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WINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 – GENERAL OUTSTANDING SPORTS WRITING 'A fascinating book about the psychology of elite sport… Mind Games explores compelling territory.' - Don McRae, the Guardian 'An amazing book that I very much enjoyed.' - Simon Mundie, Don't Tell Me the Score (BBC Podcast) '...a fascinating book' - Daily Mail It’s well known that to reach the top in elite sport, you need to have spent years honing and perfecting your physical ability. However this is only part of the template required to win – the other half is about mind games. Throughout her career as one of the world’s top athletes, Annie Vernon struggled with existential questions about the purpose of sport in our comfortable, first-world society: Why do we do it? What is it in our psyche that makes us push ourselves to the limit? What allows us to mentally overcome the physical pain? Now retired from competition, Olympic silver medallist and world champion rower Annie Vernon has decided to look for answers to these questions. Drawing on her personal experiences and interviews with some of the best coaches, athletes and psychologists from across the world of sport – including Lucy Gossage, Katherine Grainger, Matthew Pinsent, Brian Moore, Brian Ching and Dr Steve Peters – Annie discovers the secrets of how athletes train their brains in order to become world beaters. Annie debunks the myth that elite performers are universally cool, calm and brimming with self-assurance. Through exploring the bits on the inside that nobody can see, Annie instead creates a new understanding of what it takes to be successful in sport and uncovers that, in fact, an elite athlete is not that different from you and me. It’s simply a question of mind games.

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“After five decades, twenty books, and countless columns, [John Gierach] is still a master,” (Forbes) and his newest book only confirms this assessment, along with his recent induction into the Flyfishing Hall of Fame. In A Fly Rod of Your Own, Gierach brings his ever-sharp sense of humor and keen eye for observation to the fishing life and, for that matter, life in general.Known for his witty, trenchant observations about fly-fishing, Gierach’s “deceptively laconic prose masks an accomplished storyteller…his alert and slightly off-kilter observations place him in the general neighborhood of Mark Twain and James Thurber” (Publishers Weekly). A Fly Rod of Your Own transports readers to streams and rivers from Maine to Montana, and as always, Gierach’s fishing trips become the inspiration for his pointed observations on everything from the psychology of fishing (“Fishing is still an oddly passive-aggressive business that depends on the prey being the aggressor”); why even the most veteran fisherman will muff his cast whenever he’s being filmed or photographed; the inevitable accumulation of more gear than one could ever need (“Nature abhors an empty pocket. So does the tackle industry”); or the qualities shared by the best guides (“the generosity of a teacher, the craftiness of a psychiatrist, and the enthusiasm of a cheerleader with a kind of Vulcan detachment”). As Gierach likes to say, “fly-fishing is a continuous process that you learn to love for its own sake. Those who fish already get it, and those who don’t couldn’t care less, so don’t waste your breath on someone who doesn’t fish.” A Fly Rod of Your Own is an ode to those who fish that “brings a skeptical, wry voice to the peril and promise of twenty-first-century fishing” (Booklist).

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The Year of Less In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy—only keeping her from meeting her goals—she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year.The Year of Less documents Cait’s life for twelve months during which she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt.The challenge became a lifeline when, in the course of the year, Cait found herself in situations that turned her life upside down. In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food—and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices, she changed habits she’d spent years perfecting and discovered what truly mattered to her.Blending Cait’s compelling story with inspiring insight and practical guidance, The Year of Less will leave you questioning what you’re holding on to in your own life—and, quite possibly, lead you to find your own path of less.

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A beautifully written personal account of the discovery of late antiquity by one of the world’s most influential and distinguished historiansThe end of the ancient world was long regarded by historians as a time of decadence, decline, and fall. In his career-long engagement with this era, the widely acclaimed and pathbreaking historian Peter Brown has shown, however, that the “neglected half-millennium” now known as late antiquity was in fact crucial to the development of modern Europe and the Middle East. In Journeys of the Mind, Brown recounts his life and work, describing his efforts to recapture the spirit of an age. As he and other scholars opened up the history of the classical world in its last centuries to the wider world of Eurasia and northern Africa, they discovered previously overlooked areas of religious and cultural creativity as well as foundational institution-building. A respect for diversity and outreach to the non-European world, relatively recent concerns in other fields, have been a matter of course for decades among the leading scholars of late antiquity.Documenting both his own intellectual development and the emergence of a new and influential field of study, Brown describes his childhood and education in Ireland, his university and academic training in England, and his extensive travels, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He discusses fruitful interactions with the work of scholars and colleagues that include the British anthropologist Mary Douglas and the French theorist Michel Foucault, and offers fascinating snapshots of such far-flung places as colonial Sudan, midcentury Oxford, and prerevolutionary Iran. With Journeys of the Mind, Brown offers an essential account of the “grand endeavor” to reimagine a decisive historical moment.

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‘Popular history at its very best, thought-provoking and accessible. Underpinned by serious research, and written with panache, it summons up a vanished world’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH This is an astonishing new account of Alexander the Great – one of the most important figures of the ancient world, whose earlier years have until now been a mystery. Alexander the Great’s story often reads like fiction: son to a snake-loving mother and a battle-scarred father; tutored by Aristotle; a youth from the periphery of the Greek world who took part in his first campaign aged sixteen, becoming king of Macedon at twenty and king of Asia by twenty-five; leading his armies into battle like a Homeric figure. Each generation has peered through the frosted glass of history and come to their own conclusion about Alexander, be it enlightened ruler, military genius, megalomaniac, drunkard or despot. Yet the first two decades of his life have until now been a mystery – a matter of legend and myth. This extraordinary history draws on new discoveries in archaeology to tell the early story of Alexander and his rise – including detail on the tempestuous relationship between Alexander’s parents, Philip and the Molossian princess Olympias, his education by Aristotle and the strict military training which would serve him so well in later years. And more than ever, it emerges, the story of Alexander’s reign confronts us with difficult questions that are still relevant today – of the relationship between East and West, the legacy of colonialism and the impacts of authoritarian rule. Drawing together startling modern archaeological discoveries, this book brings Alexander’s ancient world back into focus. With each fragment of this shattered past, excavated by shovel, pick and trowel, a new history is being written. The forgotten story of young Alexander is being unearthed.

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A memory-packed hardback gift book full of nostalgia, recounting not only memories from the decade of birth, but also memories from the decade of the formative teenage years. The perfect, meaningful gift for someone 'born in the 60s'. The 1960s and 70s were two incredible decades, from credit cards to The Beatles. Born In The 60s will bring back many memories and literally put a smile on everyone's face! Over two years of research has gone into creating this incredible gift. Covering two decades (1960s and 1970s), the book has beautifully illustrated and colourful double-page spreads, including the foods eaten, the hairstyles experimented with, and the clothes worn, possibly with regret! With a luxury soft touch cover and space for a handwritten personal message in the front, it's a real celebration of the world that shaped the recipient. Born In The 60s will evoke wonderful feelings and memories as time spent in the school playground, radio listened to, TV shows loved, games played, music from the period, movies watched, cars travelled in and the cutting-edge technology of the day are all recalled, accompanied by photos from two decades. Six titles are available: Born In The 40s, Born In The 50s, Born In The 60s, Born In The 70s, Born In The 80s and Born In The 90s. Made with paper & love, from you to me. Why we love it This is the most amazing gift you could give someone Born In The 60s, no matter what the occasion. The soft touch cover enhances the luxury feel of the gift, which is packed with information that takes the recipient on a wonderful journey down memory lane. Everyone is guaranteed to say, 'I remember that!'.

