi, or trek to rice terraces in Sapa, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Vietnam are here to help! Fodor’s Essential Vietnam guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s “Essential” guides have been named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020! Fodor’s Essential Vietnam travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 25 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Vietnam’s Natural Wonders,” “Vietnam’s Pagodas” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, cuisine, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “What to Watch and Read Before You Visit,” and “What to Eat and Drink” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems Vietnamese LANGUAGE PRIMER with useful words and essential phrases UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Sapa, Danag, Hoi An, Phu Quoc, Dalat, Nha Trang, Haiphong, and more. Planning on visiting Southeast Asia? Check out Fodor’s Thailand and Fodor’s In Focus Singapore. *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS : Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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'One of those books that straddles fantastic and modernist literature in that it seems to be set in our world, seems to be set maybe 100 years ago . . . And it's as magical as it is political and beautifully crafted' - Neil GaimanHalf fairy tale and half historical account of a revolution that never was, Owen King's The Curator is full of sly humor, sensuality, and strangeness - Holly BlackFrom Sunday Times bestselling author Owen King comes a Dickensian fantasy of illusion and charm where cats are revered as religious figures, thieves are noble, scholars are revolutionaries, and conjurers the most wonderful criminals.At first glance, the world has not changed: the trams on the boulevards, the grand hotels, the cafes abuzz with conversation. The street kids still play on the two great bridges that divide the city, and the smart set still venture down to the Morgue Ship for an evening's entertainment.Yet it only takes a spark to ignite a revolution.For young Dora, a maid at the university, the moment brings liberation. She finds herself walking out with one of the student radicals, Robert, free to investigate what her brother Ambrose may have seen at the Institute for Psykical Research before he died.But it is another establishment that Dora is given to look after, The Museum of the Worker. This strange, forgotten edifice is occupied by waxwork tableaux of miners, nurses, shopkeepers and other disturbingly lifelike figures.As the revolution and counter-revolution outside unleash forces of love, betrayal, magic and terrifying darkness, Dora's search for the truth behind a mystery that she has long concealed will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the very edge of worlds.In The Curator, Owen King has created an extraordinary time and place - historical, fantastical, yet compellingly real, and a heroine who is courageous, curious and utterly memorable.'The Curator feels a little like Owen King somehow brought a curiosity cabinet to life. There are terrors here, but also marvels and delights, and a set of the most interesting characters I've met in some time. Put The Curator on the same shelf as other classics of the uncanny and uncategorisable, like Susanna Clarke's Piranesi and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast. I loved it' - Kelly Link'Owen King's The Curator is a rich read. Language, characters, and a fascinating world combine to create an intensely satisfying experience' - Charlaine Harris

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