Leonardo Da Vinci: Engineer and Architect (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts)

The Unknown Leonardo

To Hell & Back With Dante: A Modern Reader's Guide to the Divine Comedy

Loot

Review “Sharon Waxman has written a compelling page turner about the world of antiquities and art-world skulduggery. She manages to combine rigorous, scholarly reporting with a flair for intrigue and personality that gives Loot the fast pace of a novel. I enjoyed it immensely.” ― Tina Brown “ Loot is a riveting foray into the biggest question facing museums today: who should own the great works of ancient art? Sharon Waxman is a first-rate reporter, a veritable Euphronios of words, who not only explores the legal and moral ambiguities of the conflict but brings to life the colorful -- even outrageous -- personalities facing off for a high noon showdown over some of the world's iconic works of art. Vivid, witty, and delightful, this book will beguile any reader with an interest in art and museums.” ― Douglas Preston, author of The Monster of Florence “Sharon Waxman's Loot is the most instructive as well as the most intelligent (and the most entertaining) guide through the labyrinth of antiquity and the ways in which the claims of the departed intersect with the rights of the living.” ― Christopher Hitchens author of God Is Not Great and The Elgin Marbles: Should They Be Returned to Greece? “Sharon Waxman approaches her subject with the passion of a great journalist and the rigor of a scholar. It may never again be possible for some of us to walk down the halls of the Louvre or the British Museum or the Metropolitan without a vague sense of disquietude, a frisson of wonder about the provenance of some of their showcase works of ancient art.” ― Lucette Lagnado, author of The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit “Sharon Waxman's Loot is indispensable for everyone concerned with the illicit trade in smuggled antiquities. She exposes the self-serving humbug that too often afflicts both affluent possessors and righteous nationalists and shows that we all have a stake in getting an honest account of how great objects came to rest in our grandest museums.” ― Karl E. Meyer, author of The Plundered Past and co-author of Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East “Fast-paced and compelling….Waxman has an array of wondrous tales to tell….Considerable, admirable, and totally absorbing.” ― The Boston Globe “ Loot is hip to the politics underlying the whole repatriation craze. . . . This book's title is absolutely true.” ― Newark Star-Ledger “A journalistic tour de force -- an exhaustively researched, even-handed compendium of the disputes roiling museums and source countries.” ― CultureGrrl art blog “[An] insightful new exploration into cultural plunder.” ― Dallas Morning News “A measured, detailed and accessible history of cultural custody cases, bringing the ages-old quandary up to date.” ― Kansas City Star “Absorbing and well-researched . . . [Waxman] gives all actors in this bitterly antagonistic drama a hearing and writes with flair and an earnest sense of inquiry.” ― The Washington Post Book World “A remarkable book . . . After reading [Loot] you will never again view an antiquity in a museum in the same light.” ― Kings Features Syndicate “Loot does an excellent job of exploring the political underpinnings of the contest over antiquities…[Waxman's] critical distance allows her to see both sides of this tangled story. . . Loot is an engaging and informative read.” ― Art + Auction Magazine “Lively and wide-ranging. . . Waxman has written the definitive volume.” ― ARTnews Magazine “Skillfully blending history and reportage . . . Waxman's account is animated by interviews with museum curators, accused smugglers and government officials, putting a human spin on the complex cultural politics before arriving at a middle ground that strives for international collaboration in preserving a broad global heritage.” ― Publishers Weekly, starred review “Former New York Times culture correspondent [Sharon] Waxman adroitly and expertly explores a centuries-old struggle . . . In Waxman's hands, the question of justice remains intriguingly slippery, and the argument over who owns history takes on new depth. Erudite and wholly satisfying.” ― Kirkus Reviews “Exposes hypocrisy on all sides of the debates.” ― The Roanoke Times “Comprehensive and revealing . . . Waxman is a congenial, globe-hopping tour guide through cramped offices, dank tomb sites, and sleek, art-filled palaces.” ― Booklist “[An] intelligent, well-informed book . . . [Waxman] skillfully interweaves lucid historical accounts with savvy contemporary interviews. . . . This wide-ranging narrative limns a multifaceted problem with no single solution. Facing facts would be a good place to start, Waxman concludes.” ― Los Angeles Times “Waxman, a former correspondent for the New York Times, recounts tales of arrogance, greed and lust in museum personnel who, however well educated, are all too human in their daily affairs. . . . The questions Waxman raises are real, and her proposals to remedy the situation are the start of a much-needed discussion.” ― San Francisco Chronicle Book Review “Waxman illustrates this overstuffed book with the colorful personalities and histories behind some of the most famous ancient artworks (the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone), and the questions she raises are fascinating ones...Loot contains its share of golden treasures underneath all that dust.” ― Gilbert Cruz, Time “ Loot ... is a timely account of how the world of antiquities arrived at the situation it is in today ... an engaging and informative read.” ― Andrew Slayman, ArtInfo.com About the Author Sharon Waxman is a former culture correspondent for The New York Times and holds a master's degree in Middle East studies from Oxford University. She covered Middle Eastern and European politics and culture for ten years before joining The Washington Post and then The New York Times to report on Hollywood and other cultural news. She is the author of Rebels on the Backlot , and the CEO and founder of The Wrap News .

The Rape Of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War

Amazon.com Review Every few months you'll read a newspaper story of the discovery of some long-lost art treasure hidden away in a German basement or a Russian attic: a Cranach, a Holbein, even, not long ago, a da Vinci. Such treasures ended up far from the museums and churches in which they once hung, taken as war loot by Allied and Axis soldiers alike. Thousands of important pieces have never been recovered. Lynn Nicholas offers an astonishingly good account of the wholesale ravaging of European art during World War II, of how teams of international experts have worked to recover lost masterpieces in the war's aftermath and of how governments "are still negotiating the restitution of objects held by their respective nations." From Publishers Weekly "Never had works of art been so important to a political movement and never had they been moved about on such a vast scale." Nicholas's lavishly illustrated work chronicles the transfer, trading and looting of a large proportion of Europe's cultural treasures by the Nazis and the recovery of most of them during the Allied counterattack and early postwar years. She describes the Nazis' attempt to "purify" the world of "degenerate" art and their orgy of destruction, confiscation and theft, and reveals how curators at the Louvre in Paris, the Uffizi in Florence and other great museums supervised the removal of objects d'art to places of safety that included mine shafts and remote chateaux in anticipation of the German onslaught. Among these treasures were such masterpieces of sculpture and oils as Winged Victory of Samothrace and Van Gogh's Dr. Gachet , tapestries, church altars, crown jewels, literary manuscripts and symphonic scores. Nicholas's detailed account, meticulously researched in museum archives and supplemented with interviews, brings into focus the men and women who took responsibility for the protection, preservation, rescue and restoration of the artistic patrimony of Europe. Ambitious and fully realized, the book is a major contribution to the history of art; and first-time author Nicholas, an academic researcher of European history, shows herself to be a writer of notable talent. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal First-time author Nicholas presents a poorly written survey of the traffic in art under the Nazi regime, first in Germany and then in occupied Europe. She has a great deal of information, but it is not presented clearly or consistently. Nicholas has worked extensively with original documents and secondary works to reconstruct the German confiscation of art across the Continent, not just from Jews but from individuals and institutions in every country. Part cultural policy, part individual cupidity-especially by Goering-part egomania (Hitler's plans for a great museum in Linz), the "rape of Europe" makes for an engrossing story, but it is beyond the author's powers to deal with this story at more than an anecdotal level. While more limited in scope, firsthand accounts like Craig Smyth's Repatriation of Art from the Collecting Point in Munich After World War II (Abner Schram, 1988) are preferable. Pass on this. Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist The world is still trying to fathom the enormity of the violence perpetrated by the Nazis. While the unending horror of the Holocaust continues to shock and baffle us, other facets of this unprecedented attempt at ethnic and cultural annihilation are still being revealed. One such facet consists of the mind-boggling facts about the Germans' wholesale pillaging of the art treasures of Europe. Nicholas painstakingly reconstructs the entire art debacle, relating one improbable but fully documented tale after another of systematic confiscation, outright theft, shameful deal-making, and fiendish destruction. The flip side to these atrocities is a litany of heroic efforts by curators, art historians, and many others to conceal, preserve, and protect the art of their land. Nicholas chronicles dozens of risky and dramatic struggles to keep the treasures of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Holland, France, Russia, and Italy out of the hands of their mad conquerors. While thousands upon thousands of precious paintings, sculptures, medieval manuscripts, and other invaluable objects were torn from churches, homes, libraries, and museums and shipped to Germany, hundreds more were frantically buried, camouflaged, or stashed in basements, country estates, salt mines, or quarry tunnels. Nicholas is in full command of a daunting amount of detailed information. She eloquently and efficiently introduces a huge cast of characters and artworks and manages to cover both the terrifying war years and the curatorial and logistical nightmare of their aftermath, when the Allies' overworked "Monument men" labored against all odds and in spite of many controversies to return recovered masterpieces to their rightful owners. Nicholas, a first-time author, has constructed a momentous and riveting work. Donna Seaman From Kirkus Reviews A sprawling, vivid look at the fate of Europe's artworks during WW II. ``Never,'' states Nicholas in her admirably accomplished first book, ``had works of art been so important to a political movement and never had they been moved about on such a vast scale....'' Charting this unprecedented movement, Nicholas begins with the Nazis' twofold ``purification'' effort to ban ``degenerate'' culture and to scour public and private collections of enemy lands and races for nobly Germanic art. Backed always by astonishing statistics, the author recounts not only the brutal pursuit of both goals in western continental Europe and the even harsher, racially motivated pillage of Russian and Polish art treasures, but also the baffling exceptions to rules: the modernist ``garbage'' (Goebbels) imported into Germany and auctioned for hard foreign currency; the Jewish experts in Nordic art made ``Honorary Aryans''; the hands of Jewish women kissed by Goering in his quest for favorite canvases. As a former researcher at Washington's National Gallery who made a childhood visit through the devastated Germany of 1948, Nicholas is well equipped to elucidate the technicalities and vivify the chaos of wartime Europe's emergency storage sites, their improvised safety and climate controls, the economics and legalities of the art trade and postwar reclamations, and America's interests during and after the war in custodianship, reparation politics, and efforts to protect its own collections. Nonetheless, Nicholas does not, so to speak, lose the big picture, duly prefacing each country-by-country account with background history of the war. One interesting Cold War issue she considers is the politically sensitive return to newly Communist countries of plundered religious relics. The book abounds in poignant and bizarre details, from masterpieces traded for everything from human lives to ``8 kilograms of millet,'' to Chinese bronzes found holding manure in East German pigsties. Nicholas restores harrowing political contexts to ``safe,'' pristinely displayed museum masterpieces. (87 b&w illustrations and 3 maps) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Read more

Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients

Review I love the pared-down premise of this book. John has created clever ingredient combinations that demonstrate the power of simplicity in cooking. The photography is lickable, too...― Karen Barnes, Editor, delicious. magazine , delicious. magazine This book ... is as rich in flavor and flair as his previous two titles; the pared-back approach certainly doesn't imply any constraints on his creativity.― Nigella Lawson About the Author John Whaite won the third series of The Great British Bake Off. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu, though his love of food came from learning at his mother's knee. He writes for the Telegraph and is resident chef on ITV's Lorraine . He is the presenter of ITV food programme The Chopping Block , out in April 2016. He has also opened his own cooking school John Whaite's Kitchen. This is his third book.

The Gray Man

From Publishers Weekly In Greaney's fast-paced, fun debut thriller, Court The Gray Man Gentry, a former CIA operative now renowned as the ultimate killer for hire, is on the job in Syria and Iraq. To his shock, he learns that a team sent in to rescue him now has him targeted for elimination. On the run, Gentry slowly realizes that huge forces are marshaling against him, from his former government to the one man in England he always trusted. With unbelievable powers of survival, the Gray Man eludes teams of killers and deadly traps, while the reader begins to cheer for this unlikely hero. Cinematic battles and escapes fill out the simplistic but satisfying plot, and Greaney deftly provides small details to show Gentry's human side, offset by the petty rivalries and greed of his enemies. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review “I LOVE THE GRAY MAN.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child “BOURNE FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM.”— New York Times bestselling author James Rollins “Writing as smooth as stainless steel and a hero as mean as razor wire... The Gray Man glitters like a blade in an alley.”— New York Times bestselling author David Stone “A high-octane thriller that doesn’t pause for more than a second for all of its 464 pages...For readers looking for a thriller where the action comes fast and furious, this is the ticket.”— Chicago Sun-Times “Take fictional spy Jason Bourne, pump him up with Red Bull and meth, shake vigorously—and you’ve got the recipe for Court Gentry.”— The Memphis Commercial Appeal “From the opening pages, the bullets fly and the bodies pile up. Through the carnage, Gentry remains an intriguing protagonist with his own moral code.”— Booklist About the Author Mark Greaney has a degree in international relations and political science. In his research for the Gray Man novels, he traveled to more than thirty-five countries and trained alongside military and law enforcement in the use of firearms, battlefield medicine, and close-range combative tactics. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Tom Clancy Support and Defend , Tom Clancy Full Force and Effect , Tom Clancy Commander in Chief , and Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance . With Tom Clancy, he coauthored Locked On , Threat Vector , and Command Authority . Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Warning: This excerpt contains content of an adult subject matter and adult language. PROLOGUE A flash of light in the distant morning sky captured the attention of the Land Rover's blood-soaked driver. Polarized Oakleys shielded his eyes from the brunt of the sun's rays; still, he squinted through his windshield's glare, desperate to identify the burning aircraft that now spun and hurtled towards earth, a smoldering comet's tail of black smoke left hanging above it. It was a helicopter, a large Army Chinook, and horrific though the situation must have been for those on board, the driver of the Land Rover breathed a subdued sigh of relief. His extraction transport was to be a Russian-built KA-32T, crewed by Polish mercenaries and flown in from over the border in Turkey. The driver found the dying Chinook regrettable but preferable to a dying KA-32T. He watched the chopper spin in its uncontrolled descent, staining the blue sky directly in front of him with burning fuel. He turned the Land Rover hard to the right and accelerated eastward. The blood-soaked driver wanted to get as far away from here as fast as possible. As much as he wished there was something he could do for the Americans on board the Chinook, he knew their fate was out of his hands. And he had his own problems. For five hours he'd raced across the flatlands of western Iraq, fleeing the dirty work he'd left behind, and now he was less than twenty minutes from his exfiltration. A shot-down chopper meant that in minutes this place would be crawling with armed fighters, defiling bodies, shooting assault rifles into the air, and jumping around like fucking morons. It was a party the bloodstained driver would not mind missing, lest he himself become a party favor. The Chinook sank off to his left and disappeared behind a brown ridge in the distance. The driver fixed his eyes on the road ahead. Not my problem , he told himself. He was not trained to search and to rescue, he was not trained to give aid, and he  certainly was not trained to negotiate for hostages. He was trained to kill. He'd done so back over the border in Syria, and now it was time to get out of the kill zone. As his Rover accelerated through the haze and dust at over one hundred kilometers an hour, he began a dialogue with himself. His inner voice wanted to turn back, to race to the Chinook's crash site to check for survivors. His outer voice, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. "Keep moving, Gentry, just keep moving. Those dudes are fucked. Nothing you can do about it." Gentry's spoken words were sensible, but his inner monologue just would not shut up. ONE The first gunmen arriving at the crash site were not Al Qaeda and had nothing to do with the shoot down. They were four local boys with old wooden--stocked Kalashnikovs who'd held a sloppy morning roadblock a hundred meters from where the chopper impacted with the city street. The boys pushed through the growing phalanx of onlookers, the shopkeepers and the street kids who dove for cover when the twin-rotor helicopter hurtled down among them, and the taxi drivers who swerved off the road to avoid the American craft. The four young gunmen approached the scene warily but without a shred of tactical skill. A loud snap from the raging fire, a single handgun round cooking off in the heat, sent them all to cover. After a moment's hesitation, their heads popped back up, they aimed their rifles, and then emptied their barking and bucking guns into the twisted metal machine. A man in a blackened American military uniform crawled from the wreckage and received two dozen rounds from the boys' weapons. The soldier's struggle ceased as soon as the first bullets raked across his back. Braver now after the adrenaline rush of killing a man in front of the crowd of shouting civilians, the boys broke cover and moved closer to the wreckage. They reloaded their rifles and raised them to shoot at the burning bodies of the flight crew in the cockpit. But before they could open fire, three vehicles raced up from behind: pickup trucks full of armed Arabian foreigners. Al Qaeda. The local kids wisely backed away from the aircraft, stood back with the civilians, and chanted a devotional to God as the masked men fanned out in the road around the wreckage. The broken corpses of two more soldiers fell clear from the rear of the Chinook, and these were the first images of the scene caught by the three-man Al Jazeera camera crew that jumped from truck three. Just under a mile away, Gentry pulled off the road, turned into a dry streambed, and forced the Land Rover as deep as possible into the tall brown river grasses. He climbed out of the truck and raced to the tailgate, swung a pack onto his back, and hefted a long camel-colored case by its carry handle. As he moved away from the vehicle, he noticed the drying blood all over his loose-fitting local clothing for the first time. The blood was not his own, but there was no mystery to the stain. He knew whose blood it was. Thirty seconds later, he crested the little ridge by the streambed and crawled forward as quickly as possible while pushing his gear in front of him. When Gentry felt suitably invisible in the sand and reeds, he pulled a pair of binoculars from the pack and brought them to his eyes, centered on the plume of black smoke rising in the distance. His taut jaw muscles flexed. The Chinook had come to rest on a street in the town of al Ba'aj, and already a mob had descended on the debris. Gentry's binoculars were not powerful enough to provide much detail, so he rolled onto his side and unsnapped the camel-colored case. Inside was a Barrett M107, a fifty-caliber rifle that fired shells half the size of beer bottles and dispatched the heavy bullets with a muzzle velocity of nearly nine football fields a second. Gentry did not load the gun, only aimed the rifle at the crash site to use the powerful optics mounted to it. Through the sixteen-power glass he could see the fire, the pickup trucks, the unarmed civilians, and the armed gunmen. Some were unmasked. Local thugs. Others wore black masks or wrapped keffiyeh to cover their faces. This would be the Al Qaeda contingent. The foreign fucks. Here to kill Americans and collaborators and to take advantage of the instability in the region. A glint of metal rose into the air and swung down. A sword hacking at a figure on the ground. Even through the powerful sniper scope Gentry could not tell if the  prostrate man had been dead or alive when the blade slashed into him. His jaw tightened again. Gentry was not an American soldier himself, never had been. But he was an American. And although he had neither responsibility for nor relationship with the U.S. military, he'd seen years of images on television of carnage just like that which was happening before him, and it both sickened and angered him to the very limits of his considerable self-control. The men around the aircraft began to undulate as one. In the glare from the heat pouring out of the arid earth between his overwatch and the crash site, it took him a moment to grasp what was happening, but soon he recognized the inevitable outpouring of gleeful emotion from the butchers around the downed helicopter. The bastards were dancing over the bodies. Gentry unwrapped his finger from the trigger guard of the huge Barrett and let his fingertip stroke the smooth trigger. His laser range finder told him the distance, and a small group of canvas tents between himself and the dance party flapped in the breeze and gave him an idea of the windage. But he knew better than to fire the Barrett. If he charged the weapon and pulled the trigger, he would kill a couple of shitheads, yes, but the area would turn so hot in an instant with news of a sniper in the sector that every postpubescent male with a gun and a mobile phone would be on his ass before he made it to within five miles of his extraction. Gentry's exfiltration would be called off, and he would have to make his own way out of the kill zone. No, Gentry told himself. A meager measure of payback would be righteous, but it would set off a bigger shit storm than he was prepared to deal with. Gentry was not a gambler. He was a private assassin, a hired gun, a contract operator. He could frag a half dozen of these pricks as fast as he could lace his boots, but he knew such retribution would not be worth the cost. He spat a mixture of saliva and sand on the ground in front of him and turned to put the huge Barrett back in its case. The camera crew from Al Jazeera had been smuggled over the border from Syria a week earlier with the sole purpose of chronicling an Al Qaeda victory in northern Iraq. The videographer, the audio technician, and the reporter/producer had been moved along an AQ route, had slept in AQ safe houses alongside the AQ cell, and they'd filmed the launch of the missile, the impact with the Chinook, and the resulting fireball in the sky. Now they recorded the ritualistic decapitation of an already dead American soldier. A middle--aged man with handwritten name tape affixed to his body armor that read, "Phillips—Mississippi National Guard." Not one of the camera crew spoke English, but they all agreed they had clearly just recorded the destruction of an elite unit of CIA commandos. The customary praise of Allah began with the dancing of the fighters and the firing of the weapons into the air. Although the AQ cell numbered only sixteen, there were over thirty armed men now in step with one another in front of the smoldering metal hulk in the street. The videographer focused his lens on a moqtar, a local chieftain, dancing in the center of the festivities. Framing him perfectly in front of the wreckage, his flowing white dishdasha contrasting magnificently with the black smoke billowing up behind him. The moqtar bounced on one foot over the decapitated American, his right hand above him swinging a bloody scimitar into the air. This was the money shot. The videographer smiled and did his best to remain professional, careful to not follow along with the rhythm and dance in celebration of the majesty of Allah to which he and his camera now bore witness. The moqtar shouted into the air with the rest. "Allahu Akhbar!" God is greater! He hopped in euphoria with the masked foreigners, his thick facial hair opened to reveal a toothy smile as he looked down at the burnt and bloody piece of dead American meat lying in the street below him. The crew from Al Jazeera shouted in ecstasy as well. And the videographer filmed it all with a steady hand. He was a pro; his subject remained centered, his camera did not tremble or flinch. Not until the moment when the moqtar's head snapped to the side, burst open like a pressed grape, and sinew, blood, and bone spewed violently in all directions. Then the camera flinched. Gentry just couldn't help himself. He fired round after round at the armed men in the  crowd, and all the while he cussed aloud at his lack of discipline, because he knew he was throwing his own timetable, his entire operation out the window. Not that he could hear his own curses. Even with his earplugs, the report of the Barrett was deafening as he sent huge projectiles downrange, one after another, the  blowback from the rifle's muzzle break propelling sand and debris from the ground around him up and into his face and arms. As he paused to snap a second heavy magazine into the rifle, he took stock of his situation. From a tradecraft perspective, this was the single dumbest move he could have made, virtually shouting to the insurgents around him that their mortal enemy was here in their midst. But damn if it did not feel like the right thing to do. He resecured the big rifle in the crook of his shoulder, already throbbing from the recoil, sighted on the downed chopper site, and resumed his righteous payback. Through the big scope he saw body parts spin through the air as another huge bullet found the midsection of a masked gunman. This was simple revenge, nothing more. Gentry knew his actions altered little in the scope of things, apart from changing a few sons of bitches from solids into liquids. His body continued firing into the now scattering murderers, but his mind was already worrying about his immediate future. He wouldn't even try for the LZ now. Another chopper in the area would be a target too good for the angry AQ survivors to ignore. No, Gentry decided, he would go to ground: find a drainage culvert or a little wadi, cover himself in dirt and debris, lie all day in the heat, and ignore hunger and bug bites and his need to piss. It was going to suck. Still, he reasoned as he slammed the third and final magazine into the smoking rifle, his poor decision did serve some benefit. A half dozen dead shitheads are , after all, a half dozen dead shitheads. Read more

