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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

The devastating story of war through the eyes of a child soldier. Beah tells how, at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and became a soldier.My new friends have begun to suspect I haven't told them the full story of my life."Why did you leave Sierra Leone?""Because there is a war.""You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?""Yes, all the time.""Cool."I smile a little."You should tell us about it sometime.""Yes, sometime." This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.

The Sun Also Rises

The quintessential novel of the Lost Generation, The Sun Also Rises (Fiesta) is one of Ernest Hemingway's masterpieces and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style. A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway's most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions. First published in 1926, The Sun Also Rises helped to establish Hemingway as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.

Ondskan

I Jan Guillous Ondskan beskrivs valdet i den svenska vardagen. Vi far folja huvudpersonen Eriks fostran i ondska fran hemmet med den sadistiske fadern till skolgarden med dess gangbildningar.Erik blir relegerad pa grund av sitt brutala upptradande och hamnar pa internatskola. Det ar en varld fylld av pennalism, och Erik drivs in i sokandet efter motstandets villkor. Men hans forsok att havda sig mot de aldre kamraternas fortryck leder in i en spiral av vald och motvald som han i langden inte kan bemastra. Det leder till oppet krig. Till slut ar Erik beredd att ta den avgorande hamnden...

Nathan der Weise

Gotthold Ephraim Lessings Nathan der Weise (1779 erschienen und 1783 uraufgefuhrt) ist eines der zentralen Werke der deutschen Aufklarung. Der Text, der sich mit seiner Bezeichnung als "dramatisches Gedicht" der Festlegung auf eine der dramatischen Gattungen entzieht, trug wesentlich dazu bei, den Blankvers als den klassischen deutschen Dramenvers zu etablieren. Mit seinem Nathan reagierte Lessing auf die religiose Orthodoxie und Intoleranz seiner Zeit. Ort der Handlung ist Jerusalem wahrend der Kreuzzuge - eine Stadt, in der Christentum, Islam und Judentum direkt aufeinandertreffen. Hohepunkt des Stucks, in dem es um eine moral- und geschichtsphilosophische Botschaft, um die Aufforderung zu Toleranz und Humanitat geht, ist die beruhmte Ringparabel, die der reiche judische Kaufmann Nathan erzahlt: Sie soll die hintergrundige Frage des Sultans Saladin beantworten, welche der drei Religionen die wahre sei. Nathans Antwort ist die Forderung nach einem gleichberechtigten Nebeneinander aller Religionen.

My Mother's Wish: An American Christmas Carol

Something strange is brewingat the Comeback CafeA grandfather's song has turned a diner into hallowed ground. A contrary girl with a gypsy heart feels the tug of home. And a truck driver named Jedidiah keeps his foot on the gas, ready to sweep you into an unforgettable story of belonging and grace.It's the 1960s Midwest, and Ellee Crumb wants to change the world, starting with her mother, but she's having trouble even getting her teachers to know her real name. So Ellee sits at the Comeback, her broken heart lying there on a table, when a three-armed waitress and a quirky stranger show up and hand her back the pieces.An affecting tale, My Mother's Wish will remind you of the power of grand hopes and effect of impossible expectations. You'll witness the influence every life has on another, and you'll find new reasons to believe in the comfort and joy in an everyday, American version of the story of Christmas: being known and loved, just as you are.From the Hardcover edition.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Some inhabitants of a peaceful kingdom cannot tolerate the act of cruelty that underlies its happiness.The story 'Omelas" was first published in 'New Dimensions 3' (1973), a hard-cover science fiction anthology edited by Robert Silverberg, in October 1973, and the following year it won the prestigious Hugo Award for best short story.The work was subsequently printed in Le Guin's short story collection 'The Wind's Twelve Quarters' (1975). Ursula K Le Guin () was an American writer who published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry & four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, and more. She was known for her treatment of gender ('The Left Hand of Darkness' (1969), 'The Matter of Seggri' (1994)), political systems ('The Telling' (2000), 'The Dispossessed' (1974)) and difference/otherness in any other form.