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A memory-packed hardback gift book full of nostalgia, recounting not only memories from the decade of birth, but also memories from the decade of the formative teenage years. The perfect, meaningful gift for someone 'born in the 50s'. The 1950s and 60s were two incredible decades, from music to motorways. Born In The 50s will bring back many memories and literally put a smile on everyone's face! Over two years of research has gone into creating this incredible gift. Covering two decades (1950s and 1960s), the book has beautifully illustrated and colourful double-page spreads, including the foods eaten, the hairstyles experimented with, and the clothes worn, possibly with regret! With a luxury soft touch cover and space for a handwritten personal message in the front, it's a real celebration of the world that shaped the recipient. Born In The 50s will evoke wonderful feelings and memories as time spent in the school playground, radio listened to, TV shows loved, games played, music from the period, movies watched, cars travelled in and the cutting-edge technology of the day are all recalled, accompanied by photos from two decades. Six titles are available: Born In The 40s, Born In The 50s, Born In The 60s, Born In The 70s, Born In The 80s and Born In The 90s. Made with paper & love, from you to me. Why we love it This is the most amazing gift you could give someone born in the 50s, no matter what the occasion. The soft touch cover enhances the luxury feel of the gift, which is packed with information that takes the recipient on a wonderful journey down memory lane. Everyone is guaranteed to say, 'I remember that!'.

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Have you ever found that once you are between the sheets Madame Bovary is too heavy, magazines are too slippery, and The Guns of Navarone too long? In that case A Gentleman's Bedside Book is perfectly designed to satisfy those final moments of the days with facts, stories, ideas and instructions that will help every bright boy to become a smarter man with a well rounded curriculum of lessons in Science, English, Home Economics, R.E, Modern Languages, P.E, Art, Music and Woodwork. A lucky dip of bedside derring-do, humour, and oddity, written in his unique style by best-selling humourist Tom Cutler. Constantly surprising, ridiculously fascinating, and very, very funny.Includes such entries as: Human anatomy for the practical man; the most frequent dream subjects; delicious caustic curries you can make; Emergency meals from nowhere; Shaving: top tips from the pros; Deerstalkers and why they matter; How to grow a dashing moustache; How to open a Champagne bottle with a sword; Samuel Pepys: the rude bits; Best ever book titles; Tongue twisters; Those you may not marry, from The Book of Common Prayer; The worst ever movie dialogue; Useful foreign chat-up lines; An international swearing dictionary; filthy foreign food; Historic dumb predictions; The history of concrete; Dad rock; Coming out on top in a pub brawl; How to dissolve your wife; Mental arithmetic tricks for the practical man: ten tricks; Famous car crashes and victims; The seven habits of the highly effective Lothario; Really bad chat-up lines; Best urban legends: a list; Sword swallowing for fun and profit; How to develop a gigantic memory; Mind blowing mind reading for the complete novice.

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From soulful self-reflection to boisterous jubilation, let New York based astrologer Sandy Sitron show you how to harness the changing energies of the moon and start living the life you've always wanted.'Beautiful and powerful' -- ***** Reader review'There is so much love and creativity in this book - every page has its own magic' -- ***** Reader review'So helpful and inspiring' -- ***** Reader review 'Beautiful journal, lots of helpful advice and tips' -- ***** Reader review'I've been waiting for a journal like this' -- ***** Reader review'Magical! Beautifully designed and great insights!' -- ***** Reader review********************************************************************************************Through astrological guidance, rituals and journaling, learn to live in a more connected way and in harmony with the moon and cycles of nature. Living like this is the path to becoming more grounded, less stressed, more focused on your dreams and goals and starting to live the life you always wanted.This journal encourages you to set monthly goals in tune with the moon's phases and reflect on them - regardless of the result. A wonderful tool and prompt, it will help you to get into the habit of taking that time out to stop and think about what you really want in life, what's working for you and what isn't - no matter what realm: dieting, dating, career development, fitness...A beautiful hardback, complete with a pearlescent foil finish and ribbon marker, offering daily, weekly and monthly astrological guidance alongside space to record your journey of self-discovery, this is the first step to a more fulfilling life.Adapt your lifestyle to the phases of the moon and align yourself with the universe to live your life to the full every day.

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The third book in the DI Nicholas Lowry series, for fans of Peter James and Stuart Macbride.It's November 1983 in Essex and there are reasons to be cheerful. Uptown Girl is sitting pretty at the top of the charts, Risky Business is raking it in at the box office, and there are now four channels on the telly. However, social tensions are beginning to bubble beneath the surface: Mrs Thatcher has embarked on her second controversial term, and the situation in Northern Ireland is ever-escalating.Yet in the garrison town of Colchester, it's another deadly standoff that is hogging the headlines. The body of a nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal has been discovered on the local High Street, the result of what appears to be a bizarre, chivalrous duel. It seems he was the victim of a doomed army love triangle. As such, the military police are wishing to keep the matter confined within military ranks.This is all just fine, as far as Colchester CID is concerned. They have enough on their plate as is: with DI Nick Lowry in a tailspin following the breakdown of his marriage, WPC Jane Gabriel exasperated by the male-favoured system, Detective Daniel Kenton relying on substance abuse to quieten his demons from his last case; and their boss, DCS Sparks, shortly to become a first-time father at 55.However, it is not long before the blood from the duel runs into civilian police affairs, and the trail presents CID with a local rogues' gallery. A savvy entrepreneur. A wayward skinhead. A member of the landed gentry. And a shadowy Mauritian travel agent with a chilling reputation. Soon, they will discover, a real estate deal, a racist, and the town's Robin Hood pub hold the key to the killing...

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'A serious - and seriously readable - book about the deep issues that our shallow age has foolishly tried to dodge' - Douglas Murray 'A crystal-clear analysis of the multiple failures of "me-first" contemporary liberalism' - Giles FraserFor millennia, philosophical, ethical and theological reflection was commonplace among the intellectually curious. But the wisdom that some of the greatest minds across the centuries continue to offer us remains routinely ignored in our modern pursuit of self-fulfilment, economic growth and technological advancement. Sohrab Ahmari, the influential Op-Ed editor at the New York Post, offers a brilliant examination of our postmodern Western culture, and an analysis of the paradox at its heart: that the 'freedoms' we enjoy - to be or do whatever we want, subject only to consent, with everything morally neutral or relative - are at odds with the true freedom that comes from the pursuit of the collective good. Rather than the insatiable drive to satisfy our individual appetites, this collective good involves self-sacrifice and self-control. It requires us to diminish so that others may grow. What responsibility do we have to our parents? Should we think for ourselves? Are sexual ethics purely a private matter? How do we justify our lives? These, and other questions - explored in the company of a surprising range of ancient and contemporary thinkers - reveal how some of the most ancient moral problems are as fresh and relevant to our age as they were to our ancestors.By plumbing the depths of each question, the book underscores the poverty of our contemporary narratives around race, gender, privilege (and much else), exposing them as symptoms of a deep cultural crisis in which we claim a false superiority over the past, and helps us work our way back to tradition, to grasp at the thin, bare threads in our hands, while we still can.

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'A serious - and seriously readable - book about the deep issues that our shallow age has foolishly tried to dodge' - Douglas Murray'A crystal-clear analysis of the multiple failures of "me-first" contemporary liberalism' - Giles FraserFor millennia, philosophical, ethical and theological reflection was commonplace among the intellectually curious. But the wisdom that some of the greatest minds across the centuries continue to offer us remains routinely ignored in our modern pursuit of self-fulfilment, economic growth and technological advancement.Sohrab Ahmari, the influential Op-Ed editor at the New York Post, offers a brilliant examination of our postmodern Western culture, and an analysis of the paradox at its heart: that the 'freedoms' we enjoy - to be or do whatever we want, subject only to consent, with everything morally neutral or relative - are at odds with the true freedom that comes from the pursuit of the collective good.Rather than the insatiable drive to satisfy our individual appetites, this collective good involves self-sacrifice and self-control. It requires us to diminish so that others may grow. What responsibility do we have to our parents? Should we think for ourselves? Are sexual ethics purely a private matter? How do we justify our lives? These, and other questions - explored in the company of a surprising range of ancient and contemporary thinkers - reveal how some of the most ancient moral problems are as fresh and relevant to our age as they were to our ancestors.By plumbing the depths of each question, the book underscores the poverty of our contemporary narratives around race, gender, privilege (and much else), exposing them as symptoms of a deep cultural crisis in which we claim a false superiority over the past, and helps us work our way back to tradition, to grasp at the thin, bare threads in our hands, while we still can.