Paris: City of Art

About the Author Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos is a curator and historian. He is universally acclaimed as a leading authority on French architecture and has authored more than twenty books on various aspects of French culture, art, and architecture.


Whimsical Wool Appliqué: 50 Blocks, 7 Quilt Projects

About the Author Kim Schaefer is a best-selling author and the founder of Little Quilt Company, which is known for its small, fun-to-make quilting patterns. A fabric designer with Andover Fabrics, Kim lives with her family in Southeastern Wisconsin. littlequiltcompany.com

Creating Art with Alcohol Ink: Complete Guide to 12 Easy Techniques, 17 Spectacular Projects (Design Originals) How to Paint with Dripping, Pouring, Layering, Masking, and More, Step-by-Step

From the Back Cover A COMPLETE GUIDE TOPainting with Alcohol Ink Perfect for artists of any experience level, Creating Art with Alcohol Ink offers everything you need to know to paint with confidence and creativity. Filled with expert guidance and tons of inspiring and skill-building projects, discover all the possibilities alcohol ink offers and take your art to a whole new level! What's Inside: Detailed overviews of the basics of alcohol ink, safety, supplies, color theory, and more Detailed overviews of the basics of alcohol ink, safety, supplies, color theory, and more Easy-to-follow tutorials for 12 of the most popular alcohol ink painting techniques (plus more bonus techniques) Easy-to-follow tutorials for 12 of the most popular alcohol ink painting techniques (plus more bonus techniques) 17 step-by-step projects of beautiful landscapes, flowers, and abstract designs by various artists 17 step-by-step projects of beautiful landscapes, flowers, and abstract designs by various artists Projects for different mediums, from tile coasters to paper, metal, and other surfaces Projects for different mediums, from tile coasters to paper, metal, and other surfaces An inspirational gallery of alcohol ink art on guitars, tabletops, switch plates, candles, bottles, ornaments, and more An inspirational gallery of alcohol ink art on guitars, tabletops, switch plates, candles, bottles, ornaments, and more "Expand your creative prowess with alcohol ink as Laurie and Sheryl guide you through a world of artistic wonder. This book demonstrates that alcohol ink art knows no bounds!" —Tiffani Buteau, Artist and Cofounder of T-Rex Alcohol Inks About the Author Laurie Williams is the founder of the Alcohol Ink Art Community. When she's not in the studio creating art, she is helping businesses across the US succeed in online marketing. Her painting journey began 20 years ago when she first discovered alcohol inks. The Alcohol Ink Art Community is an online portal for everything alcohol ink, contributing to a by teaching, encouraging creativity, and helping artists, of all levels, build and grow their art busines. Sheryl Williams' classes are the building blocks of techniques and tools that develop the necessary skills to express the art within. Nothing means more to her than her students finding their artistic voice. Born in Los Angeles, California, but now residing in Delta, Colorado, she began painting in 2011 through an art journaling class. She taught herself watercolor and developed a distinct, detailed style by painting with an almost dry brush. She began working with alcohol ink in 2013 and realized there was no limit to what you can do. She has been teaching online since 2015 and has hundreds of students worldwide.

Art on the Rocks: More than 35 colorful & contemporary rock-painting projects, tips, and techniques to inspire your creativity!

About the Author Artist F. Sehnaz Bac is celebrated for her radiantly colorful and charming painted stones, which she sells on Etsy as I Sassi Dell'Adriatico (The Adriatic Stones). Sehnaz has more than 600,000 Facebook followers. She lives in Alba Adriatica, Italy, a small town on the Adriatic Sea.Artist and illustrator Marisa Redondo works primarily with watercolors and oils. Most of her work is nature inspired. Art has always been her greatest love. Growing up in the heart of San Diego, drawing was how she found a calm balance in the busy city. Currently based in Northern California, Marisa is fascinated by nature's creations and the little pieces of life that often go unnoticed, from the fine lines of feathers to the spores of a dandelion. Through watercolor she explores the organic patterns and intricate details impressed on everything from the earth. Her paintings are a mix of the modern city she came from and the natural land where she now live. Learn more at riverlunaart.com.Talented artist Margaret Vance paints beautifully vibrant and colorful rock art full of intricate detail and pattern. As in nature, no two painted stones are alike. Each stone and its design is unique. Margaret works with each stone's shape, size, and texture to create a singular mix of art and nature. Learn more at etherealandearth.com.

Creative Alcohol Inks: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Amazing Effects--Explore Painting, Pouring, Blending, Textures, and More! (Volume 2) (Art for Modern Makers, 2)

About the Author Ashley Mahlberg of Ink Reel Studio is an abstract artist and graphic designer. Inspired by the Washington coast, Ashley’s work mimics organic forms, flow, and dynamic color palettes found in her everyday surroundings. Ashley licenses her work, shows her art in local commercial spaces, and has been a featured artist on The Crafter’s Box (thecraftersbox.com), where she taught alcohol ink techniques. See more of Ashley’s work on Instagram (@inkreel), inkreelstudio.com, and Etsy (InkReelArtStudio). She lives in Burlington, Washington.

