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Covers the 1995 Tokyo Gas Attack, during which agents of a Japanese cult released a gas deadlier than cyanide into the subway system, as documented in interviews with its survivors, perpetrators, and victim family members. In March 1995, agents of a Japanese religious cult attacked the Tokyo subway system with sarin, a gas twenty six times as deadly as cyanide. Attempting to discover why, Murakami conducted hundreds of interviews with the people involved, from the survivors to the perpetrators to the relatives of those who died. Underground is their story in their own voices. Concerned with the fundamental issues that led to the attack as well as these personal accounts, Underground is a document of what happened in Tokyo as well as a warning of what could happen anywhere. This is an enthralling and unique work of nonfiction that is timely, vital, and as brilliantly executed as Murakami's novels. From Haruki Murakami, internationally acclaimed author of the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood, a work of literary journalism that is as fascinating as it is necessary, as provocative as it is profound. It was a clear spring day, Monday, March 20, 1995, when five members of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo conducted chemical warfare on the Tokyo subway system using sarin, a poison gas twenty-six times as deadly as cyanide. The unthinkable had happened; a major urban transit system had become the target of a terrorist attack. Attempting to discover why, Murakami conducted hundreds of interviews with the people involved, from a subway authority employee with survivor guilt, to a fashion salesman with more venom for the media than for the perpetrators, to a young cult member who vehemently condemns the attack though he has not quit Aum. Through these and many other voices, Murakami exposes intriguing aspects of the Japanese psyche. And, as he discerns the fundamental issues leading to the attack, we achieve a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere. Hauntingly compelling and inescapably important, Underground is a powerful work of journalistic literature from one of the world's most perceptive writers. Concerned with the fundamental issues that led to the attack as well as these personal accounts, Underground is a document of what happened in Tokyo as well as a warning of what could happen anywhere. This is an enthralling and unique work of nonfiction that is timely and vital and as wonderfully executed as Murakami's brilliant novels.


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The last surviving victim of an experiment that implanted the subjects' heads with electrodes that decipher coded messages is the unnamed narrator. Half the chapters are set in Tokyo, where the narrator negotiates underground worlds populated by INKlings, dodges opponents of both sides of a raging high-tech infowar, and engages in an affair with a beautiful librarian with a gargantuan appetite. In alternating chapters he tries to reunite with his mind and his shadow, from which he has been severed by the grim, dark "replacement" consciousness implanted in him by a dotty neurophysiologist. Both worlds share the unearthly theme of unicorn skulls that moan and glow.


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With the same deadpan mania and genius for dislocation that he brought to his internationally acclaimed novels A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami makes this collection of stories a determined assault on the normal. A man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard.By turns haunting and hilarious, The Elephant Vanishes is further proof of Murakami's ability to cross the border between separate realities -- and to come back bearing treasure.


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In South of the Border, West of the Sun, the simple arc of a man's life--with its attendant rhythms of success and disappointment--becomes the exquisite literary terrain of Haruki Murakami's most haunting work. Born in 1951 in an affluent Tokyo suburb, Hajime--beginning in Japanese--has arrived at middle age wanting for almost nothing. The postwar years have brought him a fine marriage, two daughters, and an enviable career as the proprietor of two jazz clubs. Yet a nagging sense of inauthenticity about his success threatens Hajime's happiness. And a boyhood memory of a wise, lonely girl named Shimamoto clouds his heart. When Shimamoto shows up one rainy night, now a breathtaking beauty with a secret from which she is unable to escape, the fault lines of doubt in Hajime's quotidian existence begin to give way. And the details of stolen moments past and present--a Nat King Cole melody, a face pressed against a window, a handful of ashes drifting downriver to the sea--threaten to undo him completely. Rich, mysterious, quietly dazzling, South of the Border, West of the Sun is Haruki Murakami's wisest and most compelling fiction.


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<p class="description">The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But the upheavals that afflict Murakami’s characters are even deeper and more mysterious, emanating from a place where the human meets the inhuman. An electronics salesman who has been abruptly deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package—and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who has been raised to view himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may or may not be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. As haunting as dreams, as potent as oracles, the stories in After the Quake are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.</p>


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<p class="description">A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, and every bit as gripping as Haruki Murakami’s masterworks The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore.At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.After Dark moves from mesmerizing drama to metaphysical speculation, interweaving time and space as well as memory and perspective into a seamless exploration of human agency—the interplay between self-expression and empathy, between the power of observation and the scope of compassion and love. Murakami’s trademark humor, psychological insight, and grasp of spirit and morality are here distilled with an extraordinary, harmonious mastery.</p>


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From the bestselling author of Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicles comes this superb collection of twenty-four stories that generously expresses Murakami’s mastery of the form. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit his ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and relentlessly entertaining. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, and an iceman, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things we might wish for. Whether during a chance reunion in Italy, a romantic exile in Greece, a holiday in Hawaii, or in the grip of everyday life, Murakami’s characters confront grievous loss, or sexuality, or the glow of a firefly, or the impossible distances between those who ought to be closest of all.


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<div><p>The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.</p><p>A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled. </p><p>As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.</p><p>A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s—<em>1Q84</em> is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers. </p></div>


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<div><p>Twice in the last century, brutal war erupted between the United States and the Confederacy. Then, after a generation of relative peace, The Great War exploded worldwide. As the conflict engulfed Europe, the C.S.A. backed the Allies, while the U.S. found its own ally in Imperial Germany. The Confederate States, France, and England all fell. Russia self-destructed, and the Japanese, seeing that the cause was lost, retired to fight another day.</p><p>The Great War has ended, and an uneasy peace reigns around most of the world. But nowhere is the peace more fragile than on the continent of North America, where bitter enemies share a single landmass and two long, bloody borders.</p><p>In the North, proud Canadian nationalists try to resist the colonial power of the United States. In the South, the once-mighty Confederate States have been pounded into poverty and merciless inflation. U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt refuses to return to pre-war borders. The scars of the past will not soon be healed. The time is right for madmen, demagogues, and terrorists.</p><p>At this crucial moment in history, with Socialists rising to power in the U.S. under the leadership of presidential candidate Upton Sinclair, a dangerous fanatic is on the rise in the Confederacy, preaching a message of hate. And in Canada another man--a simple farmer--has a nefarious plan: to assassinate the greatest U.S. war hero, General George Armstrong Custer.</p><p>With tension on the seas high, and an army of Marxist Negroes lurking in the swamplands of the Deep South, more than enough people are eager to return the world to war. Harry Turtledove sends his sprawling cast of men and women--wielding their own faiths, persuasions, and private demons--into the troubled times between the wars.</p></div>


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<div><p>In this riveting collection, published for the first time, we follow Harry S. Truman and Dean Acheson, two giants of the post–World War II period, as they move from an official relationship to one of candor, humor, and personal expression. Together they were primarily responsible for the Marshall Plan and NATO, among other world-shaping initiatives. And in these letters, spanning the years from when both were newly out of office until Acheson’s death at the age of seventy-eight, we find them sharing the often surprising and always illuminating opinions, ideas, and feelings that the strictures of their offices had previously kept them from revealing. </p><p>Adapting easily to their private lives, they nonetheless felt a powerful need to keep in touch as they viewed with dismay what they considered to be the Eisenhower administration’s fumbling of foreign affairs, the impact of Joseph McCarthy, John Foster Dulles’s foreign policy, and the threat of massive nuclear retaliation. Adlai Stevenson’s poor campaign of 1956, Eisenhower’s second-term mishaps, family events, speaking engagements, and Truman’s difficulties writing his memoirs are all fodder for their conversations. In 1960 their skeptical stance toward John F. Kennedy (and his father's influence) turned them toward Lyndon Johnson. After Kennedy won they discussed Acheson’s reluctant involvement in the Cuban missile crisis, his missions to de Gaulle and Prime Minister Macmillan, and the Allied position in Berlin.</p><p>Unbuttoned, careless of language, unburdened by political ambition or vanity, Truman and Acheson show their own characters and loyalty to each other on every page. Truman, a Missouri farmer with the unpolished but sharp intellect of the largely self-educated man, clearly understands that in Acheson he has a friend with a rare gift for providing unhesitant and truthful counsel. Acheson, well-educated, urbane, and well-off, understands which traits in Truman’s complex character to love and admire and when to admonish, instruct, and tease him. Both men share a deep and abiding patriotism, a quality that truly stands out in today’s world.</p><p>A remarkable book that brings to light the very human side of two of the most important statesmen of the twentieth century. </p></div>


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<p>There may be no other novel in American history as significant as <strong>Uncle Tom's Cabin</strong>. A feat of gripping storytellingthe first American work of fiction to become an international bestsellerno other book so effectively expressed the moral case against the "peculiar institution" of slavery. </p>


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<p class="description">I've never had anorexia, but I know it well. I see it on the street, in the gaunt and sunken face, the bony chest, the spindly arms of an emaciated woman. I've come to recognize the flat look of despair, the hopelessness that follows, inevitably, from years of starvation. I think: That could have been my daughter. It wasn't. It's not. If I have anything to say about it, it won't be.   Millions of families are affected by eating disorders, which usually strike young women between the ages of fourteen and twenty. But current medical practice ties these families' hands when it comes to helping their children recover. Conventional medical wisdom dictates separating the patient from the family and insists that "it's not about the food," even as a family watches a child waste away before their eyes. Harriet Brown shows how counterproductive—and heartbreaking—this approach is by telling her daughter's story of anorexia. She describes how her family, with the support of an open-minded pediatrician and a therapist, helped her daughter recover using family-based treatment, also known as the Maudsley approach.   Chronicling her daughter Kitty's illness from the earliest warning signs, through its terrifying progression, and on toward recovery, Brown takes us on one family's journey into the world of anorexia nervosa, where starvation threatened her daughter's body and mind. But hope and love—of the ordinary, family-focused kind—shine through every decision and action she and her family took. Brave Girl Eating is essential reading for families and professionals alike, a guiding light for anyone who's coping with this devastating disease.</p>


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<div><blockquote><p>"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."</p></blockquote><p>A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.</p><p>One of the best-loved classics of all time, <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> has earned many dis-tinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country (<em>Library Journal</em>). </p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">True-crime historian Schechter (co-author, <em>The A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers</em>) delivers a thrilling account of a murder case that rocked Manhattan at the turn of the 20th century. Roland Molineux, a socially ambitious chemist,was a proud member of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, where he was considered a talented but snooty sportsman, repeatedly instigating spats with the club's athletic director, Harry Cornish. Pursuing women with the same determination he brought to sports, Roland doggedly wooed Blanche Chesebrough, an equally ambitious young woman with operatic aspirations. But when one of Molineux's romantic competitors, Henry Barnet, died, Cornish was poisoned (he survived) and his landlady died, Roland topped the list of suspects. The ensuing investigation and sensational trial became one of the costliest in New York State history. Schechter expertly weaves a rich historical tapestry—exploring everything from the birth of yellow journalism to the history of poison as a murder weapon—without sacrificing a novelistic sense of character, pacing and suspense. The result is a riveting tale of murder, seduction and tabloid journalism run rampant in a New York not so different from today's.</span></h3><p><em></em></p></div>


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LURED FROM THE SAFETY OF HOME -- INTO THE JAWS OF HELL"America's principal chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers" (The Boston Book Review), Harold Schechter shatters the myth that violent crime is a modern phenomenon -- with this seamless true account of unvarnished horror from the early twentieth century. Journey inside the demented mind of Albert Fish -- pedophile, sadist, and cannibal killer -- and discover that bloodlust knows no time or place....On a warm spring day in 1928, a kindly, white-haired man appeared at the Budd family home in New York City, and soon persuaded Mr. and Mrs. Budd to let him take their adorable little girl, Grace, on an outing. The Budds never guessed that they had entrusted their child to a monster. After a relentless six-year search and nationwide press coverage, the mystery of Grace Budd's disappearance was solved -- and a crime of unparalleled gore and revulsion was revealed to a stunned American public. What Albert Fish did to Grace Budd, and perhaps fifteen other young children, caused experts to pronounce him the most deranged human being they had ever seen.


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">The nineteenth-century murder trial and subsequent sordid demise of John Colt would have been little noticed, except that Colt happened to be the older brother of Samuel Colt. Six years before the trial, Samuel had invented the revolver, and the use of “Judge Colt” became the stuff of western lore and legend. John had also been moderately successful as a writer and accountant, but he tended to be volatile and irresponsible. He was accused of bashing in the head of a Mr. Adams during an argument over a debt and then concealing the corpse in a shipping crate. The trial attracted great attention in New York. Despite an admirable effort by his defense attorney that suggeted self-defense, Colt was convicted. Hours before his scheduled execution, he was found dead in his cell, an apparent suicide. Schechter, a literature professor, has specialized in true-crime writing, and here he captures the early form of “media circus” that surrounded the trial, providing interesting and sometimes tantalizing tidbits concerning relations between the brothers. This is a well-done account of a “sensational” trial and its sad aftermath. </span></h3></div>


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<p class="description">Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious.Now, for its twentieth anniversary, Harold McGee has prepared a new, fully revised and updated edition of On Food and Cooking. He has rewritten the text almost completely, expanded it by two-thirds, and commissioned more than 100 new illustrations. As compulsively readable and engaging as ever, the new On Food and Cooking provides countless eye-opening insights into food, its preparation, and its enjoyment.On Food and Cooking pioneered the translation of technical food science into cook-friendly kitchen science and helped give birth to the inventive culinary movement known as "molecular gastronomy." Though other books have now been written about kitchen science, On Food and Cooking remains unmatched in the accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness of its explanations, and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.Among the major themes addressed throughout this new edition are:Traditional and modern methods of food production and their influences on food qualityThe great diversity of methods by which people in different places and times have prepared the same ingredientsTips for selecting the best ingredients and preparing them successfullyThe particular substances that give foods their flavors and that give us pleasureOur evolving knowledge of the health benefits and risks of foodsOn Food and Cooking is an invaluable and monumental compendium of basic information about ingredients, cooking methods, and the pleasures of eating. It will delight and fascinate anyone who has ever cooked, savored, or wondered about food.</p>


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<p class="description">From the best-selling author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, an illuminating book about fear—and what we can do to overcome it.An inescapable component of our lives, fear comes in many guises: fear of unemployment; fear of aging, illness, losing beauty; fear of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. In uncertain times, coping with these fears can be especially challenging, but in this indispensable, hopeful book, Harold S. Kushner teaches us to confront, master, and even embrace fear for a more fulfilling life.Drawing on the teachings of religious and secular literature and on the true stories of people who have faced their fears, Kushner helps us to see that fear can present us with extraordinary opportunities—to connect with our emotions, rethink our values, and change our lives, and the world, for the better. For those who fear helplessness, he suggests empowerment: through prayer, service, and education. For those who fear for mankind’s future, he insists on hope and pragmatic measures, such as working to protect the environment. For those who fear death, he proposes life—lived boldly and purposefully.In Conquering Fear, we are again inspired by Harold S. Kushner’s wisdom, at once deeply spiritual and eminently practical.</p>


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People who wouldn't dream of blaming parents for a child's asthma or diabetes are often quick to blame bad parenting for a child's hyperactivity, depression, or school phobia.  The parents, in turn, often blame their children, believing that they're lazy or rebellious.  Even worse, the children with these psychological problems often blame themselves, convinced that they're just bad kids.  In It's Nobody's Fault, esteemed child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Harold S. Kopelwicz at last puts an end to  this pointless--and erroneous--cycle of blame and helps parents get the help they need for their troubled children.Written in an easy, anecdotal style and filled with fascinating stories of real children and their parents, It's Nobody's Fault is an indispensable guide for anyone who lives or works with children who need help.


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; "><strong>Harlan Coben follows four consecutive #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers with a stand-alone thriller in the vein of his beloved breakout novels <em>Caught</em> and <em>Hold Tight</em>.</strong></span></h3><p>Megan is a suburban soccer mom who once upon a time walked on the wild side. Now she's got two kids, a perfect husband, a picket fence, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Ray used to be a talented documentary photographer, but at age forty he finds himself in a dead- end job posing as a paparazzo pandering to celebrity-obsessed rich kids. Jack is a detective who can't let go of a cold case-a local husband and father disappeared seventeen years ago, and Jack spends the anniversary every year visiting a house frozen in time, the missing man's family still waiting, his slippers left by the recliner as if he might show up any moment to step into them.</p><p>Three people living lives they never wanted, hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, will find that the past doesn't recede. Even as the terrible consequences of long-ago events crash together in the present and threaten to ruin lives, they will come to the startling realization that they may not want to forget the past at all. And as each confronts the dark side of the American Dream- the boredom of a nice suburban life, the excitement of temptation, the desperation and hunger that can lurk behind even the prettiest facades- they will discover the hard truth that the line between one kind of life and another can be as whisper-thin as a heartbeat.</p><p>With his trademark combination of page-turning thrills and unrivaled insight into the dark shadows that creep into even the happiest communities, Harlan Coben delivers a thriller that cements his status as the master of domestic suspense.</p></div>


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For Dr. David Beck, the loss was shattering. And every day for the past eight years, he has relived the horror of what happened. The gleaming lake. The pale moonlight. The piercing screams. The night his wife was taken. The last night he saw her alive. Everyone tells him it’s time to move on, to forget the past once and for all. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. A message has appeared on his computer, a phrase only he and his dead wife know. Suddenly Beck is taunted with the impossible–that somewhere, somehow, Elizabeth is alive. Beck has been warned to tell no one. And he doesn’t. Instead, he runs from the people he trusts the most, plunging headlong into a search for the shadowy figure whose messages hold out a desperate hope. But already Beck is being hunted down. He’s headed straight into the heart of a dark and deadly secret–and someone intends to stop him before he gets there.


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<p><strong>#1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Harlan Coben delivers his most shocking thriller yet, proving that a well-placed lie can help build a wonderful life-- and a secret has the same explosive power to destroy it.</strong><br /><br />The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.<br /><br />Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.<br /><br />Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.</p><p>**</p>


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<div><p>In Six Years, a masterpiece of modern suspense, Harlan Coben explores the depth and passion of lost love…and the secrets and lies at its heart.<br><br>Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd.<br><br>But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for…but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for almost two decades, and with that fact everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life—a time he has never gotten over—is turned completely inside out. <br><br>As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found, or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart, who lied to him, soon puts his very life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on a carefully constructed fiction.<br><br>Harlan Coben once again delivers a shocking page-turner that deftly explores the power of past love, and the secrets and lies that such love can hide.</p></div>


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<p class="description">Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. Fortunately, he's met a great girl, Ashley, and it seems like things might finally be improving. But then Ashley vanishes. Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that Ashley isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew. First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's novel Live Wire Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. </p>


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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">Coben ( Play Dead ) adroitly applies the fundamental rules of thrillerdom (offer a raft of potential villains; keep the action moving at breakneck speed) in this highly entertaining novel about a conspiracy apparently designed to prevent the development of a cure for AIDS. When one of a trio of research scientists on the brink of coming up with an AIDS antidote dies, it looks like suicide, but TV journalist Sara Lowell and her husband, NBA star Michael Silverman, who are friends of the clinic's founder, think otherwise. Their suspicions are confirmed when several clinic patients, including the son of a U.S. senator, are murdered. A televangelist with his own agenda, Sara's prominent physician father, and a high-ranking government official all seem intent upon derailing the AIDS research, a situation that becomes most personal when Michael is diagnosed with the disease. Police lieutenant "Twitch" Bernstein, a closet homosexual, ultimately comes face-to-face with the person responsible for the killings. The final revelation of the identity of the master conspirator comes as a real surprise. This page-turner also raises some interesting questions about medical research and its funding. </span></h3>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">Edgar-winner Coben's 10th Myron Bolitar novel (after Long Lost) is a perfect 10: providing readers with new information about the past of the former athlete turned agent and owner of MB Reps; a satisfyingly complex mystery; and the always entertaining, sometimes shocking exploits of Bolitar's partner and friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III (aka Win). Suzze Tervantino, a former tennis prodigy and one of Bolitar's first clients, visits his New York office and shows him a Facebook posting that suggests that her husband, rock star Lex Ryder, isn't the father of the child she's carrying. When Ryder, also a client of MB Reps, disappears, Suzze begs Bolitar to find him. In the process, Bolitar catches a glimpse of his sister-in-law, Kitty, at a crowded nightclub, and begins a search for her and his estranged younger brother, Brad, whom he hasn't seen for 16 years. This explosively fast thriller will leave fans clamoring for more. </span></h3></div>


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From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a fast-paced, emotion-packed novel about guilt, grief, and our capacity to forgive  17-year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.  Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate-and nationally televised-sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.  In a novel that challenges as much as it thrills, filled with the astonishing tension and unseen suburban machinations that have become Coben's trademark, Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can't trust her own instincts about this story-or the motives of the people around her.


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<p>Jaz and Lisa Matharu are plunged into a public hell after their son, Raj, vanishes during a family vacation in the California desert. However, the Mojave is a place of strange power. Before Raj reappears— inexplicably unharmed, but not unchanged—the fate of this young family will intersect with that of many others, both past and present, who have traveled through this odd, remote town in the shadow of a mysterious rock formation known as the Pinnacles. <br><br>Among them are an 18th-century Spanish missionary, a former WWII aviation engineer turned desert-cult messiah, and an incognito rock star on the run. As their stories collide and build upon one another, <em>Gods Without Men</em> becomes a heartfelt exploration of the search for meaning in a chaotic universe.</p>


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<p>Travel to all corners of the world in search of ghosts with Dr. Hans Holzer, one of the world's foremost experts on the subject and the author of more than 100 books on parapsychology, the supernatural, and paranormal phenomena. Not only does Dr. Holzer introduce us to those who visit from the next dimension, he explains why they seek contact with our world and he offers expert advice on how to interpret sights, sounds, activities, visions, and other experiences that signal the presence of someone from the other side. Ghosts is a must-read for all would-be ghost hunters and fans of the otherworldly. </p>


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<p class="description">The entrancing world of toys, animals, magical kingdoms, and mystical beings is magnificently brought to life by master storyteller Hans Christian Andersen in this, the fourth title in Chronicle Books' extremely successful Classic Illustrated Edition series. Beautifully illustrated with charming turn of the century pictures by such notable artists as Arthur Rackham, Maxwell Armfield, and Edmund Dulac, this stunning book is a visual feast for children and adults alike. This collection contains the following stories: The Emperor's New Clothes The Little Mermaid The Little Match Girl The Nightingale The Princess and the Pea The Steadfast Tin Soldier Thumbelina The Tinderbox The Ugly Duckling</p>


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<div><p><strong>From 1942 to 1944, twelve thousand children passed through the Theresienstadt internment camp, near Prague, on their way to Auschwitz. Only a few hundred of them survived the war. In <em>The Girls of Room 28</em>, ten of these children</strong>—<strong>mothers and grandmothers today in their seventies</strong>—<strong>tell us how they did it. <br></strong><br>The Jews deported to Theresienstadt from countries all over Europe were aware of the fate that awaited them, and they decided that it was the young people who had the best chance to survive. Keeping these adolescents alive, keeping them whole in body, mind, and spirit, became the priority. They were housed separately, in dormitory-like barracks, where they had a greater chance of staying healthy and better access to food, and where counselors (young men and women who had been teachers and youth workers) created a disciplined environment despite the surrounding horrors. The counselors also made available to the young people the talents of an amazing array of world-class artists, musicians, and playwrights–European Jews who were also on their way to Auschwitz. Under their instruction, the children produced art, poetry, and music, and they performed in theatrical productions, most notably <em>Brundibar</em>, the legendary “children’s opera” that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. </p><p>In the mid-1990s, German journalist Hannelore Brenner met ten of these child survivors—women in their late-seventies today, who reunite every year at a resort in the Czech Republic. Weaving her interviews with the women together with excerpts from diaries that were kept secretly during the war and samples of the art, music, and poetry created at Theresienstadt, Brenner gives us an unprecedented picture of daily life there, and of the extraordinary strength, sacrifice, and indomitable will that combined—in the girls and in their caretakers—to make survival possible. </p></div>


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"It's September--National Honey Month--in Moraine, Wisconsin, and things are looking up for Story Fischer. Her messy divorce is final, the honey from her beekeeping business has been harvested, and the market she owns is thriving. Life seems pretty sweet...until Manny, her mentor in the honey business, is found stung to death in his apiary. Story is still trying to explain to the panicked locals that her honeybees had nothing to do with Manny's death, when another body is found floating in the Oconomowoc River. This time the evidence points to Story's ex. Sure, he's a womanizer and a buzzkill--but a murderer? Desperate to save her bees and her business (and, okay, her ex), it's up to Story to find a way out of a very sticky situation."--P. [4] of cover.


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The sword is the most revered of all of man’s weapons. Although the club is older, the knife more universal, and the firearm much more efficient, it is to the sword that most decoration, myth, mysticism and reverence has been given. The katana has been called “The Soul of the Samurai,” the Vikings lavished love, care and attached wonderful names to their weapons. The sword has been the symbol of Justice, of Vengeance, and of Mercy. No one artifact has so captured the imagination as has the sword. As our society has grown more and more advanced, and more reliant on technology, there has been an increased interest in the weapons of the past. The romance of the sword is very much alive—but movies, books and fiction of all types have romanticized the past, and particularly the sword, beyond all recognition of the real thing. Drawing on information from grave excavations, illustrations of battle scenes, and many classical and medieval literary sources, this book discusses how contemporaries showed swords were used. Building on Oakeshott and other authoritative writers on the subject, this volume, representing ten years of writing and a lifetime of experience, will add to the body of knowledge of the history of swords by illustrating not only the beauty of the form of the sword, but also their beauty of function.


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<div><p><em>The Big Miss </em>is Hank Haney’s candid and surprisingly insightful account of his tumultuous six-year journey with Tiger Woods, during which the supremely gifted golfer collected six major championships and rewrote golf history. Hank was one of the very few people allowed behind the curtain. He was with Tiger 110 days a year, spoke to him over 200 days a year, and stayed at his home up to 30 days a year, observing him in nearly every circumstance: at tournaments, on the practice range, over meals, with his wife, Elin, and relaxing with friends.<br><br>The relationship between the two men began in March 2004 when Hank received a call from Tiger in which the golf champion asked him to be his coach. It was a call that would change both men’s lives.<br><br>Tiger—only 28 at the time—was by then already an icon, judged by the sporting press as not only one of the best golfers ever, but possibly the best <em>athlete </em>ever. Already he was among the world’s highest paid celebrities. There was an air of mystery surrounding him, an aura of invincibility. Unique among athletes, Tiger seemed to be able to shrug off any level of pressure and find a way to win. <br><br>But Tiger was always looking to improve, and he wanted Hank’s help.<br><br>What Hank soon came to appreciate was that Tiger was one of the most complicated individuals he’d ever met, let alone coached. Although Hank had worked with hundreds of elite golfers and was not easily impressed, there were days watching Tiger on the range when Hank couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. On those days, it was impossible to imagine another<em> </em>human playing golf so perfectly.<br><br>And yet Tiger <em>is </em>human—and Hank’s expert eye was adept at spotting where Tiger’s perfection ended and an opportunity for improvement existed. Always haunting Tiger was his fear of “the big miss”—the wildly inaccurate golf shot that can ruin an otherwise solid round—and it was because that type of blunder was sometimes part of Tiger’s game that Hank carefully redesigned his swing mechanics.<br><br>Hank’s<em> </em>most formidable<em> </em>coaching challenge, though, would be solving the riddle of Tiger’s personality. Wary of the emotional distractions that might diminish his game and put him further from his goals, Tiger had developed a variety of tactics to keep people from getting too close, and not even Hank—or Tiger’s family and friends, for that matter—was spared “the treatment.” <br><br>Toward the end of Tiger and Hank’s time together, the champion’s laser-like focus began to blur and he became less willing to put in punishing hours practicing—a disappointment to Hank, who saw in Tiger’s behavior signs that his pupil had developed a conflicted relationship with the game. Hints that Tiger hungered to reinvent himself were present in his bizarre infatuation with elite military training, and—in a development Hank <em>didn’t </em>see coming—in the scandal that would make headlines in late 2009. It all added up to a big miss that Hank, try as he might, couldn’t save Tiger from.<br><br>There’s never been a book about Tiger Woods that is as intimate and revealing—or one so wise about what it takes to coach a superstar athlete.</p></div>


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Fast-paced and dramatic re-telling of the financial crisis that nearly bought the developed world to its knees. Hank Paulson was at the absolute epicentre of the recent economic storm, and his account of how he dealt with the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression makes for absolutely fascinating reading. The book contains all the decisive moments in the economic crisis, including the pivotal meetings with mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as Paulson's personal recollections of and conversations with President Bush, President Obama, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and current Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. As well as detailing the major decisions taken during the crisis, Paulson also puts forth the policies he believes need to be implemented to take us securely into the future.