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A forensic study of war, imperial history and international relations, following the Second World War and leading into the Cold War and defeat of Western imperialism in Asia. And above all, the story of the pivotal battle and French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. It shows France's revanchist attempt to regain imperial 'glory' in her former Asian empire following humiliation in the Second World War - defeat and Vichy. The effort was spurred by de Galle's chauvinism and desire to recover France’s honour and reputation, after so many humiliations by friend and foe. The Communist led Vietminh, were guided to victory by ruthless revolutionary Ho Chi Min - far from the attractive 'Uncle Ho' who is revered as a communist saint in contrast to louche playboy emperor Bao Dai – and the very able General Giap. Communist strength in rural Vietnam society - the Vietminh represented a nation in arms – was backed by supplies from Communist China and the Soviet Union. It was an existential struggle on the French side - the end of cafe society, and the gravy train for planters, officials, the military, and politicians. Military matters including General Giap’s strategy and tactics are analysed in detail,l but it was a 'soldiers' war', told at ground-level, and readers will feel the heat and fear of battle, be shocked at war crimes, and intrigued by the tales of Graham Greene et al. The global importance was not lost on the powers following exhaustion from world war and in the shadow of the Cold War. All great leaders were involved, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Churchill, Stalin, Khruschev, Chou En-Lai and Mao Zedong, Under the shadow of the A bomb, a negotiated peace and first detent of the Cold War would end in the sumptuous salons of Geneva.

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'The undisputed champion of South African crime. Meyer grabs you but the throat and never lets you go' Wilbur Smith'From its startling opening to its tense and thrilling conclusion, Deon Meyer's The Last Hunt takes you on a whirlwind safari across two continents. In the whole of the Benny Griessel series so far, the stakes have never been higher or the odds so much against' Peter Robinson***A cold case for Captain Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido of the Hawks elite police unit - not what they were looking for. And a difficult case, too. The body of Johnson Johnson, ex-cop, has been found beside a railway line. He appears to have jumped from South Africa's - perhaps the world's - most luxurious train, and two suspicious characters seen with him have disappeared into thin air. The regular police have already failed to make progress and others are intent on muddying the waters.Meanwhile in Bordeaux, Daniel Darret is settled in a new life on a different continent. A quiet life. But his skills as an international hit-man are required one more time, and Daniel is given no choice in the matter. He must hunt again - his prey the corrupt president of his homeland.Three strands of the same story become entwined in a ferocious race against time - for the Hawks to work out what lies behind the death of Johnson, for Daniel to evade the relentless Russian agents tracking him, for Benny Griessel to survive long enough to take another huge step in his efforts to piece together again the life he nearly destroyed - and finally ask Alexa Bernard to marry him.The Last Hunt shows one of the great crime writers operating at the peak of his powers.

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Level UP and master more manga with YouTube's most popular art instructor, Mark Crilley! It's here! The highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling Mastering Manga provides everything you need, regardless of your skill-level, to learn how to draw manga like a pro. Graphic novelist and YouTube's most popular art instructor Mark Crilley is back to lead you on your artistic journey. No matter what your experience, Mastering Manga 2 will have you creating manga in no time. You'll master the basics of facial and body proportions as your drawing skills increase to the next level. Clear and easy step-by-step instruction will walk you through the mechanics of how to draw manga. You'll learn to create characters in diverse settings and scenes, as well as a variety of styles. Lessons on background and perspective will help you pull it all together into a full manga story panel. More than 30 step-by-step demonstrations! Proportion. Learn to draw all types of bodies, faces, ages and ethnicities in profile, from behind, and more, including how to turn a full-sized character into an adorable chibi. Clothing and body language. Reveal your character's personality through hairstyles, expressions, clothing styles and accessories. Useful poses. Tweak 16 classic manga poses to make them your own, or follow along with specific step-by-step demonstrations on drawing characters sitting, fighting, kissing and more. Environments. Create all types of habitats and moods using forest elements, rain, and the effects of water and weather. Anatomy of a manga panel. Learn how to choose the correct composition, background, depth and balance to create the most effective panel layout for your story. Grab a pencil and learn all the secrets needed to bring your manga story to life!

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There’s plenty of good reasons that millions of people around the world study martial arts. Besides the fact you can get a great workout when you study a martial art, you may also experience a rewarding balance between your mind, body, and spirit that you just won’t find anywhere else. Plus, it can be a lot of fun! No matter what shape you’re in, martial arts is a great way to drop extra pounds, learn to defend yourself, and develop personal and physical discipline. Whether you’re already studying a style of fighting or you’re just considering it, you’ll find everything you need to know in this helpful, friendly guide (including which movies to check out!). The book breaks down the differences and presents the basics of each style of fighting, so you can make an informed choice about which style you want to study. You’ll also find out what makes for a good instructor, so you can be sure that you’re learning from the best. And there’s much more. You’ll find out: What martial arts is and is not Five resolutions you must accept Understanding the role of the instructor How to set goals for yourself All about the proper clothes, shoes, and equipment How to prevent injuries The philosophy of self defense All about competing in tournaments About Meditation and breathing techniques The lowdown on weapons There’s also a helpful glossary of foreign-language terminology that you’ll frequently encounter in the dojo – that’s the training hall – so you’ll always be prepared. Whether you’re looking for a new way to get in shape, or a new way to sharpen your mind, Martial Arts For Dummies is all you need to get started in Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, or any other style!

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LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER 2021THRILLERS OF THE MONTH - ObserverBEST CRIME FICTION, SEPT 2020 - The Times'BRUTAL, SHOCKING AND FUNNY' - M. W. Craven'A STONE COLD HIT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED' - Adam Hamdy'A RIOTOUS BELTER OF A BOOK' - Abir Mukherjee'A BONE-CRUNCHING CRIME THRILLER' - James Swallow'A FAST AND FIERCE THRILL RIDE' - Chris WhitakerSet in the heart of West London's Asian community, this is the latest instalment in the unmissable ZAQ & JAGS series . . . Trying - and failing - to keep his head down and to stay out of trouble, ex-con Zaq Khan agrees to help his best friend, Jags, recover a family heirloom, currently in the possession of a wealthy businessman. But when Zaq's brother is viciously assaulted, Zaq is left wondering whether someone from his own past is out to get revenge. Wanting answers and retribution, Zaq and Jags set out to track down those responsible. Meanwhile, their dealings with the businessman take a turn for the worse and Zaq and Jags find themselves suspected of murder. It'll take both brains and brawn to get themselves out of trouble and, no matter what happens, the results will likely be deadly. The only question is, whether it will prove deadly for them, or for someone else . . . ?Praise for Amer Anwar and the Zaq & Jags series: 'An engaging hero, a cunning plot and a fascinating journey into Southall's underworld. We'll be hearing a lot more from Amer Anwar' MICK HERRON'A fresh and exciting new voice' ANN CLEEVES'Tense and pacey . . . fast and furious' GUARDIAN'An authentic slice of Brit Asian noir . . . Gripping' VASEEM KHAN'Gritty, startlingly original and great fun' ROBERT BRYNDZA'Utterly convincing . . . Terrific dialogue and much humour' THE TIMES