Guinness World Records 2022

About the Author Guinness World Records (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the iconic annual Guinness World Records books have sold over 143 million copies in over 40 languages and in more than 100 countries.

Commemorative Coca-Cola Bottles (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)

About the Author Joyce Spontak, a baby boomer, has been involved in antiques and interested in advertising collectibles since childhood. She is devoted to Planter's Mr. Peanut, and she has co-authored two books on the subject. She recently began collecting and distributing miniature Coca-Cola bottles.

Monster

Review "Wow! The moment I read the first page I was hooked. I couldn't put the novel down and Green once again captivates the readers with intense detail. This is everything from the setting to character development. Bravo Green-you did it again!" ~Sylvia, Amazon Reviewer From the Author MONSTER Categories: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Psychological Psychological Horror Horror Kidnapping Kidnapping Serial Killers Serial Killers Murder Murder Suspense Suspense Crime Crime Thriller Thriller Domestic Domestic Literature & Fiction Genre Fiction Genre Fiction Women's Fiction Women's Fiction Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Crime Crime Psychological Psychological Contemporary Contemporary

User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development

From the Back Cover Agile requirements: discovering what your users really want. With this book, you will learn to: Flexible, quick and practical requirements that work Flexible, quick and practical requirements that work Save time and develop better software that meets users' needs Save time and develop better software that meets users' needs Gathering user stories -- even when you can't talk to users Gathering user stories -- even when you can't talk to users How user stories work, and how they differ from use cases, scenarios, and traditional requirements How user stories work, and how they differ from use cases, scenarios, and traditional requirements Leveraging user stories as part of planning, scheduling, estimating, and testing Leveraging user stories as part of planning, scheduling, estimating, and testing Ideal for Extreme Programming, Scrum, or any other agile methodology Ideal for Extreme Programming, Scrum, or any other agile methodology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thoroughly reviewed and eagerly anticipated by the agile community, User Stories Applied offers a requirements process that saves time, eliminates rework, and leads directly to better software. The best way to build software that meets users' needs is to begin with "user stories": simple, clear, brief descriptions of functionality that will be valuable to real users. In User Stories Applied , Mike Cohn provides you with a front-to-back blueprint for writing these user stories and weaving them into your development lifecycle. You'll learn what makes a great user story, and what makes a bad one. You'll discover practical ways to gather user stories, even when you can't speak with your users. Then, once you've compiled your user stories, Cohn shows how to organize them, prioritize them, and use them for planning, management, and testing. User role modeling: understanding what users have in common, and where they differ User role modeling: understanding what users have in common, and where they differ Gathering stories: user interviewing, questionnaires, observation, and workshops Gathering stories: user interviewing, questionnaires, observation, and workshops Working with managers, trainers, salespeople and other "proxies" Working with managers, trainers, salespeople and other "proxies" Writing user stories for acceptance testing Writing user stories for acceptance testing Using stories to prioritize, set schedules, and estimate release costs Using stories to prioritize, set schedules, and estimate release costs Includes end-of-chapter practice questions and exercises Includes end-of-chapter practice questions and exercises User Stories Applied will be invaluable to every software developer, tester, analyst, and manager working with any agile method: XP, Scrum... or even your own home-grown approach. ADDISON-WESLEY PROFESSIONAL Boston, MA 02116 www.awprofessional.com ISBN: 0-321-20568-5 About the Author Mike Cohn is the founder of Mountain Goat Software, a process and project management consultancy and training firm. With more than twenty years of experience, Mike has been a technology executive in companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 40s, and is a founding member of the Agile Alliance. He frequently contributes to industry-related magazines and presents regularly at conferences. He is the author of User Stories Applied (Addison-Wesley, 2004).

Born A Healer: I Was Born a Healer. You Were Born a Healer, Too!

Review Master Lin has extensive experiences in the ancient meditative practices of China. He has presented complex techniques in simple, easy-to-understand terms that can help anyone better control pain and sickness. I strongly recommend Master Lin and Spring Forest Qigong. --Kenneth S. Cohen, M.A., M.S.TH., China ScholarSpring Forest Qigong is going to revolutionize the manner in which we look at healing. Chunyi, congratulations on writing a book that will be helpful to many people and is interesting to read. You continue to do creative, remarkable, and invaluable work in helping to improve the health of all people. --Bill Manahan, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Practice and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical SchoolIt is without reservation that I say Master Lin is at the top of his field among qigong masters in the U.S. --Michael Zeng, M.D., President Emeritus of the International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, New Mexico About the Author Chunyi Lin is a certified International Qigong Master and the creator of Spring Forest Qigong. His fluency in numerous Chinese dialects provided him the rare opportunity to study with many of the most respected Qigong Masters in his native China. He has been teaching Qigong and using Qigong techniques to help others for more than twenty years. Master Lin is also a Tai Chi Master and highly skilled in Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. Mr. Lin served as Director of Qigong Programs at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Anoka, Minnesota, from 1999 to 2004. During 2004 he created an Educational Partnership with Normandale Community College of Bloomington, MN to provide fully accredited courses in Spring Forest Qigong health and healing techniques. All of the course curricula were created by Mr. Lin and he serves as the program director and lead instructor. Lin was formerly a college professor in Guangdon Province in China. In January of 2005, he was awarded a Masters Degree in Human Development-Holistic Health & Wellness from St. Mary s University in Minneapolis, MN. Master Lin teaches four levels of Spring Forest Qigong and has created a series of home learning materials for students, including videos, guided audio meditations and reference manuals. He is a frequent keynote speaker at national health conferences. Since coming to the United States in 1995, he has helped thousands upon thousands of people to learn about the powerful, healing benefits of Spring Forest Qigong. He now devotes all of his time to the teaching of Spring Forest Qigong and helping others. He also sees people for private healing sessions. He lives in the Twin Cities. His vision is "a healer in every family and a world without pain." Gary Rebstock is a thirty year veteran of television news as an anchor, reporter and producer. He has received numerous broadcast journalism awards from regional Emmys to international film festival honors to the Thomas Moore Stork Award for Excellence in International Journalism form the World Affairs Council of San Francisco. He has been a student of Spring Forest Qigong since 1997. He lives in the Twin Cities.