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<p><strong><em>New York Times</em></strong> <strong>bestselling author Hampton Sides returns with a white-knuckle tale of polar exploration and survival in the Gilded Age<br /></strong><br />In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole. No one knew what existed beyond the fortress of ice rimming the northern oceans, although theories abounded. The foremost cartographer in the world, a German named August Petermann, believed that warm currents sustained a verdant island at the top of the world. National glory would fall to whoever could plant his flag upon its shores.   </p><p>James Gordon Bennett, the eccentric and stupendously wealthy owner of <em>The New York Herald</em>, had recently captured the world's attention by dispatching Stanley to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone. Now he was keen to re-create that sensation on an even more epic scale. So he funded an official U.S. naval expedition to reach the Pole, choosing as its captain a young officer named George Washington De Long, who had gained fame for a rescue operation off the coast of Greenland. De Long led a team of 32 men deep into uncharted Arctic waters, carrying the aspirations of a young country burning to become a world power. On July 8, 1879, the USS <em>Jeannette</em> set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever."   </p><p>The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the <em>Jeannette </em>sank to the bottom,and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice—a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival.   </p><p>With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, <em>In The Kingdom of Ice</em> is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth.  </p><p><strong>Ebook edition includes over a dozen extra images<br /></strong></p><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>An Amazon Best Book of the Month, August 2014:</strong> In the last few decades of the 19th century, the world looked very different from the way it does now. Parts of the map were unfilled--chief among those spaces was the North Pole, which many believed contained warm currents that might provide safe passage. Enter James Gordon Bennett, the wealthy and eccentric owner of the <em>New York Herald</em>. Bennett--who was responsible for sending Stanley in search of Livingstone--wanted to produce another thrill for his readers, so he funded a naval expedition to reach the pole. Captained by George Washington De Long, the <em>U.S.S. Jeannette</em> shipped out in 1879 toward glory and parts unknown. The <em>Jeannette</em> became encased in ice, but the adventure was only just beginning. Author Hampton Sides does a masterful job of setting up the voyage against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, developing fascinating characters along the way, and delivering a true triumph of narrative nonfiction. Drawing on journal entries, letters, and eventually his own visit to the region, Sides paints a vivid, moving, and breathless portrait of the crew of the <em>Jeannette</em>. How could a book about this much snow and ice be this good? <em>--Chris Schluep</em></p><h3>Review</h3><p><em>The Bounty </em>  </p><p>“Hampton Sides has written a dazzling page-turner.  Full of unforgettable characters and vividly described scenes, <em>In the Kingdom of Ice </em>breathes fresh, exuberant, and very personal life into the polar adventure story that once riveted the world.”<br /><strong> </strong>-         <strong>Nathaniel Philbrick, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>In the Heart of the Sea, Bunker Hill</em> and *Sea of Glory</strong>*  </p><p>“This is an astonishingly good story, told by one of the best storytellers of our age. Alone, the tale of the USS<em> Jeannette</em> is darkly gripping. In the hands of Hampton Sides, it is impossible to put down, packed with irresistible characters and incredible moments of horror and heroism. As soon as I finished it, I flipped to the first page and began reading it again.”<br /><strong> </strong>-         <em><em>Candice Millard, </em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>The Destiny of the Republic </em> and *The River of Doubt<strong><em><br /><br />“Hampton Sides masterfully recounts one of the greatest and most harrowing adventures of all time. <em>In the Kingdom of Ice </em>is a spellbinding tale not only of a journey into the Arctic but also into the very nature of man.”<br /><strong> </strong>-         <em><em>David Grann, </em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of *The Lost City of Z</em></strong>  </p><p>"Hampton Sides is a master storyteller, and here he has delivered a stunningly vivid account of perhaps the most dramatic polar mission you never heard of. Once you start, you won't stop.”<br /><strong>-       Mark Bowden, <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling author of *Black Hawk Down</strong>*<br /><strong> </strong>  </p><p>“Read this book in two ways-- fast, for the hair-raising excitement of what happens to the brave men of the <em>Jeannette, </em>and then slowly, to take in the clarity of the writing and the unshowy elegance of the structure. The grand disaster that befell this expedition, and the heroic, truly Siberian sufferings of Captain De Long and his comrades, have found a brilliant chronicler in Hampton Sides.”<br />-         <strong>Ian Frazier, National Bestselling author of <em>Travels in Siberia </em>and<em> On the Rez</em> </strong><br /><br />"With colorful characters and rich research distilled into gripping suspense,<em> In the Kingdom of Ice</em> gives us a fascinating but little-known slice of American history that resonates strongly amid our contemporary discussions of climate change. Here is a<em> </em>vivid tale of exploration set in a howling, deadly wilderness."<br /><strong>-        T.J. Stiles, Pulitzer Prize winning author of *The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt</strong>*  </p><p>"Hampton Sides is one of America’s most expansive and engaging storytellers, and he proves it again with the incredible saga of the USS <em>Jeannette</em>. <em>In The Kingdom of Ice </em>is far more than the tale of a polar expedition gone awry.  Sides has brought together an absolutely marvelous cast of characters – daring and dangerous and more than a little preposterous  – to tell not just a classic adventure story, but to shine a fine light on that bizarre American era known as the Gilded Age. All works of history should be half this much fun."  <br /><strong> </strong>-         <em><em>Scott Anderson, </em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of *Lawrence in Arabia<strong><em><br /><br /><strong>"</strong>Hampton Sides has written an arctic thriller, an authentic narrative masterpiece that I put down only reluctantly and willingly gave up sleep in order to finish. I <em>had</em> to find out what happened to these remarkable men in that wide and desolate sea of ice. <br />-         <em><em>S.C. Gwynne, </em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>Empire of the Summer Moon</em>   and* Rebel Yell</em></strong>  </p><p>"Hampton Sides' many gifts include his ability to make readers feel the bracing cold of Arctic winds and the smoldering heat of separated lovers. This extraordinary book overflows with heroic characters and bursts with insight into a young nation flexing its ambitions on a global scale. The result is narrative nonfiction history at its very best. <em>In the Kingdom of Ice </em>has earned a place among the great sea adventure stories." <br />-         <strong>Mitchell Zuckoff, <em>New York Times </em>bestselling author of <em>Frozen in Time </em>and *Lost in  Shangri-La.</strong>*  </p><p>“Another crackling tale of adventure from journalist/explorer Sides...this one focusing on a frigid disaster nearly 150 years ago… A grand and grim narrative of thrilling exploration for fans of <em>Into Thin Air</em>, <em>Mountains of the Moon</em> and the like.”<br />-         <strong><em>Kirkus</em> (Starred Review)<br /></strong><br />"With its western frontiers explored and the idea of Manifest Destiny still beckoning, the U.S. in the Gilded Age looked to the North Pole for adventure and conquest... In July 1879, the USS <em>Jeannette</em> set sail with a crew of 32 men for uncharted waters. It was an extraordinary expedition... Sides (<em>Hellhound on His Trail)</em>tapped amazing archival material, including diaries, letters, and the ship logs, to render a completely thrilling saga of survival in unbelievably harsh conditions."<br /><em><em>-      </em>Booklist</em> (Starred Review)  </p><p><strong>"Complusively readable, <em>In the Kingdom of Ice</em> brilliantly recreates a world, invites us to enter it and to experience the isolation, fear and hope of the people in it, and leads us back to our world with a clearer understanding of what motivates those who undertake daunting but heroic challenges."<br /></strong>-    Bookpage**  </p>


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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">Although delivering little in the way of new information, Sides, an <em>Outside </em>magazine editor-at-large and bestselling author (<em>Ghost Soldiers</em>), eloquently paints the landscape and history of the 19th-century Southwest, combining Larry McMurtry's lyricism with the historian's attachment to facts. Inevitably, Sides's main focus is the virtual decimation of the Navajo nation from the 1820s to the late 1860s. Sides depicts the complex role of whites in the subjugation of the Navajos through his portrait of Kit Carson—an illiterate trapper, soldier and scout who knew the Native Americans intimately, married two of them and, without blinking, participated in the Indians' slaughter. Books about Carson have been numerous, but Sides is better than most Carson biographers in setting his exploits against a larger backdrop: the unstoppable idea of manifest destiny. Of course, as counterpoint to the progress of Carson and other whites, Sides details the fierce but doomed defense mounted by the Navajos over long decades. This culminated in their final, desperate "stand" during 1863 at Canyon de Chelly, more than a decade after a contingent of federal troops—operating under a commander whose last name of "Washington" seems ironic in this context—killed their great leader, Narbona. </span></h3>


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<p class="description">In his first book of stories since The Bridegroom was published in 2000 ("Finely wrought . . . Every story here is cut like a stone."—Chicago Sun-Times), National Book Award–winning Ha Jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of Chinese immigrants in America.  With the same profound attention to detail that is a hallmark of his previous acclaimed works of fiction, Ha Jin depicts here the full spectrum of immigrant life and the daily struggles—some minute, some grand—faced by these intriguing individuals.  A lonely composer takes comfort in the antics of his girlfriend's parakeet; young children decide to change their names so that they might sound more "American," unaware of how deeply this will hurt their grandparents; a Chinese professor of English attempts to defect with the help of a reluctant former student. All of Ha Jin's characters struggle in situations that stir within them a desire to remain attached to be loyal to their homeland and its traditions as they explore and avail themselves of the freedom that life in a new country offers.  In these stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous stories, we are reminded once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer.</p>


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<p class="description">A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the twentieth century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR's formative years, his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised, his combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy in saving democracy in America during the Great Depression and the American cause of freedom in World War II. Drawing on archival materials, public speeches, personal correspondence, and accounts by family and close associates, acclaimed bestselling historian and biographer H. W. Brands offers a compelling and intimate portrait of Roosevelt’s life and career.Brands explores the powerful influence of FDR’s dominating mother and the often tense and always unusual partnership between FDR and his wife, Eleanor, and her indispensable contributions to his presidency. Most of all, the book traces in breathtaking detail FDR’s revolutionary efforts with his New Deal legislation to transform the American political economy in order to save it, his forceful—and cagey—leadership before and during World War II, and his lasting legacy in creating the foundations of the postwar international order. Traitor to His Class brilliantly captures the qualities that have made FDR a beloved figure to millions of Americans.</p>


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<div><p>Even before he was shot dead on the stairway of the tony Grand Central Hotel in 1872, financier James “Jubilee Jim” Fisk, Jr., was a notorious New York City figure. From his audacious attempt to corner the gold market in 1869 to his battle for control of the geographically crucial Erie Railroad, Fisk was a flamboyant exemplar of a new financial era marked by volatile fortunes and unprecedented greed and corruption. But it was his scandalously open affair with a showgirl named Josie Mansfield that ultimately led to his demise.<br><br>In this riveting short history—the first in his American Portraits series—H. W. Brands traces Fisk’s extraordinary downfall, bringing to life New York’s Gilded Age and some of its legendary players, including Boss William Tweed, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the railroad tycoon Jay Gould.</p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p></div>


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<div><p>He was the foremost American of his day, yet today he is little more than a mythic caricature in the public imagination. Benjamin Franklin, perhaps <em>the</em> pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this masterly biography.</p><p>Wit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin Franklin was in every respect America’s first Renaissance man. From penniless runaway to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of an alliance with France that ensured America’s independence, Franklin went from obscurity to become one of the world’s most admired figures, whose circle included the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant. Drawing on previously unpublished letters and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of Franklin’s greatness and humanity, <strong>The First American</strong> is a work of meticulous scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his legacy.</p></div>


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<div><p>In this grand-scale narrative history, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands brilliantly portrays the emergence, in a remarkably short time, of a recognizably modern America. </p><p><em>American Colossus</em> captures the decades between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century, when a few breathtakingly wealthy businessmen transformed the United States from an agrarian economy to a world power. From the first Pennsylvania oil gushers to the rise of Chicago skyscrapers, this spellbinding narrative shows how men like Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller ushered in a new era of unbridled capitalism. In the end America achieved unimaginable wealth, but not without cost to its traditional democratic values.</p></div>


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<p class="description">Sir Henry Rider Haggard KBE (1856-1925) was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations. After failing his army entrance exam he was sent to a private 'crammer' in London to prepare for the entrance exam for the British Foreign Office, for which he never sat. Haggard's father sent him to Africa in an unpaid position as assistant to the secretary to Lieutenant-Governor of Natal Sir Henry Bulwer. Heavily influenced by the larger-than-life adventurers he met in Colonial Africa, the great mineral wealth discovered in Africa, and the ruins of ancient lost civilizations in Africa such as Great Zimbabwe, Haggard created his Allan Quatermain adventures. Haggard also wrote about agricultural and social issues reform, in part inspired by his experiences in Africa, but also based on what he saw in Europe. Haggard is most famous as the author of the best-selling novel King Solomon's Mines (1885). Amongst his other works are She (1887), Allan Quatermain (1888), Eric Brighteyes (1891) and Ayesha (1895).</p>


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<div><p>The quiet beauty of Longboat Key is shattered when a young groom is shot to death on the beach the day after his wedding. His father is an old army buddy of Matt Royal, and Matt tries to soften the anguish of his friend by finding his son's murderer. Matt's search takes on added complexity when there appears to be a link between this murder and three seemingly unrelated murders that occurred on board a dinner cruise on Sarasota Bay the same day. Fortunately for Matt, his old buddies, Logan Hamilton and Jock Algren, show up to cover his back and to help investigate. But this case rekindles haunting events of Matt's past and incites a web of doubt, deception, and even suspicion, among the closest of friends. When Longboat Key detective, Jennifer Diane (J.B.) Duncan joins the investigation, Matt loses a little focus as he drifts toward more than just a professional relationship. But this distraction could cost lives when they encounter a shady and very dangerous cabal.</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>H. Terrell Griffin is a former soldier, a retired trial lawyer, an award winning novelist, and a bon vivant. His goal is to become a beach bum. Terry and his wife, Jean, live in Maitland, Florida, but can be found at their place on Longboat Key, Florida, more often than not, plotting the next Matt Royal novel. </p></div>


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Deep behind the walls of the world's holiest site is a dense network of lies, corruption, and conspiracies fueling the Vatican's vast and unchecked influence on world events. From the Holy Orders that defied the commandment 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' to the scandals splashed across international headlines, the Vatican is no longer shrouded in mystery, legend, and secrecy. This book also brings real-life exorcism and shocking rumors of Satanism, the bizarre rituals of the ultraconservative Opus Dei, the Vatican's startling views on extraterrestrials and end-of-world prophesies, and more.


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<p>Long acknowledged as a master of nightmarish visions, H. P. Lovecraft established the genuineness and dignity of his own pioneering fiction in 1931 with his quintessential work of supernatural horror, At the Mountains of Madness. The deliberately told and increasingly chilling recollection of an Antarctic expedition’s uncanny discoveries–and their encounter with untold menace in the ruins of a lost civilization–is a milestone of macabre literature.</p>


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<p class="description">A co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize offers a clear-eyed explanation of the planet's imperiled ice. Much has been written about global warming, but the crucial relationship between people and ice has received little focus-until now. As one of the world's leading experts on climate change, Henry Pollack provides an accessible, comprehensive survey of ice as a force of nature, and the potential consequences as we face the possibility of a world without ice. A World Without Ice traces the effect of mountain glaciers on supplies of drinking water and agricultural irrigation, as well as the current results of melting permafrost and shrinking Arctic sea ice-a situation that has degraded the habitat of numerous animals and sparked an international race for seabed oil and minerals. Catastrophic possibilities loom, including rising sea levels and subsequent flooding of lowlying regions worldwide, and the ultimate displacement of millions of coastal residents. A World Without Ice answers our most urgent questions about this pending crisis, laying out the necessary steps for managing the unavoidable and avoiding the unmanageable.</p>


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<p>"The Time Machine", one of the most loved science fiction novels of all time, is H. G. Wells 1895 novel which crafts a vivid and haunting picture of an earth some 800,000 years into the future. The first novel about time travel, "The Time Machine" was written during a period of great technological advancement, the impacts of which were of serious concern to Wells. The author poses the question in the novel; will technology ever go too far? The future world of the 'Eloi', depicted in the novel, warns of the dangerous consequences of unchecked technological advancements. Also included in this edition is another of Wells' most popular works, "The Invisible Man". It is the story of a scientist, Griffen, who discovers a serum that will turn his entire body invisible. The initial excitement over the possibilities quickly dissipates when Griffen, who uses the formula on himself, is unable to turn himself visible again. "The Invisible Man" is a cautionary tale about tampering with the laws of the universe. It is the story of how one scientist's great discovery leads him into a state of madness. Readers will delight in these two cautionary tales about the potential dangers of scientific and technological progress.</p>


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<p class="description">H.G. Wells's science fiction classic, the first novel to explore the possibilities of intelligent life from other planets, it still startling and vivid nearly after a century after its appearance, and a half-century after Orson Wells's infamous 1938 radio adaptation. The daring portrayal of aliens landing on English soil, with its themes of interplanetary imperialism, technological holocaust and chaos, is central to the career of H.G. Wells, who died at the dawn of the atomic age. The survival of mankind in the face of "vast and cool and unsympathetic" scientific powers spinning out of control was a crucial theme throughout his work. Visionary, shocking and chilling, "The War Of The Worlds" has lost none of its impact since its first publication in 1898.</p>


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<p>Sean Ferro is my addiction. I can't tell him no, no matter what he asks for, and I know there are so many dark questions behind those blue eyes, so many things he wants me to do with him. When I watch him go down on one knee, with his sexy body covered in sand, and hold up a glittering ring, I can barely stand. It looks like he's going to propose, and I know exactly what I'm going to say. </p>


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<p>Just one year later, Margaret is coming into her own as a detective, after leaving her marriage and Kerrisdale manor house for bustling and trendy Kitsilano with Southby her sleuthing partner and now lover. To escape the disapproval and pressure from her exhusband and children, she heads for lush scenery and a peaceful vacation in the Cariboo. Instead she finds violence, betrayal and a missing person, along with a host of new and questionable characters.</p>


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<div><p>TouchWood Editions is proud to introduce the first female sleuth in our selection of mystery novels. Author Gwendolyn Southin uniquely blends the charm of gumshoe techniques with the fresh perspective of a developing female detective. The Margaret Spencer Mysteries offer action and suspense, with a human subtext. </p><p>Back in Vancouver, Maggie and Nat begin their next adventure at a cranberry bog where a veterinarian's assistant has been found dead. A long trail with a faint scent to follow, their victim's double-life leads them to a strip club, a bogus religious sect, and a nursing home with a dark underlying secret.</p></div>


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<p class="description">London, 1889. Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright and raconteur is the literary sensation of his age. All Europe lies at his feet. Yet when he chances across the naked corpse of sixteen-year-old Billy Wood, posed by candlelight in a dark stifling attic room, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle he sets out to solve the crime - but it is Wilde's unparalleled access to all degrees of late Victorian life, from society drawing rooms and the bohemian demi-monde to the underclass, that will prove the decisive factor in their investigation of what turns out to be a series of brutal killings. The Oscar Wilde Murders is a gripping detective story of corruption and intrigue, of Wilde's growing success, of the breakdown of his marriage, and of his fatal friendship with Aidan Fraser, Inspector at Scotland Yard.... Set against the exotic background of fin-de-siecle London, Paris, Oxford and Edinburgh, Gyles Brandreth recreates Oscar Wilde's trademark sardonic wit with huge flair, intertwining all the intrigue of the classic English murder mystery with a compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age.</p>


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<div><p>It is January 1961 and Margaret Spencer and Nat Southby are relaxing on a ski holiday when their vacation takes a bone-chilling turn. While cross-country skiing the couple comes across the frozen body of Maurice Dubois, a man who went missing from a fishing resort the month before. When Maurice’s wife is also found murdered, the two Vancouver detectives are hired by the victims’ children to investigate. An energetic hunt begins, as Maggie and Nat find themselves involved in clandestine visits to a clothing factory on East Hastings Street, encounters at horse-breeding stables in Langley, a car chase to Lulu Island and eventually a pilgrimage to the fishing resort at St. Clare’s Cove in Pender Harbour. </p><p>In <em>Death As a Last Resort</em>, the fourth book in the popular Margaret Spencer Mystery series, our favourite Vancouver female sleuth Maggie Spencer and her partner Nat Southby continue their escapades as they track down the unlawful and dangerous.</p></div>


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This book recountsthe horror of World War II on the eastern front, as seen through the eyes of a teenaged German soldier. At first an exciting adventure, young Guy Sajer "s war becomes, as the German invasion falters in the icy vastness of the Ukraine, a simple, desperate struggle for survival against cold, hunger, and above all the terrifying Soviet artillery. As a member of the elite Gross Deutschland Division, he fought in all the great battles from Kursk to Kharkov. His German footsoldier "s perspective makes The Forgotten Soldiera unique war memoir, the book that the Christian Science Monitorsaid "may well be the book about World War II which has been so long awaited." Now it has been handsomely republished as a hardcover containing fifty rare German combat photos of life and death at the eastern front. The photos of troops battling through snow, mud, burned villages, and rubble-strewn cities depict the hardships and destructiveness of war. Many are originally from the private collections of German soldiers and have never been published before. This volume is a deluxe edition of a true classic.


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Once in nine lives,something extraordinary happens...The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.Everyone warned that Homer would always be an “underachiever,” never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night. But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes. Homer’s Odyssey is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits—on love, ability, or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it’s a memoir for anybody who’s ever fallen completely and helplessly in love with a pet.


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; ">Apple's former chief evangelist leads businessfolk down the path to enchantment. </span></h3><p>The entrepreneur's entrepreneur is back with his 10th book, this time tackling the tricky art of influence and persuasion. Kawasaki (Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging and Outmarketing Your Competition, 2011, etc.) transforms the otherwise exhausted and overwrought tropes of how to win friends and influence people with a complete makeover here, whether he's talking about wardrobe choice or tips for effective swearing. <br>The author, a modern-day Dale Carnegie, offers explanations on how to wield the most influence in the digital age: Push Technologies like presentations, e-mails and Twitter are discussed as active means of enchanting others, while Pull Technologies like Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn passively draw them in. The author's suggestions for achieving likeability and trustworthiness, as well as overcoming resistance, are thoroughly explained and can easily translate from the workplace to the real world. <br>Kawasaki makes good use of subheads and bullet points, rendering information in a searchable format. He ends each chapter with an anecdote that illuminates the effectiveness of his techniques—while it's not original, it's effective. The author's trademark light and airy style is on display, but it's his humor and empathy that makes the heavy use of BusinessSpeak and buzzwords more easily palatable. <br>Informative, concise guide from one of America's most influential and, yes, enchanting entrepreneurs.</p></div>


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After a millennium of imprisonment, the Unravellor has broken free and is threatening mortals, immortals, mages, warriors, dwarves, and Children of Light alike. Reprint.


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Inspired by the glory of Tang Dynasty China in the eighth century, Guy Gavriel Kay melds history and the fantastic into something both powerful and emotionally compelling. Under Heaven is a novel on the grandest narrative scale, encompassing the intimate details of individual lives in an unforgettable time and place. Shen Tai is the son of a general who led the forces of imperial Kitai in that empire's last war against their western enemies from Tagur, twenty years before. Forty thousand men on both sides were slain beside a remote mountain lake. General Shen Gao himself has died recently. To honour his father's memory, Tai has spent two years of official mourning alone at the battle site among the ghosts of the dead, laying to rest their unburied bones. One spring morning, he learns that others have taken note of his vigil. The White Jade Princess in Tagur is pleased to present him with two hundred and fifty Sardian horses, given, she writes, in recognition of his courage, and honour done to the dead. You gave a man one of the famed Sardians to reward him greatly. You gave him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor. Tai starts east towards the glittering, dangerous imperial capital and gathers his wits for a return from solitude by a mountain lake to his own forever-altered life.


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Five university students--Kimberly, Dave, Jennifer, Kevin, and Paul--meet a wizard who takes them to the heart of all worlds, Fionavar, where they discover who they were truly meant to be. Reprint.


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<p class="description">Based on Flauberts own youthful passion for an older woman, "Sentimental Education" was described by its author as the moral history of the men of my generation. It follows the amorous adventures of Frederic Moreau, a law student who, returning home to Normandy from Paris, notices Mme Arnoux, a slender, dark woman several years older than himself. It is the beginning of an infatuation that will last a lifetime. He befriends her husband, an influential businessman, and as their paths cross and re-cross over the years, Mme Arnoux remains the constant, unattainable love of Moreaus life. Blending love story, historical authenticity, and satire, "Sentimental Education" is one of the great French novels of the nineteenth century.</p>


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<p class="description">Jackson Leaves: an Edwardian house in Penylen, built in 1906, semi-detached, three storeys, spacious, beautifully presented, and left in good condition to Rob and Julia by Rob's late aunt. It's an ordinary sort of a house... except for the way the rooms don't stay in the same places. And the strange man that turns up in the airing cupboard. And the apparitions. And the temporal surges that attract the attentions of Torchwood. And the fact that the first owner of Jackson Leaves in 1906 was a Captain Jack Harkness...</p>


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<div><p>Madame Bovary (1856) is Gustave Flaubert's first published novel and is considered his masterpiece. The story focuses on a doctor's wife, Emma Bovary, who has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. Though the basic plot is rather simple, even archetypal, the novel's true art lies in its details and hidden patterns. Flaubert was notoriously a perfectionist about his writing and claimed always to be searching for le mot juste ("the right word").<br>The novel was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors when it was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, resulting in a trial in January 1857 that made the story notorious. After the acquittal on 7 February 1857, it became a bestseller when it was published as a book in April 1857, and now stands virtually unchallenged not only as a seminal work of Realism, but as one of the most influential novels ever written.</p><p><br></p></div>


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As the Unraveller's armies march to battle and a plague-filled rain devastates the planet, the warriors of Light call upon one of the most ancient powers of evil to aid them in their struggle. Reprint.


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Perhaps the most compelling gangster tale is one that has been, until now, surprisingly well hidden. This is the story of the Outfit: the secret organised crime cartel that began its reign in prohibition era Chicago before becoming the puppet master of Hollywood, Las Vegas and Washington DC. Moving with purpose and panache, the Outfit blended effortlessly with underworld corporate heads, Hollywood moguls, and national political icons. It was only after a fifty-year run that their world started to crumble in the 1970s. With extensive research including recently released FBI files, original interviews with Outfit associates and members of the Fourth Estate (who pursued the Outfit for over forty years) and first ever access to the journals of Humphreys' long-in-hiding widow, veteran investigative journalist Gus Russo uncovers sixty years of corruption and influence.


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<div><p>It's an Olympic year, and to celebrate, the latest incarnation of the world's biggest selling annual unveils its most thrilling edition yet­ with a dynamic new "widescreen" design, thousands of new and classic records, never-before-seen photos and an exciting selection of new topics and features.<strong><p style="display: inline !important; ">very page.</p></strong></p></div>


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A chilling new tale of literary intrigue from the author of the international sensation The Oxford Murders When Guillermo MartÃ­nez 's novel The Oxford Murders was first published in the United States, The New York Times Book Review called it “a scholarly whodunit [for] anyone who loves a good mystery.” Now MartÃ­nez returns with a worthy followup: the mesmerizing The Book of Murder. A young writer finds himself unexpectedly tangled up in the story of Luciana, his former assistant and Kloster, bestselling author and rival. What he discovers about the deaths surrounding Luciana will make him question everything he had always believed—and taken for granted—about chance and calculation, cause and effect.


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<p class="description">From the authors of the instant *New York Times* bestseller *The Strain* comes the next volume in one of the most imaginative and frightening thriller series in many, many years Last week they invaded Manhattan. This week they will destroy the world.  </p>
<p class="description"> The vampiric virus unleashed in *The Strain* has taken over New York City. It is spreading and soon will envelop the globe. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather—head of the Centers for Disease Control's team—leads a band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.  </p>
<p class="description"> Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for control. At the center of the conflict lies a book, an ancient text that contains the vampires' entire history . . . and their darkest secrets. Whoever finds the book can control the outcome of the war and, ultimately, the fate of us all. And it is between these warring forces that humans—powerless and vulnerable—find themselves no longer the consumers but the consumed. Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been transformed into a bloodcrazed creature of the night, and now she stalks the city looking for her chance to reclaim her Dear One: Zack, Eph's young son.  </p>
<p class="description"> With the future of humankind in the balance, Eph and his team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet and joined by a crew of ragtag gangsters, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone has imagined—a fate worse than annihilation.</p></div>


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A Boeing 777 lands at JFK after a flight from Berlin and is on its way to the gate-when it suddenly goes dark. Just stops dead. The control tower loses contact with the pilot and all electrical activity shuts down. No movement or communication from inside. Nada. An emergency crew gathers, everyone watching the silent plane now bathed in floodlights. Then a sliver of black quietly appears on the fuselage. It's a door opening from within. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of the CDC's New York team, enters and finds a cabin looking like a winged graveyard where everyone appears to be dead. As he begins to remove bodies for transport to the morgue, four victims are discovered miraculously alive-and relatively unscathed apart from complaints of disorientation and a strange soreness. At the same time, Eldrich Palmer, director of the global Stoneheart Group, monitors the JFK scene on TV from his sickbed in Virginia. Pleased with what he sees, he sends for a helicopter for immediate transport to a Manhattan penthouse. In Queens, Eph's ex-wife Kelley and their 11-year-old son ready themselves with the rest of the eastern United States for the first total lunar eclipse in more than four hundred years. In a pawn shop in spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps named Abraham Setrakian takes it all in. He knows that his time has come, that a war is about to begin, and that the Master is here. So begins anescalating battle of epic proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected the four survivors begins to ravage the city. Eph-guided by Setrakian, and joined by Vassily, a exterminator, Nora, Eph's CDC colleague, and Gus, a Harlem gangbanger-fights his way through the next horrifying days, determined to save his wife and son before the Master succeeds in his unholy mission.


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<div><p>Bretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. </p><p>In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference. </p></div>


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<div><p><strong>In the jungles of Paraguay, Dr Aimee Weir and her team are in trouble.</strong><br></p><p>While drilling deep into the Earth a contagion strikes, their camp is quarantined, but workers start to vanish in the night.<br></p><p>Is it fear of contamination - or has something far more lethal surfaced?<br></p><p>Alex Hunter - code name Arcadian - and his Hotzone All-Forces Warfare Commandos are dropped in to the disaster area to do whatever it takes to stem the outbreak. But for the mission to be a success, the Arcadian must learn to master his violent inner demons long enough to confront the danger that not only threatens his own immediate survival, but that of mankind.</p></div>


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<div><p>Alex Hunter, code named Arcadian, wakes up with no knowledge of who he is, in the care of a woman he doesn't recognise, in a country not his own. But there is a calling deep within him, to return home to Black Mountain.<br></p><p>Formed a billion years ago, the Appalachian's Black Mountain hosts a terrible legend. Only one elder remains to guard its long-forgotten, deadly secret and there is a fear that there is evil lurking again. Some hikers have gone missing, and the rescue team sent to search for them has not returned. Meanwhile, in nearby Ashville, Professor Matt Kearns is drawn into the mystery of an ancient artefact recovered from the mountainside, and an image too grotesque to be real.<br></p><p>A survivor is then found half-alive, covered in blood – blood revealed to be not quite human.<br></p><p>Alex must confront an age-old enemy of man and discover the truth about his past, and confront the horror that stalks the frozen mountain, and also the one haunting his very soul.</p></div>


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<div><p><strong>An aeon ago it crashed into the frozen earth. Millennia later it was removed from the icy soil, still functioning. They opened it … they shouldn’t have.</strong><br></p><p>Alex Hunter – in the mission that turned him from a normal man into the weapon known as the Arcadian – and the elite team of soldiers known as the Hotzone All-Forces Warfare Commandos must enter a hostile country to rescue a defected Chechen researcher from the center of a country at war.<br></p><p>But the HAWCs are not the only ones looking for the rogue scientist and the mysterious package he carries with him. A brutal and relentless killer and his death squad are on the trail too – and they bring a savagery with them that Hunter and his team have never witnessed before in modern warfare.<br></p><p>In this stunning prequel to <em>Beneath the Dark Ice</em>, the HAWC team must race the clock to rescue the scientist, prevent the package from falling into the wrong hands … and save the world from a horror that should never have been woken.<br></p><p>Arcadian Genesis features a sample chapter from Greig Beck's forthcoming novel Black Mountain.<br></p></div>


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<div><p><strong>DARK RISING </strong><br><strong> </strong><br><strong>A CATACLYSMIC EVENT</strong><br>When a massive amount of gamma radiation is detected somewhere beneath the desert of Iran, the world is on edge. Is it a nuclear weapon--or worse? Alex Hunter and his highly trained incursion team is on a mission to find out. When they arrive at the ruins of Persepolis, they find an underground facility but no lab, no weapons, no scientists--not even radiation. A black hole has taken everything...<br><br><strong>AN ANCIENT PROPHECY</strong><br>Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for the return of the prophet. Israel is threatening nuclear war. And the details about Alex's special U.S. military venture--code name: Arcadian--have been stolen. Then another gamma spike is detected...and someone, or something, is draining the fluids from the bodies of Iranian soldiers in the desert.<br><br><strong>A RACE AGAINST DARKNESS</strong><br>Now it's up to Alex to follow the traces of radiation all the way to the ancient caves of Arak, where he'll come face to face with a creature from his darkest nightmares. Is it game-over for Alex and his team? Or are greater forces at work as the world reaches its natural end--and mankind casts its final judgment?</p></div>


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<div><p>When Fletch learns there are four ex-cons on the loose in his part of the county, little does he suspect that one of the scruffy and very dangerous men will claim to be the son he never knew--in fact, was never even told about. But when a muddy and bedraggled young man acosts him in his study, it doesn’t take our wily reporter and investigator long to surmise this kid might well be his son. And when Fletch meets the kid’s compatriots he wonders how either of them is going to get out of this situation unscathed.</p></div>


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<p class="description">In 2006, hedge fund manager John Paulson realized something few others suspected--that the housing market and the value of subprime mortgages were grossly inflated and headed for a major fall. Paulson's background was in mergers and acquisitions, however, and he knew little about real estate or how to wager against housing. He had spent a career as an also-ran on Wall Street. But Paulson was convinced this was his chance to make his mark. He just wasn't sure how to do it. Colleagues at investment banks scoffed at him and investors dismissed him. Even pros skeptical about housing shied away from the complicated derivative investments that Paulson was just learning about. But Paulson and a handful of renegade investors such as Jeffrey Greene and Michael Burry began to bet heavily against risky mortgages and precarious financial companies. Timing is everything, though. Initially, Paulson and the others lost tens of millions of dollars as real estate and stocks continued to soar. Rather than back down, however, Paulson redoubled his bets, putting his hedge fund and his reputation on the line. In the summer of 2007, the markets began to implode, bringing Paulson early profits, but also sparking efforts to rescue real estate and derail him. By year's end, though, John Paulson had pulled off the greatest trade in financial history, earning more than $15 billion for his firm--a figure that dwarfed George Soros's billion-dollar currency trade in 1992. Paulson made billions more in 2008 by transforming his gutsy move. Some of the underdog investors who attempted the daring trade also reaped fortunes. But others who got the timing wrong met devastating failure, discovering that being early and right wasn't nearly enough. Written by the prizewinning reporter who broke the story in "The Wall Street Journal," "The Greatest Trade Ever "is a superbly written, fast-paced, behind-the-scenes narrative of how a contrarian foresaw an escalating financial crisis--that outwitted Chuck Prince, Stanley O'Neal, Richard Fuld, and Wall Street's titans--to make financial history.</p>


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<div><p>Fletch, Too<br></p><p>After a few delays and without the benefit of a rehearsal, it looks like Fletch is finally getting hitched. It’s a small affair, just a few friends, the bride’s parents, the groom’s mother, and, just maybe, his father. Except Fletch’s father is supposed to be dead.<br></p><p>Fletch, Too<br></p><p>But somebody delivered the letter, signed Fletch (senior) and containing an invitation (and a pair of plane tickets) to visit the old man in Nairobi for the honeymoon. Never mind Fletch and his bride were planning a ski trip to Colorado.<br></p><p>Fletch, Too<br></p><p>No sooner does the couple land in Africa (togged out for skiing!), then the search for Fletch’s father begins. There’s a murder at the airport, reports of the old man’s incarceration, and the hospitality (and evasiveness) offered by pop’s best friend, who flies them across the continent, just a step or two behind (or maybe ahead of) the old rascal.</p></div>


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<div><p>In <strong>Fletch’s Moxie</strong>, the prolific Gregory Mcdonald tests his incomparable investigative journalist once again with a caper that is as perfectly plotted as Fletch is brilliant. <br></p><p>It seems just about everyone in Hollywood had a reason to want Steve Peterman dead. But how someone managed to put a knife in his back on a live broadcast without being seen is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately for Fletch, his girlfriend, Moxie Mooney, a huge star at the box office, is also the number one suspect. With the police asking way too many questions, Fletch whisks Moxie and her drunken father, O.L., off to Key West for a little privacy. But before he can even check out the beach, the rest of the suspects decide to check in. Now, in a house full of Hollywood’s elite, Fletch is increasingly amazed at how ruthless the movie business can be.</p></div>