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THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER ‘If you only read one book this year, Guilty Women won't disappoint. It will leave you breathless’ The Express ‘Guilty Women’s stamped it’s razor sharp, blood-stained stiletto heel firmly in the lead to be 2022’s book of the year’ The Daily Mirror Can they get away with murder? On a beautiful island off the English coast, four TV actresses gather.Their fifth member is missing – and only they know why she was killed.As the secret between them threatens to come out, tensions on set run high.The women are determined that the show must go on – no matter what it costs.But one of them is on the edge of telling the truth – and no show in the world could survive this scandal… All of the women have something to hide – but the question is, are they all guilty? The cast of RUTHLESS WOMEN is back – but this time they’re in trouble… PRAISE FOR GUILTY WOMEN: “You'll laugh, cry, be shocked and left wanting more… Guilty Women is an unmissable read. Pure escapism. 5 stars!”Ok! Magazine “Revenge, murder, sex and greed… Guilty Women has it all. Blake's latest novel proves she's here to stay as the new queen of the blockbuster novel. Jackie Collins would have loved it”Bella Magazine “Not for the faint hearted! An unputdownable, revenge and lust filled romp of a read that you won’t want to end!”Heat Magazine “The perfect killer thriller with sexy scenes that’ll keep you reading late into the night”Notebook Magazine “If you only read one book this year, then Guilty Women won't disappoint. It will leave you breathless”The Express

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Limitless helps innovators, idealists, and iconoclasts get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. This book is like a high energy masterclass and brainstorming session all in one – with actionable tips to transform your vision for your career and doing work with purpose.What if success doesn’t equal happiness? Many of us spend our lives pursuing a singular idea of success, one that was created for us by someone else. We give votes to those who shouldn’t even have voices and strive to go faster and faster even as we find ourselves falling further and further behind. We chase gold stars, we check all the boxes, we Lean In – and we still feel incomplete. This is not a story about failure, but it might as well be. When we don’t define success in our own terms, finding our purpose and carving our own path becomes impossible. How do you break the cycle so that you can be better at work and life? In Limitless, Laura Gassner Otting teaches you how to ignore the rules that created your limits, align your energies and your actions, and do work that really matters so that you can live your best life. Often described as “a kick in the ass surrounded by a warm hug,” Laura brings both tough love and wisdom and offers a no-holds-barred look at what it really takes to get out of your own way and earn your success today. If you ever dreamed about discovering and crushing that personal goal that is so big and so scary that you’ve only dared whisper it to yourself, this book is the permission you didn’t even know you needed to live into it as only you can.

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The 2018 Almanac of American Politics remains the gold standard of accessible political information, relied on by everyone involved, invested or interested in politics in America. Highly regarded for its in-depth analysis and comprehensive profiles of every congressional district, state, governor and member of Congress, The Almanac is the tool you need to better understand the context of the people and perspectives shaping the issues that matter to you. The Almanac of American Politics is the must have resource for understanding the American political landscape. The 2018 edition includes: *In-depth profiles of every governor, Senator, and House member. *Updated demographic information for every state and district, including information from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, with new categories of economic, occupational, social and geographic data. *Analysis of the 2016 elections for Senate, House and governor races, and how those results shape the public policy debates in Congress and the nation. *A breakdown of the votes cast for President in 2016 for all states and districts, including primaries. *All new: Presidential profile on president elect Donald Trump. *All new: Campaign finance data on spending by all Senate and House members in their most recent election, including all-new listings of the "outside money" spent in those contests. *All new: Analysis of voter turnout in each state and congressional district for the 2016 presidential elections. *More than 60 state and congressional district maps, the key votes cast by members of the House and Senate, interest group ratings, and more. Essential reference and contact information.

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This book explains how the brain interacts with the social world—and why stories matter.How do our brains enable us to tell and follow stories? And how do stories affect our minds? In Stories and the Brain, Paul B. Armstrong analyzes the cognitive processes involved in constructing and exchanging stories, exploring their role in the neurobiology of mental functioning. Armstrong argues that the ways in which stories order events in time, imitate actions, and relate our experiences to others' lives are correlated to cortical processes of temporal binding, the circuit between action and perception, and the mirroring operations underlying embodied intersubjectivity. He reveals how recent neuroscientific findings about how the brain works—how it assembles neuronal syntheses without a central controller—illuminate cognitive processes involving time, action, and self-other relations that are central to narrative.An extension of his previous book, How Literature Plays with the Brain, this new study applies Armstrong's analysis of the cognitive value of aesthetic harmony and dissonance to narrative. Armstrong explains how narratives help the brain negotiate the neverending conflict between its need for pattern, synthesis, and constancy and its need for flexibility, adaptability, and openness to change. The neuroscience of these interactions is part of the reason stories give shape to our lives even as our lives give rise to stories.Taking up the age-old question of what our ability to tell stories reveals about language and the mind, this truly interdisciplinary project should be of interest to humanists and cognitive scientists alike.

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The Root of Friendship addresses the connections between self-love and self-governance in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and defends three related theses. First, Aquinas's account of proper self-love is a description of the nature and importance of a person's subjective self- experience. Second, his notion of self-governance cannot be understood fully unless we grasp its basis in self-love. Finally, his account both satisfies contemporary conditions of relevance for self-governance and offers attractive solutions to issues raised in analytic discussions on such matters.Accordingly, the book provides a systematic account of Aquinas's thoughts on the nature of a person's self-experience and the role that experience plays in self-governance. Self-love, especially as fully actualized in self-friendship, constitutes a person's experience of himself. In turn, it is the subjective pole both for a person's ongoing experiences of the world, including goods, and for acting in the world, particularly in terms of consciously responding to the good.Since a person's fundamental awareness of and response to the good are found in the self-experience that results from self-love, particularly insofar as self-love includes the desire for and activity of pursuing goods and avoiding evils, self-governance naturally derives from it. In addition, a person who loves himself wickedly fails to seek and acquire the goods perfective of his personal nature. Lastly, the book provides an argument to the conclusion that once we attend to the connections between self-love and self-governance, we find attractive features of Aquinas's overall account that make it relevant to contemporary discussions on self-governance, particularly those in the analytic tradition. The key features are examined in light of these discussions.

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Heart rhythm problems can be a matter of life or death. In this easy-to-read guide, Dr. Todd Cohen provides comprehensive information to help people with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Dr. Cohen tells readers what they need to know about palpitations, rapid heart rhythms (tachycardias), slow heart rhythms (bradycardias), cardiac arrest, and other conditions related to irregular heartbeats. With the goal of informing and empowering heart patients, Dr. Cohen describes the heart's basic function, the various conditions associated with arrhythmia, and recommended courses of treatment. He discusses such procedures as tilt table testing, electrophysiology studies, catheter ablation, and device implantation (including cardiac monitors, pacemakers, defibrillators, and biventricular devices); explains the essentials of CPR and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs); and presents the latest guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society. A Patient's Guide to Heart Rhythm Problems will help readers understand * how the heart works and what can go wrong* the tests and other diagnostic procedures they may undergo* how their doctor reaches a diagnosis* what their diagnosis means* how their doctor might treat the problem* when medication alone is sufficient treatment* when pacemaker, defibrillator, or biventricular therapy is appropriate* how to get the best possible medical care-in and out of the hospital Endorsed by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, this essential resource features tables highlighting key information, as well as patient narratives that provide personal insight into arrhythmia tests, treatments, and technologies.

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When Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, his comments that a judge should have "the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom, the empathy to understand what it's like to be poor or African-American or gay, disabled, or old" caused a furor. Objective, reasoned, and impartial judgment were to be replaced by partiality, sentiment, and bias, critics feared. This concern about empathy has since been voiced not just by conservative critics, but by academics and public figures. In The Space Between, Heidi Maibom combines results from philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to argue that rather than making us more biased or partial, empathy makes us more impartial and more objective. The problem is that we don't see the world objectively in the first place, Maibom explains. We see it in terms of how we are placed in it: as an extension of our interests, capabilities, and relationships. This is a perspective and it determines what we pay attention to, how we interpret events, and what matters to us individually. It is not private, however. By means of the imagination, Maibom contends, we can place ourselves in another person's web interests, capabilities, and relationships and, viewing the world from there, experience a new way of interpreting and valuing what happens. This broadens and deepens our understanding of others and the world around us. It also helps us understand the greater reality of who we are ourselves. Maibom's book weaves together results from philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to provide a positive up-to-date view of what it really means to take another person's perspective, and how empathy, rather than being the enemy of objectivity, is the foundation of it.