All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel

Review “Mesmerizing… Exquisite… The written equivalent of a Botticelli or a Michelangelo.” – The Portland Oregonian “Stunning… Uplifting… Not to be missed.” – Entertainment Weekly “Hauntingly beautiful.” – The New York Times “Each and every person in this finely spun assemblage is distinct and true.” – USA Today “Intertwines secret radio broadcasts, a cursed diamond, a soldier’s deepest doubts into a richly compelling package… Irresistible.” – People “Gorgeous… Moves with the pace of a thriller.” – San Francisco Chronicle “Enthrallingly told, beautifully written.” —Amanda Vaill, The Washington Post “Dazzling . . . Startlingly fresh.” —John Freeman, The Boston Globe “Intricate . . . A meditation on fate, free will, and the way that, in wartime, small choices can have vast consequences.” —The New Yorker “Brims with scrupulous reverence for all forms of life. The invisible light of the title shines long after the last page.” —Tricia Springstubb, The Cleveland Plain Dealer “Anthony Doerr writes beautifully. . . . A tour de force.” —Elizabeth Reid, Deseret News “Anthony Doerr again takes language beyond mortal limits.” —Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair “Perfectly captured . . . Doerr writes sentences that are clear-eyed, taut, sweetly lyrical.” —Josh Cook, Minneapolis StarTribune “A beautiful, expansive tale . . . Ambitious and majestic.” —Steph Cha, Los Angeles Times “Doerr is an exquisite stylist; his talents are on full display.” — Alan Cheuse, NPR “The craftsmanship of Doerr’s book is rooted in his ability to inhabit the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner.” — Steve Novak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Doerr deftly guides All the Light We Cannot See toward the day Werner’s and Marie-Laure’s lives intersect during the bombing of Saint-Malo in what may be his best work to date.” — Yvonne Zipp, The Christian Science Monitor “To open a book by Anthony Doerr is to open a door on humanity. . . . His sentences shimmer. . . . His paragraphs are luminous with bright, sparkling beauty.” —Martha Anne Toll, Washington Independent Review of Books “Endlessly bold and equally delicate . . . An intricate miracle of invention, narrative verve, and deep research lightly held, but above all a miracle of humanity . . . Anthony Doerr’s novel celebrates—and also accomplishes—what only the finest art can: the power to create, reveal, and augment experience in all its horror and wonder, heartbreak and rapture.” —Shelf Awareness “Intricately structured . . . All the Light We Cannot See is a work of art and of preservation.” —Jane Ciabattari, BBC “Magnificent.” —Carmen Callil, The Guardian (UK) “The whole enthralls.” —Good Housekeeping “A revelation.” —Michael Magras, Bookreporter.com “Doerr conjures up a vibrating, crackling world. . . . Intricately, beautifully crafted.” — Rebecca Kelley, Bustle.com “There is so much in this book. It is difficult to convey the complexity, the detail, the beauty, and the brutality of this simple story.” —Carole O’Brien, Aspen Daily News “Beautifully written . . . Soulful and addictive.” —Chris Stuckenschneider, The Missourian “A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr’s magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed. . . . Doerr masterfully and knowledgeably re-creates the deprived civilian conditions of war-torn France and the strictly controlled lives of the military occupiers.” —Booklist (starred review) “Doerr captures the sights and sounds of wartime and focuses, refreshingly, on the innate goodness of his major characters.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “If a book’s success can be measured by its ability to move readers and the number of memorable characters it has, Story Prize–winner Doerr’s novel triumphs on both counts. Along the way, he convinces readers that new stories can still be told about this well-trod period, and that war—despite its desperation, cruelty, and harrowing moral choices—cannot negate the pleasures of the world.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “This novel has the physical and emotional heft of a masterpiece. . . . It presents two characters so interesting and sympathetic that readers will keep turning the pages hoping for an impossibly happy ending. . . . Highly recommended for fans of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient.” — Evelyn Beck, Library Journal (starred review) About the Author Anthony Doerr is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cloud Cuckoo Land, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and All the Light We Cannot See , winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the Alex Award, and a #1 New York Times bestseller. He is also the author of the story collections Memory Wall and The Shell Collector , the novel About Grace , and the memoir Four Seasons in Rome . He has won five O. Henry Prizes, the Rome Prize, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award, the National Magazine Award for fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Story Prize. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Doerr lives in Boise, Idaho, with his wife and two sons. From Booklist *Starred Review* A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr’s magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed. It rests, historically, during the occupation of France during WWII, but brief chapters told in alternating voices give the overall—and long—narrative a swift movement through time and events. We have two main characters, each one on opposite sides in the conflagration that is destroying Europe. Marie-Louise is a sightless girl who lived with her father in Paris before the occupation; he was a master locksmith for the Museum of Natural History. When German forces necessitate abandonment of the city, Marie-Louise’s father, taking with him the museum’s greatest treasure, removes himself and his daughter and eventually arrives at his uncle’s house in the coastal city of Saint-Malo. Young German soldier Werner is sent to Saint-Malo to track Resistance activity there, and eventually, and inevitably, Marie-Louise’s and Werner’s paths cross. It is through their individual and intertwined tales that Doerr masterfully and knowledgeably re-creates the deprived civilian conditions of war-torn France and the strictly controlled lives of the military occupiers.High-Demand Backstory: A multipronged marketing campaign will make the author’s many fans aware of his newest book, and extensive review coverage is bound to enlist many new fans. --Brad Hooper --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. All the Light We Cannot See Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Marie-Laure LeBlanc is a tall and freckled six-year-old in Paris with rapidly deteriorating eyesight when her father sends her on a children’s tour of the museum where he works. The guide is a hunchbacked old warder hardly taller than a child himself. He raps the tip of his cane against the floor for attention, then leads his dozen charges across the gardens to the galleries. The children watch engineers use pulleys to lift a fossilized dinosaur femur. They see a stuffed giraffe in a closet, patches of hide wearing off its back. They peer into taxidermists’ drawers full of feathers and talons and glass eyeballs; they flip through two-hundred-year-old herbarium sheets bedecked with orchids and daisies and herbs. Eventually they climb sixteen steps into the Gallery of Mineralogy. The guide shows them agate from Brazil and violet amethysts and a meteorite on a pedestal that he claims is as ancient as the solar system itself. Then he leads them single file down two twisting staircases and along several corridors and stops outside an iron door with a single keyhole. “End of tour,” he says. A girl says, “But what’s through there?” “Behind this door is another locked door, slightly smaller.” “And what’s behind that?” “A third locked door, smaller yet.” “What’s behind that?” “A fourth door, and a fifth, on and on until you reach a thirteenth, a little locked door no bigger than a shoe.” The children lean forward. “And then?” “Behind the thirteenth door”—the guide flourishes one of his impossibly wrinkled hands—“is the Sea of Flames.” Puzzlement. Fidgeting. “Come now. You’ve never heard of the Sea of Flames?” The children shake their heads. Marie-Laure squints up at the naked bulbs strung in three-yard intervals along the ceiling; each sets a rainbow-colored halo rotating in her vision. The guide hangs his cane on his wrist and rubs his hands together. “It’s a long story. Do you want to hear a long story?” They nod. He clears his throat. “Centuries ago, in the place we now call Borneo, a prince plucked a blue stone from a dry riverbed because he thought it was pretty. But on the way back to his palace, the prince was attacked by men on horseback and stabbed in the heart.” “Stabbed in the heart?” “Is this true?” A boy says, “Hush.” “The thieves stole his rings, his horse, everything. But because the little blue stone was clenched in his fist, they did not discover it. And the dying prince managed to crawl home. Then he fell unconscious for ten days. On the tenth day, to the amazement of his nurses, he sat up, opened his hand, and there was the stone. “The sultan’s doctors said it was a miracle, that the prince never should have survived such a violent wound. The nurses said the stone must have healing powers. The sultan’s jewelers said something else: they said the stone was the largest raw diamond anyone had ever seen. Their most gifted stonecutter spent eighty days faceting it, and when he was done, it was a brilliant blue, the blue of tropical seas, but it had a touch of red at its center, like flames inside a drop of water. The sultan had the diamond fitted into a crown for the prince, and it was said that when the young prince sat on his throne and the sun hit him just so, he became so dazzling that visitors could not distinguish his figure from light itself.” “Are you sure this is true?” asks a girl. “Hush,” says the boy. “The stone came to be known as the Sea of Flames. Some believed the prince was a deity, that as long as he kept the stone, he could not be killed. But something strange began to happen: the longer the prince wore his crown, the worse his luck became. In a month, he lost a brother to drowning and a second brother to snakebite. Within six months, his father died of disease. To make matters even worse, the sultan’s scouts announced that a great army was gathering in the east. “The prince called together his father’s advisers. All said he should prepare for war, all but one, a priest, who said he’d had a dream. In the dream the Goddess of the Earth told him she’d made the Sea of Flames as a gift for her lover, the God of the Sea, and was sending the jewel to him through the river. But when the river dried up, and the prince plucked it out, the goddess became enraged. She cursed the stone and whoever kept it.” Every child leans forward, Marie-Laure along with them. “The curse was this: the keeper of the stone would live forever, but so long as he kept it, misfortunes would fall on all those he loved one after another in unending rain.” “Live forever?” “But if the keeper threw the diamond into the sea, thereby delivering it to its rightful recipient, the goddess would lift the curse. So the prince, now sultan, thought for three days and three nights and finally decided to keep the stone. It had saved his life; he believed it made him indestructible. He had the tongue cut out of the priest’s mouth.” “Ouch,” says the youngest boy. “Big mistake,” says the tallest girl. “The invaders came,” says the warder, “and destroyed the palace, and killed everyone they found, and the prince was never seen again, and for two hundred years no one heard any more about the Sea of Flames. Some said the stone was recut into many smaller stones; others said the prince still carried the stone, that he was in Japan or Persia, that he was a humble farmer, that he never seemed to grow old. “And so the stone fell out of history. Until one day, when a French diamond trader, during a trip to the Golconda Mines in India, was shown a massive pear-cut diamond. One hundred and thirty-three carats. Near-perfect clarity. As big as a pigeon’s egg, he wrote, and as blue as the sea, but with a flare of red at its core. He made a casting of the stone and sent it to a gem-crazy duke in Lorraine, warning him of the rumors of a curse. But the duke wanted the diamond very badly. So the trader brought it to Europe, and the duke fitted it into the end of a walking stick and carried it everywhere.” “Uh-oh.” “Within a month, the duchess contracted a throat disease. Two of their favorite servants fell off the roof and broke their necks. Then the duke’s only son died in a riding accident. Though everyone said the duke himself had never looked better, he became afraid to go out, afraid to accept visitors. Eventually he was so convinced that his stone was the accursed Sea of Flames that he asked the king to shut it up in his museum on the conditions that it be locked deep inside a specially built vault and the vault not be opened for two hundred years.” “And?” “And one hundred and ninety-six years have passed.” All the children remain quiet a moment. Several do math on their fingers. Then they raise their hands as one. “Can we see it?” “No.” “Not even open the first door?” “No.” “Have you seen it?” “I have not.” “So how do you know it’s really there?” “You have to believe the story.” “How much is it worth, Monsieur? Could it buy the Eiffel Tower?” “A diamond that large and rare could in all likelihood buy five Eiffel Towers.” Gasps. “Are all those doors to keep thieves from getting in?” “Maybe,” the guide says, and winks, “they’re there to keep the curse from getting out.” The children fall quiet. Two or three take a step back. Marie-Laure takes off her eyeglasses, and the world goes shapeless. “Why not,” she asks, “just take the diamond and throw it into the sea?” The warder looks at her. The other children look at her. “When is the last time,” one of the older boys says, “you saw someone throw five Eiffel Towers into the sea?” There is laughter. Marie-Laure frowns. It is just an iron door with a brass keyhole. The tour ends and the children disperse and Marie-Laure is reinstalled in the Grand Gallery with her father. He straightens her glasses on her nose and plucks a leaf from her hair. “Did you have fun, ma chérie?” A little brown house sparrow swoops out of the rafters and lands on the tiles in front of her. Marie-Laure holds out an open palm. The sparrow tilts his head, considering. Then it flaps away. One month later she is blind. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Amazon.com Review An Amazon Best Book of the Month, May 2014: Does the world need yet another novel about WWII? It does when the novel is as inventive and beautiful as this one by Anthony Doerr. In fact, All the Light We Cannot See --while set mostly in Germany and France before and during the war--is not really a “war novel”. Yes, there is fear and fighting and disappearance and death, but the author’s focus is on the interior lives of his two characters. Marie Laure is a blind 14-year-old French girl who flees to the countryside when her father disappears from Nazi-occupied Paris. Werner is a gadget-obsessed German orphan whose skills admit him to a brutal branch of Hitler Youth. Never mind that their paths don’t cross until very late in the novel, this is not a book you read for plot (although there is a wonderful, mysterious subplot about a stolen gem). This is a book you read for the beauty of Doerr’s writing-- “Abyss in her gut, desert in her throat, Marie-Laure takes one of the cans of food…”--and for the way he understands and cherishes the magical obsessions of childhood. Marie Laure and Werner are never quaint or twee. Instead they are powerful examples of the way average people in trying times must decide daily between morality and survival. --Sara Nelson --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Artist Anthony Doerr --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more