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<div><p><strong><em>BENEATH THE DARK ICE</em></strong></p><hr><p><strong><em></em></strong><em>When a plane crashes into the Antarctic ice, exposing an enormous cave system, a rescue and research team is dispatched. Twenty-four hours later, all contact is lost. </em></p><p><em>Captain Alex Hunter and his highly trained commandos, along with a team of scientists, are fast tracked to the hot zone to find out what went wrong. Meanwhile, the alluring petrobiologist Aimee Weir is sent to follow up on the detection of a vast underground reservoir. If the unidentified substance proves to be oil, every country in the world will want to know about it--even wage war over it. Or worse.</em></p><p><em>Once suspended into the caves, Alex, Aimee, and the others can't locate a single survivor--or even a trace of their remains. Nor is there a energy source, only specters of the dead haunting the tunnels. But soon they will discover that something very much alive is brewing beneath the surface. It is a force that dates back to the very dawn of time--an ancient terror that hunts and kills to survive.</em></p></div>


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<div><p>Fletch’s Fortune<br></p><p>He hadn’t been a practicing journalist for years, although people remembered him and he still has a few contacts. And he’s pretty sure he hasn’t paid his dues to the American Journalism Alliance anytime recently. But somebody has.<br></p><p>Fletch’s Fortune<br></p><p>Enjoying himself on the French Riviera, developing a killer tan, and sleeping with the neighbor’s wife, Fletch is feeling pretty flush. But when agents Eggers and Fabens show up with a little more information about Fletch than is comfortable and an invitation to the A.J.A. convention, how could he refuse? <br></p><p>Fletch’s Fortune<br></p><p>So he finds himself enlisted as a spy among his peers. But before he can even set up his surveillance, there’s a murder. And almost everybody’s a suspect. Because a lot of people were employed by Walter March, and most of them had a reason to hate him.</p></div>


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<div><p>Fletch Reflected<br></p><p>Fletch’s newfound son Jack has just heard from an old flame who’s about to marry a billionaire’s son—that is until her future father-in-law suffers several near-fatal accidents.<br></p><p>Fletch Reflected<br></p><p>The potential victim—the inventor of the perfect mirror, which allows people to see themselves exactly as others do—lives in his own secluded compound, so Jack gets a job as pool hand on the estate to get closer to the action.<br></p><p>Fletch Reflected<br></p><p>Now Jack's life may be in danger, and he will need his inimitable father's help to discover—before it's too late—whose reflection hides a killer's heart.</p></div>


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<div><p>Fletch Won<br></p><p>As a fledgling reporter, Fletch is doing more flailing than anything else. That and floating around from department to department trying to figure where he fits in. His managing editor’s got him pegged for the society pages, but the kind of society Fletch gets involved with is anything but polite.<br></p><p>Fletch Won<br></p><p>His first big interview, a millionaire lawyer with a crooked streak and an itch to give away some of his ill-gotten gains, ends up dead in the <em>News-Tribune</em>’s parking lot before Fletch can ask question number one. So Fletch ends up going after the murderer instead, and ends up learning a thing or two about crime and punishment.<br></p><p>Fletch Won<br></p><p>At the same time, he’s supposed to be covering (or maybe uncovering) a health spa that caters to all its clients needs, and gets hired as a <em>very</em> personal trainer. Never mind that he’s supposed to be getting married at the end of the week; Fletch has a few other engagements to take care of first.</p></div>


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<div><p>Fletch and the Widow Bradley<br></p><p>When Fletch finds a wallet with $10,000 in cash inside, he doesn’t realize it’s the last piece of good luck he’s going to see for a while. Because when he calls in to the <em>News-Tribune</em>, he discovers a story he’s written is causing quite a sensation, and not the good kind. He might just be out of a job permanently.<br></p><p>Fletch and the Widow Bradley<br></p><p>If Tom Bradley, the chairman of Wagnall-Phipps and one of Fletch’s principal sources, and not incidentally, the source of his paper’s embarrassment, is dead, who’s been signing his name to company documents, and why doesn’t the company treasurer seem to know? If he’s alive, how come his widow, Enid, has Tom’s ashes on the mantel?<br></p><p>Fletch and the Widow Bradley<br></p><p>Fletch may have more questions than answers on his hands, but he knows he’s a pretty good reporter, and if he’s going to get his reputation back, not to mention his job, he’s going to have to get to the bottom of more than one mystery.</p></div>


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<div><p>“A girl jumped off the motel’s roof. Five minutes ago.”<br></p><p>"Give it to me straight. Does the girl have anything to do with us? I mean, with the campaign? The presidential candidate?"<br></p><p>"It's your job, Fletch, to make damned sure she didn't."<br></p><p><strong>FLETCH and the Man Who</strong><br>When Fletch arrives as the new press representative for Governor Caxton Wheeler’s presidential campaign, he isn’t sure which mystery to solve first: what his new job actually is or why the campaign has been leaving dead women in its tracks.<br></p><p><strong>FLETCH and the Man Who</strong><br>He finds himself on the other side of the press, a human shield deflecting the questions he is asking himself. Are the murders just coincidence, or is a cold-hearted killer looking for a job in the White House?<br></p><p><strong>FLETCH and the Man Who</strong><br>When the campaign shifts into high gear, Fletch’s skills are working overtime in a desperate bid of his own to find the killer and to make sure the governor doesn’t lose any more votes.</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">Fletch</p><p class="description">He’s an investigative reporter whose methods are a little unorthodox. Currently he’s living on the beach with the strung-out trying to find to the source of the drugs they live for. </p><p class="description">He’s taking more than a little flack from his editor. She doesn’t appreciate his style. Or the expense account items he’s racking up. Or his definition of the word deadline. Or the divorce lawyers who keep showing up at the office.</p><p class="description">So when multimillionaire Alan Stanwyk offers Fletch the job of a lifetime, which could be worth a fortune, he’s intrigued and decides to do a little investigation. What he discovers is that the proposition is anything but what it seems.</p></div>


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Confess, FletchThe flight from Rome had been pleasant enough, even if the business he was on wasn’t exactly. His Italian fianc?e’s father had been kidnapped and presumably murdered, and Fletch is on the trail of a stolen art collection that is her only patrimony. But when he arrives in his apartment to find a dead body, things start to get complicated. Confess, FletchInspector Flynn found him a little glib for someone who seemed to be the only likely suspect in a pretty clear case of homicide. He wasn’t exactly uncooperative, but it wasn’t like he was entirely forthcoming either. And Flynn wasn’t entirely convinced that the nineteenth-century Western artist Edgar Arthur Tharp really occupied most of Fletch’s thoughts.Confess, FletchWith the police on his tail and a few other things to do beside prove his own innocence, Fletch makes himself at home in Boston, renting a van, painting it black, and breaking into a private art gallery. That is when he’s not “entertaining” his future mother-in-law and visiting with the good Inspector Flynn and his family.


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<div><p>Carioca Fletch<br></p><p>Fletch’s trip to Brazil wasn’t exactly planned. But it’s Carnival time in Rio and he has plenty of money, thanks to a little arrangement made stateside. And it took him no time to hook up with the luscious Laura Soares. Fletch is beginning to relax, just a little.<br></p><p>Carioca Fletch<br></p><p>But between the American widow who seems to be following Fletch and the Brazilian widow who’s fingered Fletch as her long-dead husband, he suddenly doesn’t have much time to enjoy the present or even get a wink of sleep.<br></p><p>Carioca Fletch<br></p><p>A thirty-year-old unsolved murder, a more recent suicide, an inconvenient heart attack–somehow Fletch is connected to all of them and one of those connections might just shorten his own life. From Rio to Bahia and back again, at the height of Carnival, Fletch has to keep moving or get stopped cold.</p></div>


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<div><p>The long-anticipated sequel to the beloved and hugely successful novel Wicked, now Broadway's #1 smash hit musical </p><p>When a Witch dies-not as a crone, withered and incapable, but as a woman in her prime, at the height of her passion and prowess-too much is left unsaid. What might have happened had Elphaba lived? Of her campaigns in defense of the Animals, of her appetite for justice, of her talent for magic itself, what good might have come? If every death is a tragedy, the death of a woman in her prime keenly bereaves the whole world. Ten years after the publication of Wicked, bestselling novelist Gregory Maguire returns to the land of Oz to follow the story of Liir, the adolescent boy left hiding in the shadows of the castle when Dorothy did in the Witch.</p><p>A decade after the Witch has melted away, the young man Liir is discovered bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully. Shattered in spirit as well as in form, he is tended by the mysterious Candle, a<br>foundling in her own right, until failed campaigns of his childhood bear late, unexpected fruit. </p><p>Liir is only one part of the world that Elphaba left behind. As a boy hardly in his teens, he is asked to help the needy in ways in which he may be unskilled. Is he Elphaba's son? Has he power of his own? Can he<br>liberate Princess Nastoya into a dignified death? Can he locate his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in shackles in the Wizard's protection? Can he survive in an Oz little improved since the death of the Wicked Witch of the West? Can he learn to fly?</p><p>In Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire suggests that the magic we locate in distant, improbable places like Oz is no greater than the magic inherent in any hard life lived fully, son of a witch or no. </p></div>


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<p class="description">When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.</p>


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<p class="description">The stunning conclusion to the smash "New York Times" bestselling series the Wicked YearsHailed as "bewitching," "remarkable," "extraordinary," "engrossing," "amazing," and "delicious," Gregory Maguire's Wicked Years series--a sophisticated fantasy cycle inspired by the classic children's novel "The Wizard of Oz"--became national bestsellers and the basis for a hit Tony-winning Broadway musical. Now, Maguire returns with the final installment in his transformative work, a thrilling and compulsively readable saga in which the fate of Oz is decided at last. . . .Once peaceful and prosperous, the spectacular Land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who's knocking at the door. It's none other than Dorothy. Yes. "That" Dorothy. Yet amidst all this chaos, Elphaba's granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of "Son of a Witch," has come of age. Now it is up to Rain to take up her broom--and her legacy--in an Oz wracked by war. The stirring, long-awaited conclusion to the bestselling series begun with "Wicked," "Out of Oz" is a magical journey rife with revelations and reversals, reprisals and surprises--the hallmarks of the unique imagination of Gregory Maguire.</p>


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The year is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives perched high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria at Montefiore, the farm of her beloved father, Don Vicente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up the winding slopes to the farm -- and the world comes to Montefiore. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia -- decadent children of a wicked pope -- no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vicente on a years-long quest, he leaves Bianca under the care -- so to speak -- of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but in the dark forest salvation can be found as well ... A lyrical work of stunning creative vision, Mirror Mirror gives fresh life to the classic story of Snow White -- and has a truth and beauty all its own.


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The beloved author of Wicked reimagines Hans Christian Andersen's classic story "The Little Match Girl" for modern readers in this charming, beautifully illustrated gift book   Each year, National Public Radio asks a writer to compose a story with a Christmas theme. In 2008, Gregory Maguire offered a new twist on a classic tale, reinventing the Hans Christian Andersen classic "The Little Match Girl."   When the story was first translated from Danish and published in England in the mid-nineteenth century, the match girl's dying visions of lights and a grandmother in heaven were often interpreted as metaphors of religious salvation. In Matchless, Maguire adds a different dimension to the story, intertwining the match girl's tale with that of a young boy, Frederik, whose own yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family. Maguire uses his storytelling magic to rekindle Andersen's original intentions and to suggest transcendence, the permanence of spirit, and the continuity that links the living and the dead.


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Winifred Rudge, a bemused writer struggling to get beyond the runaway success of her mass-market astrology book, travels to London to jump-start her new novel about a woman who is being haunted by the ghost of Jack the Ripper. Upon her arrival, she finds that her stepcousin and old friend John Comestor has disappeared, and a ghostly presence seems to have taken over his home. Is the spirit Winnie's great-great-grandfather, who, family legend claims, was Charles Dickens's childhood inspiration for Ebenezer Scrooge? Could it be the ghostly remains of Jack the Ripper? Or a phantasm derived from a more arcane and insidious origin? Winnie begins to investigate and finds herself the unwilling audience for a drama of specters and shades—some from her family's peculiar history and some from her own unvanquished past.In the spirit of A. S. Byatt's Possession, with dark echoing overtones of A Christmas Carol, Lost presents a rich fictional world that will enrapture its readers.


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<div><p>"In the much anticipated third volume of the Wicked Years, we return to Oz, seen now through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion.</p><p>While civil war looms in Oz, a tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before her final hour, a figure known as Brrr the Cowardly Lion arrives searching for information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. Abandoned as a cub, his path from infancy is no Yellow Brick Road. In the wake of laws that oppress talking Animals, he avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the warmongering Emperor of Oz.</p><p><em>A Lion Among Men</em> chronicles a battle of wits hastened by the Emerald City's approaching armies. Can those tarnished by infamy escape their sobriquets to claim their own histories, to live honorably within their own skins before they're skinned alive?</p><p>Gregory Maguire's new novel is written with the sympahty and power that have made his books contemporary classics.</p></div>


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Killing Is An ArtIn life, they were flawed. In death, they are perfect works of art--killed, preserved, and carefully molded into replicas of Michelangelo's most celebrated creations. Only The Sculptor can bring forth their true beauty and teach the world to appreciate his gift.He Is The MasterFBI Special Agent Sam Markham has a reputation for tracking serial killers, but this artful adversary is meticulous, disciplined, and more ruthless than any he's encountered. The only clue is a note dedicating the latest statue to Cathy Hildebrant, an art historian who shares Sam's fear that the killing has just begun.And She Is The Perfect SubjectIn a quiet Rhode Island town, The Sculptor shapes his latest macabre creation, waiting for Cathy to draw nearer so that his message can be understood at last. And the only way to save her is for Sam to unlock a psychopath's twisted mind before his final, terrifying masterpiece is revealed. . .Funaro provides clever plotting and plenty of suspense. --John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author Fast-paced, exciting. . .Funaro delivers gasp-out-loud terror and relentless suspense. A genuine page-turner! --Kevin O'Brien, New York Times bestselling authorIt reminded me of why I loved Silence of the Lambs so much. --Gregg Olsen A stone cold thrill ride! Unique and unexpected twists make this one a keeper! Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author


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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">At the start of this massive, thrillingly undomesticated potboiler, a young Australian man bearing a false New Zealand passport that gives his name as "Lindsay" flies to Bombay some time in the early '80s. On his first day there, Lindsay meets the two people who will largely influence his fate in the city. One is a young tour guide, Prabaker, whose gifts include a large smile and an unstoppably joyful heart. Through Prabaker, Lindsay learns Marathi (a language not often spoken by gora, or foreigners), gets to know village India and settles, for a time, in a vast shantytown, operating an illicit free clinic. The second person he meets is Karla, a beautiful Swiss-American woman with sea-green eyes and a circle of expatriate friends. Lin's love for Karla—and her mysterious inability to love in return—gives the book its central tension. "Linbaba's" life in the slum abruptly ends when he is arrested without charge and thrown into the hell of Arthur Road Prison. Upon his release, he moves from the slum and begins laundering money and forging passports for one of the heads of the Bombay mafia, guru/sage Abdel Khader Khan. Eventually, he follows Khader as an improbable guerrilla in the war against the Russians in Afghanistan. There he learns about Karla's connection to Khader and discovers who set him up for arrest. Roberts, who wrote the first drafts of the novel in prison, has poured everything he knows into this book and it shows. It has a heartfelt, cinemascope feel. If there are occasional passages that would make the very angels of purple prose weep, there are also images, plots, characters, philosophical dialogues and mysteries that more than compensate for the novel's flaws. A sensational read, it might well reproduce its bestselling success in Australia here. </span></h3>


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<p class="description">Impending personal tragedy is dimming the brilliant light of Dr. Benjamin Knowlton's world. On the threshold of their greatest achievement, the renowned astrophysicist's beloved wife and partner -- ex-astronaut-turned astronomer -- is dying.But something looms alarningly on the far edge of the solar system: at once a scientific find of unparalleled importance that could ensure the Knowltons' immortality, and a potential earth-shattering cataclysm that dwarfs their private one. For Benjamin and Channing have discovered "Eater," an eons-old black hole anomaly that devours stars and worlds. Yet its most awesome and devasting secrets are still to be revealed...and feared.</p>


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Now in paperback—the “amazing”( James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers) never-before-told story of the greatest escape of the Second World War.In 1944 the OSS set out to recover more than 500 downed airmen trapped behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia. Classified for over half a century for political reasons, the full account of this unforgettable story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery is now being told for the first time.


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<p class="description">The kingdom of God is a beautiful revolution. Marked by the radical life, love, servanthood, and humility of Jesus, it stands in stark contrast to the values and ways of the world.Regrettably, many who profess to follow Christ have bought into the world's methods, seeking to impose a sort of Christianized ethical kingdom through politics and control. In this illuminating sequel to his bestselling book The Myth of a Christian Nation, Dr. Gregory Boyd points us to a better way---a way of seeing and living that is consistent with the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom. Between the extremes of passivity on the one hand and political holy war on the other lies the radical, revolutionary path of imitating Jesus.In twelve areas ranging from racial and social issues to stewardship of the planet, this book will convince and inspire you to live a Christlike life of revolt and beauty---and it will help you attain a practical lifestyle of kingdom impact.</p>


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<p class="description">The church was established to serve the world with Christ-like love, not to rule the world. It is called to look like a corporate Jesus, dying on the cross for those who crucified him, not a religious version of Caesar. It is called to manifest the kingdom of the cross in contrast to the kingdom of the sword. Whenever the church has succeeded in gaining what most American evangelicals are now trying to get -- political power -- it has been disastrous both for the church and the culture. Whenever the church picks up the sword, it lays down the cross. The present activity of the religious right is destroying the heart and soul of the evangelical church and destroying its unique witness to the world. The church is to have a political voice, but we are to have it the way Jesus had it: by manifesting an alternative to the political, 'power over, ' way of doing life. We are to transform the world by being willing to suffer for others -- exercising 'power under, ' not by getting our way in society -- exercising 'power over</p>


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The bodies are found in towns and cities around Puget Sound. The young women who are the victims had nothing in common--except the agony of their final moments. But somebody carefully chose them to stalk, capture, and torture...a depraved killer whose cunning is matched only by the depth of his bloodlust. But the dying has only just begun. And next victim will be the most shocking of all... Praise for Gregg Olsen's NovelsGrabs you by the throat. --Kay HooperWickedly clever! Genuinely twisted. --Lisa Gardner As Good As It Gets. --Lee ChildAn Irresistible Page-Turner. --Kevin O'Brien


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<p>"Wickedly clever! Genuinely twisted." --Lisa Gardner  </p><p>"Olsen will scare you--and you'll love it."--Lee Child  </p><p>Hannah Griffin was a girl when tragedy struck. She still remembers the flames reflected against the newly fallen snow and the bodies the police dug up--one of them her mother's. The killer was never found. . ..  </p><p>Twenty years later Hannah is a talented CSI investigating a case of child abuse when the past comes hurtling back. A killer with unfinished business is on the hunt. And an anonymous message turns Hannah's blood cold:   </p><p>Your Mom called. . .   </p><p>"A TAUT THRILLER." --<em>Seattle Post-Intelligencer</em>  </p><p>"AN IRRESISTIBLE PAGE-TURNER." --Kevin O'Brien  </p><p>"WILL KEEP FANS OF CRIME FICTION HOOKED." --<em>Publishers Weekly</em>  </p><p><strong>Includes a bonus excerpt from Gregg Olsen's newest thriller!</strong></p><p>**</p>


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The inspiring account of one man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia In 1993, following a failed attempt to ascend K2, Greg Mortenson was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers in Pakistan and promised to build them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time-Mortenson's one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban. Award-winning journalist David Oliver Relin has collaborated on this spellbinding account of Mortenson's incredible accomplishments in a region where Americans are often feared and hated. Over the following decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools. "Three Cups of Tea" is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring story of how one man really is changing the world-one school at a time.


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<p class="description">As one of the greatest rock icons of all time, Gregg Allman has lived it all and then some. For almost fifty years, he's been creating some of the most recognizable songs in American rock, but never before has he paused to reflect on the long road he's traveled. Now, he tells the unflinching story of his life, laying bare the unvarnished truth about his wild ride that has spanned across the years.  The story begins simply: with Gregg and his older brother, Duane, growing up in the South, raising hell with their guitars, and drifting from one band to another. But all that changed when Duane and Gregg came together with four other men to forge something new--a unique sound shaped by soul, rock, and blues and brimming with experimentation; a sound not just of a band, but of a family.  Bringing to life the carefree early days of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg holds nothing back--from run-ins with the law to meeting girls on the road, from jamming at the Fillmore East to experimenting with drugs. Along the way, he goes behind the scenes of some of greatest rock music ever recorded, without shying away from the infamous and painful deaths of his brother, Duane, and Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley. Speaking for the first time about the profound impact that his brother's death had on him, Gregg offers a tribute to Duane that only a younger brother could write, showing how, to this day, he still confronts the grief of losing his big brother, even as Duane continues to guide and inspire him.  Setting the record straight about the band's struggles in the face of death, Gregg shows how the decision to persevere came with a heavy price. While the rock and roll excesses of drugs, alcohol, and personality clashes led to a series of breakups that culminated with the band's permanent reunion in 1989, Gregg fought his own battle with substance abuse, going to rehab no less than eleven times and floating through a string of failed marriages, including his tabloid-frenzied relationship with Cher, before finally cleaning up once and for all.  Capturing the Allman Brothers' ongoing, triumphant resurgence as well as his own recent fight against hepatitis C, Gregg presents a story as honest as it is fascinating, providing a glimpse inside one of the most beloved and notorious bands in the history of rock music and demonstrating how, through it all, the road goes on . . . forever.</p>


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In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003, recounting his relentless, ongoing efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan; his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive earthquake hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships with Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he was dodging shootouts with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an eight-day armed abduction by the Taliban. He shares for the first time his broader vision to promote peace through education and literacy, as well as touching on military matters, Islam, and women all woven together with the many rich personal stories of the people who have been involved in this remarkable two-decade humanitarian effort.


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<div><p>From the irreverent star of Fox News’s <em>Red Eye </em>and <em>The Five</em>, hilarious observations on the manufactured outrage of an oversensitive, wussified culture.<br><br>Greg Gutfeld hates artificial tolerance. At the root of every single major political conflict is the annoying coddling Americans must endure of these harebrained liberal hypocrisies. In fact, most of the time liberals uses the mantle of tolerance as a guise for their pathetic intolerance. And what we really need is smart intolerance, or as Gutfeld reminds us, what we used to call common sense.<br><em><br>The Joy of Hate</em> tackles this conundrum head on--replacing the idiocy of open-mindness with a shrewd judgmentalism that rejects stupid ideas, notions, and people. With countless examples grabbed from the headlines, Gutfeld provides readers with the enormous tally of what pisses us all off. For example:<br>- The double standard: You can make fun of Christians, but God forbid Muslims. It's okay to call a woman any name imaginable, as long as she's a Republican. And no problem if you're a bigot, as long as you're politically correct about it. <br>- The demonizing of the Tea Party and romanticizing of the Occupy Wall Streeters. <br>- The media who are always offended (see MSNBC lineup)<br>- How critics of Obamacare or illegal immigration are somehow immediately labeled racists. <br>- The endless debate over the Ground Zero Mosque (which Gutfeld planned to open a Muslim gay bar next to). <br>- As well as pretentious music criticism, slow-moving ceiling fans, and snotty restaurant hostesses. <br></p><p>Funny and sarcastic to the point of being mean (but in a nice way), <em>The Joy of Hate</em> points out the true jerks in this society and tells them all off<strong>.</strong></p></div>


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<p class="description">A starship hurtles through the emptiness of space. Its destination-unknown. Its purpose-a mystery. Its history-lost.Now, one man wakes up. Ripped from a dream of a new home-a new planet and the woman he was meant to love in his arms-he finds himself, wet, naked, and freezing to death. The dark halls are full of monsters but trusting other survivors he meets might be the greater danger.All he has are questions-- Who is he? Where are they going? What happened to the dream of a new life? What happened to the woman he loved? What happened to Hull 03?All will be answered, if he can survive. Uncover the mystery. Fix the ship. Find a way home.HULL ZERO THREE is an edge of your seat thrill ride through the darkest reaches of space.</p>


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<p class="description">It’s the second decade of the twenty-first century, and terrorism has escalated almost beyond control. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem has been blown to bits by extremists and, in retaliation, thousands have died in another major attack on the United States. New weapons are being spawned in remote basement labs. No one feels safe. In North America, the FBI uses cutting-edge technology to thwart domestic terrorists. Sat-linked engine blockers stop drug-traffickers cold; devices the size of Magic Markers test for bio-hazards on the spot; 3-D projectors reconstruct crime scenes from hours-old evidence; and sophisticated bomb suits protect against all but the most savage forces. Despite all this, the War on Terror has reached a deadly stalemate. Now the FBI has been dispatched to deal with a new menace. Like the Anthrax threat of 2001, a plague targeted to ethnic groups-Jews or Muslims or both-has the potential to wipe out entire populations. But the FBI itself is under political assault. There’s a good chance agents William Griffin, Fouad Al-Husam, and Jane Rowland will be part of the last class at Quantico. As the young agents hunt a brilliant homegrown terrorist, they join forces with veteran bio-terror expert Rebecca Rose. But the plot they uncover-and the man they chase-proves far more complex than anyone expects.</p>


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<p>How far would you go to save the ones you love? Would you run five traffic lights in a row? Would you rob a store at gunpoint? Would you commit murder?Security guard Sam White's life falls apart when he arrives home to find his house a burned-out shell with the bodies of his wife and daughter inside. Then he receives a phone call from a man who claims that his wife and child are alive and Sam can still save them. But first, he must complete a few simple tasks. Sam joins forces with Zack Parker whose life has also been ripped apart by the same sadistic kidnapper. Together they plunge into the dark, labyrinthine underworld of Portland, Oregon, and into a race against time to discover the identity of the kidnapper and save their families before it's too late.</p>


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<p class="description">In the tradition of the greatest cyberpunk novels, Blood Music explores the imminent destruction of mankind and the fear of mass destruction by technological advancements. Blood Music follows present-day events in which the fears concerning the nuclear annihilation of the world subsided after the Cold War and the fear of chemical warfare spilled over into the empty void of nuclear fear. An amazing breakthrough in genetic engineering made by Vergil Ulam is considered too dangerous for further research, but rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just quite how his actions will change the world. Author Greg Bear's treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is both suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us, irrevocably changing our world.</p>


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<p class="description">The Forge of God described the destruction of Earth itself by self-replicating robots, Von Neumann machines designed to use the planet's mass to create more robotic creatures and spread throughout the Galaxy. Only a few humans have survived, aided by a mysterious alien race known only as “The Benefactors”, who arrived at Earth too late. Now the small group of human survivors is determined to track down the criminal race who launched the planet killers. Humanity is given a starship by The Benefactors, and driven only by revenge they set out to find the unknown beings who are responsible for the destruction of Earth, and many other worlds. Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books of science fiction and fantasy, including Blood Music, The Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, and Quantico. </p>


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<p>When Ella Moore, a brilliant Egyptologist at Cambridge University, receives a strange and unexpected inheritance from her murdered father – a cryptic note, a mysterious painting and a gold ring emblazoned with a strange symbol – she embarks on a deadly journey to locate an ancient and mysterious book. Hidden for over two-thousand years, and protected by an ancient cult, the book holds the secrets of a long forgotten civilisation. Secrets that would rock the foundations of Western society and religion. Secrets worth killing for. Agent William Temple, a former special forces intelligence officer, has just joined F-Branch, a covert operational arm of MI6. For his first mission he is assigned to investigate a secret society who plan to release a genetically engineered virus. After William rescues Ella from abduction, they join forces in the hunt for the book. Pursued by a ruthless assassin working for the world’s most ancient secret society, together they must decode the mysteries of her father’s legacy and find the book before it falls into the hands of evil and is lost forever. Find the book. Find the vaccine. The clock is ticking.</p>


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<div><p>This is the Paris you never knew. From the Revolution to the present, Graham Robb has distilled a series of astonishing true narratives, all stranger than fiction, of the lives of the great, the near-great, and the forgotten.</p><p>A young artillery lieutenant, strolling through the Palais-Royal, observes disapprovingly the courtesans plying their trade. A particular woman catches his eye; nature takes its course. Later that night Napoleon Bonaparte writes a meticulous account of his first sexual encounter. A well-dressed woman, fleeing the Louvre, takes a wrong turn and loses her way in the nameless streets of the Left Bank. For want of a map—there were no reliable ones at the time—Marie-Antoinette will go to the guillotine. <br></p><p>Baudelaire, the photographer Marville, Baron Haussmann, the real-life Mimi of La Bohème, Proust, Adolf Hitler touring the occupied capital in the company of his generals, Charles de Gaulle (who is suspected of having faked an assassination attempt in Notre Dame)—these and many more are Robb’s cast of characters, and the settings range from the quarries and catacombs beneath the streets to the grand monuments to the appalling suburbs ringing the city today. The result is a resonant, intimate history with the power of a great novel. </p></div>


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<div><p>In December 1893, Sherlock Holmes-adoring Londoners eagerly opened their Strand magazines, anticipating the detective's next adventure, only to find the unthinkable: his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, had killed their hero off. London spiraled into mourning  crowds sported black armbands in grief  and railed against Conan Doyle as his assassin. </p><p>Then in 1901, just as abruptly as Conan Doyle had "murdered" Holmes in "The Final Problem," he resurrected him. Though the writer kept detailed diaries of his days and work, Conan Doyle never explained this sudden change of heart. After his death, one of his journals from the interim period was discovered to be missing, and in the decades since, has never been found.</p><p>Or has it?</p><p>When literary researcher Harold White is inducted into the preeminent Sherlock Holmes enthusiast society, The Baker Street Irregulars, he never imagines he's about to be thrust onto the hunt for the holy grail of Holmes-ophiles: the missing diary. But when the world's leading Doylean scholar is found murdered in his hotel room, it is Harold - using wisdom and methods gleaned from countless detective stories - who takes up the search, both for the diary and for the killer. </p></div>


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<p class="description">A grieving father wants to enter the world of the dead to visit his murdered family.</p>


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<p class="description">In the heart of the Amazon, NRI operative Danielle Laidlaw makes an incredible discovery: a translucent Mayan stone generating massive waves of energy while counting down toward the infamous apocalyptic date: December 21, 2012. And somewhere, there are three more just like it.What power will be unleashed if all four stones come together? Who created them—and who has them now? Using a cryptic Mayan map and a prophecy that points to the end of the world, Danielle and her team race toward answers. But one staggering question remains: Were these artifacts meant to save us—or to destroy us once and for all?</p>


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A knife-wielding maniac is terrorizing the city. But he isnt flesh and blood; hes paint and paper, a portrait come to life.


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<p class="description">Covert government operative Danielle Laidlaw leads an expedition into the deepest reaches of the Amazon in search of a legendary Mayan city. Assisted by a renowned university professor and protected by a mercenary named Hawker, her team journeys into the tangled rain forest—unaware that they are replacements for a group that vanished weeks before, and that the treasure they are seeking is no mere artifact but a breakthrough discovery that could transform the world. Shadowed by a ruthless billionaire, threatened by a violent indigenous tribe, and stalked by an unseen enemy that leaves battered corpses in its wake, the group desperately seeks the connection between the deadly reality of the Mayan legend, the nomadic tribe that haunts them, and the chilling secret buried beneath the ancient ruins.</p>


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<p class="description">In this riveting work of narrative nonfiction, journalist Graham Bowley re-creates one of the most dramatic tales of death and survival in mountaineering history, vividly taking readers through the tragic 2008 K2 ascent that claimed the lives of eleven climbers, severely injured two others, and made headlines around the world.   With its near-perfect pyramid shape, the 28,251-foot K2—the world's second-highest mountain, some 800 feet shorter than the legendary Everest hundreds of miles to the south—has lured serious climbers for decades. In 2008, near the end of a brief climbing season cut even shorter by bad weather, no fewer than ten international teams—some experienced, others less prepared—crowded the mountain's dangerous slopes with their Sherpas and porters, waiting to ascend.   Finally, on August 1, they were able to set off. But hindered by poor judgment, lack of equipment, and overcrowded conditions, the last group did not summit until nearly 8 p.m., hours later than planned. Then disaster struck when a huge ice chunk from above the Bottleneck, a deadly 300-foot avalanche-prone gulley just below the summit, came loose and destroyed the fixed guide ropes. More than a dozen climbers and porters still above the Bottleneck—many without oxygen and some with no headlamps—faced the near impossibility of descending in the blackness with no guideline and no protection. Over the course of the chaotic night, some would miraculously make it back. Others would not.   Based on in-depth interviews with surviving climbers and many Sherpas, porters, and family and friends of the deceased, No Way Down reveals for the first time the full dimensions of this harrowing drama.</p>


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In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer. Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.