THE WINDS OF TIME: An Analytical Study of the Titans Who Shaped Western Civilization - Master Edition

The Winds of Time is a historical tour de force of Western Civilization by Rich DiSilvio. With masterful style, DiSilvio paints a fascinating historical canvas with the flare of a consummate artist. Key figures and the primary cultures that literally shaped the Western world are candidly analyzed, revealing both the dark and luminous sides of mankind, while also debunking the fallacies and myths. As the author says, " The Winds of Time can sometimes be like turpentine, it may be harsh, but it seeks to reveal the truth by washing away the many layers of distortions by countless scribes, propagandists, and revisionists who have done well in colorizing history."DiSilvio sagaciously dissects the lives, achievements, and blunders of Caesar, Augustus, Jesus, Iranaeus, Constantine, Dante, Da Vinci, Queen Elizabeth, the Founding Fathers, Darwin, Tesla, Hitler, FDR, Einstein, Reagan and many more with striking results.In large part, DiSilvio's robust work was written "From and For a New American Perspective," as many insights about America's founding, growth, and current quagmires are perceptively presented, adding new and intriguing dimensions to the historical record.

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles.She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own. As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Madeline

Madeline is one of the best-loved characters in children's literature. Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1940 and has as much appeal today as it did then. The combination of a spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes Madeline a perennial favorite with children of all ages.

The Wright Brothers

Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found hereTwo-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly: Wilbur and Orville Wright.On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot.Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did?David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly American story of Wilbur and Orville Wright.Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading.When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off in one of their contrivances, they risked being killed.In this thrilling book, master historian David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them.

Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior

In Invisible Influence, the New York Times bestselling author of Contagious explores the subtle influences that affect the decisions we make--from what we buy, to the careers we choose, to what we eat. "Jonah Berger has done it again: written a fascinating book that brims with ideas and tools for how to think about the world." --Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of HabitIf you're like most people, you think your individual tastes and opinions drive your choices and behaviors. You wear a certain jacket because you liked how it looked. You picked a particular career because you found it interesting. The notion that our choices are driven by our own personal thoughts and opinions is patently obvious. Right? Wrong. Without our realizing it, other people's behavior has a huge influence on everything we do at every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the momentous. Even strangers have an impact on our judgments and decisions: our attitudes toward a welfare policy shift if we're told it is supported by Democrats versus Republicans (even though the policy is the same). But social influence doesn't just lead us to do the same things as others. In some cases we imitate others around us. But in other cases we avoid particular choices or behaviors because other people are doing them. We stop listening to a band because they go mainstream. We skip buying the minivan because we don't want to look like a soccer mom. By understanding how social influence works, we can decide when to resist and when to embrace it--and learn how we can use this knowledge to exercise more control over our own behavior. In Invisible Influence, Jonah Berger "is consistently entertaining, applying science to real life in surprising ways and explaining research through narrative. His book fascinates because it opens up the moving parts of a mysterious machine, allowing readers to watch them in action" (Publishers Weekly).

Fever 1793

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight--the fight to stay alive.

Coffin Road

The master of crime brings murder back to the Outer Hebrides.A man is washed up on a deserted beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, barely alive and borderline hypothermic. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his identity is a map tracing a track called the Coffin Road. He does not know where it will lead him, but filled with dread, fear and uncertainty he knows he must follow it.A detective crosses rough Atlantic seas to a remote rock twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With a sense of foreboding he steps ashore where three lighthouse keepers disappeared more than a century before - a mystery that remains unsolved. But now there is a new mystery - a man found bludgeoned to death on that same rock, and DS George Gunn must find out who did it and why.A teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father's death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist's suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that he would willfully abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that others were behind his disappearance.Coffin Road follows three perilous journeys towards one shocking truth - and the realisation that ignorance can kill us.