The Sunne In Splendour: A Novel of Richard III

Review “A painstakingly drawn picture of royal medieval England from bedchamber to battleground.” --- Los Angeles Times Book Review “The reader is left with the haunting sensation that perhaps the good a man does can live after him---especially in the hands of a dedicated historian.”--- The San Diego Union “Those who know Richard III from Shakespeare will find that Sharon Kay Penman presents a contrasting view of the English monarch . . . He’s an altogether nice man, a romantic hero as suitable to our late twentieth-century standards . . . as he was to those of medieval England . . . There is a vengeful quality to her insistence that is appealing; it makes for a good story.”--- The New York Times Book Review “Ms. Penman’s novel, rich in detail and research, attempts to set the record straight . . . it is an uncommonly fine novel, one that brings a far-off time to brilliant life.” --- Chattanooga Daily Times About the Author For many years while she was a student and then a tax lawyer, SHARON KAY PENMAN slowly but steadily worked on a novel about the life of Richard III. After finishing the manuscript, however, her only copy was stolen from her car in a busy parking lot. Penman rewrote the entire novel that would become The Sunne in Splendour . When it was originally published in 1982, she quit her job to write full-time. Penman is the author of six critically acclaimed historical novels and four medieval mysteries, one of which was a finalist for an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Inside Flap ader is left with the haunting sensation that perhaps the good a man does can live after him--especially in the hands of a dedicated historian."SAN DIEGO UNIONIn this stirring historical novel, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III from his villainous role in history as the hulking, evil hunchback. This dazzling recreation of his life is filled with the sights and sounds of battle, and the passions of the highborn. Most of all, it brings to life a gifted man whose greatest sin was that he held principles too firmly for the times in which he lived, and loved too deeply to survive love's loss. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Publisher As a publisher I have been lucky to be able to visit bookstores all over the country, independent and chain alike. What interests me first about these stores is what titles are being displayed in the 'Staff Recommends' section of the store. It is here that you can find treasured, beloved books quite dear to someone who works in the stores, someone waiting quite eagerly for the chance to hand sell their recommended titles.        It is in these Staff Recommend sections that I kept on seeing our Penman's titles, HERE BE DRAGONS, FALLS THE SHADOW, THE RECKONING and also SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR and WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT.It's funny, you can sell something for years before you notice that the author has been quietly making a powerful impact on people everywhere.        I started with HERE BE DRAGONS and I have never looked back. Her trilogy of the decline of the Welsh kings ( DRAGON, FALLS THE SHADOW and THE RECKONING)is a holiday gift I give year after year, and I'm happy to say they have always been embraced and loved. From my 15 year old niece to my 70 year old mother and many ages in between, all readers are enchanted and transported to a land and an age gone forever. But Penman makes them live forever in our minds and hearts with fantastic, unforgettable characters and wonderful history. HERE BE DRAGONS is such a great title--medieval mapmakes would write those words across any part of the map that was unknown.. a wonderful metaphor for how little the Welsh and English knew of each other.        SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR--Warning: This is not Shakespeare's Richard III. In this novel, Richard is a victim of circumstance and man vilified by the Tudors, but here presented as a decent and normal man, a man of conscience.AND he is not a murderer. Yes, those princes did die, but not by Richard's hand.        WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT Another wonderful title, for it refers to the 15 years of England's darkest time-the civil war between the cousins Queen Maud and King Steven. England was deserted, for Christ and his saints were sleeping. I had never even heard of these royals. Queen Maud was the legitimate heir to the throne, but a woman, and there fore not fit to rule. She is also the mother of Henry, who later married Eleanor of Aquitaine . Pretty heady stuff, more incredible men and women, another book to get totally lost in.         Although it has been years since all these books were first published, I can name 5 stores I have been in in the past 3 months that have one of these titles in the Staff Recommends section.-Alice Kesterson, Ballantine Regional Sales Manger --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Review “[A] compassionate, discerning sociological analysis…Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently provided a civilized reference guide for an uncivilized election, and he’s done so in a vocabulary intelligible to both Democrats and Republicans. Imagine that.” — Jennifer Senior, New York Times “[ Hillbilly Elegy ] is a beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America….[Vance] offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it…a riveting book.” — Wall Street Journal “[Vance’s] description of the culture he grew up in is essential reading for this moment in history.” — David Brooks, New York Times “[ Hillbilly Elegy ] couldn’t have been better timed...a harrowing portrait of much that has gone wrong in America over the past two generations...an honest look at the dysfunction that afflicts too many working-class Americans.” — National Review "[A]n American classic, an extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read… [T]he most important book of 2016. You cannot understand what’s happening now without first reading J.D. Vance." — Rod Dreher, The American Conservative “J.D. Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy”, offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year.” — The Economist “[A] frank, unsentimental, harrowing memoir...a superb book...” — New York Post “The troubles of the working poor are well known to policymakers, but Vance offers an insider’s view of the problem.” — Christianity Today “Vance movingly recounts the travails of his family.” — Washington Post “What explains the appeal of Donald Trump? Many pundits have tried to answer this question and fallen short. But J.D. Vance nails it...stunning...intimate...” — Globe and Mail (Toronto) “[A] new memoir that should be read far and wide.” — Institute of Family Studies “[An] understated, engaging debut...An unusually timely and deeply affecting view of a social class whose health and economic problems are making headlines in this election year.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this memoir is akin to investigative journalism. … A quick and engaging read, this book is well suited to anyone interested in a study of modern America, as Vance’s assertions about Appalachia are far more reaching.” — Library Journal “Vance compellingly describes the terrible toll that alcoholism, drug abuse, and an unrelenting code of honor took on his family, neither excusing the behavior nor condemning it…The portrait that emerges is a complex one…Unerringly forthright, remarkably insightful, and refreshingly focused, Hillbilly Elegy is the cry of a community in crisis.” — Booklist To understand the rage and disaffection of America’s working-class whites, look to Greater Appalachia. In HILLBILLY ELEGY, J.D. Vance confronts us with the economic and spiritual travails of this forgotten corner of our country. Here we find women and men who dearly love their country, yet who feel powerless as their way of life is devastated. Never before have I read a memoir so powerful, and so necessary. — Reihan Salam, executive editor, National Review “A beautifully and powerfully written memoir about the author’s journey from a troubled, addiction-torn Appalachian family to Yale Law School, Hillbilly Elegy is shocking, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and hysterically funny. It’s also a profoundly important book, one that opens a window on a part of America usually hidden from view and offers genuine hope in the form of hard-hitting honesty. Hillbilly Elegy announces the arrival of a gifted and utterly original new writer and should be required reading for everyone who cares about what’s really happening in America.” — Amy Chua, New York Times bestselling author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother “Elites tend to see our social crisis in terms of ‘stagnation’ or ‘inequality.’ J. D. Vance writes powerfully about the real people who are kept out of sight by academic abstractions.” — Peter Thiel, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Zero to One From the Back Cover From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class through the author’s own story of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of poor, white Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for over forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. In Hillbilly Elegy , J.D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hanging around your neck. The Vance family story began with hope in postwar America. J.D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love” and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country. About the Author J.D. Vance grew up in the Rust Belt city of Middletown, Ohio, and the Appalachian town of Jackson, Kentucky. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and served in Iraq. A graduate of the Ohio State University and Yale Law School, he has contributed to the National Review and the New York Times, and works as an investor at a leading venture capital firm. Vance lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his family. Read more

The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel Book 19)