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<div><p>"A luminous holiday tale of romance, passion, and dreams come true from rising star Grace Burrowes, whose award-winning Regency romances are capturing hearts worldwide.</p><p><strong>All She Wants is Peace and Anonymity...</strong></p><p>Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.</p><p><strong>But Sophie's Holiday is About to Heat Up...</strong></p><p>With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits-but when Sophie's brothers whisk her away, Vim's most painful holiday memories are reawakened.</p><p>It seems Sophie's been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true.</p></div>


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<p class="description">If you wanted to buy a top-quality condom in prewar Germany, you bought Fromms Act, the first brand name condom and still a leading brand in the German market. The man behind this "pure German quality product" was Julius Fromm, a Jewish entrepreneur who had immigrated from Russia as a child. Fromm was in the right place at the right time: he patented Fromms Act in 1916, when the combination of changing sexual mores, awareness of sexual health, and the lack of reliable prophylactics meant a market primed for his product. In 1922 he began mass production and opened international branches. Sixteen years later, after building the brand into a best seller and the company into a model business, he was forced to sell Fromms Act for a fraction of its worth to a German baroness. In 1939 he emigrated to London. Aly and Sontheimer trace Fromm's rise and fall, illuminating the ways Jewish businesses like his were Aryanized under the Nazis. The authors also recount the Fromm family's quest for reparations, one that came to an end only in 2006. Through the biography of this businessman and the story of his unusual and fabulously successful company, we learn the fascinating history of the first branded condoms in Germany and the sexual culture that allowed them to thrive, the heretofore undocumented machinations by which the Nazis robbed German-Jewish families of their businesses, and the tragedy of a man whose great love for the adopted country that first allowed him to succeed was betrayed by its government and his fellow citizens. This captivating account offers a wealth of detail and a fresh array of photographic documentation, and adds a striking new dimension to our understanding of this dark period in German history.</p>


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<div><p><strong>The preeminent historian of the American Revolution explains why it remains the most significant event in our history. </strong></p><p>More than almost any other nation in the world, the United States began as an idea. For this reason, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon S. Wood believes that the American Revolution is the most important event in our history, bar none. Since American identity is so fluid and not based on any universally shared heritage, we have had to continually return to our nation's founding to understand who we are. In <em>The Idea of America</em>, Wood reflects on the birth of American nationhood and explains why the revolution remains so essential. </p><p>In a series of elegant and illuminating essays, Wood explores the ideological origins of the revolution-from ancient Rome to the European Enlightenment-and the founders' attempts to forge an American democracy. As Wood reveals, while the founders hoped to create a virtuous republic of yeoman farmers and uninterested leaders, they instead gave birth to a sprawling, licentious, and materialistic popular democracy. </p><p>Wood also traces the origins of American exceptionalism to this period, revealing how the revolutionary generation, despite living in a distant, sparsely populated country, believed itself to be the most enlightened people on earth. The revolution gave Americans their messianic sense of purpose-and perhaps our continued propensity to promote democracy around the world-because the founders believed their colonial rebellion had universal significance for oppressed peoples everywhere. Yet what may seem like audacity in retrospect reflected the fact that in the eighteenth century republicanism was a truly radical ideology-as radical as Marxism would be in the nineteenth-and one that indeed inspired revolutionaries the world over. </p><p>Today there exists what Wood calls a terrifying gap between us and the founders, such that it requires almost an act of imagination to fully recapture their era. Because we now take our democracy for granted, it is nearly impossible for us to appreciate how deeply the founders feared their grand experiment in liberty could evolve into monarchy or dissolve into licentiousness. Gracefully written and filled with insight, <em>The Idea of America</em> helps us to recapture the fears and hopes of the revolutionary generation and its attempts to translate those ideals into a working democracy. </p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Gordon S. Wood's <em>The American Revolution</em>, part of the Modern Library Chronicles series, is an erudite, concise summary of the events and circumstances surrounding the seminal conflict, both physical and philosophical, in American history. The Modern Library Chronicles are accessible-but-serious works of scholarship, meant to serve as introductions (or refresher courses) on large subjects for interested readers. <em>The American Revolution</em> is an excellent case in point. Wood deftly describes seeds of the Revolution, most notably disgruntlement on the colonists' part brought about by increasingly maladroit and fiscally punishing British policies. He then follows the course of actual warfare and its aftermath, most interestingly the fraught, bitter battle to draw a governing blueprint for the new country.</span></h3><p>Wood breaks little new interpretive ground himself, here, but as a synthesizer (and amiable, skillful narrator/guide) he stands on high ground. </p></div>


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<div><p>An electrifying psychological thriller about a mother and daughter pushed to their limits.</p><p>Shelley and her mom have been menaced long enough. Excused from high school where a trio of bullies nearly killed her, and still reeling from her parents' humiliating divorce, Shelley has retreated with her mother to the quiet of Honeysuckle Cottage in the countryside. Thinking their troubles are over, they revel in their cozy, secure life of gardening and books, hot chocolate and Brahms by the fire. But on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, an unwelcome guest disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties-about their safety, their moral convictions, the limits of what they are willing to accept, and what they're capable of.</p><p>Debut novelist Gordon Reece has written a taut tale of gripping suspense, packed with action both comic and terrifying. Shelley is a spellbinding narrator, and her delectable mix of wit, irony, and innocence transforms the major current issue of bullying into an edge- of-your-seat story of fear, violence, family loyalty, and the outer reaches of right and wrong.</p></div>


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<p class="description">"As a chef, I work at a thousand miles an hour, but when I'm at home, I want to slow down."   way from the high-octane energy of the professional kitchen, Gordon Ramsay makes meals at home that are more re-laxed, where cooking is fun and everyone gets involved in preparing food for family and friends. The way Gordon cooks here embodies his strongly held views: use in-season, fresh ingredients at their peak; support local producers and farmers' markets whenever possible; and celebrate the food culture and its many influences.   And while Gordon loves to celebrate traditional food, he proves that it doesn't have to be boring, bland, or uninventive. Cooking for Friends is full of Gordon's best-loved versions of classic dishes—try a slow-cooked dish like Honey Roast Ham or Corn-Fed Chicken Legs with Braised Peas and Onions, or invite people around for a Sunday lunch of Roast Rib-Eye with Caramelized Shallot and Red Wine Gravy. Cook the ultimate in comfort food, Shepherd's Pie with Branston Pickle or Bakewell Tart, and get the kids involved in making Farfalle with Bacon, Peas, and Sage or Grilled Vegetable Lasagne.   Cooking for Friends contains more than one hundred of Gordon's favorite recipes that he loves to cook and eat with friends and family—uncomplicated recipes but all with Gordon's remarkable feeling for flavor and his extraordinary technical know-how.</p>


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<div><p>In 1994, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were brutally murdered at her home in Brentwood, California. O. J. Simpson was tried for the crime in a case that captured the attention of the American people, but was ultimately found not guilty of criminal charges. The victims' families brought a civil case against Simpson, and he was found liable for willfully and wrongfully causing the deaths of Ron and Nicole by committing battery with malice and oppression.<br></p><p>In 2006, HarperCollins announced the publication of a book in which O. J. Simpson told how he <em>hypothetically</em> would have committed the murders. In response to public outrage that Simpson stood to profit from these crimes, HarperCollins canceled the book. A Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the Goldmans in August 2007 to partially satisfy the unpaid civil judgment, which has risen to over $38 million with interest. <br></p><p>The Goldman family views this book as his confession, and has worked hard to ensure that the public will read this book and learn the truth. This is the original manuscript approved by O. J. Simpson, with up to 14,000 words of key additional commentary. <br></p><p><strong>A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice.</strong></p></div>


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Homeless Michael Fox is about to commit suicide when a mysterious billionaire surgeon stops him and offers him two million dollarsfor his right arm. But Foxs arm is only the beginning, as the surgeon continues his mad experiments, removing parts of Foxs body bit by bit and reassembling him from other parts. And Fox isnt the only one the doctor is experimenting on.


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<div><p class="description">Glenn Greenwald's No Place to Hide is the story of one of the greatest national security leaks in US history.In June 2013, reporter and political commentator Glenn Greenwald published a series of reports in the Guardian which rocked the world.The reports revealed shocking truths about the extent to which the National Security Agency had been gathering information about US citizens and intercepting communication worldwide, and were based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden to Greenwald.</p><p class="description">Including new revelations from documents entrusted to Greenwald by Snowden, this essential book tells the story of Snowden and the NSA and examines the far-reaching consequences of the government's surveillance program, both in the US and abroad.</p></div>


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From the author of The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart, a finalist for the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award, comes this sweeping novel of love and war, power and oppression, faith and deception, over the course of three defining american decades.   1941. Loyal Ledford works the swing shift tending furnace at the Mann Glass factory in Huntington, West Virginia. He courts Rachel, the boss's daughter, a company nurse with spike-straight posture and coal-black hair. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked, Ledford, like so many young men of his time, sets his life on a new course.   Upon his return from service in the war, Ledford starts a family with Rachel, but he chafes under the authority at Mann Glass. He is a lost man, disconnected from the present and haunted by his violent past, until he meets his cousins, the Bonecutter brothers. Their land, mysterious, elemental Marrowbone Cut, calls to Ledford, and it is there, with help from an unlikely bunch, that the Marrowbone Marble Company is slowly forged. Over the next two decades, the factory grounds become a vanguard of the civil rights movement and the war on poverty, a home for those intent on change. Such a home inevitably invites trouble, and Ledford must fight for his family.   Returning to the West Virginia territory of the critically acclaimed The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart, Glenn Taylor recounts the transformative journey of a man and his community. Told in clean and powerful prose in the tradition of Cormac McCarthy and John Irving, The Marrowbone Marble Company takes a harrowing look at the issues of race and class throughout the tumultuous 1950s and '60s. It is a story of struggle and loss, righteousness and redemption, and it can only be found in the hills of Marrowbone.


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Constitutional law expert Greenwald examines the George W. Bush presidency and its long-term effect on the nation, dissecting the rhetoric and revealing the faulty ideals upon which Bush built his policies. On September 12, 2001, Bush presented a clear view of what was to come--a view that can be said to define his entire presidency: "a monumental struggle of good versus evil." Based on his own Christian faith, Bush's worldview was basic and binary--and everyone was forced to choose a side. Riding high on public support, Bush sailed through the early "War on Terror," easily defining our enemies and clearly setting an agenda for defeating them. But once the war became murkier, support dropped precipitously. Greenwald argues that his greatest weakness is the same rhetoric that once propelled him forward. Now, Greenwald argues, Bush is trapped by his own choices, unable to break out of the mold that once served him so well.--From publisher description.


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There are secrets that must remain buried . . .   Nine people have been slain in New York City—nine strangers with nothing in common—the apparent victims of a frighteningly elusive serial killer. Only one thing links the dead: postcards they received, mailed from Las Vegas, announcing the day they would die.   Assigned to the case is a legendary FBI profiler with a troubled past, a drinking problem, and nothing left to lose . . .   Abandoned to a monastery is an unwanted son born under a curse on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year 777 . . .   Unprepared for a momentous discovery is a post-World War II expedition into the crypts of a clandestine medieval society . . .   . . . but all lead to a secret embroiled in destiny, history, evil, faith, and corruption . . . and one terrifying truth that no one must ever know . . .


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<div><p>THE LAST BATTLE FOR FREEDOM IS UNDER WAY… </p><p>By the end of Glenn Beck’s #1 bestselling political thriller The Overton Window, a young rebel named Molly Ross had torn aside the curtain to reveal a shadow war being waged for the future of America. In the six months since then, her fight for freedom hasn’t gone well. Marked as traitors and hunted by ruthless government-sanctioned mercenaries using the most advanced surveillance technologies ever created, Ross and her “Founders’ Keepers” find themselves cornered and standing alone. but the fight is far from over. </p><p>The battle lines in this bitter rivalry are as old as civilization itself: On one side, an unlikely band of ordinary Americans ready to make their last stand in defense of self-rule, freedom, and liberty—and on the other, an elite cabal of self-styled tyrants who believe that unlimited power should be wielded only by the chosen few. That group, led by an aging, trillionaire puppet-master named Aaron Doyle, will stop at nothing to destroy the myth that man is capable of ruling himself. </p><p>As Doyle prepares to make his final move toward a dark, global vision for humanity’s future, new allies join the fight and old enemies change sides. In the midst of it all, Molly draws together a small but devoted group willing to risk their lives to infiltrate one of the most secure locations on earth—a place holding long-standing secrets that, if revealed, would forever change the way Americans view their rare, extraordinary place in history. Exposing these truths, and the real-life game of chess being played for mankind’s freedom, is their last chance to save the country they love.</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed . . . can it be stopped?</strong></span></h3>
<p>There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.
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<p>For Noah Gardner, a twentysomething public relations executive, it's safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome, and insulated from the world's problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country.   
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<p>But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future--but Noah, convinced they're just misguided conspiracy-theorists, isn't interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause.   
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<p>And then the world changes.   
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<p>An unprecedented attack on U.S. soil shakes the country to the core and puts into motion a frightening plan, decades in the making, to transform America and demonize all those who stand in the way. Amidst the chaos, many don't know the difference between conspiracy theory and conspiracy fact--or, more important, which side to fight for.   
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<p>But for Noah, the choice is clear: Exposing the plan, and revealing the conspirators behind it, is the only way to save both the woman he loves and the individual freedoms he once took for granted.   
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<p class="description">Abbey of Ruac, rural France: A medieval script is discovered hidden behind an antique bookcase. Badly damaged, it is sent to Paris for restoration, and there literary historian Hugo Pineau begins to read the startling fourteenth-century text. Within its pages lies a fanciful tale of a painted cave and the secrets it contains and a rudimentary map showing its position close to the abbey. Intrigued, Hugo enlists the help of archaeologist Luc Simard and the two men go exploring.When they discover a vast network of prehistoric caves, buried deep within the cliffs, they realise that theyve stumbled across something extraordinary. And at the very core of the labyrinth lies the most astonishing chamber of all, just as the manuscript chronicled. Aware of the significance of their discovery, they set up camp with a team of experts, determined to bring their find to the world. But as they begin to unlock the ancient secrets the cavern holds, they find themselves at the centre of a dangerous game. One accidental death leads to another.And it seems that someone will stop at nothing to protect the enigma of the tenth chamber</p>


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<p>The new nonfiction from #1 bestselling author and popular radio and television host Glenn Beck.  </p><p><strong>THEIR NAMES ARE FAMILIAR.<br />THEIR STORIES ARE NOT.</strong>  </p><p>Everyone has heard of a "Ponzi scheme," but do you know what Charles Ponzi actually did to make his name synonymous with fraud? Credit for inventing radio usually goes to Marconi or David Sarnoff and RCA--but if you've never heard of Edwin Armstrong or Lee de Forest, you know only half the story.  </p><p>You've probably been to a Disney theme park, but did you know that the park Walt believed would change the world was actually EPCOT? He died before his vision for it could ever be realized. History is about so much more than dates and dead guys; it's the greatest story ever told. Now, in this powerful follow-up to his national bestseller <em>Miracles and Massacres</em>, Glenn Beck brings ten more true and untold stories to life.  </p><p>The people who made America were not always what they seemed. There were entrepreneurs and visionaries whose selflessness propelled us forward, but there were also charlatans and fraudsters whose selfishness nearly derailed us. <em>Dreamers and Deceivers </em>brings both of these groups to life with stories written to put you right in the middle of the action. You know that Woodrow Wilson was a progressive who dramatically changed America, but did you know that he was also involved in one of the most shocking national deceptions of all time? You know <em>I Love Lucy</em>, but the true story of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball is much better than anything they produced for television. You've heard of Upton Sinclair, the socialist author who gained famed with <em>The Jungle</em>, but it was a book he wrote two decades later that proved the depths he was willing to go to maintain his reputation.  </p><p>From the spy Alger Hiss, to the visionary Steve Jobs, to the code-breaker Alan Turing--once you know the full stories behind the half-truths you've been force fed...once you meet the unsung heroes and obscured villains edited from our schoolbooks...once you begin to see these amazing people from our past as people rather than just names--your perspective on today's important issues may forever change. Find out why this series has become America's new go-to history book.</p><p>**</p>


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<div><p>When our founding fathers secured the Constitutional “right of the people to keep and bear arms,” they also added the admonition that this right SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. </p><p>It is the only time this phrase appears in the Bill of Rights. So why aren’t more people listening? </p><p>History has proven that guns are essential to self-defense and liberty—but tragedy is a powerful force and has led many to believe that guns are the enemy, that the Second Amendment is outdated, and that more restrictions or outright bans on firearms will somehow solve everything. </p><p>They are wrong. </p><p>In <em>CONTROL, </em>Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. In doing so, he takes on and debunks the common myths and outright lies that are often used to vilify guns and demean their owners: </p><p>The Second Amendment is ABOUT MUSKETS . . . GUN CONTROL WORKS in other countries . . . 40 percent of all guns are sold without BACKGROUND CHECKS . . . More GUNS MEAN more MURDER . . . Mass shootings are becoming more common . . . These awful MASSACRES ARE UNIQUE TO AMERICA . . . No CIVILIAN needs a “weapon of war” like the AR-15 . . . ARMED GUARDS in schools do nothing, just look at Columbine . . . Stop FEARMONGERING, no one is talking about TAKING YOUR GUNS AWAY. </p><p>Backed by hundreds of sources, this handbook gives everyone who cares about the Second Amendment the indisputable facts they need to reclaim the debate, defeat the fear, and take back their natural rights.</p></div>


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<div><p>COURAGE &gt; COWARDS </p><p>As we approach the most important presidential election in America’s history, something has been lost among all of the debates, attack ads, and super- PACs—something that Americans used to hold in very high regard: THE TRUTH. </p><p>Glenn Beck likes to say that “the truth has no agenda”—but there’s another side to that: people who have agendas rarely care about the truth. And, these days, it seems like <em>everyone </em>has an agenda. The media leads with stories that rate over those that matter. Politicians put lobbyists and electability over honesty. Radicals alter history in order to change the future. </p><p>In <em>Cowards, </em>Glenn Beck exposes the truth about thirteen important issues that have been hijacked by deceit. Whether out of spite, greed, or fear, these are the things that no one seems to be willing to have an honest conversation about. For example: </p><ul><li><p>How our two-party POLITICAL SYSTEM often leaves voters with NO GOOD OPTIONS. </p></li><li><p>How extremists are slowly integrating ISLAMIC LAW into our SOCIETY. </p></li><li><p>How PROGRESSIVE “religious” leaders like JIM WALLIS are politicizing the Bible. </p></li><li><p>How the CARTEL VIOLENCE on our border is FAR WORSE than people realize. </p></li><li><p>How “LIBERTARIAN” has been INTENTIONALLY turned into a DIRTY WORD. </p></li><li><p>How GEORGE SOROS has amassed enough MONEY and POWER to INFLUENCE entire ECONOMIES. </p></li></ul><p>In some cases, the truth is out there, but people simply don’t want to hear it. It’s much easier, and certainly a lot more convenient, to keep our blinders on. After all, as a quote attributed to President James Garfield made clear, “The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” </p><p>Miserable or not, the truth can no longer be something we hope for; it must be something we live. When courage prevails, cowards do not—and this book was written to ensure that’s exactly what happens.</p></div>


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<div><p>IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW GEORGE WASHINGTON, THINK AGAIN.</p><p>This is the amazing true story of a real-life superhero who wore no cape and possessed no special powers—yet changed the world forever. It’s a story about a man whose life reads as if it were torn from the pages of an action novel: Bullet holes through his clothing. Horses shot out from under him. Unimaginable hardship. Disease. Heroism. Spies and double-agents. And, of course, the unmistakable hand of Divine Providence that guided it all.</p><p>Being George Washington is a whole new way to look at history. You won’t simply read about the awful winter spent at Valley Forge—you’ll live it right alongside Washington. You’ll be on the boat with him crossing the Delaware, in the trenches with him at Yorktown, and standing next to him at the Constitutional Convention as a new republic is finally born.</p><p>Through these stories you’ll not only learn our real history (and how it applies to today), you’ll also see how the media and others have distorted our view of it. It’s ironic that the best-known fact about George Washington—that he chopped down a cherry tree—is a complete lie. It’s even more ironic when you consider that a lie was thought necessary to prove he could not tell one.</p><p>For all of his heroism and triumphs, Washington’s single greatest accomplishment was the man he created in the process: courageous and principled, fair and just, respectful to all. But he was also something else: flawed.</p><p>It’s those flaws that should give us hope for today. After all, if Washington had been perfect, then there would be no way to build another one. That’s why this book is not just about being George Washington in 1776, it’s about the struggle to be him every single day of our lives. Understanding the way he turned himself from an uneducated farmer into the Indispensable (yet imperfect) Man, is the only way to build a new generation of George Washingtons that can take on the extraordinary challenges that America is once again facing. </p></div>


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<div><p>“I was just a baby when we were relocated and I don’t remember much. Everybody has that black hole at the beginning of their life. That time you can’t remember. Your first step. Your first taste of table food. My real memories begin in our assigned living area in Compound 14.” </p><p>Just a generation ago, this place was called America. Now, after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21, it’s simply known as “the Republic.” There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom. </p><p>There are only the Authorities. </p><p>Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society. This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed. </p><p>Until the day they come for her mother. </p><p>“You save what you think you’re going to lose.” </p><p>Woken up to the harsh reality of her life and her family’s future inside the Republic, Emmeline begins to search for the truth. Why are all citizens confined to ubiquitous concrete living spaces? Why are Compounds guarded by Gatekeepers who track all movements? Why are food, water and energy rationed so strictly? And, most important, why are babies taken from their mothers at birth? As Emmeline begins to understand the true objectives of Agenda 21 she realizes that she is up against far more than she ever thought. With the Authorities closing in, and nowhere to run, Emmeline embarks on an audacious plan to save her family and expose the Republic—but is she already too late? </p></div>


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This is a crime writing gem featuring vanished children, haunted mansions and family secrets from one of the masters of the crime-writing genre.


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In the early summer of the year 1348, as a terrible plague ravages the city, ten charming young Florentines take refuge in country villas to tell each other stories - a hundred stories of love, adventure and surprising twists of fortune which later inspired Chaucer, Keats and Shakespeare. While Dante is a stern moralist, Boccaccio has little time for chastity, pokes fun at crafty, hypocritical clerics and celebrates the power of passion to overcome obstacles and social divisions. Like the Divine Comedy, the Decameron is a towering monument of medieval pre-Renaissance literature, and incorporates certain important elements that are not at once apparent to today's readers. In a new introduction to this revised edition, which also includes additional explanatory notes, maps, bibliography and indexes, Professor McWilliam shows us Boccaccio for what he is - one of the world's greatest masters of vivid and exciting prose fiction.


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<p class="description">A serial killer holds New York in his grip. He does not choose his victims. Nor does he watch them die. But then there are too many of them for that. The explosion of a twenty-two storey building, followed by the casual discovery of a letter, lead the police to face up to a dreadful reality: some of New York's buildings were mined at the time of their construction. But which ones? And how many? A young female detective hiding her personal demons behind a tough appearance, and a former press photographer with a past he'd rather forget, and for which he still seeks forgiveness, are the only hope of stopping this psychopath. A man who does not even claim responsibility for his actions. A man who believes himself to be God.</p>


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THE #1 BESTSELLER IN HEAVEN...AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON EARTH. "Think Alice Sebold ('The Lovely Bones') meets William Young ('The Shack') and John Grisham ('The Firm')...in the afterlife." Brek Cuttler, a young lawyer, new mother, and wife of a popular television news reporter, dies unexpectedly and, arriving in heaven, learns she has been chosen to join the elite lawyers who defend souls at the Final Judgment. Yet Brek longs for her lost life, and the cause of her death remains a mystery. Searching for answers, Brek attempts to re-create the world she once knew and visits her family in their dreams; but it is her first client in heaven, a young convict, who holds the secret-a shocking crime long repressed. Guided by her mentor, Luas, a lawyer who has been prosecuting souls for thousands of years, Brek embarks on a quest traversing heaven and earth to bring her killer to justice, uncovering an interlocking past that places her own soul in jeopardy. Entering the courtroom to face her killer at the Final Judgment, Brek must make a momentous choice that will alter her eternity. POSTHUMOUS PRAISE FOR FORGIVING ARARAT: "This glorious, triumphant work leads its readers from the wrathful lands of the east...and back to the Garden of Eden." -John Steinbeck, author of Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. "With mythical prose at times approaching verse, Forgiving Ararat works a miracle, bridging the chasm between life and death." -Emily Dickinson, author of Poems. "At the center of Forgiving Ararat is the Trial each of us must one day face-and the profound metamorphosis each of us must undergo to win." -Franz Kafka, author of The Trial and The Metamorphosis. "This book is the next 'Lovely Bones!'" -Anonymous Recently Departed Reader


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<p>Hunt down medieval armor and rare baseball cards in the Metropolitan Museum of Art<p>Pub-crawl like a local: leave Manhattan and head to Brooklyn's hippest bars<p>Breathe in the salt air on a boat cruise around NYC's cinematic skyline<p>Get outta town! Day-trip to the posh Hamptons or the picturesque<p><B>In This Guide:</B><p>Three local authors, 240 hours of research, 63 slices of pizza and 315 miles of subway rides<p>Get the low-down on the High Line, Hudson River Park and other urban transformations<p>New color section gives you insider picks for NYC's arts and cultural offerings<p>Content updated daily &#8211; visit lonelyplanet.com/new-york-city for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights


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<div><p>Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up.<br></p><p>Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance. <br></p><p>Soon Reid finds himself in the fight of his life...winning Lucie's heart before she gives it to someone else.</p></div>


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A novel of warmth and true feeling, The Well and the Mine explores the value of community, charity, family, and hope that we can give each other during a time of hardship. In a small Alabama coal-mining town during the summer of 1931, nine-year-old Tess Moore sits on her back porch and watches a woman toss a baby into her family's well without a word. This shocking act of violence sets in motion a chain of events that forces Tess and her older sister Virgie to look beyond their own door and learn the value of kindness and lending a helping hand. As Tess and Virgie try to solve the mystery of the well, an accident puts their seven-year-old brother's life in danger, forcing the Moore family to come to a new understanding of the power of love and compassion. Winner of the 2008 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Fiction Award.


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When her mother dies, fifteen-year-old Keelie Heartwood is forced to leave her beloved California to live with her nomadic father at a renaissance festival in Colorado. After arriving, Keelie finds men in tights and women in trailer trash-tight bodices roaming half-drunk, calling each other lady and lord even after closing time! Playacting the Dark Ages is an L.A. girl’s worst nightmare.Keelie has a plan to ditch this medieval geekland ASAP, but while she plots, strange things start happening—eerie, yet familiar. When Keelie starts seeing fairies and communicating with trees, she uncovers a secret that links her to a community of elves. As Keelie tries to come to grips with her elfin roots, disaster strikes, and Keelie’s identity isn’t the only thing that’s threatened. One part human determination and one part elfin magic, Keelie Heartwood is a witty new heroine in a world where fantasy and reality mix with extraordinary results.


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After squelching an evil plot by a rotten fairy, Keelie Heartwood is ready for fun at the upcoming Wildewood Renaissance Faire. Getting to know her elf dad has been great, but camping out in his homemade RV while acting out the 16th century isn't so fab. Keelie prefers hot showers and wearing a watch, thankyouverymuch. And a cool new cell phone would be nice, too.  But with fairies turning up in the oddest places, an unfortunate misunderstanding about a credit card bill, and that nasty, stuck-up elf-girl, Elia, Keelie's plans to have a good time are all but ruined. So far, life as an elf isn't all that enchanting. And then the unicorn shows up.   Don't miss the first book in the Faire Folk Trilogy, The Tree Shepherd's Daughter: "One of those remarkable tales in which the reader becomes completely immersed . . . [It] will have readers eagerly anticipating books two and three in this promising trilogy."—KLIATT


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Now that she has (sort of) defeated a diabolical elf, Keelie Heartwood reluctantly joins her father in the Dread Forest. Her "real" friends are gone, her dad is preoccupied with his new responsibilities as Lord of the Forest and now it seems that her budding romance with the hunky Sean is dashed. Except for her impossible guardian cat Knot, and Alora, a demanding and bratty little princess tree, Keelie has no one to hang with—unless you count that nasty elf-girl Elia, who suddenly wants to be Keelie's frenemy. Meanwhile, an age-old rift in Keelie's family and among the elves reaches a dangerous climax as humans and dark magical forces alike encroach on the elves' enchanted realm. The fate of the Dread Forest—and of all who dwell within it—lies in Keelie's hands. Be on the watch for new adventures with Keelie and the elves as the Faire Folk saga continues in the Scions of Shadow Trilogy...


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<p class="description">What are you thinking, Amy? The question I've asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we do?'  Just how well can you ever know the person you love? This is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? And what was in that half-wrapped box left so casually on their marital bed? In this novel, marriage truly is the art of war.</p>


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<p class="description">I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas." As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived--and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who've long forgotten her. The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details--proof they hope may free Ben--Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she'll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she'll admit her testimony wasn't so solid after all. As Libby's search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby's doomed family members--including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started--on the run from a killer.</p>


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From the highly acclaimed and prizewinning author of The Last King of Scotland (“Clever, and fluently written”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times): a heart-stopping race against time as British and American scientists attempt the impossible—to get millions of Allied troops secretly across the English Channel for D-day.As the plans for the invasion of Normandy take shape, the fate of 2.5 million men and the future of Europe come to depend on the right weather conditions over the channel on a single day. A team of Allied scientists is charged with agreeing on an accurate forecast five days in advance. But is it even possible to predict the weather so far ahead? And what is the relationship between predictability and turbulence, one of the last great mysteries of modern physics?Wallace Ryman, a reclusive pacifist, has devised a system that comprehends all of this. Henry Meadows, a young prodigy, is sent to Scotland to discover Ryman’s system and apply it to the Normandy landings. But turbulence proves more elusive than anyone has imagined, and, like the weather, events begin to spiral out of control.A gripping blend of fact and fiction in a novel about how human beings perceive and ultimately cope with uncertainty.


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At the start of World War One, German warships controlled Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa. The British had no naval craft at all upon 'Tanganjikasee', as the Germans called it. This mattered: it was the longest lake in the world and of great strategic advantage. In June 1915, a force of 28 men was despatched from Britain on a vast journey. Their orders were to take control of the lake. To reach it, they had to haul two motorboats with the unlikely names of Mimi and Toutou through the wilds of the Congo.The 28 were a strange bunch -- one was addicted to Worcester sauce, another was a former racing driver -- but the strangest of all of them was their skirt-wearing, tattoo-covered commander, Geoffrey Spicer-Simson. Whatever it took, even if it meant becoming the god of a local tribe, he was determined to cover himself in glory. But the Germans had a surprise in store for Spicer-Simson, in the shape of their secret 'supership' the Graf von Gotzen . . .Unearthing new German and African records, the prize-winning author of The Last King of Scotland retells this most unlikely of true-life tales with his customary narrative energy and style.Fitzcarraldo meets Heart of Darkness, this is rich, vivid and flashmanesque in its appeal - military history at its most absorbing and entertaining


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From the author of the Whitbread Award-winningThe Last King of Scotlandcomes a spellbinding tale of a town under siege in colonial Africa and a young woman who finds love and freedom in the midst of a devastating war. The year is 1899, and the South African town of Ladysmith is surrounded by Boer forces. No one expects the siege to last, but it does, for a harrowing 120 days -- four months of dire emergency: food shortages during which bread is made with laundry detergent and the soldiers' horses are killed to feed the troops; bombings that force the townspeople into tunnels and makeshift shelters. But in the thick of shells and shrapnel, disease and deprivation, one young woman discovers an unexpected freedom: a chance to break old loyalties and establish new loves. Even as the world she knows collapses around her, Bella Kiernan finds the courage to escape from convention, to rebel against the political forces that threaten her homeland and to pursue her life's greatest romance. Based in part on the letters of Foden's great-grandfather, a British trooper,Ladysmithis a magnificent love story, a vivid portrait of the first modern war of the twentieth century and clear confirmation of Giles Foden's standing as one of Britain's most formidably talented young novelists.


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Lanie took out her journal and dated it April 12, 1928. She started the habit of writing down everything that happened to her when she was no more than eight years old, and now she had six journals completely full. She thought about the prize at school, almost prayed to win, but somehow she could not. "God," she finally said, "I'll do my best, and if you'll help me, that's all I ask." Fourteen-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has high hopes for her future. Happy on the five-acre family homeplace, she dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. And with her father launching a new business and her mother expecting the fifth baby, the bright days of an early Southern spring seem to herald expansive new beginnings for the Freeman family. But her mother isn't as strong as she should be, and it's going to take time for the business to pay back the mortgage. When unexpected tragedy strikes, it is left to Lanie to keep the family together and hold on to their home. In a world shaken by the Great Depression, it is faith in God and love in a tightly knit family that will help Lanie and her siblings overcome the odds and create a future that promises the fulfillment of love. The Homeplace offers a warmhearted and inspiring saga of a courageous young woman who holds her family together through the Depression era.