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This first Handbook in a series of three original reference works looks at globally contentious urban policy issues from a wide variety of different angles and perspectives. Matters related to urban densification, population mobility, urban inequality and sustainability are analysed in a manner that will not only interest the advanced student but also the novice.Urban policy covers a vast field. This first volume combines chapters covering three broad themes: policy issues pertaining to the spatial aspects of the city; social and mobility issues; and issues of urban governance. The spotlight initially falls on urban structure, urban densification, the disappearing urban/rural divide, the urban economic landscape and the transformation of socialist economies. The Handbook then goes on to focus on migration, social mobility, crime, terrorism and social inequality. Finally, urban sustainability and urban governance come under the spotlight. Integration of the planning process, flexibilities in infrastructure and areas of neglect in environmental management feature strongly in this section of the Handbook. Books of this nature are often slanted in one particular direction: however, this Handbook's approach is different. Not only has the editor avoided shying away from politically sensitive issues but contributions have also been included that reflect distinct differences of opinion on politically sensitive issues - hence the volume's subtitle of 'contentious global issues'.As a Handbook, the chapters have been written not only for the advanced student and academics but also with undergraduate students in mind. The Handbook will appeal to scholars and researchers of geography and urban and development planning, demography and social science and environmental scientists for the focus on urban sustainability issues.

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A comparative history of cross-cultural encounters and the critical role of cannibalism in the early modern period Cannibalism, for medieval and early modern Europeans, was synonymous with savagery. Humans who ate other humans, they believed, were little better than animals. The European colonizers who encountered Native Americans described them as cannibals as a matter of course, and they wrote extensively about the lurid cannibal rituals they claim to have witnessed. In this definitive analysis, Kelly L. Watson argues that the persistent rumors of cannibalism surrounding Native Americans served a specific and practical purpose for European settlers. These colonizers had to forge new identities for themselves in the Americas and find ways to not only subdue but also co-exist with native peoples. They established hierarchical categories of European superiority and Indian inferiority upon which imperial power in the Americas was predicated. In her close read of letters, travel accounts, artistic renderings, and other descriptions of cannibals and cannibalism, Watson focuses on how gender, race, and imperial power intersect within the figure of the cannibal. Watson reads cannibalism as a part of a dominant European binary in which civilization is rendered as male and savagery is seen as female, and she argues that as Europeans came to dominate the New World, they continually rewrote the cannibal narrative to allow for a story in which the savage, effeminate, cannibalistic natives were overwhelmed by the force of virile European masculinity. Original and historically grounded, Insatiable Appetites uses the discourse of cannibalism to uncover the ways in which difference is understood in the West.

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This book explains how the brain interacts with the social world—and why stories matter.How do our brains enable us to tell and follow stories? And how do stories affect our minds? In Stories and the Brain, Paul B. Armstrong analyzes the cognitive processes involved in constructing and exchanging stories, exploring their role in the neurobiology of mental functioning. Armstrong argues that the ways in which stories order events in time, imitate actions, and relate our experiences to others' lives are correlated to cortical processes of temporal binding, the circuit between action and perception, and the mirroring operations underlying embodied intersubjectivity. He reveals how recent neuroscientific findings about how the brain works—how it assembles neuronal syntheses without a central controller—illuminate cognitive processes involving time, action, and self-other relations that are central to narrative.An extension of his previous book, How Literature Plays with the Brain, this new study applies Armstrong's analysis of the cognitive value of aesthetic harmony and dissonance to narrative. Armstrong explains how narratives help the brain negotiate the neverending conflict between its need for pattern, synthesis, and constancy and its need for flexibility, adaptability, and openness to change. The neuroscience of these interactions is part of the reason stories give shape to our lives even as our lives give rise to stories.Taking up the age-old question of what our ability to tell stories reveals about language and the mind, this truly interdisciplinary project should be of interest to humanists and cognitive scientists alike.

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A comparative history of cross-cultural encounters and the critical role of cannibalism in the early modern period Cannibalism, for medieval and early modern Europeans, was synonymous with savagery. Humans who ate other humans, they believed, were little better than animals. The European colonizers who encountered Native Americans described them as cannibals as a matter of course, and they wrote extensively about the lurid cannibal rituals they claim to have witnessed. In this definitive analysis, Kelly L. Watson argues that the persistent rumors of cannibalism surrounding Native Americans served a specific and practical purpose for European settlers. These colonizers had to forge new identities for themselves in the Americas and find ways to not only subdue but also co-exist with native peoples. They established hierarchical categories of European superiority and Indian inferiority upon which imperial power in the Americas was predicated. In her close read of letters, travel accounts, artistic renderings, and other descriptions of cannibals and cannibalism, Watson focuses on how gender, race, and imperial power intersect within the figure of the cannibal. Watson reads cannibalism as a part of a dominant European binary in which civilization is rendered as male and savagery is seen as female, and she argues that as Europeans came to dominate the New World, they continually rewrote the cannibal narrative to allow for a story in which the savage, effeminate, cannibalistic natives were overwhelmed by the force of virile European masculinity. Original and historically grounded, Insatiable Appetites uses the discourse of cannibalism to uncover the ways in which difference is understood in the West.

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Heart rhythm problems can be a matter of life or death. In this easy-to-read guide, Dr. Todd Cohen provides comprehensive information to help people with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Dr. Cohen tells readers what they need to know about palpitations, rapid heart rhythms (tachycardias), slow heart rhythms (bradycardias), cardiac arrest, and other conditions related to irregular heartbeats. With the goal of informing and empowering heart patients, Dr. Cohen describes the heart's basic function, the various conditions associated with arrhythmia, and recommended courses of treatment. He discusses such procedures as tilt table testing, electrophysiology studies, catheter ablation, and device implantation (including cardiac monitors, pacemakers, defibrillators, and biventricular devices); explains the essentials of CPR and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs); and presents the latest guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society. A Patient's Guide to Heart Rhythm Problems will help readers understand * how the heart works and what can go wrong* the tests and other diagnostic procedures they may undergo* how their doctor reaches a diagnosis* what their diagnosis means* how their doctor might treat the problem* when medication alone is sufficient treatment* when pacemaker, defibrillator, or biventricular therapy is appropriate* how to get the best possible medical care-in and out of the hospital Endorsed by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, this essential resource features tables highlighting key information, as well as patient narratives that provide personal insight into arrhythmia tests, treatments, and technologies.