Review Praise for The Wrong Side of Goodbye: "....a powerful, Macdonald-esque meditation on the claims the past exerts on the present. Few mystery novelists make background facts and simple descriptions sing the way this writer does. And no writer exploits Los Angeles - its geography, its historical power wars, its celebrity culture, its lore - as compellingly as Connelly....he must be read." ― Lloyd Sachs , Chicago Tribune "If any novelist is worthy to walk once more through the front door of Raymond Chandler's iconic Sternwood mansion, it's Michael Connelly. For over two decades, Connelly has been brilliantly updating and enlarging the possibilities of the classic L.A. hard-boiled novel, first bestowed upon the world in 1939 with Chandler's debut, The Big Sleep . This latest Bosch outing is its own accomplishment: brooding and intricate, suspenseful and sad. In short, it's another terrific Michael Connelly mystery....a master of the genre." ― Maureen Corrigan , Washington Post "Bosch at his best."― Marilyn Stasio , New York Times Book Review "Connelly has created in Bosch one of the great characters in contemporary crime fiction."― Colette Bancroft , Tampa Bay Times "Michael Connelly is the master of the universe in which he lives, and that is the sphere of crime thrillers. This man is so good at what he does.... THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE is the twenty first Harry Bosch story and it is just as good or better than the first one was. Nobody writes like Connelly, nobody. He is unique in his style and also in the character of Harry Bosch he has created. If you read one page about Harry Bosch as written by Michael Connelly you will be hooked for life." ― Jackie K. Cooper , Huffington Post "It is impossible for Connelly to tell a bad story. Moving effortlessly between Bosch's private and public cases, he ratchets up the tension...pulling off in the final few chapters a California noir sleight of hand that would make Ross Macdonald envious." ― Robert Anglen , The Arizona Republic "In each novel, Connelly has dug deeper into Harry's psyche, as he skillfully does in The Wrong Side of Goodbye ....Connelly's melding of the police procedural, private detective novel and intense character study remains solid. Harry isn't with the LAPD anymore, but readers will be glad to know he is still on the job."― Oline H. Cogdill , South Florida Sun Sentinel "....it is immensely satisfying to see Bosch's sustained and deepened passion for his mission- "Everybody count or nobody counts" - undiminished by age or circumstance, even as a younger generation of detectives of all colors and orientations share the stage to carry on the work that has given Bosch, and this series, such an enduring appeal. Harry Bosch and his law enforcement heirs are still fighting the good fight, luckily, for us all." ― Paula L. Woods , Los Angeles Times "It is a disturbing and yet cathartic tale-within-a-tale that proves once again what a master storyteller Connelly is."― Bruce Tierney , BookPage "Connelly continues to discover new depths to his character and new stories to tell that reveal those depths in always compelling ways. Hats off one more time to a landmark crime series."― Bill Ott , Booklist (starred review) "Swift, unpredictable, and thrilling." ― Bookreporter "Michael Connelly writes with a seamless unity of tone and pace that makes reading his crime novels absolutely effortless and totally engaging...his narrative rolls out in a perfect parade of action, memory, emotion, color and tension." ― Margie Romero , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Bosch fans will rejoice at the pluperfect ending."― Tim O'Connell , Florida Times-Union "....lots of surprises and surprise endings. Bosch's legion of readers will come away entertained - and gratified that in his acknowledgments, Connelly all but promises yet another Bosch tale."― Harry Levins , St. Louis Post-Dispatch "....another masterful Michael Connelly mystery...highly recommended." ― Maureen McCarthy , Minneapolis Star-Tribune "This is an excellent police procedural crime novel, one of Connelly's best; it's full of well-developed characters, taut situations and vivid descriptions." ― Ray Walsh , Lansing State Journal "Irresistible...Connelly nods to his early inspiration Raymond Chandler while strengthening his own claim to the mystery writers' pantheon."― Colette Bancroft , Tampa Bay Times --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Review Praise for The Wrong Side of Goodbye: "....a powerful, Macdonald-esque meditation on the claims the past exerts on the present. Few mystery novelists make background facts and simple descriptions sing the way this writer does. And no writer exploits Los Angeles - its geography, its historical power wars, its celebrity culture, its lore - as compellingly as Connelly....he must be read." ― Lloyd Sachs , Chicago Tribune "If any novelist is worthy to walk once more through the front door of Raymond Chandler's iconic Sternwood mansion, it's Michael Connelly. For over two decades, Connelly has been brilliantly updating and enlarging the possibilities of the classic L.A. hard-boiled novel, first bestowed upon the world in 1939 with Chandler's debut, The Big Sleep . This latest Bosch outing is its own accomplishment: brooding and intricate, suspenseful and sad. In short, it's another terrific Michael Connelly mystery....a master of the genre." ― Maureen Corrigan , Washington Post "Bosch at his best."― Marilyn Stasio , New York Times Book Review "Connelly has created in Bosch one of the great characters in contemporary crime fiction."― Colette Bancroft , Tampa Bay Times "Michael Connelly is the master of the universe in which he lives, and that is the sphere of crime thrillers. This man is so good at what he does.... THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE is the twenty first Harry Bosch story and it is just as good or better than the first one was. Nobody writes like Connelly, nobody. He is unique in his style and also in the character of Harry Bosch he has created. If you read one page about Harry Bosch as written by Michael Connelly you will be hooked for life." ― Jackie K. Cooper , Huffington Post "It is impossible for Connelly to tell a bad story. Moving effortlessly between Bosch's private and public cases, he ratchets up the tension...pulling off in the final few chapters a California noir sleight of hand that would make Ross Macdonald envious." ― Robert Anglen , The Arizona Republic "In each novel, Connelly has dug deeper into Harry's psyche, as he skillfully does in The Wrong Side of Goodbye ....Connelly's melding of the police procedural, private detective novel and intense character study remains solid. Harry isn't with the LAPD anymore, but readers will be glad to know he is still on the job."― Oline H. Cogdill , South Florida Sun Sentinel "....it is immensely satisfying to see Bosch's sustained and deepened passion for his mission- "Everybody count or nobody counts" - undiminished by age or circumstance, even as a younger generation of detectives of all colors and orientations share the stage to carry on the work that has given Bosch, and this series, such an enduring appeal. Harry Bosch and his law enforcement heirs are still fighting the good fight, luckily, for us all." ― Paula L. Woods , Los Angeles Times "It is a disturbing and yet cathartic tale-within-a-tale that proves once again what a master storyteller Connelly is."― Bruce Tierney , BookPage "Connelly continues to discover new depths to his character and new stories to tell that reveal those depths in always compelling ways. Hats off one more time to a landmark crime series."― Bill Ott , Booklist (starred review) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. About the Author Michael Connelly is the author of twenty-eight previous novels, including #1 New York Times bestsellers The Crossing and The Burning Room . His books, which include the Harry Bosch series and Lincoln Lawyer series, have sold more than sixty million copies worldwide. Connelly is a former newspaper reporter who has won numerous awards for his journalism and his novels and is the executive producer of Bosch, starring Titus Welliver. He spends his time in California and Florida. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more

Endurance

Review "One of the most gripping, suspenseful, intense stories anyone will ever read."― Chicago Tribune "Riveting."― The New York Times "Without a doubt this painstakingly written authentic adventure story will rank as one of the classic tales of the heroic age of exploration."― Christian Science Monitor "Grit in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity."― Wall Street Journal "[An] incomparable telling of Shackleton's travails."― Mary Roach, New York Times Book Review About the Author Alfred Lansing (1921-1975) was a native of Chicago. After serving more than five years in the Navy, he enrolled at Northwestern University, where he studied journalism. Until 1949 he edited a weekly newspaper in Illinois, later joined the United Press, and eventually became a freelance writer.

The Last Trial (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers Book 3)

Review “Take a murder, a damaged woman, and a desperate daughter and you have the recipe for The Last Trial , a complex and fast-paced legal thriller. Highly recommended.” —DP Lyle, award-winning author About the Author Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie & Drake legal thriller series. The Last Trial is the third novel in the series. The first two novels, The Professor and Between Black and White , both won the Beverly Hills Book Award for legal thriller of the year. Between Black and White was also a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year. For the past eighteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit www.robertbaileybooks.com. Review “Take a murder, a damaged woman, and a desperate daughter and you have the recipe for The Last Trial , a complex and fast-paced legal thriller. Highly recommended.” ―DP Lyle, award-winning author --This text refers to the audioCD edition. Read more

Greatest Enemy: A David Rivers Thriller (American Mercenary Book 1)

Review "David Rivers is an equal to Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp." "Blew me away...Explodes the assassin-action-anti hero genre...Original, daring, riveting on every level." "This is the first time in 30 years I've been rocked back on my heels by a new author." "David Rivers is right up there with John Rain, Scott Harvath, Mitch Rapp, or Jack Reacher." "Forget about comparisons to Thor, Flynn or Clancy... Jason Kasper blazes his own trail. The American Mercenary series is action-adventure storytelling at its best."-Brian Andrews, #1 Bestselling Co-Author of the Andrews & Wilson TIER ONE series "Jason Kasper delivers a dark, intensely gripping thrill ride with the American Mercenary series. These unforgettable, action-packed thrillers are perfect for fans of Mitch Rapp, Jason Bourne, and Jack Reacher." -Steven Konkoly, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Rescue About the Author Empty

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore [Paperback]

People Celebrity Puzzler: Holiday-O-Rama!


Exercise Physiology: Integrating Theory and Application

Study Guide and Selected Solutions Manual for College Physics Volume 1

Baby Faces

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

Review 'If Rachel Hollis tells you to wash your face, turn on that water! She is the mentor every woman needs, from new mommas to seasoned business women.' -- - Anna Todd, New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the After series'Rachel's voice is the winning combination of an inspiring life coach and your very best (and funniest) friend. Shockingly honest and hilariously down to earth, Girl, Wash Your Face is a gift to women who want to flourish and live a courageously authentic life.' -- - Megan Tamte, founder and co-CEO of Evereve'There aren't enough women in leadership telling other women to GO FOR IT. We typically get the caregiver; we rarely get the boot camp instructor. Rachel lovingly but firmly tells us it is time to stop letting the tail wag the dog and get on with living our wild and precious lives. Girl, Wash Your Face is a dose of high-octane straight talk that will spit you out on the other end, chasing down dreams you hung up on long ago. Love this girl.' -- - Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and founder of Legacy Collective'In Rachel Hollis's first nonfiction book, you will find she is less cheerleader and more life coach. This means readers won't just walk away inspired; they will walk away with the right tools in hand to actually do their dreams. Dream doing is what Rachel is all about. You will be, too, when you read her newest book.' -- - Jessica Honegger, founder and co-CEO of the Noonday Collection About the Author Rachel laid the foundation for her lifestyle brand and media company with the same unfiltered honesty and staunch inclusivity that made her a three-time New York Times bestselling author. Hollis connects with a highly engaged and growing global audience of women who treasure her transparency and optimism. She is one of the most sought-after motivational speakers, plays host to some of today’s top podcasts, and is a proud mama of four who uses her platform to empower and embolden women around the world. Rachel calls Texas home; more specifically, the Hill Country just outside of Austin.