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<div><p class="description">Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court when he became embroiled in an explosive and deadly case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and cost him his life.</p><p class="description">In 1949, Florida’s orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor. To maintain order and profits, they turned to Willis V. McCall, a violent sheriff who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a white seventeen-year-old Groveland girl cried rape, McCall was fast on the trail of four young blacks who dared to envision a future for themselves beyond the citrus groves. By day’s end, the Ku Klux Klan had rolled into town, burning the homes of blacks to the ground and chasing hundreds into the swamps, hell-bent on lynching the young men who came to be known as “the Groveland Boys.” </p><p class="description">And so began the chain of events that would bring Thurgood Marshall, the man known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” into the deadly fray. Associates thought it was suicidal for him to wade into the “Florida Terror” at a time when he was irreplaceable to the burgeoning civil rights movement, but the lawyer would not shrink from the fight—not after the Klan had murdered one of Marshall’s NAACP associates involved with the case and Marshall had endured continual threats that he would be next. Drawing on a wealth of never-before-published material, including the FBI’s unredacted Groveland case files, as well as unprecedented access to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund files, King shines new light on this remarkable civil rights crusader, setting his rich and driving narrative against the heroic backdrop of a case that U.S. Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson decried as “one of the best examples of one of the worst menaces to American justice.”</p></div>


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<div><p>The electrifying best-selling crime thriller from Italy, available for the first time in English. An instant sensation and number-one best seller since its publication, <em>Temporary Perfections</em> is the fourth crime novel by former Italian prosecutor Gianrico Carofiglio to feature Guido Guerrieri. A lawyer practicing in Bari, in southwest Italy, Guido Guerrieri is hired by an old colleague to work a missing-persons case that the police have failed to solve. Manuela Ferraro disappeared six months ago after spending a September weekend at a beach resort; as Guerrieri digs deep into her life and activities, he stumbles into a sinister drug ring and the real truth about why Ferraro vanished. <br>Simultaneously thoughtful and suspenseful, this is crime fiction at its best.</p></div>


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<div><p>Lawyer Guerrieri is asked to handle the appeal of Fabio Paolicelli, sentenced to sixteen years for smuggling drugs into Italy. Everything seems stacked against the accused, not least because he initially confessed to the crime. His past as a neo-fascist thug also adds credence to the case against him. Only the intervention of Paolicelli’s beautiful half-Japanese wife finally overcomes Guerrieri’s reluctance. Matters get more complicated when Guerrieri ends up in bed with her.</p></div>


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<div><p>A nine-year-old boy is found murdered at the bottom of a well near a beach resort in southern Italy. In what looks like a hopeless case for Guido Guerrieri, counsel for the defence, a Senegalese peddler is accused of the crime. More than a perfectly paced legal thriller, this relentless suspense novel transcends the genre. A powerful attack on racism, and a fascinating insight into the Italian judicial process, it is also an affectionate portrait of a deeply humane hero.</p></div>


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The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, Palestine, in 1947 was one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. Written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and hidden in caves by an ancient Jewish sect, these mysterious manuscripts revolutionized our understanding of the Bible, of Judaism and the early Christian world. Geza Vermes is the world's leading Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, whose English translations brought these extraordinary documents to thousands, and whose life has been inextricably interwoven with the scrolls for over sixty years. In this illuminating book he relates the controversial story of their discovery and publication around the world, revealing cover-ups, blunders and academic in-fighting, but also the passion and dedication of many of those involved. He shares what he has learned about the scrolls and, evaluating passages from them, gives his views on their true significance and what they can teach us, as well as those areas where scholarly consensus has not yet been reached. Few scholars have been as closely associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls as Vermes. Writing with candour and unique authority, he has created an ideal introduction to understanding these miraculous documents.


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<p>When Martina accuses her ex-boyfriend, the son of a powerful local judge, of assault and battery, no witnesses can be persuaded to testify on her behalf, and one lawyer after another refuses to represent her. Guido Guerrieri knows the case could bring his legal career to a premature, messy end, but he cannot resist the appeal of an apparently hopeless cause. Nor can he deny an attraction to Sister Claudia, the young woman in charge of the shelter where Martina is living. Claudia shares his love of martial arts and his virulent hatred of injustice.</p>


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Dominic's middle name is trouble, but not because he's got a troublesome nature, but quite simply because he's ALWAYS in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it's not surprising that he's only allowed on the school trip to Thundercliff Bay - home to pirate legend, chilling ghost stories and lost treasure - by the skin of his teeth. Or that strict Mr Risley-Newsome, who has his beady eye on him, makes him stay at the youth hostel for forgetting his walking boots. What is surprising is that a very special discovery made by Dominic saves the day when the whole class is in serious danger, and proves to everyone that sometimes he can be in the right place at the right time.


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To Debra Bradley, marriage is being with the man you've always loved—despite the odds. Despite what other people think. And marriage is about family, about protecting your children from a sometimes hostile world.To her husband, Will Bradley, family is about creating a safe haven. Where it doesn't matter that one of you is white, the other black. Where it's never mattered…All these years later Will and Debra are still in love, still each other's best friend. They've made a good life for themselves and their children. But their daughter, Angie—pregnant and estranged from the husband she loves—has to discover for herself what family means….


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<p>You can think of this book as an explanation of the science behind Blink. Author Gerd Gigenrenzer isn't just piggybacking Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller. In fact, his breakthrough research at Berlin's Max Planck Institute provides some of the deepest proofs of the power of intuition as a decision-making tool. Gut Feelings probes the unconscious mental processes that provide shortcuts to problem solving in countless everyday situations. The psychologist's insights about "fast and frugal heuristics" are both fascinating and accessible to lay readers.</p>


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This authoritative work provides an essential perspective on terrorism by offering a rare opportunity for analysis and reflection at a time of ongoing violence, chilling threats, and renewed reprisals. In it, some of the best international specialists working on the subject today examine terrorism's long and complex history from antiquity to the present day and find that terror, long the weapon of the weak against the strong, is a tactic as old as warfare itself. Beginning with the Zealots of Antiquity, the contributors discuss the Assassins of the Middle Ages, the 1789 Terror movement in Europe, Bolshevik terrorism during the Russian Revolution, Stalinism, "resistance" terrorism during World War II, and Latin American revolutionary movements of the late 1960s. Finally, they consider the emergence of modern transnational terrorism, focusing on the roots of Islamic terrorism, al Qaeda, and the rise of the contemporary suicide martyr. Along the way, they provide a groundbreaking analysis of how terrorism has been perceived throughout history. What becomes powerfully clear is that only through deeper understanding can we fully grasp the present dangers of a phenomenon whose repercussions are far from over.Includes essays by François Géré, Rohan Gunaratna, Olivier Hubac-Occhipinti, Ariel Merari, Philippe Migaux, Yves Ternon


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<p>The brand-new Rafferty and Llewellyn Mystery - Loves, labours, losses and not to mention a spattering of the occult are all part of an education at the prestigious Griffin School, but when a reunion culminates in the death of a high profile former student, DI Joseph Rafferty and his ever erudite partner, Sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn, are called in to unearth the truth behind the school’s picturesque facade. </p>


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<p class="description">This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the "Plague Village", in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar's maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As the death toll rises and people turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna emerges as an unlikely and courageous heroine in the village's desperate fight to save itself. Exploring love and learning, fear and fanaticism, and the struggle of science and religion to interpret the world at the cusp of the modern era, Year of Wonders is at once a story of unconventional love and a richly detailed evocation of a riveting moment in history. </p>


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<p class="description">From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story “filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man” (Sue Monk Kidd). With “pitch-perfect writing” (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. A lushly written, wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, March secures Geraldine Brooks's place as a renowned author of historical fiction.  </p>


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<p>Born on Bland Street in a working-class neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, Geraldine Brooks longs to discover the vivid places where history happens and culture comes from. She enlists pen pals who offer her a window on the hazards of adolescence in the Middle East, Europe, and America. With the aid of their letters, Brooks turns her bedroom into the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, the barricades of Parisian student protests, the swampy fields of an embattled kibbutz. Twenty years later - and worlds away from her sheltered girlhood - Brooks is an award-winning foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on wars and famines in the Middle East, Bosnia, and Africa. But she never forgets her earlier foreign correspondence. Traveling full circle to attend her dying father, Brooks stumbles on the old letters in her parents' basement. She embarks on a human treasure hunt to find her pen friends, and to retrieve her own lost memories of the shy Sydney girl who wrote to them. One by one, she finds men and women whose lives have been shaped by war and hatred, by fame and notoriety, and by the ravages of a mysterious and tragic mental illness. It is only from the distance of foreign lands and against the background of alien lives that Brooks finally sees her homeplace clearly. This intimate, moving, and often humorous memoir of growing up Down Under speaks to the unquiet heart of every girl who has ever yearned to become a woman of the world.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>A richly imagined new novel from the author of the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller, <em>People of the Book</em>.</strong></span></h3><p>Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.   </p><p>The narrator of <em>Caleb's Crossing</em> is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures.   </p><p>Like Brooks's beloved narrator Anna in <em>Year of Wonders</em>, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, <em>Caleb's Crossing</em> further establishes Brooks's place as one of our most acclaimed novelists. </p></div>


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The first full and authorized biography of the 1982 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature—the most popular international novelist of the last fifty years.Over the course of the nearly two decades Gerald Martin gave to the research and writing of this masterly biography, he not only spent many hours in conversation with Gabriel García Márquez himself but also interviewed more than three hundred others, including García Márquez’s wife and sons, mother and siblings, literary agent and translators; Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Alvaro Mutis, among other writers; Fidel Castro and Felipe González, among other political figures; his closest friends as well as those who consider themselves his detractors. The result is a revelation of both the writer and the man.García Márquez’s story is a remarkable one. Born in 1927, raised by grandparents and a clutch of aunts in a small backwater town in Colombia, the shy, intelligent boy matured into a reserved young man, first working as a provincial journalist and later as a foreign correspondent, whose years of obscurity came to an end when, at the age of forty, he published the novel entitled Cien años de soledad—One Hundred Years of Solitude. Within months, the book had garnered spectacular international acclaim, the author hailed as the standard-bearer of a new literature: magical realism. Eight years later, in 1975, he published The Autumn of the Patriarch, and, in 1981, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, each novel rapturously received by critics and readers alike. With his books read by millions around the world, he had become a man of wealth and influence. Yet, for all his fame, he never lost touch with his roots: though he had lived outside of Colombia since 1955—in Barcelona, Mexico City, Paris—his Nobel Prize was celebrated by Colombians from all walks of life who thought, and still think, of “Gabo” as their own. More books followed, both fiction (Love in the Time of Cholera, The General in his Labyrinth, Memories of My Melancholy Whores) and nonfiction (The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor, News of a Kidnapping, Living to Tell the Tale). But García Márquez’s renown and passion have continued to combine, as well, in a fervent, unflagging, and often controversial political and social activism.While chronicling the particulars of the life, Martin also considers the overarching issues: the tension between García Márquez’s celebrity and his quest for literary quality, and between his politics and his writing; the seductions of power, solitude, and love. He explores the contrast between the exuberance of the writer’s Caribbean background and the authoritarianism of highland Bogotá, showing us how these differences are manifest in his writing and in the very shape his life has taken. He explores the melding of experience and imagination in García Márquez’s fiction, and he examines the writer’s reasons for—and the public’s reaction to—his turning away in the 1980s from the magical realism that had brought him international renown, toward the greater simplicity that would mark his work beginning with Love in the Time of Cholera.Gerald Martin has written a superb biography: richly illuminating, as gripping as any of Gabriel García Márquez’s powerful journalism, as enthralling as any of his acclaimed and beloved fiction.


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Beautiful, elusive, and refined, Etta Place captivated the nation at the turn of the last century as she dodged the law with the Wild Bunch, led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Her true identity and fate have remained a mystery that has tantalized historians for decades. Now, for the first time, Gerald Kolpan envisions this remarkable woman's life in a stunning debut novel. Kolpan imagines that Etta Place was born Lorinda Jameson, the daughter of a prominent financier, who becomes known as the loveliest of the city's debutantes when she makes her entrance into Philadelphia society. Though her position in life is already assured, her true calling is on horseback. She can ride as well as any man and handle a rifle even better. But when a tragedy leads to a dramatic reversal of fortune, Lorinda is left orphaned, penniless, homeless, and pursued by the ruthless Black Hand mafia. Rechristened "Etta Place" to ensure her safety, the young woman travels to the farthest reaches of civilization, working as a "Harvey Girl" waitress in Grand Junction, Colorado. There, fate intervenes once more and she again finds herself on the run from the ruthless Pinkerton Detective Agency. But this time she has company. She soon finds herself at the legendary hideout at Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, where she meets the charismatic Butch Cassidy and the handsome, troubled Harry Longbaugh, a.k.a. the Sundance Kid. Through a series of holdups and heists, Etta and Harry begin an epic and ultimately tragic romance, which will be the greatest of Etta's life. Then, when Etta meets the young and idealistic Eleanor Roosevelt, her life is changed forever. Blending a compelling love story, high adventure, and thrilling historical drama, Etta is an electrifying novel. With a sweeping 1900s setting, colorful storytelling, and larger-than-life characters, Etta is debut that is both captivating and unforgettable.


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The Corfu Trilogy consists of the popular classic My Family and Other Animals and its delightful sequels, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods. All three books are set on the enchanted island of Corfu in the 1930s, and tell the story of the eccentic English family who moved there.   For Gerald, the budding zoologist, Corfu was a natural paradise, teeming with strange birds and beasts that he could collect, watch and care for. But life was not without its problems - his family often objected to his animal-collecting activities, especially when the beasts wound up in the villa or - even worse - the fridge.  With hilarious yet endearing portraits of his family and their many unusual hangers-on, The Corfu Trilogy also captures the beginnings of the author's lifelong love of animals. Recounted with immense humour and charm, this wonderful account of Corfu's natural history reveals a rare, magical childhood.   For the passionate zoologist, Corfu was a natural paradise, teeming with strange birds and beasts that he could collect, watch and care for. But life was not without its problems - Gerald's family often objected to his animal-collecting activities, especially when the beasts wound up in the family's villa or - even worse - the fridge.  Gerald Durrell evokes his island paradise with passion and wonder.


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<div><p class="description">Original publication date: 1920  Werewolves Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.</p><p class="description">My name is Lincoln Osgood, my age thirty, my nationality American, my means -- well, such as never to cause me a moment's anxiety or the negation of any fad; my hobbies have always been travel and science, the latter more particularly in its human than in its mechanical aspects. I am not, if I may say so, in any way the "Yankee millionaire" of popular fiction or even of fact. I both write and talk the King's English, I trust; and to tell the truth, I was educated up at Christ Church, Oxford, which is my first link with these extraordinary incidents, which it has now fallen to my lot to chronicle. It was up at Oxford ten years ago that I first met Burgess Clymping, with whom, from the first night we sat next to each other in the wonderful old hall of the House with its centuries of historical portraits, I struck up the great friendship of my life. He was a year younger than I, the owner of a nice property in Sussex and had seen but little of life in those days, whereas I had travelled a lot even then for my age. It is the accident of this long friendship and my travels in obscure and unfrequented parts that brought me into the circle of the strange doings I am about to relate -- to which, by good luck, I held the key. I am in no way the hero of the piece -- if hero, in the conventional sense, there be at all -- not even the protagonist, as the Greeks used to call it. I am merely the "handy man" of the play, so to speak, who chanced into the middle of this unconventional drama at its height, and helped to see it...</p></div>


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On a freezing January morning in 1961, eight-year-old Anna's mother disappears into the fog. That same morning, a spy case breaks in the news. Obsessed by stories of espionage, Anna's brother Peter begins to construct a theory that their mother, a refugee from eastern Germany, was an undercover spy and might even still be alive. As life returns to normal, Anna struggles to sort fact from fantasy. Did her mother have a secret life? And how do you know who a person was once she is dead?


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<div><p>Until the middle of the nineteenth century there was little evidence of the great civilizations that flourished for over three thousand years between the Tigris and the Euphrates, apart from a few allusions in the Bible. </p><p>Almost every trace of the arts, sciences and literature of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians was obliterated, hidden under thousands of artificial mounds or <em>tells</em> representing ancient cities. Over the last hundred of years, however, archaeologists of various origins have sought to uncover the monuments and texts that reveal the history and civilization of the region known as Mesopotamia, most of which corresponds to the territory of modern Iraq.</p><p>In the last three decades, perhaps no other country has been so extensively explored by archaeologists from all over the world and by the Iraqis themselves, while new texts have been published and older texts retranslated or reinterpreted by international teams of Sumerologists and Assyriologists.</p></div>


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In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life.George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the world and defined the times in which we live.Decision Points brings readers inside the Texas governor’s mansion on the night of the 2000 election, aboard Air Force One during the harrowing hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001, into the Situation Room moments before the start of the war in Iraq, and behind the scenes at the White House for many other historic presidential decisions.For the first time, we learn President Bush’s perspective and insights on:His decision to quit drinking and the journey that led him to his Christian faithThe selection of the vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, Supreme Court justices, and other key officialsHis relationships with his wife, daughters, and parents, including heartfelt letters between the president and his father on the eve of the Iraq WarHis administration’s counterterrorism programs, including the CIA’s enhanced interrogations and the Terrorist Surveillance ProgramWhy the worst moment of the presidency was hearing accusations that race played a role in the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and a critical assessment of what he would have done differently during the crisisHis deep concern that Iraq could turn into a defeat costlier than Vietnam, and how he decided to defy public opinion by ordering the troop surgeHis legislative achievements, including tax cuts and reforming education and Medicare, as well as his setbacks, including Social Security and immigration reformThe relationships he forged with other world leaders, including an honest assessment of those he did and didn’t trustWhy the failure to bring Osama bin Laden to justice ranks as his biggest disappointment and why his success in denying the terrorists their fondest wish—attacking America again—is among his proudest achievementsA groundbreaking new brand of presidential memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on eight remarkable years in American history—and on the man at the center of events.


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<p><strong>George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President. </strong><br /><strong>  </strong><br />Forty-three men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a President told the story of his father, another President, through his own eyes and in his own words. A unique and intimate biography, the book covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and career, including his service in the Pacific during World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil business, and his political rise as a Congressman, U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations, CIA Director, Vice President, and President.  The book shines new light on both the accomplished statesman and the warm, decent man known best by his family. In addition, George W. Bush discusses his father’s influence on him throughout his own life, from his childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term Presidency.</p><p>**</p>


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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Former CIA director Tenet leaves the main vocal duties for this audio in the capable hands of Conger (who also recently narrated <em>The Reagan Diaries</em>). Yet in reading both the brief introduction and lengthy-but highly compelling-afterword, Tenet demonstrates a command of the spoken word that makes one wonder why he did not handle his own narration. However, the two men project a compatible style and tone, conveying deeply personal emotion within the boundaries of professionalism and decorum. Tenet does not shy away from acknowledging his own responsibility in controversies involving terrorism and the Iraq War, but he also takes several key political leaders to task for scapegoating the intelligence community in the wake of unpopular policy. The musical interludes at the start and end of each CD serve to maintain the cloak and dagger ambience. Those who prefer to skim the surface of news events may find the length taxing, but listeners ready to move beyond the headlines and into a wider world of nuanced complexity will be more than satisfied. </span></h3>


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On September 15, 1946, a biological weapon created by an alien race wasaccidentally detonated above the streets of New York City, killing countless numbers of men, women, and children. But those who survived the initial explosion soon began to wish they had died also, once they discovered they had been forever mutated by the virus unleashed in the blast. . . . When the first volume in the Wild Cards series made its debut in 1986, it caused a sensation in the science fiction and fantasy communities. Here were stories of superpowered beings in a real world setting, detailing the lives of ³Aces²?those given superhuman powers by the ³Wild Cards² virus?and ³Jokers²?those whom the virus transformed into freaks and monsters. Over the course of fifteen volumes, the world created by editor George R.R. Martin and some of SF¹s most talented writers was explored through the eyes of both Aces and Jokers across the globe. In this all-new collection of Wild Cards stories, the spotlight is on the most unusual Wild Cards of them all?the Deuces. As you¹ll discover in this thrilling collection, their role in the Wild Cards Universe is just as important as that of the Aces and the Jokers. In fact, their actions have affected the course of Wild Cards history. Set in an alternate, shared-worlduniverse, Deuces Down is the one place you¹ll find such never-before-told tales as John J. Miller¹s exciting 1969 World Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Brooklyn Dodgers; Michael Cassutt¹s first moon landing, when the whole worldwasn¹t watching; Walton Simons¹ Great New York City Blackout of 1977; Melinda M. Snodgrass¹s account of Grace Kelly¹s mysterious disappearance during the filming of The French Lieutenant¹s Woman. It¹s a strange and terrifying world, where anything can happen. A world of Wild Cards.


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Adapting New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin's The Sworn Sword! The long-awaited sequel to The Hedge Knight tells the story of the adventures of Ser Duncan and his squire one year after their initial meeting at the tournament in Ashford. After traveling the land in search of the puppeteer girl Tanselle, Dunk and Egg find themselves in the charge of Ser Eustace, an aged knight who has accepted Dunk as his sworn sword. But Ser Eustace has another knight in his service who is nothing but trouble, and he will make Dunk's life far more difficult when he rashly attacks a peasant and causes grief to a local noble, the Lady Rohanne Webber! But the Lady Rohanne has problems of her own - and she knows the truth about Ser Eustace and the side he took in the battle of Redgrass Field. Collects Hedge Knight II: Sworn Sword #1-6.


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"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth!" From White Zombie to Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil to World War Z, zombies have invaded popular culture, becoming the monsters that best express the fears and anxieties of the modern west. Gathering together the best zombie literature of the last three decades from many of today's most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror, including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, George R. R. Martin, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Joe R. Lansdale, The Living Dead covers the broad spectrum of zombie fiction.


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When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something's amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn't care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh's dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won't earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh's concernno matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove. Marsh meant to turn down York's offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolvecoupled with the terrible force of York's mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind's most impossible dream. Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire's quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman's dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river.


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In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected.  Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures.  And one percent gained superpowers.  The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin ("The American Tolkien" --Time magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent.Now a new generation of heroes has taken its place on the world stage, its members crucial players in international events. At the United Nations, veteran ace John Fortune has assembled a team of young aces known as the Committee, to assist at trouble spots around the world–including a genocidal war in the Niger Delta, an invasion of zombies in hurricane ravaged New Orleans, and a freak nuclear explosion in a small Texas town.


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<p class="description">Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.A Storm of SwordsOf the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .</p>


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<p class="description">Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.A Game of ThronesLong ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.</p>


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<p class="description">Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.A Feast for CrowsIt seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out. But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead. It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.</p>


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<p>In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east—with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night’s Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all.</p>


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<p class="description">Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.A CLASH OF KINGSA comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.</p>


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<div><p>A riveting examination of a nation in crisis, from one of the finest political journalists of our generation</p><p>American democracy is beset by a sense of crisis. Seismic shifts during a single generation have created a country of winners and losers, allowing unprecedented freedom while rending the social contract, driving the political system to the verge of breakdown, and setting citizens adrift to find new paths forward. In The Unwinding, George Packer, author of The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq, tells the story of the United States over the past three decades in an utterly original way, with his characteristically sharp eye for detail and gift for weaving together complex narratives.<br></p><p>The Unwinding journeys through the lives of several Americans, including Dean Price, the son of tobacco farmers, who becomes an evangelist for a new economy in the rural South; Tammy Thomas, a factory worker in the Rust Belt trying to survive the collapse of her city; Jeff Connaughton, a Washington insider oscillating between political idealism and the lure of organized money; and Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire who questions the Internet’s significance and arrives at a radical vision of the future. Packer interweaves these intimate stories with biographical sketches of the era’s leading public figures, from Newt Gingrich to Jay-Z, and collages made from newspaper headlines, advertising slogans, and song lyrics that capture the flow of events and their undercurrents.<br></p><p>The Unwinding portrays a superpower in danger of coming apart at the seams, its elites no longer elite, its institutions no longer working, its ordinary people left to improvise their own schemes for success and salvation. Packer’s novelistic and kaleidoscopic history of the new America is his most ambitious work to date.</p></div>


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<p class="description">Animal FarmBurmese DaysA Clergyman's DaughterComing Up for AirKeep the Aspidistra FlyingNineteen Eighty-FourDescribed by Anthony Burgess as 'the best-loved of all twentieth-century British writers', George Orwell still has as much power to move, amuse and provoke today.His best-known novels, Animal Farm, describing a revolution that goes horribly wrong, and Nineteen Eighty-Four, portraying a world where human freedom has been crushed, are two of the most famous, well-quoted and influential political satires ever written. The other novels in this volume also tell stories of people at odds with repressive institutions: the corrupt imperialism of Burmese Days, disaffection with materialistic society in Keep the Aspidistra Flying, the perils of modern suburban living in Coming Up for Air and surviving on the streets in A Clergyman's Daughter.All the novels brought together here display Orwell's humour, his understanding of human nature and his great compassion.</p>


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<p class="description">Animal Farm, by George Orwell - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the henhouses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring. As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hours sleep in order to hear what he had to say.</p>


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<p>Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than ever. <em>1984</em> presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitionsa legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.</p>


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<div><p>A Guest in My Own Country recalls the life of one of Eastern Europe's most accomplished modern writers, beginning with his survival during the final months of the war. Konrad captures the dangers, the hopes, the betrayals and courageous acts of the period through a series of carefully chosen episodes that occasionally border on the surreal (as when a dead German soldier begins to speak, attempting to justify his actions).</p><p>The end of the war launches the young man on a remarkable career in letters and politics. Offering lively descriptions of both his private and public life in Budapest, New York, and Berlin, Konrad reflects insightfully on his role in the Hungarian Uprising, the notion of "internal emigration" – the fate of many writers who, like Konrad, refused to leave the Eastern Bloc under socialism – and other complexities of European identity. To read A Guest in My Own Country is to experience the recent history of East-Central Europe from the inside.</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">Whereas Friedman's last book, The Next 100 Years, focused on "the impersonal forces that shape history in the long run," now the geopolitical intelligence expert examines the impact of current decision making, especially of the United States government, on the world. Friedman suggests that problems currently affecting us significantly may not actually matter in the long run. He compares the position of the United States today to that of Britain in 1910, and argues that the U.S. is an "unintended empire" and that its president is a "global emperor," in part due to the size of the country's economy. Throughout, Friedman argues for an end to the reluctance, as he sees it, to entangle the country in global affairs. He examines the past strategies of Presidents Bush and Clinton and stresses what President Obama and his successor must do about terrorism and technology to foster relations with the Middle East, Europe, the Western Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Israel, Iran, and Russia. When it comes to Bush and Obama he doesn't play favorites, criticizing their policies and comparing them with presidents who possessed more Machiavellian attributes, in his view. While his ideas are well-researched and compelling, Friedman makes the occasional leap that casual readers might find confusing. </span></h3><p><em></em></p>

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<div><p><strong>*</strong>NEW YORK TIMES* BESTSELLER  </p><p>“A beautifully crafted memoir, rich with humor and wisdom.” —Will Schwalbe, author of <em>The End of Your Life Book Club</em>**  </p><p>“The idea of a cultured gay man leaving New York City to care for his aging mother in Paris, Missouri, is already funny, and George Hodgman reaps that humor with great charm. But then he plunges deep, examining the warm yet fraught relationship between mother and son with profound insight and understanding.” —Alison Bechdel, author of <em>Fun Home</em><br>**<br>When George Hodgman leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, he finds himself—an unlikely caretaker and near-lethal cook—in a head-on collision with his aging mother, Betty, a woman of wit and will. Will George lure her into assisted living? When hell freezes over. He can’t bring himself to force her from the home both treasure—the place where his father’s voice lingers, the scene of shared jokes, skirmishes, and, behind the dusty antiques, a rarely acknowledged conflict: Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay.  </p><p>As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the challenges of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect, moving readers from their small town—crumbling but still colorful—to the star-studded corridors of Vanity Fair. Evocative of <em>The End of Your Life Book Club </em>and <em>The Tender Bar</em>, Hodgman’s <em>New York Times</em> bestselling debut is both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.</p><p>**</p></div>


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The Boatwrights just won 318 million dollars in the GeorgiaState lottery. It's going to be the worst day of their lives.When Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko pull up at a convenience store off I-95 in Georgia, their only thought is to fix a leaky tire and be on their way again to Florida-away from their dull Ohio tech-support jobs. But this happens to be the store from which a 318,000,000 million dollar Jackpot ticket has just been sold -- and when a pretty clerk accidentally reveals to Shaw the identity of the winning family, he hatches a ferociously audacious scheme: He and Romeo will squeeze the family for half their prize. That night, he visits the Boatwright home and takes the family hostage, while Romeo patrols the streets nearby, prepared to murder the Boatwrights' loved ones at any sign of resistance. At first, the family offers none. But Shaw's plot depends on maintaining constant fear-merciless, unfaltering terror-and soon, under the pressure, everyone's sanity begins to unravel . . .  At once frightening, comic, and suspenseful, RAVENS is a wholly original and utterly compelling novel from one of our most talented writers.


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Another riotous journey through the mind of one of America's premiere comic observers. Ranging from his absurdist side to his unerring ear for American speech to his unsparing views on America and its values, Carlin's legendary irreverence and iconoclasm are on full display as he vainly scours the American landscape for signs of intelligence.


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Spending more than 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover, George Carlin, the thinking persons comic, has made it very clear how successful he is at the transition from stage to page.In Napalm and Silly Putty, Carlin's characteristically ironic and hilarious take on life shines through. He asks: How can it be a spy satellite if they announce on TV that it's a spy satellite? Why do they bother saying "raw sewage"? Do some people cook that stuff? In the expression "topsy-turvy, " what exactly is meant by "turvy"?


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The thinking person's comic who uses words as weapons, George Carlin shares all-new, cutting-edge opinion and observational humor in "Brain Droppings." Filled with thoughts, musings, questions, lists, beliefs, curiosities, monologues, assertions, assumptions, and other verbal ordeals, "Brain Droppings" is infectiously funny. Carlin unleashes his opinions on 'People Who Should Be Phased Out' (guys with creases in their jeans, people who know a lot of prayers by heart) and 'Seven Things I'm Tired Of' (geeks with Walkmans, clothing with writing on it, having to read cloud descriptions in a book). He even offers the never-before-revealed 'Guide to Dining Out' (order unusual things: a chopped corn sandwich with diced peas and rye potato chips). From nonsense such as 'Eventually there will come a time when everyone is in a band' to the ultimately profound 'It is impossible to dry one hand, ' you'll get a look inside Carlin's mind, and you won't be disappointed. Carlin demolishes everyday values and yet leaves you laughing out loud. You'll learn what he thinks of sports fans, how he would improve the TV networks, his suggestions for Legal Murder Once a Month, and his plan for World Peace Through Constant Dancing. Also included are two classic Carlin monologues -- 'A Place for My Stuff' and 'Baseball and Football.'