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Contents: I. Religion, evolution, and the novel; 1. 1888 and a look backwards; 2. George Eliot, Walter Pater, and Samuel Butler: three types of search; II. George Eliot: the search for a religious tradition; 1. George Eliot and science; 2. George Eliot and the "higher criticism"; 3. George Eliot, Matthew Arnold, and tradition; III. Middlemarch: the balance of a progress; 1. "Heart" and "mind": two forms of progress; 2. "Modes of religion" (a); 3. Modes of religion" (b); 4. The "metaphysics" of Middlemarch; IV. Daniel Deronda: tradition as synthesis and salvation; 1. Middlemarch and the two "worlds" of Daniel Deronda; 2. Hebraism as nationality; 3. Hebraism as religious belief; V. Walter Pater: the search for a religious atmosphere; 1. Pater's "imaginary portraits"; 2. Pater's "religion of sanity"; VI. The "atmospheres" of Marius the Epicurean; 1. The pilgrimage of Marius (a); 2. The pilgrimage of Marius (b); 3. The Christian death of a pagan; VII. Samuel Butler: the search for a religious crossing; 1. The creation of a faith (1859-1872); 2. The consolidation of a faith (1873-1886); VIII. Reality and Utopia in The way of all flesh; 1. The "past selves" of Ernest Pontifex; 2. The conversion of Ernest Pontifex; 3. The creed of Ernest Pontifex; Appendixes; Index Originally published in 1965. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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The first book to explore the modern history of Islam in South AsiaThe first modern state to be founded in the name of Islam, Pakistan was the largest Muslim country in the world at the time of its establishment in 1947. Today it is the second-most populous, after Indonesia. Islam in Pakistan is the first comprehensive book to explore Islam's evolution in this region over the past century and a half, from the British colonial era to the present day. Muhammad Qasim Zaman presents a rich historical account of this major Muslim nation, insights into the rise and gradual decline of Islamic modernist thought in the South Asian region, and an understanding of how Islam has fared in the contemporary world. Much attention has been given to Pakistan's role in sustaining the Afghan struggle against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, in the growth of the Taliban in the 1990s, and in the War on Terror after 9/11. But as Zaman shows, the nation's significance in matters relating to Islam has much deeper roots. Since the late nineteenth century, South Asia has witnessed important initiatives toward rethinking core Islamic texts and traditions in the interest of their compatibility with the imperatives of modern life. Traditionalist scholars and their institutions, too, have had a prominent presence in the region, as have Islamism and Sufism. Pakistan did not merely inherit these and other aspects of Islam. Rather, it has been and remains a site of intense contestation over Islam's public place, meaning, and interpretation. Examining how facets of Islam have been pivotal in Pakistani history, Islam in Pakistan offers sweeping perspectives on what constitutes an Islamic state.

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What if you've been looking for the wrong love in all the wrong places?Love is something we all want. We can’t avoid it. But why is it so hard to find?What if it’s because we’re looking for the wrong love, in all the wrong places?And what if what we’ve been believing about love is rooted in lies?What if the love everybody wants isn’t nearly as complicated as we’ve made it?In this four-session video Bible study, Madison Prewett Troutt breaks down the answer to your questions about love found in Jesus’ great commandment in Matthew 22. You’ll learn the simple truth that you must build your relationship with God first and that loving yourself and loving others well comes after. If you’re tired of searching for love and coming up short, you’re invited to join Madi in this study as she helps you discover the love you want is already yours—you just need to change whose love you’re chasing.This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including: Group discussion questions and activities Individual access to four streaming video talks from Madi Personal Bible study exercises, prayers, and journaling between sessions Chapter guide through Madi’s book A small group leader helps section with tips Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2028. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

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Limitless helps innovators, idealists, and iconoclasts get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. This book is like a high energy masterclass and brainstorming session all in one – with actionable tips to transform your vision for your career and doing work with purpose.What if success doesn’t equal happiness? Many of us spend our lives pursuing a singular idea of success, one that was created for us by someone else. We give votes to those who shouldn’t even have voices and strive to go faster and faster even as we find ourselves falling further and further behind. We chase gold stars, we check all the boxes, we Lean In – and we still feel incomplete. This is not a story about failure, but it might as well be. When we don’t define success in our own terms, finding our purpose and carving our own path becomes impossible. How do you break the cycle so that you can be better at work and life? In Limitless, Laura Gassner Otting teaches you how to ignore the rules that created your limits, align your energies and your actions, and do work that really matters so that you can live your best life. Often described as “a kick in the ass surrounded by a warm hug,” Laura brings both tough love and wisdom and offers a no-holds-barred look at what it really takes to get out of your own way and earn your success today. If you ever dreamed about discovering and crushing that personal goal that is so big and so scary that you’ve only dared whisper it to yourself, this book is the permission you didn’t even know you needed to live into it as only you can.

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In this outdoors mystery, special agent Sam Rivers investigates the unexplained—and very unlikely—cougar attack that killed a wealthy business owner. The sighting of a cougar in the Minnesota River Valley, outside the Twin Cities, is incredibly rare. A deadly cougar attack on a human in this area is about as likely as getting struck by lightning—twice. Yet when wealthy business owner Jack McGregor is found dead, the physical evidence seems incontrovertible. Sheriff Rusty Benson brings in Sam Rivers, a US Fish & Wildlife (USFW) special agent and a wildlife biologist, to examine the scene and sign off on his conclusions. But Sam’s experiences have given him a penchant for understanding predators, and he has more questions than answers. Details begin to surface that challenge law enforcement’s open-and-shut case. To find justice, Sam must take matters into his own hands. He enlists the help of reporter Diane Talbott and his wolf-dog, Gray, who’s in training to become a working dog for the USFW. Gray’s nose leads the investigation in unexpected directions. The more rocks Sam turns over, the more motives for murdering McGregor seem to slither out. With no help or support from local law enforcement, Sam and his team are all that stand between justice and those who might otherwise get away with murder. Sam’s knowledge of backcountry, cougars, and the criminal mind will be put to the test, as he tries to solve the case—and stay alive. In Cougar Claw, natural history writer Cary J. Griffith brings back Sam Rivers, the predator’s predator, and pens a puzzling mystery filled with suspense and intrigue.

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An instant New York Times bestseller! Charlamagne Tha God—the self-proclaimed “Prince of Pissing People Off,” cohost of Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, and “the most important voice in hip-hop”—shares his eight principles for unlocking your God-given privilege.In Black Privilege, Charlamagne presents his often controversial and always brutally honest insights on how living an authentic life is the quickest path to success. This journey to truth begins in the small town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and leads to New York and headline-grabbing interviews and insights from celebrities like Kanye West, Kevin Hart, Malcolm Gladwell, Lena Dunham, Jay Z, and Hillary Clinton. Black Privilege lays out all the great wisdom Charlamagne’s been given from many mentors, and tells the uncensored story of how he turned around his troubled early life by owning his (many) mistakes and refusing to give up on his dreams, even after his controversial opinions got him fired from several on-air jobs. These life-learned principles include: -There are no losses in life, only lessons -Give people the credit they deserve for being stupid—starting with yourself -It’s not the size of the pond but the hustle in the fish -When you live your truth, no one can use it against you -We all have privilege, we just need to access it By combining his own story with bold advice and his signature commitment to honesty no matter the cost, Charlamagne hopes Black Privilege will empower you to live your own truth.

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'Beautiful ... endless, brilliant unforgettable stories' Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6‘Combining myth and science, this breathtaking book [is] packed with stunning images' Daily MailAfter the enormous international success of The Phantom Atlas and The Golden Atlas, Edward Brooke-Hitching's brilliant book unveils some of the most beautiful maps and charts ever created during mankind's quest to map the skies above us. This richly illustrated treasury showcases the finest examples of celestial cartography - a glorious genre of map-making often overlooked by modern map books - as well as medieval manuscripts, masterpiece paintings, ancient star catalogues, antique instruments and other appealing curiosities. This is the sky as it has never been presented before: the realm of stars and planets, but also of gods, devils, weather wizards, flying sailors, medieval aliens, mythological animals and rampaging spirits. The reader is taken on a tour of star-obsessed cultures around the world, learning about Tibetan sky burials, star-covered Inuit dancing coats, Mongolian astral prophets and Sir William Herschel's 1781 discovery of Uranus, the first planet to be found since antiquity. Even stranger are the forgotten stories from European history, like the English belief of the Middle Ages in ships that sailed a sea above the clouds, 16th-century German UFO sightings and the Edwardian aristocrat who mistakenly mapped alien-made canals on the surface of Mars.As the intricacies of our universe are today being revealed with unprecedented clarity, there has never been a better time for a highly readable book as beautiful as the night sky to contextualise the scale of these achievements for the general reader.