My Big Animal Book (My Big Board Books)

Review Priddy Books are ..."visually delightful with an interactive element." - School Library Journal About the Author Roger Priddy 's passion for educating children through fun, informative and engaging books has led him to create some of publishing's most enduring and successful nonfiction early learning books. Bestselling titles include First 100 Words , Bright Baby Animals , and Alphaprints: ABC . Roger lives in London and has three children, who have been the inspiration behind many of his best publishing ideas.

I've Been Thinking . . .: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life

Review “This book is full of hope, inspiration, wisdom--from a woman [who] embodies all that she writes. Such a wonderful read.” — People “Shriver tackles motherhood, faith, acceptance, and more in her search for how we can all live a more meaningful life. With quotes, prayers, and personal anecdotes, this book feels like a long walk with a close friend.” — PopSugar" An uplifting collection. . . intimate and thought-provoking.” — goop “Sometimes, we could all use a read that makes us feel good and inspired. . . . a collection of moving quotes and reflections from Maria Shriver designed to get you through whatever journey you’re on.” –Hello Giggles “The honesty of this uplifting book will please Shriver’s established readership as well as new readers looking for inspiration.” –Publishers Weekly “Maria Shriver is a beacon of compassion and understanding—a life force.” —Tom Brokaw “This book is superb. Shriver teaches all of us in the graduate program of life to seek meaning through the joy of following your heart. Just the kind of advice a heart surgeon cherishes.” — Mehmet Oz, MD “In I’ve Been Thinking . . . Shriver serves up golden nuggets of wisdom, honesty, and inspiration that take us out of our individual worlds and connects us to what’s important, true, and meaningful in the journey of being human.” —Mark Hyman, MD; director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine “Maria Shriver is a person of unusual compassion, intelligence, and honor. If you want to feel uplifted, inspired, and comforted, read it. This book, like its author, is a precious gift to the world.” —Martha Beck “Thought-provoking, spirited, a deep and personal message to help one discover a meaningful and joyful life.” —Deepak Chopra “If you are feeling stuck, lost, or you just need a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. Shriver’s wisdom will fill you up.” —Hoda Kotb, coanchor, The Today Show “There’s so much noise in the world, so many distractions, responsibilities, choices. Shriver’s soulful words of wisdom, guidance, and strength are both beautiful and invaluable.” —Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder, Omega Institute “Maria Shriver has always been a voice of hope, unity, equality, and love—a wise, steady voice calling us to become our best selves. Here, she gives us her hard-earned wisdom, tenderness, courage and wildly gorgeous, inclusive, accessible faith. . . . It’s a book every person should keep close.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior “A gem. . .  a spiritual and emotional gift to everyone who reads it.” —Joan Chittister “This book will fill up your inspirational tank until it overflows! Essential for anyone needing to restore peace, purpose, and passion.” —DeVon Franklin About the Author Maria Shriver is the mother of four, a Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, the author of seven New York Times bestselling books and a bestselling coloring book, an NBC News Special Anchor, and founder of The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. When she's not thinking or writing, she can be found hanging with her kids. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Power of Gratitude “Gratitude is a flower that blooms in noble souls.” —Pope Francis I believe strongly in the power of gratitude. And scientific research backs that up. It shows that making a daily conscious effort to be grateful does in fact make you a happier, more hopeful person. There are those lucky ones who come by their attitude of gratitude naturally. It seems like they were born happy, optimistic, and grateful. But most of us have to work at having a positive frame of mind. I’ve found that the best way to get that is to have a daily gratitude practice. So every morning when I open my eyes, and before my feet touch the ground, I thank God for the gift of my life. I give thanks for my health, my family, my friends, and for the country I’m blessed to live in. I’ve found that starting out that way makes for a better day and, in turn, I believe it makes for a better life. I seek out people who have a gratitude practice. I love talking with them and learning from them. They look at the world through a clear lens. They’re more joyful. When adversity arises, they bounce back faster. They know and feel that they have a good thing going. And they do. The truth is, you can never be grateful enough. So it’s worth seeking out people who are like this and asking them how they stay that way: their practices, their principles, and how they put those into action. The power of gratitude can turn a bad day into a good one. It reboots your spirit. It makes you look at your life in a different way. Being thankful can make all the difference in your day. So start your very own daily gratitude practice. Write down what you’re grateful for, reflect on what you wrote, and carry the gratitude into your day. It’ll make all the difference in the world. Dear God, thank you for all the times when I am blessed by the kindness of others. You have surrounded me with people who care for me and bless me every day with kind words and actions. Help me to show them the same kindness they have provided. Help me to know how deeply I appreciate them and to know that I treasure them as a gift from you to me. Amen. Read more

Review Those of us who come from older generations cannot but admire what the late Col. Richard Rust achieved in producing, as a true labor of love, such a touching tribute to his mother. [We] will also be grateful to him for having evoked so many fond old horse-show memories. -- William Steinkraus, four-time Olympic medal winnerRenegade Champion is honest, compelling, and sometimes bittersweet. ― In and Around Horse Country This true story reads like a Hollywood script but better. Unlike many biographies, this one is decorated with anecdotes that only a child would pick up through a lifetime spent with his mother. He does a masterful job of relating facts and blending them with these wonderful tidbits, so that the reader seems to feel what's going through Pohl's mind rather than simply reading her words. ― The Chronicle Of The Horse Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada is a fitting tribute to Jane Pohl and the horse that propelled her to the top of the male-dominated jumper circuit of the 1940s. It’s an extraordinary treat to go back in time when prized show horses were actually working hunters, to a world where Thoroughbreds were exalted, and to big indoor shows being covered nationally in newspapers. But more than that readers will easily relate to her frustrations and triumphs of a horse crazy girl, showing on a shoestring budget, rubbing and grooming herself and training a horse that doesn’t have a blue-blooded pedigree—it’s all there in vivid detail as if Jane wrote the book herself. ― Retired Racehorse blog Review Whether she wanted the job or not, [Jane Pohl] broke down the doors that led to women being included on the Olympic equestrian teams in 1964. Male or female, we owe her a debt of gratitude. From the Publisher "If you buy that horse, you're buying your daughter's death warrant," Jane Pohl's father heard from the army barracks in the spring of 1941. But the potential that the teenage equestrian saw in the small, temperamental Thoroughbred was enough to convince him otherwise. Earlier that year, when Fitzrada arrived at the Army base where Jane's family lived, the horse was stubborn, insufferable, and dangerous. Any man who dared saddle him up, soon found himself face down in the dirt. Jane, excited to ride any horse and up for the challenge, had the most success with Fitz. She was patient and consistent, and the horse responded well at last showing a great affinity for jumping. Unfortunately, a terrible riding accident resulted in serious injuries for both Jane and Fitz, and the Army decided that it was time to destroy the horse. Heartbroken, Jane pleaded with her reluctant father-the only way to save the Fitz was to buy him from the army. Jane Pohl's foresight proved to be correct. Jane and Fitz went on to take the Virginia show jumping circuit by storm, winning 37 jumper and 6 hunter championships. At a time when women were rarely seen in jumping classes at horse shows and were not taken seriously by male competitors, Jane and Fitz helped to break down barriers against women riders competing in the Olympics. In 1946, Jane and Fitz found themselves at the Jumper Championship of America at the prestigious National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden-the highest jumping title in the world. The road there for horse and rider was a five-year test of faith, patience, and understanding friendship. About the Author Richard R. Rust was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a practicing civil engineer, and an amateur sportsman. As a child, he rode his tricycle under Fitz’s belly and started riding ponies at age four. His mother, Jane Pohl, is the subject of this book, and his father, D. N. Rust III, was an amateur steeplechase trainer and rider with two wins of the Virginia Gold Cup. He died in 2008. Read more

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy

About the Author Wildlife photographers Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick are the authors of the award-winning "In the Woods" children's picture book series. Their most famous title, Stranger in the Woods has changed their lives and touched the hearts of children and adult all over the world. Their new book, I Am Africa allows them to share gentle lessons of nature from the continent of Africa. As in all of their work, they strive to inspire children to love and appreciate the natural world. Stoick has been photographing wildlife for more than 20 years.

The Wedding

Review "Sparks's fans have from the very beginning eagerly anticipated a sequel to the romantic tale of Allie and Noah Calhoun. The wait is now over...Sparks tells his sweet story...[with] a gasp-inducing twist at the very end."― PublishersWeekly "Nicholas Sparks follows up his beloved bestseller The Notebook with a touching novel about one man's attempt to save a failing marriage."― BookPage "Sweet but packs a punch...There is a twist that pulls everything together."― CharlotteObserver About the Author With over 100 million copies of his books sold, Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. His novels include sixteen #1 New York Times bestsellers, and all of his books, including Three Weeks with My Brother , the memoir he wrote with his brother, Micah, have been New York Times and international bestsellers, and were translated into more than fifty languages. Eleven of Nicholas Sparks's novels -- The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, The Last Song, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember , and Message in a Bottle -- have been adapted into major motion pictures.