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<p>BONUS: This edition contains a <em>Letter to My Daughter </em>discussion guide.  </p><p>A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.” In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, her bittersweet relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, and a personal tragedy that she can never forget. An absorbing and affirming debut, <em>Letter to My Daughter</em> is a heartwrenching novel of mothers, daughters, and the lessons we all learn when we come of age.  </p><p>Look for special features inside.<br />Join the Circle for author chats and more.<br />RandomHouseReadersCircle.com</p><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>George Bishop on *Letter to My Daughter</strong>*   </p><p>My novel <em>Letter to My Daughter</em> features a middle-aged mother, her 15-year-old daughter, a boy in Vietnam, and a tattoo. Straight off, let me make a confession: I don’t have a daughter. I don’t have a tattoo, and I don’t know anyone who fought in the Vietnam War. How, then, did I come to write a book so far removed from my real-life experience?</p><p>Fortunately, there’s a good story behind this novel, and it begins in India.</p><p>A couple of years ago I was on a fellowship to do teacher training in India. It was demanding work, and at the end of my stay, I took a camel safari in Rajasthan, in northern India. To be honest, this isn’t as romantic as it sounds. You sit on a camel, with a guide, and amble along a dusty track under hot sun, stopping now and then at a village for tea. It’s uncomfortable, the camel smells bad. Pretty soon you’re thinking, <em>Hmm—a jeep would’ve been faster</em>. But sitting on a camel all day does give you time to think, and I did.</p><p>I was mulling over an earlier novel I’d written. I’d struggled with this story for years trying to make it work. I’d done a ridiculous amount of research, had bankers boxes full of notes, but the thing was like a black hole swallowing everything I threw at it. But this, I knew, was what writing was: mostly just hard work, and if you wanted a story to succeed, you had to stick at it. "Bash on," as my Indian friends would say. So on my holiday in Rajasthan, I’d begun jotting notes for revisions to this novel in a journal I carried with me.</p><p>After a few hours riding a camel, though, the mind wanders. Thoughts slip from their moorings, and you drift into that hazy, pleasant state where past and present, near and distant, blur together in an indistinct, vaguely foreign landscape. Soon I wasn’t thinking much about anything.</p><p>Late afternoon we arrived at a desert camp. The camel folded its legs and I slid off. A man with a moustache and turban stood waiting on the sand with, improbably, a decanter of whiskey on a silver tray. After dinner and drinks with a retired Indian colonel, I hiked around the dunes. Nothing but sand and desert scrub, as far as you could see; above, the moon and an amazing profusion of stars. It made the camel ride seem worthwhile. Satisfied, I fell asleep on a cot in a tent, the campfire illuminating the canvas walls, and there I dreamed.</p><p>I dreamed the whole story. I could see it like a film un-spooling. A daughter steals a car, drives off into the night, and the mother, waiting her return, sits down to write a letter. The farm, the boyfriend in Vietnam, the Catholic boarding school, the visit to the tattoo parlor: it was all there. When I woke the next morning, I lay on the cot, letting the pieces of the story settle into place, and then went out and sat in a camp chair and jotted an outline in my journal. It was this outline that guided me as I worked on the novel over the next year and a half.</p><p>The curious thing is that I don’t know anyone quite like Laura, the narrator. She’s not modeled after anyone in real life. Many of her opinions align with mine, true, but her voice and experiences certainly aren’t mine.</p><p>So where did Laura come from, then? The Greeks, you know, assigned divinity to this kind of inspiration. They said it was the work of the Muses: Calliope, Thalia, Terpsichore... Myself, I don’t call it divine. Instead, I’m reminded of those stories you read about the discovery of some new chemical equation. The scientist is going about his business, preoccupied with other problems, and while stepping off a city bus, it comes in a flash: the formula is revealed, the equation solved.</p><p>A bit like those scientists, I credit my own inspiration to years of tedious work on story drafts, endless revision of sentences, countless nights hunched in front of a computer screen, and, just maybe, a few lucky hours rocking on a camel in the hot Indian sun. <em>--George Bishop</em></p><p>(Photo © Michihito)</p><hr /><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This slight and gauzy novel fails to find anything new in the familiar terrain of mothers and their volatile teenage daughters. After Elizabeth storms out of the house in the wake of an argument on her 15th birthday, her mother, Laura, writes her a letter, endeavoring to tell Liz the truth about how a girl grows up by recounting her own adolescence. Laura's high school romance with Tim, a poor Cajun boy, is an act of rebellion against her intolerant parents that resulted in her transfer to a Catholic girls' school. Though Laura's relationship is a source of cruel mirth for her classmates, her correspondence with Tim continues, even as Tim ships off to Vietnam and Laura questions her devotion to her long-distance lover. Bishop's debut may be an interesting exercise in writing from the opposite gender's point of view, but most of the novel's insights into the mother-daughter relationship, and into female adolescence, have been explored innumerable times—and in more compelling ways—in countless young adult novels. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<p class="description">Hailed as “a Tolstoy with jokes” by one critic, George Bernard Shaw was the most significant British playwright since the seventeenth century. Pygmalion persists as his best-loved play, one made into both a classic film—which won Shaw an Academy Award for best screenplay—and the perennially popular musical My Fair Lady. Pygmalion follows the adventures of phonetics professor Henry Higgins as he attempts to transform cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a refined lady. The scene in which Eliza appears in high society with the correct accent but no notion of polite conversation is considered one of the funniest in English drama. Like most of Shaw’s work, Pygmalion wins over audiences with wit, a taut morality, and an innate understanding of human relationships. This volume also includes Major Barbara, which attacks both capitalism and charitable organizations, The Doctor’s Dilemma, a keen-eyed examination of medical morals and malpractice, and Heartbreak House, which exposes the spiritual bankruptcy of the generation responsible for the bloodshed of World War I.</p>


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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Egypt; Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh;


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<div><p>Drawn from more than three decades of media coverageprint, electronic, and online  this book serves up the best, most thought-provoking insights ever spoken by Steve Jobs: more than 200 quotations that are essential reading for everyone who seeks innovative solutions and inspirations applicable to their business, regardless of size.<br></p><p>Jobs, the longtime CEO of Apple, Inc., which he co-founded in 1976, stepped down from that role in August 2011, bringing an end to one of the greatest, most transformative business careers in history. Over the years, Jobs has given countless interviews to the media, explaining what he calls the vision thing”his unmatched ability to envision, and successfully bring to the marketplace, consumer products that people find simply irresistible.<br></p><p>Jobs has made an indelible mark in multiple industries, and played an enormous role in creating others. Consider how Jobs and Apple shaped the following fields: personal computers (laptop and desktop), apps (for multiple electronic devices), computer animation (Pixar), music (iTunes), telecommunications (iPhone), personal digital devices (iPod), books (iBook), and, most recently, tablets (iPad). Jobs is the great business visionary of our era.<br></p><p><i><br></i></p></div>


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In 1909, the crack Blue Anchor liner, the Waratah, sinks without trace, or survivors, off the coast of South Africa. In 1967, the Gemsbok, a Viscount airliner of South African Airways disappears in exactly the same place. To some it is merely an uncanny mystery. To others a tragedy. People like Ian Fairlie, captain of the weather ship Walvis Bay--whose father was the pilot of the Gemsbok and whose grandfather was the first officer of the Waratah. Ian Fairlie has sworn that he will resolve the mystery. But to do so, he must face cyclonic winds and mountainous seas, risking his ship, his life and the woman he loves... "Geoffrey Jenkins can write with a rare compelling fervour." Times Literary Supplement


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<p class="description">A group of pilgrims bound for Canterbury Cathedral agrees to pass the weary miles by taking turns at storytelling. The result is English literature's greatest collection of chivalric romances, bawdy tales, fables, legends, and other stories. The pilgrims -- noble, coarse, jolly, and pious -- offer a vibrant portrait of fourteenth-century English life. The Canterbury Tales reflects a society in transition, as a middle class began to emerge from England's feudal system. Craftsmen and laborers ride side by side with the gentry on the road to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, and their discussions and arguments about ethical issues mirror their changing world. The pilgrims' conversation and narratives also reveal their individual characters, and Chaucer's vivid, accurate portraits of human nature assured the Tales their enduring success. Each tale appears as a separate work that can be read and appreciated in its own right. Rich in metaphors drawn from the Bible and mythology and influenced by the great medieval masters Dante and Boccaccio, this immortal work appears here in a lucid translation into modern English verse. </p>


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<p class="description">Expanding on a landmark cover story in Fortune, a top journalist debunks the myths of exceptional performance. One of the most popular Fortune articles in many years was a cover story called "What It Takes to Be Great." Geoff Colvin offered new evidence that top performers in any field--from Tiger Woods and Winston Churchill to Warren Buffett and Jack Welch--are not determined by their inborn talents. Greatness doesn't come from DNA but from practice and perseverance honed over decades. And not just plain old hard work, like your grandmother might have advocated, but a very specific kind of work. The key is how you practice, how you analyze the results of your progress and learn from your mistakes, that enables you to achieve greatness. Now Colvin has expanded his article with much more scientific background and real-world examples. He shows that the skills of business—negotiating deals, evaluating financial statements, and all the rest—obey the principles that lead to greatness, so that anyone can get better at them with the right kind of effort. Even the hardest decisions and interactions can be systematically improved. This new mind-set, combined with Colvin's practical advice, will change the way you think about your job and career—and will inspire you to achieve more in all you do.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">The planet is in peril on account of human activity. Politicians, philosophers, and various pundits have been proposing ways to reverse the destructive thrust of this activity. Nothing has worked. The reason is that the activity has never been examined in itself as a product of cultural forces. This brilliant book does exactly that and thus provides an enlightened way towards changing the course of human history. By focusing on the signifying cultural roots of destructive human activity, it has opened up a veritable practical path to solving the crises facing the planet. This is required reading for everyone who is interested in our survival.</span></h3><p>Professor Geoffrey Beattie is Head of School and Dean of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester. He is widely regarded as one of the leading international figures on nonverbal communication and has published 15 books, many of which have either won or been short-listed for major international prizes. He was the resident psychologist on all nine 'Big Brother' series and his television credits also include ‘Ghost Hunting with Celebrities’ (ITV), 'Child Of Our Time' (BBC1) and numerous documentaries on ITV and Channel 4. He is also a regular contributor to 'Richard and Judy', the 'Lorraine Kelly Show', 'GMTV', the 'Extreme Celebrity' shows, 'BBC News 24' and 'Sky News'.</p><p>Professor Beattie’s academic publications have appeared in a wide variety of international journals including Nature, Semiotica, The British Journal of Psychology, and the Journal of Language and Social Psychology. He has also written for a diverse range of newspapers and magazines including: The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Sunday Telegraph, The Observer, The New Statesman, and Marie Claire.</p></div>


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<p>Popular and scholarly history presents a one-dimensional image of Napoleon as an inveterate instigator of war who repeatedly sought large-scale military conquests. General Franceschi and Ben Weider dismantle this false conclusion in The Wars Against Napoleon, a brilliantly written and researched study that turns our understanding of the French emperor on its head.<br /></p><p>Avoiding the simplistic clichés and rudimentary caricatures many historians use when discussing Napoleon, Franceschi and Weider argue persuasively that the caricature of the megalomaniac conqueror who bled Europe white to satisfy his delirious ambitions and insatiable love for war is groundless. By carefully scrutinizing the facts of the period and scrupulously avoiding the sometimes confusing cause and effect of major historical events, they paint a compelling portrait of a fundamentally pacifist Napoleon, one completely at odds with modern scholarly thought. <br /></p><p>This rigorous intellectual presentation is based upon three principal themes. The first explains how an unavoidable belligerent situation existed after the French Revolution of 1789. The new France inherited by Napoleon was faced with the implacable hatred of reactionary European monarchies determined to restore the ancient regime. All-out war was therefore inevitable unless France renounced the modern world to which it had just painfully given birth. The second theme emphasizes Napoleon's determined efforts ("bordering on an obsession," argue the authors) to avoid this inevitable conflict. The political strategy of the Consulate and the Empire was based on the intangible principle of preventing or avoiding these wars, not on conquering territory. Finally, the authors examine, conflict by conflict, the evidence that Napoleon never declared war. As he later explained at Saint Helena, it was he who was always attacked-not the other way around. His adversaries pressured and even forced the Emperor to employ his unequalled military genius. After each of his memorable victories Napoleon offered concessions, often extravagant ones, to the defeated enemy for the sole purpose of avoiding another war. <br /></p><p>Lavishly illustrated, persuasively argued, and carefully illustrated with original maps and battle diagrams, The Wars Against Napoleon presents a courageous and uniquely accurate historical idea that will surely arouse vigorous debate within the international historical community.<br /></p>


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<p class="description">The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Sword &amp; Citadel brings together the final two books of the tetralogy in one volume:The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home.The Citadel of the Autarch brings The Book of the New Sun to its harrowing conclusion, as Severian clashes in a final reckoning with the dread Autarch, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will forever alter the realm known as Urth.</p>


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<p class="description">Moose and the cons are about to get a lot closer in this much-anticipated sequel. It's 1935. Moose Flanagan lives on Alcatraz with his family, the other families of the guards, and a few hundred no-name hit men, con men, mad dog murderers and a handful of bank robbers too. And one of those cons has just done him a big favor. You see, Moose has never met Al Capone, but a few weeks ago Moose wrote a letter to him asking him to use his influence to get his sister, Natalie, into a school she desperately needs in San Francisco. After Natalie got accepted, a note appeared in Moose's freshly laundered shirt that said: Done. As this book begins, Moose discovers a new note. This one says: Your turn. Is it really from Capone? What does it mean? Moose can't risk anything that might get his dad fired. But how can he ignore Al Capone?</p>


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<p class="description">The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Shadow &amp; Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume:The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim.</p>


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In The Pleasure Instinct, pioneering neurobiologist Gene Wallenstein takes you on a delightful tour through the relationship between human beings and pleasure, from its biological origins, through its role in brain development, to the latest findings that have direct applications today. The pleasure instinct, he contends, is evolution's ancient tool for prodding us in the directions that maximize our reproductive success. This same drive has created a staggering panorama of behaviors, pathologies, and cultural idioms in our modern lives that often bewilder and beguile.Beginning with the five senses, Wallenstein explores the evolution of pleasure by asking such simple but penetrating questions as: How does music soothe our souls? What do we love so much about chocolate? How can particular aromas trigger vivid memories? Why are certain textures, shapes, and colors more pleasing than others? Wallenstein then reveals that in each case, the pleasure instinct delivers a distinct advantage, encourages normal brain growth, and enhances our ability to use and benefit from our senses. This fascinating trek to the nexus of evolutionary biology and psychology goes on to examine the impact of pleasure in our everyday lives. Wallenstein reveals how the pleasure instinct influences everything from how we choose our mates to why we laugh at jokes, from our favorite dance rhythms to our preferences in art, perfume, and amusement park rides. He also takes a look at the dark side of pleasure, seeking to unearth the evolutionary roots of addiction, fetishes, and other excesses in the pursuit of pleasure.Why does pleasure exist? When Wallenstein asks this question against the backdrop of evolution, the answers reveal the framework of a new world view that is beginning to change the way we think about human nature. Filled with fascinating insights into human behavior, this book will challenge your preconceptions and give you a new understanding of what drives the pursuit of pleasure.


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-- Jerry Capeci's The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to the Mafia has already netted close to 12,000 copies since its publication in December 2001, making it one of Alpha's strongest new titles.-- Jerry Capeci is one of America's most respected experts on the Mafia and organized crime. His Web site, Ganglandnews.com, gets more than 5,000 hits per day. He has appeared twice on Fox-TV promoting The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to the Mafia and is much in demand on local TV and radio shows. He has been profiled in People magazine, the New York Daily News (for which he was a longtime columnist), and dozens of other magazines and newspapers.-- John Gotti is terminally ill; when he passes on to that great Mafia in the sky, co-author Capeci will be in great demand for interviews and will the plug the book.As he battles terminal cancer in a federal prison in Illinois, John Gotti, still the acting head of the Gambino Mafia family, is constantly in the news. Once Mr. Gotti ascends to Mafia heaven, he will be worldwide news-and Alpha will have the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on the subject.


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<p class="description">This is the story of how America awakened to its race problem, of how a nation that longed for unity after World War II came instead to see, hear, and learn about the shocking indignities and injustices of racial segregation in the South--and the brutality used to enforce it. It is the story of how the nation's press, after decades of ignoring the problem, came to recognize the importance of the civil rights struggle and turn it into the most significant domestic news event of the twentieth century. Drawing on private correspondence, notes from secret meetings, unpublished articles, and interviews, veteran journalists Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff go behind the headlines and datelines to show how a dedicated cadre of newsmen--first Black reporters, then liberal Southern editors, then reporters and photographers from the national press and the broadcast media--revealed to a nation its most shameful shortcomings and propelled its citizens to act.</p>


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<div><p>Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless—and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost…until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.<br></p><p>Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation—or her ultimate damnation?</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">At long last, New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter unveils the story of Paris, the darkest and most tormented Lord of the Underworld….</p><p class="description">Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he'd thought was forever beyond his reach…until now. </p><p class="description">Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally—or tear them apart?</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; ">Showalter's seventh Lords of the Underworld novel (after 2010's The Darkest Lie) focuses on Amun, one of the dozen immortal warriors who absorbed evil demons from Pandora's box. The demon of Defeat captures Haidee, a part-demon Hunter whose relatives were slain by the Lords in ancient Greece, and takes her to the warriors' fortress, where Amun is recovering from a journey to hell. Everyone is surprised when Haidee and her icy touch soothe the tormenting demons that burn within Amun. Their roles as Lord and Hunter create obstacles to their growing attraction, as does Haidee's plan to find closure with her boyfriend before committing herself to a relationship with Amun, and another quest in hell tests their skills and commitment. A complicated backstory, dozens of recurring characters, throwaway references to rape, and graphic sex and violence may limit the book's appeal to new readers. </span></h3></div>


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<div><p>Kamila Sidiqi's life changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. After her father and brother were forced to flee, she became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Banned from school, confined to her home, and armed only with determination, she picked up a needle and thread to create a thriving business that saved their lives.</p><p><em>The Dressmaker of Khair Khana</em> tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. A story of war, it is also a story of family, faith, and resilience in the face of despair. These women are not victims—they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarian issues of our time.</p></div>


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<div><p>His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary—and he lives only for vengeance against the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be eternally damned.</p><p>Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance…and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life—even if he has to sacrifice his own.</p></div>


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<div><p>"The Google Résumé is a comprehensive guide to getting into the top tech companies. McDowell shows applicants how to create an effective résumé, how to prepare for interviews, how to negotiate an offer, and how to perform well on the job. This is truly the 'bible' of the tech hiring process." Stephanie Jacobs, former recruiter, Google</p><p>"This book takes you behind the scenes at companies like Amazon and Microsoft with real-life stories from candidates, interviewers, and recruiters. Their experiences will show you how to position yourself for success. An excellent read for candidates at all stages." Venise Cunningham, Recruiting Coordinator, Amazon, and formerly Microsoft</p><p>"During my time at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook, I've seen even the most brilliant candidates fumble. Some get too nervous, some don't prepare adequately, and some lack the right experience. The Google Résumé addresses each of these issues and helps candidates develop a more compelling appli-cation. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone pursuing a tech career." Peter Wilson, former engineering director, Google and Microsoft; consultant, Facebook</p><p>"A perfect follow-up to McDowell's first book, Cracking the Coding Interview, The Google Résumé goes beyond the interview itself and shows candidates how to make their applications stand out. There may be no silver bullet for success, but this book is about as close as it gets." Trey Williams, Software Engineer, Google, and formerly Microsoft</p><p>"A surprisingly fun yet helpful look at the tech recruiting process, this book offers candidates concrete strategies for landing these coveted positions. Learn how companies like Microsoft approach hiring and use these lessons to land your dream job. This is the book that I wish all our candidates would read." Belinda Drllevich, Recruiting Coordinator, Microsoft </p></div>


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For centuries, emperors, historians, and even the Vatican have tried to locate Ivan the Terrible’s magnificent Library of Gold — a long-missing archive containing gold-covered, bejeweled books dating all the way back to the ancient Greeks.  Now one of the volumes, The Book of Spies, has surfaced, and along with it the highly secret book club that owns the Library of Gold.  They form a cabal of the globe’s most powerful men – men who will do anything to achieve their aims and protect their interests.  When the CIA discovers a connection between the legendary library and a bank account linked to terrorists, they turn to rare books curator Eva Blake for help.  Soon an attempt is made on Eva’s life. Determined not only to survive but to uncover the truth, Eva turns to the only person she can trust—Judd Ryder, a former intelligence agent with his own agenda and a troubled past.  Together, Judd and Eva embark on an international adventure from London to Rome, Istanbul, and Athens.  Somehow they must do what no one else has been able to do – find the library and stay alive.


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<p class="description">In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeenyear- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she fi nds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make - and the ultimate choice Mia commands.</p>


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<p class="description">The disparate lives of two women—a single mother working hard to make ends meet and a young figure skater at the top of her game—entwine in an unforgettable novel of warmth, depth, and wisdom. Izzy and her daughter, Quinn, have been on the move for all of Quinn’s nine years. Izzy works the fields as a fruit picker, following the produce north and south through the growing season. When they reach a struggling pear orchard in the Sacramento River Delta, Izzy intends it to be just another way station in their nomadic lives. But the orchard and its kindly owners capture Quinn’s heart, and Izzy briefly forgets that she’s running from a past that still haunts her—until a strange incident brings national media attention to the Delta. Seemingly a world away, Karen is a rising young star in figure skating with an edgy, daring new partner. Nathan is everything her old teammate wasn’t: sexy, dangerous, and extremely headstrong. As Karen nears her eighteenth birthday, the partners find themselves on the world stage—and the simmering intensity between them finally erupts.As each woman struggles with a sudden thrust into the spotlight, their narratives become more intertwined—until Izzy’s past and Karen’s future finally collide.</p>


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A classic masterwork newly updated   The electrifying true story of the rise and fall of New York's notorious Bonanno crime family   On New York's Park Avenue on a rainy Tuesday night in October 1964, the famous Mafia chieftain Joseph Bonanno was kidnapped by two mobsters and reported by the police as dead on the following morning. More than a year later, Bonanno mysteriously reappeared, setting off a bloody mob feud that came to be known as the “Banana War.”   In this monumental work—packed with intimate details and brilliant reporting—bestselling author Gay Talese first brought to the American consciousness a world and a life previously known to only a few. No other book has done more to acquaint readers with the secrets, structure, wars, power plays, family lives, and fascinating, frightening personalities of the Mafia.


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<p class="description">A carjacker lurking in a shopping mall parking lot. An abusive husband pounding on the door. A disgruntled employee brandishing a gun. These days, no one is safe from the specter of violence. But according to Gavin de Becker, everyone can feel safer, act safer, be safer -- if they learn how to listen to their own sixth sense about danger.De Becker has made a career of protecting people and predicting violent behavior. His firm handles security for many of Hollywood's top celebrities -- Madonna, Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis, Brooke Shields, and John Travolta, among others, according to press reports -- and his computerized risk-assessment system helps analyze threats to members of Congress and the Supreme Court. Now, in this unprecedented guide, de Becker shares his expertise with everyone. Covering all the dangerous situations people typically face -- street crime, domestic abuse, violence in the workplace -- de Becker provides real-life examples and offers specific advice on restraining orders, self-defense, and more. But the key to self-protection, he demonstrates, is learning how to trust -- and act on -- our own intuitions. For everyone who's ever felt threatened, this book is essential reading.</p>


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ULLSAARD HAS CONQUERED THE KNOWN WORLD. All have fallen before his armies. Now it's time to take the long journey home, back to the revered heartof the great Empire he had helped create for his distant masters. But when he returns to the capital, life there is so very different from what he had believed. Could it be that everything he has fought for, has conqueredand killed for, has been a lie? File Under: Epic Fantasy [ Conquering Armies - A Vast Empire - Temple Of Shadows - Rebellion And War ]


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The Phantom of the Opera (in French, Le Fantome de l'Opera) is a French novel by Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialization in Le Gaulois from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910. Some believe it to have been inspired by George du Maurier's Trilby. Trilby is based on real events related to the Paris Opera House which Leroux investigated, initiated by stories of an opera house ghost. Initially, the novel sold very poorly and was even out of print several times during the twentieth century. Today, it is considered to be a classic of French literature, though it is overshadowed by its many subsequent adaptations. The novel was translated into English in 1911. It has since been adapted many times into film and stage productions, the most notable of which were the 1925 film depiction and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, starring Michael Crawford as the Phantom, Steve Barton as Raoul, and Sarah Brightman as Christine, which is now the longest running Broadway show in history and the most lucrative entertainment enterprise of all time, its worldwide box office over the past 20 years out-grossing even the highest grossing film in history, Titanic. *(Quote from wikipedia.org)*



**About the Author**



Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 1868, Paris, France - 15 April 1927) was a French journalist, detective and novelist.



In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantome de l'Opera, 1910), which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, such as the 1925 film starring Lon Chaney; and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical. It was also the basis of the 1990 novel Phantom by Susan Kay.



Leroux went to school in Normandy and studied law in Paris, graduating in 1889. He inherited mil


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<p class="description">"Do you have a hobby you wish you could do all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take those passions and make a living doing what you love. In CRUSH IT! Why NOW Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by usingthe secrets revealed in this book, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand. By the end of this book, any reader will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, CRUSH IT! is the ultimate driver's manual for modern business. Gary Vaynerchuk has captured attention with his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business. After primarily utilizing traditional advertising techniques to build his family's local retail wine business into a national industry leader, Gary rapidly leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV, http://tv.winelibrary.com, his video blog about wine. Gary has always had an early-to-market approach, launching Wine Library's retail website in 1997 and Wine Library TV in February of 2006. His lessons on social media, passion, transparency, and reactionary business are not to be missed!"--Provided by publisher.</p>


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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; ">This book has been written from the system administrator's perspective, tackling the topics that will be most important to help you understand FreeNAS, and get it set up as securely and quickly as possible. You will just see how to get the job done. This book is for systems administrators who want a low cost, simple way to provide large amounts of network-attached storage. It does not assume knowledge of BSD, and will work for people using FreeNAS in any network environment.</span></h3>


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<div><p class="description">The author of two critically acclaimed novels, **The Russian Debutante’s Handbook** and **Absurdistan**, Gary Shteyngart has risen to the top of the fiction world. Now, in his hilarious and heartfelt new novel, he envisions a deliciously dark tale of America’s dysfunctional coming years—and the timeless and tender feelings that just might bring us back from the brink.In a very near future—oh, let’s say next Tuesday—a functionally illiterate America is about to collapse. But don’t that tell that to poor Lenny Abramov, the thirty-nine-year-old son of an angry Russian immigrant janitor, proud author of what may well be the world’s last diary, and less-proud owner of a bald spot shaped like the great state of Ohio. Despite his job at an outfit called Post-Human Services, which attempts to provide immortality for its super-rich clientele, death is clearly stalking this cholesterol-rich morsel of a man. And why shouldn’t it? Lenny’s from a different century—he totally loves books (or “printed, bound media artifacts,” as they’re now known), even though most of his peers find them smelly and annoying. But even more than books, Lenny loves Eunice Park, an impossibly cute and impossibly cruel twenty-four-year-old Korean American woman who just graduated from Elderbird College with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness.After meeting Lenny on an extended Roman holiday, blistering Eunice puts that Assertiveness minor to work, teaching our “ancient dork” effective new ways to brush his teeth and making him buy a cottony nonflammable wardrobe. But America proves less flame-resistant than Lenny’s new threads. The country is crushed by a credit crisis, riots break out in New York’s Central Park, the city’s streets are lined with National Guard tanks on every corner, the dollar is so over, and our patient Chinese creditors may just be ready to foreclose on the whole mess. Undeterred, Lenny vows to love both Eunice and his homeland. He’s going to convince his fickle new love that in a time without standards or stability, in a world where single people can determine a dating prospect’s “hotness” and “sustainability” with the click of a button, in a society where the privileged may live forever but the unfortunate will die all too soon, there is still value in being a real human being.Wildly funny, rich, and humane, **Super Sad True Love Story** is a knockout novel by a young master, a book in which falling in love just may redeem a planet falling apart.</p></div>


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It's the start of a Cardiff autumn - the days are getting shorter, the dark evenings settling in. There's a part of Cardiff that no one goes to much. No crime, no murders, just... they stay away. A collection of old rundown houses and gloomy streets. Something's not quite right there, something is off-kilter. Except now, the Council are renovating the area. And a new company have been employed to do this. And look: they're going to organize street parties to show off the gentrified area. Clown and face-painters for the kids, street magicians for the adults. None of this is Torchwood's problem. Except that Tosh recognizes the man sponsoring the street parties when she's passing one day: Bills Manger!


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<p class="description">For most people, the Great Crash of 2008 has meant troubling times. Not so for those in the flourishing poverty industry, for whom the economic woes spell an opportunity to expand and grow. These mercenary entrepreneurs have taken advantage of an era of deregulation to devise high-priced products to sell to the credit-hungry working poor, including the instant tax refund and the payday loan. In the process they've created an industry larger than the casino business and have proved that pawnbrokers and check cashers, if they dream big enough, can grow very rich off those with thin wallets. Broke, USA is Gary Rivlin's riveting report from the economic fringes. From the annual meeting of the national check cashers association in Las Vegas to a tour of the foreclosure-riddled neighborhoods of Dayton, Ohio, here is a subprime Fast Food Nation featuring an unforgettable cast of characters and memorable scenes. Rivlin profiles players like a former small-town Tennessee debt collector whose business offering cash advances to the working poor has earned him a net worth in the hundreds of millions, and legendary Wall Street dealmaker Sandy Weill, who rode a subprime loan business into control of the nation's largest bank. Rivlin parallels their stories with the tale of those committed souls fighting back against the major corporations, chain franchises, and newly hatched enterprises that fleece the country's hardworking waitresses, warehouse workers, and mall clerks. Timely, shocking, and powerful, Broke, USA offers a much-needed look at why our country is in a financial mess and gives a voice to the millions of ordinary Americans left devastated in the wake of the economic collapse.</p>


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<p>Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston.</p><p>But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel’s parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City. </p>


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"We want you to do it again."These words, spoken to Brian Robeson, will change his life. Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again--to go back into the wilderness so that astronauts and the military can learn the survival techniques that kept Brian alive.This time he won't be alone: Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him to observe and take notes. But during a freak storm, Derek is hit by lightning and falls into a coma. Their radio transmitter is dead. Brian is afraid that derek will die of dehydration unless he can get him to a doctor. His only hope is to build a raft and try to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river to a trading post--if the map he has is accurate.


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“Sometimes having company is not all it’s cracked up to be.” Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he’s hoping for a job where he doesn’t have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She’s 10 years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna’s dealing with breast cancer, and Matthew and Finn learn to care for her, emotionally and physically. When she hires Finn to create a garden, his gardening ideas backfire comically. But Johanna and the garden help Finn discover his talents for connecting with people.


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Since it was first published in 1987, the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson's survival following a plane crash has become a modern classic. Stranded in the desolate wilderness, Brian uses his instincts and his hatchet to stay alive for fifty-four harrowing days.This twentieth-anniversary edition of Hatchet contains a new introduction and sidebar commentary by Gary Paulsen, written especially for this volume. Drew Willis's detailed pen-and-ink illustrations complement the descriptions in the text and add a new dimension to the book. This handsome edition of the Newbery Honor book will be treasured by Hatchet fans as well as by readers encountering Brian's unforgettable story for the first time.


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<p class="description">He would have to find some way to protect himself, some weapon. The fire worked well when it was burning, but it had burned down. His hatchet and knife would have done nothing more than make the bear really angry -- something he did not like to think about -- and his bow was good only for smaller game. He had nver tried to shoot anything bigger than a foolbird or rabbit with it and doubted that the bow wouuld push the arrow deep enough to do anything but -- again -- make the bear really made.  He bundled in his bag that night, the end of the two weeks of warm weather. He kept putting wood on the fire, half afraid the bear would come back. All the while he tried to think of a solution. But in reality, the bear was not his primary adversary. Nor was the wolf, nor any animal. Brian had become his own worst enemy because in all the business of hunting, fishing and surviving he had forgotten the primary rule: Always, "always" pay attention to what was happening. Everything in nature means something and he had missed the warnings that summer was ending, had in many ways already ended, and what was coming would be the most dangerous thing he had faced since the plane crashed.</p>


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As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian's Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that's he's back in civilization, he can't find a way to make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the North. The only answer is to return-to "go back in"-for only in the wilderness can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs.


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Millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, Brian’s Winter, and Brian’s Return know that Brian Robeson is at home in the Canadian wilderness. He has stood up to the challenge of surviving alone in the woods. He prefers being on his own in the natural world to civilization. When Brian finds a dog one night, a dog that is wounded and whimpering, he senses danger. The dog is badly hurt, and as Brian cares for it, he worries about his Cree friends who live north of his camp. His instincts tell him to head north, quickly. With his new companion at his side, and with a terrible, growing sense of unease, he sets out to learn what happened. He sets out on the hunt.


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In this remarkable true story, the haunting of a Long Island household forces a respected writer and editor to reevaluate the mysteries of life and death as he struggles with the frightening truths of his childhood home and his town's past.   Growing up in Rockville Center, Long Island, Gary Jansen never believed in ghosts. His mother-a devoutly Catholic woman with a keen sense for the uncanny-claimed that their family house was haunted. But Jansen never found anything inexplicable in how their doorbell would sometimes ring of its own accord; or in the mysterious sounds of footsteps or breaking glass that occasionally would fill their home; or even in his mother's sometimes unsettlingly accurate visions of future events and tragedies. Though he once experienced a supernatural encounter in a Prague church as a young man, Jansen grew up into a rationalist, as well as a noted writer and editor.  Decades later, in 2001, Jansen moved back into the very same house where he had once grown up to raise a family with his wife. One day in 2007, he encountered a strange physical sensation in his toddler son's bedroom:  As I reached into his dresser drawer, I felt something very strange behind me. Startled, I quickly turned around, but there was nothing there. I shrugged it off, grabbed the socks and, as I was walking to the doorway, experienced an odd phenomenon-sort of like an electrical hand rubbing the length of my back. I stopped and stood transfixed. "What the hell is that?" I said to myself. The pressure then seemed to break apart and, for a brief moment, I felt like I had a million little bugs crawling all over my back. Within seconds, however, the sensation was gone.   This became the first step in uncovering a frightening, fullblown haunting in his home-a phenomenon that lasted an entire year and eventually included unveiling the identities of the spirits who occupied his house; discovering the chilling story of a century-old murder in his hometown; encountering mind-boggling coincidences between local history and events in his own family; and finally engaging in a climactic exorcism with the help of Mary Ann Winkowski, the real-life inspiration for TV's The Ghost Whisperer. The events of that year-in which Jansen's family was terrified of and terrorized by ghosts in their own home-forever changed how he viewed the mysteries of life and death.  Holy Ghosts is not only a gripping true-life ghost story but a funny and touching memoir, as well as a meditation on the relationship between religion and the paranormal, which are often considered at odds with each other but which the author shows are intimately linked.