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Raghuram Rajan was one of the few economists who warned of the global financial crisis before it hit. Now, as the world struggles to recover, it's tempting to blame what happened on just a few greedy bankers who took irrational risks and left the rest of us to foot the bill. In Fault Lines, Rajan argues that serious flaws in the economy are also to blame, and warns that a potentially more devastating crisis awaits us if they aren't fixed. Rajan shows how the individual choices that collectively brought about the economic meltdown--made by bankers, government officials, and ordinary homeowners--were rational responses to a flawed global financial order in which the incentives to take on risk are incredibly out of step with the dangers those risks pose. He traces the deepening fault lines in a world overly dependent on the indebted American consumer to power global economic growth and stave off global downturns. He exposes a system where America's growing inequality and thin social safety net create tremendous political pressure to encourage easy credit and keep job creation robust, no matter what the consequences to the economy's long-term health; and where the U.S. financial sector, with its skewed incentives, is the critical but unstable link between an overstimulated America and an underconsuming world. In Fault Lines, Rajan demonstrates how unequal access to education and health care in the United States puts us all in deeper financial peril, even as the economic choices of countries like Germany, Japan, and China place an undue burden on America to get its policies right. He outlines the hard choices we need to make to ensure a more stable world economy and restore lasting prosperity.

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The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson Two and a half millennia ago in a remote corner of space, beside a trillion-year-old dying sun from a different universe, the artifact appeared.It was a perfect black-body sphere, and it did nothing. Then it disappeared.Now it is back.Diplomat Genar-Hofoen of Special Circumstances is sent to investigate but, sidetracked by an old flame and the spoiled-brat operative Ulver Seich, and faced with the systematic depravities of a race who call themselves the A­ffront, it's anyone's guess whether he'll succeed . . . Praise for the Culture series:'Epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas and absorbing in its execution' Independent on Sunday'Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future' Guardian'Jam-packed with extraordinary invention' Scotsman'Compulsive reading' Sunday Telegraph The Culture series:Consider PhlebasThe Player of GamesUse of WeaponsExcessionInversionsLook to WindwardMatterSurface DetailThe Hydrogen SonataThe State of the ArtOther books by Iain M. Banks:Against a Dark BackgroundFeersum EndjinnThe AlgebraistAlso now available: The Culture: The Drawings - an extraordinary collection of original illustrations faithfully reproduced from sketchbooks Banks kept in the 1970s and 80s, depicting the ships, habitats, geography, weapons and language of Banks' Culture series of novels in incredible detail.

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A considerable amount of public debate and media print has been devoted to the “war between science and religion.” In his accessible and eminently readable new book, Stephen M. Barr demonstrates that what is really at war with religion is not science itself, but a philosophy called scientific materialism. Modern Physics and Ancient Faith argues that the great discoveries of modern physics are more compatible with the central teachings of Christianity and Judaism about God, the cosmos, and the human soul than with the atheistic viewpoint of scientific materialism. Scientific materialism grew out of scientific discoveries made from the time of Copernicus up to the beginning of the twentieth century. These discoveries led many thoughtful people to the conclusion that the universe has no cause or purpose, that the human race is an accidental by-product of blind material forces, and that the ultimate reality is matter itself. Barr contends that the revolutionary discoveries of the twentieth century run counter to this line of thought. He uses five of these discoveries—the Big Bang theory, unified field theories, anthropic coincidences, Gödel’s Theorem in mathematics, and quantum theory—to cast serious doubt on the materialist’s view of the world and to give greater credence to Judeo-Christian claims about God and the universe. Written in clear language, Barr’s rigorous and fair text explains modern physics to general readers without oversimplification. Using the insights of modern physics, he reveals that modern scientific discoveries and religious faith are deeply consonant. Anyone with an interest in science and religion will find Modern Physics and Ancient Faith invaluable.

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Book Two of the Riftwar Legacy Continuing on from Feist’s bestselling Riftwar Saga comes a spellbinding adventure. Now in a brilliant new livery. ‘Feist writes fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid – imagination’ Washington Post Fresh back from the front, another foe defeated, Prince Arutha arrives to find all is not well in Krondor. A series of apparently random murders has brought an eerie quiet to the city. Where normally the streets are bustling with merchants and tricksters, good life and night life, now there seems to be a self-imposed curfew at sundown. Mutilated bodies have been turning up in the sewers, the Mockers’ demense. The Thieves’ Guild has been decimated – men, women, children, it matters not. The head of the Mockers is missing, presumed dead. Those few who survived the terrible attacks are lying low. Very low. The Crawler, it seems, is back in town. And he’s being helped by others, more ruthless than he. Can it be the Nighthawks again? The Prince enlists his loyal Squire James to find out. If anyone can unravel what’s happening in the bowels of Krondor, he can. He knows the sewers like the back of his hand. Afterall, as Jimmy the Hand, he grew up there. Meanwhile, the retinue of the Duke of Olasko has arrived suddenly at the palace, a week ahead of schedule but with no apologies and many demands. They say they are here to hunt. But to hunt what. Pug’s son William, on his first posting as a knight-lieutenant, must escort them into the wilds. It should have been a straightforward mission…

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New York City, 1943Can one small act change the course of a life? Margaret's job at the Navy Yard brings her freedoms she never dared imagine, but she wants to do something more personal to help the war effort. Knitting socks for soldiers is a way to occupy her quiet nights and provide comfort to the boys abroad. But when a note she tucks inside one of her socks sparks a relationship with a long-distance pen pal, she finds herself drawn to a man she's never even met.Can a woman hold on to her independence if she gives away her heart? Gladys has been waiting her whole life for the kinds of opportunities available to her now that so many men are fighting overseas. She's not going to waste a single one. And she's not going to let her two best friends waste them either. Then she meets someone who values her opinions as much as she likes giving them, and suddenly she is questioning everything she once held dear.Can an unwed mother survive on her own? Dottie is in a dire situation-she's pregnant, her fiance is off fighting the war, and if her parents find out about the baby, they'll send her away and make her give up her child. Knitting helps take her mind off her uncertain future-until the worst happens and she must lean on her friends like never before.With their worlds changing in unimaginable ways, Margaret, Gladys, and Dottie will learn that the unbreakable bond of friendship between them is what matters most of all.

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The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.'Banks is a phenomenon' William Gibson In the winter palace, the King's new physician has more enemies than she realises. But then she also has more defences than even her most hardened adversaries could imagine.In another palace, far across the mountains, sits the regicidal Protector General. His chief bodyguard also has enemies to worry about, with the threat of treachery and assassination never far away.And beneath the surface of these feudal courts - behind the spies, murders, politics and intrigues - lies an entirely di­fferent kind of threat, an entity that nobody would ever suspect.Praise for the Culture series:'Epic in scope, ambitious in its ideas and absorbing in its execution' Independent on Sunday'Banks has created one of the most enduring and endearing visions of the future' Guardian'Jam-packed with extraordinary invention' Scotsman'Compulsive reading' Sunday Telegraph The Culture series:Consider PhlebasThe Player of GamesUse of WeaponsExcessionInversionsLook to WindwardMatterSurface DetailThe Hydrogen SonataThe State of the ArtOther books by Iain M. Banks:Against a Dark BackgroundFeersum EndjinnThe AlgebraistAlso now available: The Culture: The Drawings - an extraordinary collection of original illustrations faithfully reproduced from sketchbooks Banks kept in the 1970s and 80s, depicting the ships, habitats, geography, weapons and language of Banks' Culture series of novels in incredible detail.

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The sixth book in the Anne Shirley series. 'It's been lovely to be Anne of Green Gables again for a week, but it's a hundred times lovelier to come back and be Anne of Ingleside' There's never a dull moment at Ingleside, Anne's lively home: Anne is now the mother of five children - with a sixth baby on the way. But even with endless demands on her time, she couldn't be happier and there's nowhere in the world she'd rather be. No matter what life brings - whether it's the numerous scrapes her children get up to or Gilbert's insufferable aunt outstaying her welcome by months - Anne faces every challenge with her usual verve for life. But then she begins to suspect that Gilbert doesn't love her any more. She's a little older, it's true, but Anne is the same spirited redhead she's always been. She hasn't changed. But has he? A collection that will be coveted by children and adults alike, this list is the best in children's literature, curated by Virago. These are timeless tales with beautiful covers, that will be treasured and shared across the generations. Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you, but there are stories for everyone to love, whatever your age. Our list includes Nina Bawden (Carrie's War, The Peppermint Pig), Rumer Godden (The Dark Horse, An Episode of Sparrows), Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden, The Gift Giving) E. Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy, The Bastable Trilogy, The Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess,The Secret Garden) and Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy). Discover Virago Children's Classics.