Open Season (Joe Pickett, #1)

Joe Pickett is the new game warden in Twelve Sleep, Wyoming, a town where nearly everyone hunts, and the game warden--especially one like Joe who won't take bribes or look the other way--is far from popular. When he finds a local hunting outfitter dead, splayed out on the woodpile behind his state-owned home, he takes it personally. There had to be a reason that the outfitter, with whom he's had run-ins before, chose his backyard, his woodpile to die in. Even after the "outfitter murders," as they have been dubbed by the local press after the discovery of the two more bodies, are solved, Joe continues to investigate, uneasy with the easy explanation offered by the local police. As Joe digs deeper into the murders, he soon discovers that the outfitter brought more than death to his backdoor: he brought Joe an endangered species, thought to be extinct, which is now living in his woodpile. But if word of the existence of this endangered species gets out, it will destroy any chance of InterWest, a multi-national natural gas company, building an oil pipeline that would bring the company billions of dollars across Wyoming, through the mountains and forests of Twelve Sleep. The closer Joe comes to the truth behind the outfitter murders, the endangered species and InterWest, the closer he comes to losing everything he holds dear.

The Power of a Praying Woman

Stormie Omartian's bestselling The Power of a Praying series (more than 23 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.It may seem easier to pray for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your extended family, but God wants to hear your requests for your life too. He loves it when you come to Him for the things you need and ask Him to help you become the woman you have always longed to be.The Power of a Praying? Woman is just for you. You'll find personal illustrations, carefully selected Scriptures, and heartfelt prayers to help you trust God with deep longings, not just pressing needs cover every area of life with prayer maintain a right heart before God. Each chapter concludes with a prayer you can follow or use as a model for your own prayers. Women of all ages will find hope and purpose for their lives with The Power of a Praying? Woman.

Too Loud a Solitude

TOO LOUD A SOLITUDE is a tender and funny story of Hanta - a man who has lived in a Czech police state - for 35 years, working as compactor of wastepaper and books. In the process of compacting, he has acquired an education so unwitting he can't quite tell which of his thoughts are his own and which come from his books. He has rescued many from jaws of hydraulic press and now his house is filled to the rooftops. Destroyer of the written word, he is also its perpetrator.But when a new automatic press makes his job redundant there's only one thing he can do - go down with his ship.This is an eccentric romp celebrating the indestructability- against censorship, political opression etc - of the written word.

Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1)

Rabbit, Run is the book that established John Updike as one of the major American novelists of his--or any other--generation. Its hero is Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, a onetime high-school basketball star who on an impulse deserts his wife and son. He is twenty-six years old, a man-child caught in a struggle between instinct and thought, self and society, sexual gratification and family duty--even, in a sense, human hard-heartedness and divine Grace. Though his flight from home traces a zigzag of evasion, he holds to the faith that he is on the right path, an invisible line toward his own salvation as straight as a ruler's edge.

Volpone

Bitter, satiric comedy in blank verse is one of the great Elizabethan dramatist's finest plays. The plot concerns a wealthy, lecherous old man who feigns a mortal illness in order to solicit bribes from greedy acquaintances who hope to inherit his fortune. Many complexities of plot and connivance ensue, but in the end, the guilty parties are exposed and punished. Explanatory footnotes.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

A fascinating exploration of how insights from computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mindAll our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such issues for decades. And the solutions they've found have much to teach us.In a dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths show how the algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. They explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of memory, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living.

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Journals

Nella sua breve quanto tormentata vita Kurt Cobain, vera e propria leggenda della musica contemporanea, riempi quaderni e quaderni di poesie, schizzi, appunti, annotando i suoi progetti per i Nirvana, le sue riflessioni sulla fama e sulla notorieta, il suo pensiero sulla musica e sull'ambiente di produttori, discografici, fans. Al momento della morte sono stati ritrovati piu di venti di questi quaderni che, rimasti chiusi in una cassaforte fino a poco tempo fa, sono stati pubblicati in questo volume, che riporta, oltre ai testi, le riproduzioni fotografiche dei disegni e delle pagine piu significative. I "Diari" offrono l'occasione per conoscere il vero volto di un artista poliedrico, uno dei musicisti piu importanti della storia del rock.