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In the 25th century, only the Shoal possess the secret of faster-than-light travel (FTL), giving them absolute control over all trade and exploration throughout the galaxy. Mankind has operated within their influence for two centuries, establishing a dozen human colony worlds scattered along Shoal trade routes.  Dakota Merrick, while serving as a military pilot, has witnessed atrocities for which this alien race is responsible. Now piloting a civilian cargo ship, she is currently ferrying an exploration team to a star system containing a derelict starship. From its wreckage, her passengers hope to salvage a functioning FTL drive of mysteriously non-Shoal origin. But the Shoal are not yet ready to relinquish their monopoly over a technology they acquired through ancient genocide.


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Grant Stevens, a mid-level manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, only wanted to build dams. He never imagined he would be swept into a desperate race against an environmental terrorist bent on restoring the Colorado River by blowing up the dams. Left temporarily in charge of the Bureau, Grant must react when the first dam is attacked. He faces the unthinkable task of mitigating the massive flood roaring down the Colorado. The flood will eventually threaten the mighty Hoover Dam, and if Hoover fails, the other dams downstream will fall like dominos. Working with the FBI, Grant uses his engineering skills, river knowledge, and plenty of gut instinct in an attempt to outmaneuver the terrorist. The chase will lead all the way downstream to the Gulf of California in a cat and mouse game where the stakes are high and the potential for destruction is enormous.


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In Stealing Light, Dakota discovered the Shoal's dark and dangerous secret, now she works towards stopping not only the spread of this knowledge, but also the onset of the Nova war. Found adrift near a Bandati colony world far away from Consortium space, Dakota and Corso find themselves prisoners of the Bandati. It becomes rapidly clear to them, that the humanity's limited knowledge of the rest of the galaxy ' filtered through the Shoal ' is direly inaccurate. The Shoal have been fighting a frontier war with a rival species, the Emissaries, with their own FTL technology for over fifteen thousand years. Realising that the Shoal may be the Galaxy's one chance at sustained peace, Dakota is forced to work with Trader to prevent the spread of deadly knowledge carried on board the Magi ships. But it seems that the Nova War is inevitable'Ś


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The nova war has begun to spread as the Emissaries wage a fierce and reckless campaign, encroaching on the area of space occupied by humanity and forcing the Shoal into a desperate retreat. While Dakota goes in search of the entity responsible for creating the Maker caches, Corso, left in charge of a fleet of human-piloted Magi ships, finds his authority crumbling in the face of assassination attempts and politically-motivated sabotage.If any hope exists at all, it lies in an abandoned asteroid a thousand light-years beyond the Consortium's borders, and with Ty Whitecloud, the only man alive with the skill to decipher the messages left behind by an ancient race of star travellers. Unfortunately Whitecloud is locked in a prison cell aboard a dying coreship adrift in space, awaiting execution for war crimes against Corso's own people. But if humanity has any hope of survival, Corso is going to have to find some way to keep him alive - and that's only if Dakota doesn't kill him first...


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<p class="description">Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.</p>


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<p class="description">When Code 15s-deaths due to seemingly preventable medical errors-rise at Dade Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Morgan Connolly, Chief of Emergency Medicine, is suspected of losing her edge. But she suspects that someone is cutting a deadly path of vengeance through the hospital-a path that may end with Morgan facing her own demise at the hands of a madman.</p>


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<p class="description">Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoė, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoė at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man. A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.</p>


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The Key to SurvivalRests in the Hands ofShade's Children In a futuristic urban wasteland, evil Overlords have decreed that no child shall live a day past his fourteenth birthday. On that Sad Birthday, the child is the object of an obscene harvest resulting in the construction of a machinelike creature whose sole purpose is to kill. The mysterious Shade -- once a man, but now more like the machines he fights -- recruits the few children fortunate enough to escape. With luck, cunning, and skill, four of Shade's children come closer than any to discovering the source of the Overlords' power -- and the key to their downfall. But the closer the children get, the more ruthless Shade seems to become ...


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The thirty stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now.  Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear, Aliete de Bodard, James L. Cambias, Greg Egan, Charles Coleman Finlay, James Alan Gardner, Dominic Green, Daryl Gregory, Gwyneth Jones, Ted Kosmatka, Mary Robinette Kowal, Nancy Kress, Jay Lake, Paul McAuley, Ian McDonald, Maureen McHugh, Sarah Monette, Garth Nix, Hannu Rajaniemi, Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Mary Rosenblum, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Geoff Ryman, Karl Schroeder, Gord Sellar, and Michael Swanwick.Supplementing the stories are the editor’s insightful summation of the year’s events and a lengthy list of honorable mentions, making this book both a valuable resource and the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination, and the heart.


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Hugo Award-winning editor Gardner Dozois_ annual anthology has long been considered the standard by which other best-of-the-year SF collections are judged. After two decades_ worth of superlative science fiction, Dozois now presents a retrospective compilation culling from the last 20 years.Here under one banner is some of the finest work by the genre's leading authors, with a star-studded list of contributors that features among others: Stephen Baxter, Greg Bear, William Gibson, Terry Bisson, Greg Egan, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Bruce Sterling , Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Gene Wolfe.A number of the selections are now considered classics. Some notable stories include:_Blood Music_, Greg Bear's Hugo-winning exploration of nanotechnology._Bears Discover Fire_, Terry Bisson's tongue-in-cheek consideration of future ursine evolution._The Left Hand of Darkness_, Ursula K. Le Guin_s coming-of-age SF tale._The Winter Market_, in which William Gibson returns to the subject that made him a cultural icon, cyberpunk.With work spanning two decades, this is the most significant science fiction short story anthology published in years.


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IN this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate. Award-winning, bestselling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he's one of the hottest stars in literature today with "The Thing About Cassandra," a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see. International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in "A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows." Torn from all he knows, Jerry MacKenzie determinedly survives hardship and danger, intent on his goal of returning home to his wife and babyno matter the cost. New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher presents "Love Hurts," in which Harry Dresden takes on one of his deadliest adversaries and in the process is forced to confront the secret desires of his own heart. Just the smallest sampling promises unearthly delights, but look also for stories by New York Times bestselling romance authors Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney, and by such legends of the fantasy genre as Peter S. Beagle and Tanith Lee, as well as many other popular and beloved writers, including Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, and Robin Hobb. This exquisite anthology, crafted by the peerless editing team of George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is sure to leave you under its spell. Discover the many realms of the heart with this extraordinary cast of acclaimed authors: PETER S. BEAGLE JO BEVERLEY JIM BUTCHER JACQUELINE CAREY DIANA GABALDON NEIL GAIMAN YASMINE GALENORN M.L.N. HANOVER ROBIN HOBB CECELIA HOLLAND TANITH LEE MARJORIE M. LIU MARY JO PUTNEY LINNEA SINCLAIR MELINDA SNODGRASS LISA TUTTLE CARRIE VAUGHN


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<div><p>Scheduled for publication on the 75th anniversary of the Black Thursday stock market crash, this closely argued treatise from University of Maryland political economist Alperovitz (The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb) claims we are in the midst of another deep economic, social and political crisis. Capitalism, democracy, equality and liberty have disappeared from the United States, he says. Corporations and rich people control the wealth and government; their power destroys liberty and the entrepreneurial freedom necessary for capitalism. Traditional reforms are inadequate. Progressive taxation and social programs only redistribute income; we need to redistribute wealth. Easier voter registration and campaign finances miss the point; federal power must be reallocated to regional governments and local citizens’ associations whose scale makes participatory democracy possible. We need shorter work weeks, stronger labor unions, worker-owned or directed firms, less debt and more respect for the environment. The first six chapters could have been written in the 1970s. The statistics and quotes are current, but there is no discussion of recent global experience with many of the ideas. The remainder of the book combines these ideas into what the author calls "21st century populism" working toward a "Pluralist Commonwealth." The book’s strength lies in its integration of diverse populist issues into a coherent agenda rooted in deep American values from the Declaration of Independence. </p></div>


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The Bunco Baves are a group of hip retirees who love to play bunco, an addictive game of luck. Bu someone's luck is about to run out. When Claudia Connors returns from Vegas with a new husband, actor Lance Ledeaux, Kate McCall and the other Bunco Babes are shocked. To make matters worse, Lance has plans to direct, produce, and star in a play he has written-and he wants all the Babes to participate. When he's killed during rehearsal with a pistol, all eyes are on Claudia, who is literally holding the smoking gun. Anyone could have loaded the real bullets, but its up to Kate to prove Claudia's innocence-or her newly widowed friend will be throwing dice behind bars.


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Once in a great while a debut novelist comes along who dazzles us with rare eloquence and humanity, who takes us to bold new places and into previously unimaginable lives. Gaile Parkin is just such a talent—and Baking Cakes in Kilgali is just such a novel. This gloriously written tale—set in modern-day Rwanda—introduces one of the most singular and engaging characters in recent fiction: Angel Tungaraza—mother, cake baker, keeper of secrets—a woman living on the edge of chaos, finding ways to transform lives, weave magic, and create hope amid the madness swirling all around her.In Kigali, Angel runs a bustling business: baking cakes for all occasions—cakes filled with vibrant color, buttery richness, and, most of all, a sense of hope only Angel can deliver.…A CIA agent’s wife seeks the perfect holiday cake but walks away with something far sweeter…a former boy-soldier orders an engagement cake, then, between sips of tea, shares an enthralling story…weary human rights workers…lovesick limo drivers. Amid this cacophony of native tongues, love affairs, and confessions, Angel’s kitchen is an oasis where people tell their secrets, where hope abounds and help awaits.In this unlikely place, in the heart of Rwanda, unexpected things are beginning to happen: A most unusual wedding is planned…a heartbreaking mystery—involving Angel’s own family—unravels…and extraordinary connections are being made among the men and women who have tasted Angel’s beautiful cakes…as a chain of events unfolds that will change Angel’s life—and the lives of those around her—in the most astonishing ways.


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BONUS: This edition contains an" Unfinished Desires "discussion guide.  From Gail Godwin, three-time National Book Award finalist and acclaimed "New YorkTimes" bestselling author of Evensong and The Finishing School, comes a sweeping new novel of friendship, loyalty, rivalries, redemption, and memory.  Itis the fall of 1951 at Mount St. Gabriel's, an all-girls school tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina. Tildy Stratton, the undisputed queen bee of her class, befriends Chloe Starnes, a new studentrecently orphaned by the untimely and mysterious death of her mother. Their friendship fills a void for both girls but also sets in motion a chain of events that will profoundly affect the course of many lives, includingthe girls' young teacher and the school's matriarch, Mother Suzanne Ravenel.  Fifty years on, the headmistress relives one pivotal night, trying to reconcile past and present, reaching back even further to her own senior year at the school, where the roots of a tragedy are buried.  In Unfinished Desires, a beloved author delivers a gorgeous new novel inwhich thwarted desires are passed on for generations-and captures the rare moment when a soul breaks free.


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<div><p>Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.<br></p><p>Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?</p></div>


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<p>How do you keep existing when your heart is so splintered, so completely torn to shreds, your pulse is fading? You’re…broken. How do you move forward when every breath is nothing more than a constant ache? Living becomes an insidious reminder that you threw away the single largest part of yourself. Your…soul. No amount of distraction can pull you from the torture of losing your…life. Now that Emily Cooper has walked away from her first love, she finds herself running toward her only love. Unraveling fast, but clinging to hope, Emily risks all she has left on the man that has consumed her every thought and dream since the day they met. Will Gavin take her back? And if so, will their reunion be a collision of two hearts destined to complete one another and rekindle a love that knew no boundaries? Or will scars from their past rip open, tearing slowly at what each of them was meant to be? Can fate, the ultimate game changer, mend the shattered road it laid out from the start? Only time will tell… Tick-Tock…</p>


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<div><p>Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. <br></p><p>Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. <br></p><p>With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?<br></p><p>SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.</p></div>


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<div><p>In the delightfully wicked follow-up to <em>Soulless</em>, Alexia Tarabotti is entangled once more in Victorian London's supernatural mysteries. <br></p><p>Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.<br></p><p>But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. <br></p><p>She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.</p></div>


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Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.


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“It’s an old, old story: I had a friend and we shared everything, and then she died and so we shared that, too.” So begins this gorgeous memoir by Pulitzer Prize winner Gail Caldwell, a testament to the power of friendship, a story of how an extraordinary bond between two women can illuminate the loneliest, funniest, hardest moments in life, including the final and ultimate challenge.They met over their dogs. Both writers, Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp became best friends, talking about everything from their shared struggle with alcohol to their love of books. They walked the woods of New England and rowed on the Charles River, and the miles they logged on land and water became a measure of the interior ground they covered. From disparate backgrounds but with striking emotional similarities, these two private, fiercely self-reliant women created an attachment more profound than either of them could ever have foreseen.  Rich with the joys of raising dogs and the rivalries of competitive sports, their friendship helped them define the ordinary moments of life as the ones worth cherishing. Then, several years into this remarkable connection, Knapp was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. With her signature exquisite prose, Caldwell mines the deepest levels of devotion and grief in this  moving memoir about treasuring and losing a best friend, and about coming of age in midlife. Let’s Take the Long Way Home is a celebration of life and of the transformation that comes from intimate connection—and it affirms, once again, why Gail Caldwell is recognized as one of our bravest and most honest literary voices.


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<p>Charlie D is back doing his late-night radio call-in show. It's Halloween—The Day of the Dead. Not a day filled with good memories for Charlie, but the show must go on. His studio guest this evening is Dr. Robin Harris, an arrogant and ambitious "expert in the arts of dying and grieving," who also seems to be auditioning for her own radio talk show. Charlie and Dr. Harris do not hit it off. Things go from bad to worse when the doctor's ex-lover, Gabe, goes on air to announce that he's about to end his life. Dr. Harris is entirely unsympathetic until she learns that Gabe also has her daughter Kali and plans to poison her too. It will take all of Charlie D's on-air skills to save both Gabe and Kali.</p>


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<p class="description">So you got the guy on the big white horse, and the beautiful little mermaids, and the picket fence, and your life isn’ t . . . perfect in every imaginable way? You’re not alone. In 1997, Gabrielle Reece married the man of her dreams—professional surfer Laird Hamilton—in a flawless Hawaiian ceremony. Naturally, the couple filed for divorce four years later. In the end they worked it out, but not without the ups and downs, minor hiccups, and major setbacks that beset every modern family. With hilarious stories, wise insights, and concrete takeaways on topics ranging from navigating relationship issues to aging gracefully to getting smart about food, My Foot Is Too Big for the Glass Slipper is the brutally honest, wickedly funny, and deeply helpful portrait of the humor, grace, and humility it takes to survive the happily ever after.</p>


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<p class="description">“I wanted the lettuce and eggs at room temperature . . . the butter-and-sugar sandwiches we ate after school for snack . . . the marrow bones my mother made us eat as kids that I grew to crave as an adult. . . . There would be no ‘conceptual’ or ‘intellectual’ food, just the salty, sweet, starchy, brothy, crispy things that one craves when one is actually hungry. In ecstatic farewell to my years of corporate catering, we would never serve anything but a martini in a martini glass. Preferably gin.”   Before Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty fierce, hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life. Above all she sought family, particularly the thrill and the magnificence of the one from her childhood that, in her adult years, eluded her. Hamilton’s ease and comfort in a kitchen were instilled in her at an early age when her parents hosted grand parties, often for more than one hundred friends and neighbors. The smells of spit-roasted lamb, apple wood smoke, and rosemary garlic marinade became as necessary to her as her own skin. Blood, Bones &amp; Butter follows an unconventional journey through the many kitchens Hamilton has inhabited through the years: the rural kitchen of her childhood, where her adored mother stood over the six-burner with an oily wooden spoon in hand; the kitchens of France, Greece, and Turkey, where she was often fed by complete strangers and learned the essence of hospitality; the soulless catering factories that helped pay the rent; Hamilton’s own kitchen at Prune, with its many unexpected challenges; and the kitchen of her Italian mother-in-law, who serves as the link between Hamilton’s idyllic past and her own future family—the result of a difficult and prickly marriage that nonetheless yields rich and lasting dividends. Blood, Bones &amp; Butter is an unflinching and lyrical work. Gabrielle Hamilton’s story is told with uncommon honesty, grit, humor, and passion. By turns epic and intimate, it marks the debut of a tremendous literary talent.</p>


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<p class="description">In the 2012 London Olympics, US gymnast Gabrielle Douglas stole hearts and flew high as the All-Around Gold Medal winner, as well as acting as a critical member of the US gold-medal-winning women gymnastics team. In this personal autobiography, Gabrielle tells her story of faith, perseverance, and determination, demonstrating you can reach your dreams if you let yourself soar.</p>


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The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An élite establishment that moves to an exotic new city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich. And the more new scholarship girl Cassie Bell learns about the Academy, the more curious she becomes.What sinister secrets are guarded by the Few ' the select group of students who keep outsiders away? Who is the dark stranger prowling the corridors at night? And what really happened a year earlier, when the last scholarship girl died in mysterious circumstances?One thing Cassie will discover is that a little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but knowing too much can be deadly'¦


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<p class="description">The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An elite establishment that moves to an exotic new city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich. Death has followed the Darke Academy to the ancient city of Istanbul. An unseen hunter is on the loose. Scholarship girl Cassie Bell is fascinated by the city's beauty, but there's no time for her to relax. Torn between an old flame and a new romance, she must also choose between the select world of the Few and her loyalty towards her best friends. And all the time a killer is stalking the Few. As Cassie is about to discover, no one is above suspicion. Sometimes, the people you love can be the most dangerous enemies of all ...</p>


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The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An élite establishment that moves to an exotic new city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich. This term the secretive Darke Academy has moved to New York, and Cassie Bell is no longer the innocent new girl. Now she is strong, determined, and hiding secrets of her own. For Cassie has been introduced to the world of the Few and is struggling to come to terms with her astonishing powers, a dangerous romance and the malevolent spirit inside her, demanding to be fed. When an old enemy returns, bent on revenge, Cassie is tested to the limit. Can she rescue her friends from a horrific fate, or will she end up destroying them to save herself? Wherever the Darke Academy goes, death is never far behind ...


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<p class="description">One of the most influential literary works of our time, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a dazzling and original achievement by the masterful Gabriel García Márquez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.   One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.</p>


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<p>In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients—dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups—from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif—the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the State’s electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover’s new fiancé is the head of State security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers <em>The Thousand and One Days</em>, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.</p>


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For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.In 1485, young Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, crossed the English Channel from France at the head of a ragtag little army and took the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four hundred years. Half a century later his son, Henry VIII, desperate to rid himself of his first wife in order to marry a second, launched a reign of terror aimed at taking powers no previous monarch had even dreamed of possessing. In the process he plunged his kingdom into generations of division and disorder, creating a legacy of blood and betrayal that would blight the lives of his children and the destiny of his country.The boy king Edward VI, a fervent believer in reforming the English church, died before bringing to fruition his dream of a second English Reformation. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to reestablish the Catholic Church and produce an heir. And finally came Elizabeth I, who devoted her life to creating an image of herself as Gloriana the Virgin Queen but, behind that mask, sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive.  The Tudors weaves together all the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes, that reveal the Tudor era to be, in its enthralling, notorious truth, as momentous and as fascinating as the fictions audiences have come to love.


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<p class="description">Dostoevsky's last and greatest novel, The Karamazov Brothers (1880) is both a brilliantly told crime story and a passionate philosophical debate. The dissolute landowner Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov is murdered; his sons--the atheist intellectual Ivan, the hot-blooded Dmitry, and the saintly novice Alyosha--are all involved at some level. Brilliantly bound up with this psychological drama is Dostoevsky's intense and disturbing exploration of many deeply felt ideas about the existence of God, freedom of will, the collective nature of guilt, and the disastrous consequences of rationalism. Filled with eloquent voices, this new translation fully realizes the power and dramatic virtuosity of Dostoevsky's most brilliant work.</p>


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<p class="description">Crime and Punishment is one of the most important novels of the nineteenth century. It is the story of a murder committed on principle, of a killer who wishes to set himself outside and above society. The novel is marked by Dostoevsky's own harrowing experience in penal servitude, and yet contains moments of wild humor. This new edition of the authoritative and readable Coulson translation comes with a challenging new introduction and notes that elucidate many of the novel's most important--and difficult--aspects.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Frommer's Puts the Parks in Your Pocket. All the up-to-date practical information and candid insider advice you need to have the perfect park vacation...in an easy-to-carry size?and at an unbeatable price!</span></h3><p>Your Complete Guide to Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks, with:</p><ul><li>Spectacular natural wonders, from majestic Yosemite Falls to Kings Canyon's towering sequoias</li><li>Great places to stay, from luxury park lodges to family-friendly motels?plus a complete campground guide for each park</li><li>A fully illustrated nature guide to help you spot and identify local wildlife, birds, trees, wildflowers, and more</li><li>Descriptions of the best hikes, from easy wilderness strolls and ranger-led walks to overnight backcountry adventures</li><li>Where to eat and stock up on supplies?both in the parks and in the gateway towns</li><li>Detailed, accurate park and trail maps</li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Per Frommer's usual convenient design, the inside flap of the front cover displays a color map of New England--so you can see the whole region at a glance--and the rest of the guidebook continues the pattern of thoughtful, practical, helpful travel information in a portable, accessible format. Chapter 1 summarizes the best of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine: the best small towns, best country inns, best restaurants, best shopping, best family destinations, and best places to see the fall foliage. Wayne Curtis then introduces the various regions, their history and geography, literary legacy, and contemporary style. Curtis provides trip-planning details, such as climate information, a calendar of events, how best to get there and get around, and where to check on the Web for New England sites. Then come the comprehensive state sections, each with recommended places to stay and eat, a discussion of outdoor activities, and interesting snippets on the Ben &amp; Jerry story, the history of maple syrup, ferries to Nova Scotia, and the debate over Maine's North Woods. Excellent maps accompany each section, as do lists of useful phone numbers, tourist information offices, and suggestions of what there may be to do at night, resulting in a smartly compiled guidebook with lots of useful information and no excess fluff. </span></h3></div>


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<p class="description">You’ll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer’s. It’s like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go—they’ve done the legwork for you, and they’re not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer’s Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You’d be lost without us!  Thoroughly updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer’s Vancouver &amp;&amp; Victoria&lt;/b&gt; features gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you. The guide is meticulously researched by local residents, who share their favorite finds in these two crown jewels of British Columbia.  You’ll find great places to stay for every taste and budget, from elegant harborside hotels to family-friendly inns, and the latest on dining, from innovative Pacific Rim cuisine to traditional fish 'n' chips. You’ll discover spectacular gardens, colorful neighborhoods, art galleries, beaches, and more—with detailed maps, city strolls, sizzling nightlife, and ferry trips to nearby islands. Also featured are fabulous side trips, including skiing at Whistler, and great places for whale watching, hiking, sea kayaking, and more. You’ll even get an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap.  If you’re exploring beyond the cities, you might want to check out Frommer’s British Columbia &amp;&amp; the Canadian Rockies&lt;/i&gt; or Frommer’s Canada</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">It's impossible for a single guidebook to completely cover a country as massive and diverse as America, but <em>Frommer's USA</em> comes close. Sure, some will quibble with destination choices (for example, the editors mention Martha's Vineyard, but not Nantucket) but overall, this 1,000-plus-page tome hits the mark. Chapters focus on both major cities and larger regions (New England, Southern California, etc.), covering such basics as activities, lodging, and affordable restaurants, and doing so in excruciating detail (admission prices, hours of operation, directions, whether or not a hotel has valet parking). You'll also find plenty of full-page maps and quirky little sidebars (gourmet food stores in Napa, best Chicago blues bars). As if that weren't enough, there's an online travel directory with Web addresses for everything from Ticketmaster to Zagat's to Amtrak. If you plan on seeing even a sliver of what this country has to offer, take this guidebook with you. <em>--Jill Fergus</em></span></h3><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Enjoy Ontario Place and Toronto's many other great waterfront attractions. See chapter 7.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<p class="description">Our Frommer's Tokyo author has written about Japan for years, so she's able to provide valuable insights and advice. She'll steer you away from the touristy and the inauthentic and show you the real heart of the Land of the Rising Sun. This is a comprehensive guide to a fast-paced and often overwhelming city. You'll get complete and clear directions to navigate Tokyo's best neighborhoods, from the swanky shops in the Ginza district to the Imperial Palace (home of Japan's emperor) in the Hibiya district; to the sumo wrestling stadiums in the town of Ryogoku; to the elaborate "lolita" (baby doll) and "cosplay" (anime character) outfits you'll see teenagers wearing in the Harijuku district. You'll get a spectrum of options, from business hotels to traditional Japanese inns, from restaurants serving exquisite kaiseki feasts to stand-up noodle houses, from tranquil gardens and temples to the incredible swirl of nightlife in Shinjuku and Roppongi. Includes a handy glossary of everyday expressions and menu terms, and our unique and indispensable Japanese character translations to help you spot establishments' signs. Features side trips to Kamakura, Nikko, Mashiko, Yokahama, Mount Fuji, and more.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>Frommer's. The best trips start here.</strong></span></h3><p><strong>Experience a place the way the locals do.<br>Enjoy the best it has to offer.</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Including detailed walking tours</strong> to guide you through the cobblestone streets of Zurich, Bern, Geneva, and Lucerne.</p></li><li><p><strong>Outspoken opinions</strong> on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p><strong>Exact prices,</strong> so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p><strong>Off-the-beaten-path</strong> experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<p class="description">Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Spain features gorgeous full-color photos of everything from the Balearic beaches to the cosmopolitan capitals. Our authors will guide you through the 17 semi-autonomous regions of Spain, pointing out the best restaurants, hotels, nightlife, and attractions along the way.  You’ll also travel Spain like a pro with our candid advice and in-depth history of the culture. Included are accurate regional and town maps, up-to-date advice on finding the best package deals, a free color fold-out map, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Explore the detailed quarters of Changdeokgung, South Korea's historic royal palace. See chapter 5.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">For a Cape Town beach vacation, it's tough to beat the vistas and villas of Clifton Bay. See chapter 4.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">This completely updated edition has been expanded to provide more in-depth coverage of Singapores burgeoning arts scene as well as keeping up to date on everything business travelers need to know about Asias #1 convention destination. Weve also expanded our coverage of Malaysia as well, covering all the best adventure travel options in this culturally rich nation. From shrines and temples to breathtaking beach resorts, from fabulous shopping buys to colorful cultural festivals, its all here in this compact, easy-to-use guide, complete with detailed color maps, logistical tips, and off-the-beaten-track discoveries.</span></h3><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Life is short. Vacations are shorter. Relax! Trust your trip to Frommer[HTML_REMOVED]s. Choose the Only Guide That Gives You:</span></h3><ul><li>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.</li><li>The latest, most reliable information—all completely up-to-date!</li><li>Dozens of easy-to-read color maps.</li><li>The widest and best selection of hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid, in-depth reviews.</li><li>All the practical details you need to make the most of your time and money.</li><li>One-of-a-kind experiences and undiscovered gems, plus a new take on all the top attractions.</li><li>Outspoken opinions on what[HTML_REMOVED]s worth your time and what[HTML_REMOVED]s not.</li><li>A fresh, personal approach that puts the fun and excitement back into travel!</li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><div>Pike's Place Market is buzzing with activity from dawn to dusk, with more than 100 farmers and fishmongers. See chapter 7.</div><ul><li><p>Foldout map, plus detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Its simple. Frommers is the name readers can trust for complete, easy-to-use, and up-to-date travel information. These guides offer all the practical details in a fun, user-friendly format, helping readers discover the world in a whole new way.</span></h3><p>The candid, authoritative hotel and restaurant reviews are the best in the businessincredibly detailed, and including carefully chosen selections for every taste and budget, with an emphasis on moderately priced choices. Were the only major guidebook series to go the extra mile and list exact prices for every establishment and activity covered, so readers know what to expect. And whether theyre on an expense account or a tight budget, readers get the very best bang for their buck. Frommers Complete Guides offer a wealth of sightseeing, sports, strolls, and special momentsall accompanied by detailed, accurate color maps that show the way. </p><p>Most guidebooks read like textbooks or promotional brochuresbut not Frommers. We know that readers turn to Frommers when theyre planning a vacation, so even though these guides take the details seriously, theyre filled with a sense of fun and discovery. </p><p>No wonder Frommers Complete Guides are turning heads. And no wonder readers have discovered that Frommers is the key to an unforgettable vacation. </p><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><ul><li><p>Hundreds of color photos</p></li><li><p>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout</p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Frommer's San Diego 2010</span></h3><p>With Foldout Map</p><p>You can spend days discovering more than 1,000 species at the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and SeaWorld. See chapter 7.</p><p>Foldout map, plus detailed maps throughout </p><ul><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors.</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Cycling through Provence allows visitors to experience the region's sights up close and at a leisurely pace. See chapter 6 for details.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Don't miss Ollantaytambo's superb Incan ruins, fine dining, and dazzling views of the Sacred Valley. See chapter 9.</span></h3><p>Detailed maps throughout </p><ul><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Discovering the City of Light and making it your own has always been the most compelling reason to visit Paris. If you’re a first-timer, everything, of course, will be new to you. If you’ve been away for awhile, expect changes: Taxi drivers may no longer correct your fractured French, but address you in English—tantamount to a revolution. More Parisians have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, and France, at least at first glance, seems less xenophobic than in past years. Paris, aware of its role within a united Europe, is an international city. Parisians are attracted to foreign music, videos, and films, especially those from America.</span></h3><p>Though Paris is in flux culturally and socially, it lures travelers for the same reasons as always. You’ll still find such classic sights as the Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Coeur, and all those atmospheric cafes, as well as daringly futuristic projects such as the Grande Arche de La Défense, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, the Cité de la Musique, and the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. Don’t forget the parks, gardens, and squares; the Champs-Elysées and other grand boulevards; and the river Seine and its quays. Paris’s beauty is still overwhelming, especially at night, when it truly is the City of Light.</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Expert advice on the best beaches, bird-watching spots, and ecolodges, as well as recommendations on what to see and do in Panama City. </p></li><li><p>Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p>Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.</strong></span></h3><ul><li><p><strong>Detailed reviews</strong> of what to see, including Willamette Valley wineries and the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.</p></li><li><p><strong>Outspoken opinions</strong> on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p><strong>Exact prices,</strong> so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p><strong>Off-the-beaten-path</strong> experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">New Brunswick has some of the warmest summers and sunniest winters in Canada, perfect for biking and hiking. See chapter 6.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants, plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors England, Japan, and Europe.</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Cruising the Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park is a great way to soak in its amazing scenery. See chapter 16.</span></h3><p>Detailed maps throughout </p><ul><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.</strong></span></h3><ul><li><strong>The lowdown</strong> on Niagara Falls, the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Hamptons, Fire Island, and more—with weekend trips from New York City.</li><li><p><strong>Outspoken opinions</strong> on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p><strong>Exact prices,</strong> so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p><strong>Off-the-beaten-path</strong> experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Like everything else in New York, culinary fashions come and go at the speed of light, but few chefs have blazed to stardom quite as quickly as David Chang, owner of Momofuku restaurants. In some ways he's the Anti-Chef, still in his 30s with a buzz cut and profane language, committed to keeping his restaurants moderately priced and open to walk-in diners. </span></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><strong>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.</strong></span></h3><ul><li><strong>The lowdown</strong> on all things New Orleans, from Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest to po' boys and beignets—plus complete post-Katrina coverage.</li><li><p><strong>Outspoken opinions</strong> on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p><strong>Exact prices,</strong> so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p><strong>Off-the-beaten-path</strong> experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Few summer pleasures are more congenial than tucking into a lobster dinner on the outdoor deck at Abbott's as the waters of Fisher's Island Sound gently slap the pilings beneath you. For some, visiting the most southeastern corner of Connecticut is about seeing the old restored ships at Mystic Seaport or cavorting whales and dolphins at the Mystic Aquarium; for lobster lovers, though, it's about dining on lobsters fresh off the boat in a clambake-casual waterside setting.</span></h3><br></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Explore the emerald-green waters of the Königssee lake deep in the heart of the Bavarian Alps. See chapter 12.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">With views of St. Basil's and the Kremlin, ice skaters glide across the katok (rink) on Red Square (see chapter 7).</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer's. The best trips start here.</span></h3><ul><li>The lowdown on the newest restaurants, hotels, shopping, and nightlife.</li><li>Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.</li><li>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</li><li>Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Swim, surf, and explore the Pacific Ocean and the rocky coast near Cabo San Lucas. See chapter 19.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">A color map of the Manhattan subway system greets you as you open <em>Memorable Walks in New York</em>, right inside the front cover, setting the tone of convenient, accessible information. It's a very good start. The rest of the book follows suit with 10 walking tours, taking in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, SoHo, the Village, Central Park, the Financial District, Lower Manhattan, and the Upper East and West Sides.</span></h3><p>Each tour provides subway-route starting points; a time estimate (generally three to five hours, not including restaurant stops); an excellent map of each neighborhood and its notable sites; plus a word of advice on the best times to be (or not to be) walking there. Then there's each walking-tour narrative, pointing out historic landmarks and events, and providing detailed route instructions for 20 to 50 notable sites. For the Chinatown tour, for example, 27 points of interest are listed on the itinerary, including vegetable sellers on Baxter Street, the Manhattan Bridge (built in 1905), Confucius Plaza (first major public-funded housing project built for Chinese use), and Bloody Angle, where two Chinatown gangs engaged in fierce turf warfare. There's a profile of dim sum, a selection of Chinese restaurants suitable for lunch breaks, the Ming Fay Book Store, the Chinatown History Museum, and Columbus Park. The tour ends on Rutgers Street near the East Broadway F-line subway entrance, a location you can find easily enough on that front-page subway map. </p><p>In all of the walking tours, Bramblett includes the same thoughtful attention to detail and the concerns of the visitor on foot, making for a compact, considerate guide and a lovely way to get to know New York. </p><p>11 Great Walking Tours Through the City’s Most Vibrant Neighborhoods</p><p>Follow Frommer’s for an up-close and personal look at the Big Apple. Discover the ethnic neighborhoods, literary bars, and stunningly diverse architecture that make the city unique.</p><p>LET FROMMER’S TAKE YOU TO:</p><ul><li>The chic SoHo scene, packed with historic buildings, cutting-edge art galleries, and gourmet bistros</li><li>The sights and sounds of Chinatown, with a stop for the city’s best dim sum</li><li>The posh Upper East Side, lined with the old money mansions of New York’s richest families</li><li>The energy and history of revitalized Harlem</li><li>The literary haunts (past and present) of Greenwich Village</li></ul><p>With easy-to-use directions and maps–and the best places to take a break along the way </p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">From Marina Peninsula, explore Venice Beach's bohemian Ocean Front Walk, or kayak Marina del Rey. See chapter 6.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">The British capital is alive and well and culturally more vibrant than it has been in years. The sounds of the latest music pour out of Victorian pubs, experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare’s plays, upstart chefs are reinventing the bland dishes British mums have made for generations, and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, and just about everything else, London now stands at the cutting edge, just as it did in the 1960s.</span></h3><p>If this sea of change worries you more than it appeals to you, rest assured that traditional London still exists, essentially intact under the veneer of hip. From high tea almost anywhere to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the city still abounds with the tradition and charm of days gone by. Discovering London and making it your own can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you have limited time. Even in the 18th century, Daniel Defoe found London “stretched out in buildings, straggling, confused, out of all shape, uncompact and unequal; neither long nor broad, round nor square.” The actual City of London proper is 2.6 sq. km (1 sq. mile) of very expensive real estate around the Bank of England. All of the gargantuan rest of the city is made up of separate villages, boroughs, and corporations—each with its own mayor and administration. Together, however, they add up to a mammoth metropolis. </p><p>Luckily, whether you’re looking for Dickens’s house or hot designer Vivienne Westwood’s flagship store, only the heart of London’s huge territory need concern you. The core of London is one of the most fascinating places on earth. With every step, you’ll feel the tremendous influence this city exerted over global culture back when it was the capital of an empire on which the sun never set. </p><p>London is a mass of contradictions. On the one hand, it’s a decidedly royal city, studded with palaces, court gardens, coats of arms, and other regal paraphernalia; yet it’s also the home of the world’s second-oldest parliamentary democracy (Iceland was the first). </p><p>Today London has grown less English and more international. The gent with the bowler hat is long gone; today’s Londoner might have a turban, a mohawk, or even a baseball cap. It’s becoming easier to find a café au lait and a croissant than a scone and a cup of tea. The city is home to thousands of immigrants and refugees, both rich and poor, from all reaches of the world. </p><p><b><br></b></p></div>