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This cute bedside book gives kids and young teens a safe space to record their feelings and monitor their moods every day in a fun and rewarding way. Each night before sleep, they simply colour in the relevant day's illustration and see it build over the month to create an accurate record of their changing emotional state. Therapists acknowledge that keeping a record of moods and emotions can help to identify triggers, see patterns, helping to develop emotional intelligence and - ultimately - control. Mood-tracking has become a much-loved activity for Bullet Journalling and even apps - this kid-friendly, mindful, analog approach will help them find balance, realising that there are good days and bad days and that's OK. Filled with a range of adorable graphics that are different every month, there's space quickly to record emotions, allowing comparisons day by day, month by month, year by year for a five-year period. If your young person has tried and failed to keep a diary or journal, this easy activity book offers a much more manageable and fun space to record what matters, giving them - and you - the insight into how they are really feeling. Illustrator Olive Yong (creator of the wildly popular Bichi Mao comic) has created exclusive art for this mood tracker that they will love to bring to life with their own colourful moods.

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Nefesh HaTzimtzum provides the single most comprehensive and accessible presentation of the teachings and worldview of the Vilna Gaon’s primary student, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin. It is focused on Rabbi Chaim’s magnum opus, Nefesh HaChaim, a work that has lain in almost total obscurity for nearly two centuries due to its deep Kabbalistic subject matter. Nefesh HaTzimtzum opens up the real depth of the ideas presented in Nefesh HaChaim together with all of Rabbi Chaim’s related writings, making them accessible to the public for the first time in any language. In addition to the complete English translation, Nefesh HaTzimtzum includes the full facing page Hebrew text of Nefesh HaChaim and many other writings by Rabbi Chaim, along with in-depth explanations, an informative historical overview, an easily consumable innovative presentation layout and a full index. After centuries of confusion, extensive clarification is provided of the central Kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum, or the secret of how an infinite God occupies a finite world. Most importantly, it unequivocally demonstrates that the key Kabbalists, including the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin and the Baal HaTanya, all unanimously agreed on the underlying principles of the concept of Tzimtzum and that contrary to widespread historical misunderstanding, there was no fundamental dispute about the philosophical principles of Judaism between the Hasidim and the Mitnagdim. Based on this Nefesh HaTzimtzum shows that both Nefesh HaChaim and Sefer HaTanya present the same methodology for serving God which is rooted in their identical understanding of the concept of Tzimtzum. Nefesh HaTzimtzum is published in two volumes which are sold separately. This companion volume presents a number of important concepts, including the concept of Tzitmzum, which together enable the true depth of Nefesh HaChaim to be understood. It also adds valuable insight by providing the full Hebrew text and translation of all of Rabbi Chaim Volozhin’s published writings which are related to Nefesh HaChaim. Additional related writings are also included together with detailed outlines and a full index for both volumes.

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If art mirrors identity, this is particularly the case in the Christian Middle East. At first glance, the imposed minority position of the various communities and inherent feelings of peril are the driving forces behind the development of distinct artistic idioms, but on closer inspection this bias does not entirely do justice to the achievements of past generations. Churches would never have been erected and embellished without the zealous support of individuals and groups who had the means to realize such projects. This two-partite study deals with them and the tangible results of their efforts. The first part is devoted to the considerable Christian material heritage in Egypt, from the Arab conquest in the seventh century to the downfall of the artistic production around the turn of the thirteenth/fourteenth centuries. Coptic monasteries, churches and prayer rooms were decorated according to their final functional use and specific needs, thus expressing a distinct monastic identity. Another influential category was the wealthy elite of lay nobles, in particular high-ranking state officials in the Fatimid and Ayyubid service. They not only instigated the renovation and decoration of urban churches, but were also committed to the refurbishing of the papal churches in Old Cairo. In this matter, specific attention is devoted to the involvement of Byzantine-trained artists in the second half of the thirteenth century. In addition, the churches and works of art of the other communities in Egypt, in particular the Syrian Orthodox, are highlighted. The second part discusses the revival of Christian art in Ottoman Egypt, Palestine, and Syria from the seventeenth century onwards. Beside the re-emergence of traditional elements, European influences are tangible all across the board. This was the result of the increasing contacts between Europe and the Middle East and the successful extension of the influences of the Church of Rome to the Ottoman realm. Finally, the epilogue is devoted to modern oriental Christian art as a means to express the identity of the different communities.

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This volume, produced in honour of Professor David A. Hinton’s contribution to medieval studies, re-visits the sites, archaeologists and questions which have been central to the archaeology of medieval southern England. Contributions are focused on the medieval period (from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Reformation) in southern England, to reflect the research of Professor Hinton. The contributions largely re-examine important debates believed to have been settled long ago, or explore the implications of changing research traditions for the interpretation of archaeological sites. The volume begins with two considerations of archaeologists themselves, the antiquary Richard James (Tom James) and those who have shaped our understanding of Anglo-Saxon Hamwic (Mark Brisbane and Richard Hodges). Both studies show the role of individuals, and the times in which they worked, on the questions and interpretations advanced by archaeological study. Staying in the Anglo-Saxon period, Barbara Yorke re-opens the debate about the Jutish archaeology of Wessex, Martin Biddle re-visits the archaeology of Winchester Old Minster and Katherine Weikert explores the household of early medieval Facombe Netheron. Moving into the later medieval period, Duncan H. Brown re-assesses the evidence from the important site at Cuckoo Lane, Southampton, with a focus on ceramics, and Maureen Mellor examines the evidence of church floor tiles from Oxfordshire, an early research interest of Professor Hinton. Two chapters deal with medieval food, Mark Robinson discusses wheat cultivation and Dale Serjeantson et. al. revisit the animal bones from excavations at Eynsham Abbey, comparing them with those from St Albans to explore the issue of the Saxon-Norman transition. Finally, staying with the archaeology elite culture, the volume concludes with Matthew Johnson’s contribution on recent work on late medieval elite landscapes in south-east England. Together, these contributions combine historiography, new evidence and emerging ideas, helping us to understand how the landscape of research has developed, whilst showing the importance of re-visiting old sites and questions to advance the discipline of medieval studies.

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In this first post-9/11 account of the career of the man who established himself as "America's Mayor" in the dark days after America was attacked, Fred Siegel shows how Rudy Giuliani's successes in New York--restoring law and order, cutting taxes and radically reducing the welfare rolls--demonstrated that Gotham was indeed "governable" (a matter of doubt until his election) and that our major cities might again become vibrant and dynamic places to live after thirty years of middle-class flight. Someone who has worked with Giuliani as well as studied him, Siegel describes this colorful figure as an "immoderate centrist," who, like the city he came to embody, evokes contradictory emotions. For some, he was a ruthless autocrat during his years at city hall; for others, he was a heroic figure who took on the vested interests that had dragged the city down. Siegel regards Guiliani as a shrewd tactician and artist of the possible who could have stepped out of the pages of Machiavelli's THE PRINCE. A self-promoting, self-absorbed man, the mayor made his own enormous ego serve the city's well-being. He promoted the virtues of duty and sacrifice, but was sometimes unable to honor these values in his personal life. He was suspicious of those outside his immediate circle, but he also placed this tribal ethos in the service of ideals that transcended New York's ethnic politics and business as usual. THE PRINCE OF THE CITY is at once a fascinating character study, a history of New York over the last forty years, and a classic inquiry into the issue of how cities thrive or die. Siegel's story culminates with a dramatic account of September 11, 2001, revealing how Giuliani's s eight years in office had prepared him and the city to rise to this tragic occasion. Siegel concludes with a look at how Guiliani's successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has handled his legacy and at what the future might hold for America's Mayor.

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