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<p class="description">Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Las Vegas features lavish full-color photos of the spectacle that awaits you. This is simply the most frank, funny, outrageous guide you can buy and it's much more up-to-date and indepth than its competition.  Our author is completely on top of the latest developments in this fast-changing destination, and she'll make sure that you never miss a minute of the fun. She'll give you an irreverent take on all the casino hotels, with all their attractions. She's also scouted out the very best restaurant choices on the very hot dining scene, and honestly reviews all the casinos, shows, clubs, shopping arcades, and golf courses in town.  Whether this is your first Vegas trip, or just your latest, our author will help you make the most of your time. She'll give you a rundown of Vegas culture and casino etiquette, point you to hidden gems and parts of Vegas most visitors miss, and help you plan your perfect Vegas getaway (whether you're throwing a bachelor or bachelorette party, trying to avoid the temptation of the casinos, or just want to squeeze in as many over-the-top only-in-Vegas experiences as possible).  If you want to head outside of town, you won't be left hanging. You'll find plenty of information on the parks and outdoor activities around Vegas, including the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, and even Area 51. Frommer's Las Vegas also includes a 16-page full-color photo insert!</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; "><em>Frommer's Japan</em> is the premier guide to this fascinating destination, offering an authoritative introduction to the nations culture and history, accompanied by a wealth of logistical advice, etiquette tips, and detailed color maps to help travelers find their way. This new 5th edition provides detailed walking directions to every sight mentioned and a user-friendly glossary of Japanese phrasesaccompanied by a Japanese character guide that helps readers recognize establishment names. In addition to reviewing the top business hotels and expense-account restaurants, our author has rounded up the best affordable and moderately priced hotels and restaurants throughout the country, so there are choices galore for any budget.</span></h3><p>Frommers is there every step of the way to help travelers discover the scenic wonders, intriguing cultural experiences, and dazzling cities of the Land of the Rising Sun.</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">You can find charming souvenirs and other Turkish treasures in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. See chapter 7.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<p class="description">You’ll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer’s. It’s like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go -- they’ve done the legwork for you, and they’re not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer’s Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You’d be lost without us!  Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer’s Ireland features gorgeous color photos of the fishing villages, seaside cliffs, and quaint country pubs that await you. It’s a highly personal guide that’s fun to read and even more fun to use on the road. Our expert author offers insights into how to discover the real Ireland. You’ll find complete details on lovely small towns, natural wonders, castles, literary landmarks, world-class golf courses, mysterious ancient ruins, and Dublin’s cutting-edge nightlife. You’ll even get a free color fold-out map, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap</p>


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<p class="description">Completely updated, this fourth edition of Frommer's India will help you plan the trip that's right for you, whether you're traveling to soak up India's spirituality, chill out on the beaches, or live like a king in the land of princes.  Experience the best of India: Visit the Taj Mahal as well as the cave temples at Ajanta and Ellora, watch the moon rise from Pushkar Palace during the Pushkar Mela, raft down the Zanskar, bump into a Bollywood star at a top rated restaurant, and sleep in a former king's bed at a heritage property (castles, palaces, and forts) in Rajasthan. Also learn tips on safety, ettiquette, and the art of bargaining -- including the real meaning behind the phrases "you pay what you like" and "just look, no buy."  This guide is biannually updated (and personalized) by a small team of writers including Pippa de Bruyn, an award-winning journalist and travel writer; Dr. Keith Bain, who also has a doctorate in film; Niloufer Venkatraman, a Mumbai native who has a doctorate in anthropology; Shonar Joshi, a travel writer and reporter; and more. All are not afraid to speak their mind and give their opinions -- and share their passion for India.  Frommer's India, 4e also includes 4 itineraries for exploring the country, including "North India Highlights in 16 Days" and "South India in 2 Weeks."</p>


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<p class="description">America’s #1 bestselling travel series  Written by more than 175 outspoken travelers around the globe, Frommer’s Complete Guides help travelers experience places the way locals do.  More annually updated guides than any other series 16-page color section and foldout map in all annual guides Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and suggested itineraries Dozens of detailed maps in an easy-to-read, two-color design   You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!  Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Hawaii features gorgeous color photos of the stunning beaches and thrilling adventures that await you. Meticulously researched by one of Hawaii's most noted journalists, this is hands-down the most reliable, up-to-date, and comprehensive guide to the islands.  Each of our candid hotel reviews is based on a detailed personal inspection. You'll find lavish beachfront resorts, intimate rain-forest B&amp;Bs, family-friendly condos, and much, much more. Our dining reviews are simply the best in the business, whether you crave cutting-edge Asian-fusion cuisine or a hearty, affordable plate lunch.  Our author makes sure that you'll truly experience the spirit of aloha, and she'll help you steer clear of anything that's overpriced, touristy, or inauthentic. With Frommer's in hand, you'll know where to find secluded beaches; secret spots for snorkeling; the best outfitters to choose for everything from diving to deep-sea fishing; and where to find the top galleries and shops.  Inside you'll find extensive coverage of family-friendly accommodations and activities; tips on how to get married in the islands; recommendations for the best honeymoon resorts; and valuable advice on finding the best airfares and package deals. Whether you want to watch the fiery spectacle at the Big Island's volcano, play a challenging round of golf, snorkel with sea turtles, or simply kick back with a mai tai to watch the sunset, you can design the perfect trip with Frommer's Hawaii. You'll even get a color fold-out map, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Head to the coast of Corfu to escape civilization and soak up the sun. See chapter 13.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Old Corinth, with its 6th-century B.C. Temple of Apollo, was the ancient gateway to the Peloponnese. See chapter 9.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">The Grand Canyon is an overwhelming place, vast in size, depth, beauty, and appreciative hordes. Alex Wells is passionate about the Canyon, and along with a wealth of useful information, he imparts his ardor for the 277-mile park, from the smallest ant lion to the impressive half ton elk. He details the best drives, views, and bike rides, where to watch for wildlife and whom to contact for raft trips, the best places to lodge, dine, picnic, and camp, how to get there, when to go, and what's available for visitors with disabilities, pets, or children. From South Rim to North Rim, getaway towns to backcountry trips, Wells covers camping, sports, the flora, fauna, and ecosystem comprehensively and clearly. Wells's guide gives perspective on the magnificence, delineates the options, and provides a handle on just what kind of visit you'd like to arrange, whether it's a quick rim view, a day hike, or a wilderness backpacking excursion. </span></h3></div>


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<p class="description">Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Germany features gorgeous color photos of the dazzling baroque architecture, picturesque villages, and beer gardens that await you. Come along with us and discover some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, from the medieval towns and half-timbered houses along the Romantic Road to lovely vineyards along the Rhine River. Frommer's offers up-to-date coverage of all the country's highlights--music festivals, hiking in the Black Forest, Oktoberfest, cafes, castles, and Berlin's vibrant, cutting-edge cultural scene.  Inside you'll find candid, detailed reviews of the very best dining and accommodations for any taste and budget. We offer a wealth of sightseeing, sports, shopping, strolls, and special moments--from highlights for the first-time visitor to off-the-beaten-track discoveries that will impress even the most seasoned traveler.  From beer garden to Bauhaus, charming villages and über-modern cities, the Alps to the Zeppelin-Museum, our authors help you plan your perfect trip to Germany.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Climb Mont-St-Michel to explore the tiered medieval abbey known as "La Merveille" (the Marvel). See chapter 9.</span></h3><ul><li>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout</li><li>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</li><li>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</li><li>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas</li><li>Insider tips from local expert authors</li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><hr><p><strong>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Expert advice</strong> on Florence's top cultural sights, Chianti's best vineyards, and Tuscany's and Umbria's don't-miss countryside towns.</p></li><li><p><strong>Outspoken opinions</strong> on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p><strong>Exact prices,</strong> so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p><strong>Off-the-beaten-path</strong> experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Art and antique lovers shouldn't miss Vizcaya, built in 1916 and still Miami's most Gatsby-esque estate. See chapter 6.</span></h3><p>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout </p><ul><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">A trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a few hours spent soaking up the atmosphere at a sidewalk cafe. See chapter 7.</span></h3><ul><li>Detailed maps throughout</li><li>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</li><li>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</li><li>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas</li><li>Insider tips from local expert authors</li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Dover is most famous for its white cliffs, but don't miss Dover Castle and its secret wartime tunnels. See chapter 8.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Free pocket map inside,plus easy-to-read maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer's. The best trips start here.</span></h3><ul><li>Complete coverage of Edinburgh's and Glasgow's famed festivals.</li><li>Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.</li><li>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</li><li>Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Frommer's. The best trips start here.</span></h3><p>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. </p><ul><li>The most unforgettable experiences Eastern Europe has to offer, including ancient ruins, unspoiled beaches, and bucolic villages. </li><li><p>Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.</p></li><li><p>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p>Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p><br></p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Shanghai is China's most outward-looking, modern, and brash metropolis. See chapter 10 for details on exploring the city.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">First coming to the attention of international travelers in the mid-1990s, Costa Rica is currently—and consistently— one of the hottest vacation and adventure-travel destinations in Latin America, with over two million visitors each year. Despite the boom in vacationers, Costa Rica remains a place rich in natural wonders and biodiversity, where you can still find yourself far from the maddening crowds. The country boasts a wealth of unsullied beaches that stretch for miles, small lodgings that haven’t attracted hordes of tourists, jungle rivers for rafting and kayaking, and spectacular cloud- and rainforests with ample opportunities for bird-watching and hiking. In addition to the country’s trademark eco- and adventure-tourism offerings, you will also find luxury resorts and golf courses, plush spas, and some truly spectacular boutique hotels and lodges.</span></h3><p>Having lived in Costa Rica for more than 18 years, I continue to explore and discover new spots, adventures, restaurants, and lodgings—and my “best of” experiences keep on coming. In this chapter I’ve selected the very best of what this unique country has to offer. These places and experiences are covered in greater detail elsewhere in the book; this chapter is merely meant to give you an overview of the highlights so that you can start planning your own adventure.</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">You’ll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with <em>Frommer’s</em>. It’s like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go -- they’ve done the legwork for you, and they’re not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every <em>Frommer’s Travel Guide</em> is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You’d be lost without us!</span></h3><p>Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), <strong>Frommer’s Cape Cod, Nantucket &amp; Martha’s Vineyard</strong> has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for romance or family fun. You’ll find details on the best towns, beaches, whale-watching cruises, bike rides, clam shacks, bird-watching, ant ique shops, and art galleries. The guide is written by a longtime resident of Cape Cod, who has personally inspected all the B&amp;Bs, inns, cottages, and motels she recommends. You’ll even get a free color fold-out map and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!</p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Frommer's Caribbean 2010</span></h3><p>Swim, snorkel, and explore the saltwater grottoes at the Baths on Virgin Gorda. See Chapter 8.</p><p>Detailed maps throughout </p><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours and other practical information</p><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaraunts, plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas</p><p>Insider tips from local expert authors </p></div>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Frommer's. The best trips start here.</span></h3><p>Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. </p><ul><li>The lowdown on the island's best beaches, as well as the top spots for snorkeling, scuba diving, and golfing.</li><li>Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.</li><li><p>Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.</p></li><li><p>Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p></li></ul><p>Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com </p></div>


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<div><ul><li><p>Foldout map, plus detailed maps throughout</p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul></div>


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<p class="description">Frommer's. The best trips start here.  Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. *  Insider coverage on Beijing's exciting restaurants, the most intriguing districts, and the Olympic Games. *  Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not. *  Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. *  Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.</p>


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<p class="description">Frommer′s Barcelona gives you the complete overview of insider knowledge on where and what to visit in this exciting Spanish city, all in meticulous detail to point you towards the best that Barcelona has to offer.    Packed with detailed, opinionated and honest reviews, this guide gives you the low-down on what’s worth your time and what’s not, providing extensive listings of accommodation, attractions and restaurants in and around Barcelona whatever your budget.  Barcelona and the surrounding regional highlights are broken down into chapter sections with itineraries and accompanying maps to help you to plan the perfect trip, according to your timeframe.      Discover where to eat the best Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine; find suggestions for city strolls around the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera; fantastic art museums featuring Picasso, Miró and DalÍ; plus information on exploring Catalonia’s beaches, historic attractions and countryside.   Importantly, this guide provides the latest trip-planning advice and money-saving tips, as well as a complete shopper’s guide and directory of useful contacts to ensure you make the most of your stay in this fantastic cultural city.     About Complete Guides:    The Frommer’s Complete guides give travellers the comprehensive overview of destinations, detailing the vast variety of choices and need-to-know local information in cities and countries, without glossing over any of the details.  Entire regions, neighbourhoods and more are broken down by thoughtful itineraries to give detailed guides to each, with full accompanying reviews and prices listed throughout.  These guides are packed full of up-to-date advice and tips on what’s new in the location and how to plan your trip according in every aspect of your time there; vocabulary lists also exist where you might need a few key phrases and menu terms.   Complete guides give you the respective A to Z, helping you to find the places to stay, eat, shop and explore that are best suited for you wherever you are or are planning to go.     TABLE OF CONTENTS    LIST OF MAPS.  WHAT'S NEW IN BARCELONA.  1 THE BEST OF BARCELONA.  2 BARCELONA IN DEPTH.  3 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO BARCELONA.  4 SUGGESTED BARCELONA ITINERARIES.  5 WHERE TO STAY.  6 WHERE TO DINE.  7 WHAT TO SEE &amp; DO.  8 STROLLING AROUND BARCELONA.  9 SHOPPING.  10 BARCELONA AFTER DARK.  11 SIDE TRIPS IN CATALONIA.  12 A SIDE TRIP TO MAJORCA.  APPENDIX A: FAST FACTS.  APPENDIX B: USEFUL TERMS &amp; PHRASES. INDEX.</p>


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<div><h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; ">Hungry wave seekers can find breaks in Bali and Lombok's waters every day of the year. See chapters 5 and 15.</span></h3><ul><li><p>Detailed maps throughout </p></li><li><p>Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information</p></li><li><p>Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife</p></li><li><p>Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas </p></li><li><p>Insider tips from local expert authors</p></li></ul><h3><br></h3></div>


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<p class="description">Completely updated every year, Frommer's Bahamas features gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you. Our authors hit all the highlights, including the best beaches; shopping from luxury boutiques to local markets; and scuba diving and adrenaline adventures. They've checked out the best resorts, hotels, and restaurants, and offer authoritative, candid reviews that will help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget. You'll also get a detailed walking tour of Nassau's historic sites; up-to-the-minute nightlife coverage; accurate neighborhood maps; and advice on planning a successful family vacation.</p>


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<p class="description">Frommer's Australia is packed with all the facts, tips, and descriptions you need to have perfect vacation:  Completely updated every year, Frommer’s Australia features gorgeous full-color photos of the Outback vistas, curious wildlife, and white-sand beaches that await you.  Our authors have lived in and written about Australia for years, so they’re able to provide valuable insights and advice. They’ll steer you away from the touristy and the inauthentic and show you the real heart of the land Down Under. Let them take you to exciting cities, Aboriginal homesteads, Barossa Valley vineyards, and natural wonders, from the Wet Tropics Rainforest to Uluru to the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll travel Australia like a pro using their candid advice and in-depth knowledge of the culture.  Also included are accurate regional and town maps, up-to-date advice on finding the best package deals, a free color fold-out map, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!</p>


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<div><p></p><ul><br><br><li>Completely updated every year, <i>Frommer's Arizona</i> features hundreds of gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you.<br><br></li><li>Our expert author has researched the best hotels, restaurants, shops, and nightlife spots in Scottsdale and Phoenix, and takes you to every corner of the state, from small, southern towns such as Tombstone to the Four Corners Region, where visitors can connect with Hopi and Navajo communities.<br><br></li><li>Extensive coverage of The Grand Canyon gives you insider information for seeing the park without crowds and the best options for staying in and near the park.<br><br></li><li><i>Frommer's Arizona</i> also includes a fold-out sheet map.<br><br></li></ul><p><i>The EPUB format of this title may not be compatible for use on all handheld devices.</i></p></div>


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<div><p>Escape to the World's Most Spectacular Islands   <br></p><p>This guidebook leads you on an irresistible tour of some of the most magnificent islands around the globe--from tiny isles to island nations, and from the well-trod to the totally uninhabited. Whether it's the history and charm of islands like Mont-Saint-Michel (France) and Ocracoke (United States) or the unspoiled vistas of far-flung places like Antarctica and Polynesia's Tuvalu, you'll discover a host of islands you'd love to visit--or stay on forever.<br><br></p><p>The book includes contact information and details on transportation and accommodations to make trip-planning easy. A geographical index helps you find destinations quickly.<br><br></p><p>Choose Your Own Island Adventure<br><br></p><ul><br><br><li><p>Great escapes: unspoiled beaches, tropical retreats, exotic hideaways<br><br></p></li><li><p>Leisure and pleasure: sun worshiping, land and water sports, nightlife<br><br></p></li><li><p>Nature and wildlife: lush landscapes, nature...</p></li></ul></div>


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<p class="description"><br>Frommer's 500 Best Adrenaline Adventures features high-octane experiences for both passionate travelers and adventure seekers. From dare-devil sports to hair-raising haunted houses to wacky and obscure festivals and races, Frommer's offers ideas for a wide variety of adventures. Chapters include: In the Air: Hangliding, Bungee Jumping &amp; Ziplining On the Water: Diving, Snorkeling &amp; Whitewater Rafting Mountains &amp; Canyons: Skiing, Snowboarding, Climbing &amp; Hiking Ground Adventures: Mountain Biking, Motorcycling &amp; Sand-surfing Expeditions &amp; Drives: Safaris, River Trips &amp; Desert Treks Adventure Camps: Stuntman School, Cattle Wrangling &amp; Covert Ops Races &amp; Festivals: Iditarod, Bay to Breakers &amp; Extreme Eating Contests With the Animals: Diving with Sharks, Canoeing with Hippos &amp; Swimming with Dolphins Offbeat Adventures: Gloucester Cheese Roll &amp; Tomato Food Fight Rides, Spooks &amp; Scares: Haunted Houses, Rollercoasters &amp; Catacombs</p>


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Written in 1888 just before the final years of insanity that would plague Friedrich Nietzsche until his death in 1900, "Ecce Homo" is an insightful reflection by the author upon his own life and his impact on the world of philosophy. In "Ecce Homo" Nietzsche offers his personal perspective on his various philosophical works including: "The Birth of Tragedy," "Thoughts out of Season," "Human, All-Too-Human," "The Dawn of Day," "The Gay Science," "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," "Beyond Good and Evil," "The Genealogy of Morals," "The Twilight of the Idols," and "The Case of Wagner." In this revealing little work we gain great insight into what Nietzsche was as he saw himself and a final reiteration of his core philosophy, a rejection of the Christian ideal that asserts suffering as a noble necessity of life and of Christianity as the bastion of supreme morality.


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"Gather, Darkness!" (originally serialized in "Astounding Science Fiction" in 1943) remains of of Fritz Leiber's classic novels, a tale of the world 360 years after a nuclear holocaust, when priests rule using trickery and techology -- and of Armon Jarles,


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<p class="description">`What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.' Always provocative, the Friedrich Nietzsche of Beyond Good and Evil (1886) is at once sceptical psychologist and philosopher-seer, passionately unmasking European society with his piercing insights and uncanny prescience. This masterpiece of his maturity considers quintessential Nietzschean topics such as the origins and nature of Judeo-Christian morality; the end of philosophical dogmatism and beginning of perspectivism; the questionable virtues of science and scholarship; liberal democracy, nationalism, and women's emancipation. Written in his most masterful style, full of irreverence and brio, Nietzsche dissects self-deluding human behaviour, bankrupt intellectual traditions, and the symptoms of social decadence, while at the same time advancing an extra-moral wisdom to be shared by those kindred soul who think 'beyond good and evil'. This new translation of Beyond Good and Evil provides readers with a true classic of modernity that sums up those forces and counterforces in nineteenth-century Western Civilisation that to an astonishing degree have also determined and continue to inform the course of our own century.</p>


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The stunning continuation of the timeless classic The Phantom of the Opera.In The Phantom of Manhattan, acclaimed, bestselling suspense novelist Frederick Forsyth pens a magnificent work of historical fiction, rife with the insights and sounds of turn-of-the-century New York City, while continuing the dramatic saga which began with Gaston Leroux's brilliant novel The Phantom of the Opera...More than two decades have passed since Antoinette Giry, the mistress of the corps de ballet at the Paris Opera, rescued a hideously disfigured boy named Erik from a carnival and brought him to live in the labyrinthine cellars of the opera house. Soon thereafter, his intense, unrequited love for a beautiful chorus girl set in motion a tragic string of events, forcing him to flee Paris forever. Now, as she lies dying in a convent, Madam Giry tells the untold story of the Phantom and his clandestine journey to New York City to start anew, where he would become a wealthy entrepreneur and build the glorious Manhattan Opera House...all so he could see his beloved, now a famous diva, once again. But the outcome of her visit would prove even more devastating than before-- and yet, would allow the Phantom to know, for the first time in his brutal life, the true meaning of love...


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1. Nietzsche remains one of the most influential philosophers of our time. As Walter Kaufmann notes, 'No other philosopher since Plato and Aristotle, with the exception of Kant and Hegel, has influenced so many widely different thinkers and writers so profoundly.' What are some of the main aspects of Nietzsche's influence, and what are some of the factors that account for his tremendous and enduring influence? 2. One of Nietzsche's major themes is the idea of 'the eternal recurrence.' What do you think Nietzsche was attempting to do with this idea? What does he seem to mean by it? What are its implications? 3. As Peter Gay notes, Nietzsche has been one of the most persistently misunderstood writers in the history of Western thought. What are some of the misunderstandings that have attended his work? Are some thinkers more easily misappropriated than others? 4. Nietzsche's style is particularly iconoclastic and unique; as Walter Kaufmann notes, 'Nietzsche clearly wanted to be read with a delighted awareness of nuances of style and thought.' Discuss how Nietzsche's style-which often condenses complex ideas into seemingly simple phrases-works to inform your reading or understanding of his thought. Is Nietzsche's style inseparable from his meaning? 5. One of Nietzsche's favorite devices is the aphorism. Why is this form significant for Nietzsche? What does he accomplish by writing in this way? Can all of his writing be said to be in some way aphoristic? 6. For Nietzsche, the most important philosophy is always 'untimely,' and Nietzsche had a particularly complicated and contentious relationship toward many of his contemporaries, for instance Wagner. Discuss Nietzsche's various attitudes toward his contemporaries as stated in Basic Writings, and conversely the ideas, figures, and ways of thinking that Nietzsche seems to find most sympathetic to his own philosophy. 7. Nietzsche has been considered a nihilist, and also a philosopher who more than anything sought to transcend nihilism. Discuss the idea of nihilism in broad terms, and Nietzsche's use or development of this idea. 8. What, for Nietzsche, is the 'will to power'? 9. Throughout Nietzsche's work is a call for a new philosophy, for radical breaks with various conventional ideas and methodologies, and for new philosophers. What are some of Nietzsche's hopes for the future of philosophy?


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One of the most celebrated thrillers ever written, The Day of the Jackal is the electrifying story of an anonymous Englishman who in, the spring of 1963, was hired by Colonel Marc Rodin, Operations Chief of the O. A. S., to assassinate General de G


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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a memoir and treatise on abolition written by famous orator and ex-slave, Frederick Douglass. It is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. In factual detail, the text describes the events of his life and is considered to be one of the most influential pieces of literature to fuel the abolitionist movement of the early 19th Century in the United States.



Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass encompasses eleven chapters that recount Douglass' life as a slave and his ambition to become a free man. The following will give a brief summary of his text. *(Quote from wikipedia.org)*



**About the Author**



Frederick Douglass (1818 - 1895)

Frederick Douglass (February 1818 - February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia", Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." *(Quote from wikipedia.org)*



**About the Publisher** 



Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

http://www.forgottenbooks.org


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An extraordinary cutting-edge thriller from the New York Times-bestselling grandmaster of international suspense.   Meticulous research, crisp narratives, plots as current as today's headlines-Frederick Forsyth has helped define the international thriller as we know it. And now he does it again.  What if you had carte blanche to fight evil? Nothing held back, nothing off the table. What would you do? For decades, the world has been fighting the drug cartels, and losing, their billions of dollars making them the most powerful and destructive organizations on earth. Until one man is asked to take charge. Paul Devereaux used to run Special Operations for the CIA before they retired him for being too ruthless. Now he can have anything he requires, do anything he thinks necessary. No boundaries, no rules, no questions asked.  The war is on-though who the ultimate winner will be, no one can tell...


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Fred Thompson has enjoyed a remarkable career in Hollywood and politics, but when he sat down to write a memoir about how he got to be the person he is, he discovered that his best stories all seemed to come out of the years he spent growing up in and around his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. It was a small town but not the smallest—after all, it was the county seat and it did have a courthouse, a couple of movie theaters, and its own Davy Crockett statue. For truly small, you had to travel to nearby Summertown, where the regular Sunday dinner was possum and chocolate gravy. But Lawrenceburg is where Fred got to be a kid, get in his share of trouble and scrapes, get to know folks he didn’t realize were so colorful at the time but sure does now, get married, have a few kids, become a man, and start his career as a country lawyer (pretty much in that order). And as Fred tells it, getting that law degree was something of a surprise for him, since in school he’d been less than stellar as a scholar. “Teaching Latin to someone like me,” he says, “was like trying to teach a pig to dance. It’s a waste of the teacher’s time and it irritates the pig.” In these reflections, as hilarious as they are honest and warm, Fred touches on the influences—family, hometown neighbors and teachers, team sports, jobs, romances, and personal crises—that molded his character, his politics, and the way he looks at life today. We get to know the unforgettable characters who congregated at the Blue Ribbon Café, like the rotund gentleman called “Shorty” whose claim to fame was his ability to quickly suck in his stomach and cause his pants to fall to the floor. Or Fred’s Grandma Thompson, who became an early TV adopter for the sole purpose of watching “Wrestling from Hollywood” and who once had a “gourder” removed from her neck and subsequently walked around town with it in a handkerchief showing it to folks. One day Fred and an accomplice placed small explosive Fourth of July “cracker balls” under the four legs of their teacher’s chair. Mrs. Garner sat down and, despite the racket, didn’t flinch so much as a muscle—but Fred felt a twinge of the one emotion he hated most—shame. Fred idolized Coach Staggs from his high school football days, even though he was “like Captain Ahab without the humor” and didn’t like smart alecks, comics, or individualists, which put the young Fred at a disadvantage. More than anyone else from those days though, Fred remembers his mom and dad, who taught him that kids are shaped most of all by the love and support they can take for granted. Teaching the Pig to Dance will delight everyone who admires Fred Thompson for his contributions to politics or for his work in movies and on TV, along with all those who just love to hear rollicking but unforgettable stories about growing up in a place where, as one of the local old timers put it, “We weren’t big enough to have a town drunk, so a few of us had to take turns.”


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<div><p>In Fred Anderson's vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War takes on a new and profound significance. Far from being a mere backdrop to the American Revolution, the Seven Years' War eliminated French power north of the Caribbean, destroyed an American diplomatic system in which Native Americans had long played a balancing role, and hardened the attitudes of both the colonists and the British--forging the tensions that would lead to the disintegration of the British empire in North America. </p><p>With panoramic sweep, Anderson reveals how a skirmish involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville initiated a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration. The narrative weaves together the motives of all the participants, not the least of whom are the American colonists--men who had assumed they were partners in the empire, but who now encountered British officers who treated them as subordinates. Brilliantly illuminating the clash of cultures at the heart of the Seven Years' War, Anderson demonstrates how the forces unleashed would irrevocably change the politics of empire.</p></div>


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<p><strong>A Dazzling Russian travelogue from the bestselling author of *Great Plains</strong>*</p><p>In his astonishing new work, Ian Frazier, one of our greatest and most entertaining storytellers, trains his perceptive, generous eye on Siberia, the storied expanse of Asiatic Russia whose grim renown is but one explanation among hundreds for the region's fascinating, enduring appeal. In <em>Travels in Siberia</em>, Frazier reveals Siberia's role in historyits science, economics, and politicswith great passion and enthusiasm, ensuring that we'll never think about it in the same way again.</p><p>With great empathy and epic sweep, Frazier tells the stories of Siberia's most famous exiles, from the well-knownDostoyevsky, Lenin (twice), Stalin (numerous times)to the lesser known (like Natalie Lopukhin, banished by the empress for copying her dresses) to those who experienced unimaginable suffering in Siberian camps under the Soviet regime, forever immortalized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in <em>The Gulag Archipelago</em>.</p><p><em>Travels in Siberia </em>is also a unique chronicle of Russia since the end of the Soviet Union, a personal account of adventures among Russian friends and acquaintances, and, above all, a unique, captivating, totally Frazierian take on what he calls the "amazingness" of Russiaa country that, for all its tragic history, somehow still manages to be funny. <em>Travels in Siberia </em>will undoubtedly take its place as one of the twenty-first century's indispensable contributions to the travel-writing genre. </p>


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<p class="description">It is one of the most memorable first lines in all of literature: "When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into some kind of monstrous vermin." So begins Kafka's famous short story, The Metamorphosis. Kafka considered publishing it with two of the stories included here in a volume to be called Punishments. The Judgment explores an enigmatic power struggle between a father and son, while In the Penal Colony examines questions of power, justice, punishment, and the meaning of pain in a colonial setting. These three stories are flanked by two very different works. Meditation, the first book Kafka published, consists of light, whimsical, often poignant mood-pictures, while the autobiographical Letter to his Father analyzes his difficult relationship with his father in devastating detail.</p>