Demented (Sinister Tales Book 1)

"Sometimes it's best to stay out where you're not welcome." Demented will chill you to the bone, for these are not your usual bedtime stories. From a son who wants to teach his mother a lesson, a deadly myth on Kingly Road, people who have a certain bizarre diet, and more terrifying things than you have ever imagined--these stories will give you goosebumps, shivers, and more. There are also stories about a vengeful unborn baby, a psychotic babysitter, and a creepy bus that leads you to hell. These tales will torment your head with eerie echoes and haunting screams, and compel you to turn and check what's lurking behind... every few minutes. With twisted scenarios that will make you second-guess who you can and cannot trust, these are stories that may tell you what could actually be hiding under your bed... or perhaps make you realize that they're not under the bed... and that maybe you're the monster.

Atonement

Ian McEwan's symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose.On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses the flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercussions Atonement follows through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century.

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

We always have a choice, Pema Chodron teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This book teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass

On the street, which was ankle-deep in discarded fast-food wrappings, I saw a woman who had pulled down her slacks and tied a pair of plastic breasts to her bare buttocks, while a man crawled after her on the sidewalk, licking them. At midnight along this street - with the sound of rock music pounding insistently out of club doors presided over by steroid-inflated bouncers, among men vomiting into the gutters - I saw children as young as six, unattended by adults, waiting for their parents to emerge from their nocturnal recreations.The doctor and consultant psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple looks at Great Britain - the nation which produced Newton and Darwin, Shakespeare and Dickens, David Hume and Adam Smith - and marvels at what it has become.Its inner cities and council estates are places where 'the whole gamut of human folly, wickedness, and misery may be perused at leisure... abortions procured by abdominal kung fu; children who have children; women abandoned by the father of their child a month before or a month after delivery; insensate jealousy; serial stepfatherhood that leads to sexual and physical abuse of children on a mass scale.'This timeless and beautifully-written collection of essays, looking at the collapse of the British way of life from an unashamedly conservative perspective, lays the blame squarely on the shoulders of the liberal intellectuals, who tend 'not to mean quite what they say, and express themselves more to flaunt the magnanimity of their intentions than to propagate truth.'When a well-known criminologist wrote that "the normalisation of drug use is parallelled by the normalisation of crime", and criminal behaviour no longer required special explanation, he surely didn't mean that he wouldn't mind if his own children started to shoot up heroin or rob old ladies in the street. Nor would he be indifferent to the intrusion of burglars into his own house.But, of course, it is the poor who are mugged and burgled, not the criminologists.The man's complacency was by no means unusual. A few days earlier I had met a publisher for lunch, and the subject of the general level of culture and education in England came up. The publisher is a cultivated man, widely read and deeply attached to literature, but I had difficulty in convincing him that there were grounds for concern. That illiteracy and innumeracy were widespread did not worry him in the least, because - he claimed - they had always been just as widespread. (The fact that we now spent four times as much per head on education as we did 50 years ago and were therefore entitled to expect rising rates of literacy and numeracy at the very least did not in the slightest knock him off his perch.) He simply did not believe me when I told him that nine of ten young people between the ages of 16 and 20 whom I met in my practice could not read with facility and were incapable of multiplying six by nine, or that out of several hundreds of them I had asked when the Second World War took place, only three knew the answer. He replied smoothly - almost without the need to think, as if he had rehearsed the argument many times - that his own son, age seven, already knew the dates of the war. 'The trouble is,' he said in all seriousness, 'your sample is biased.' True enough: everyone's experience is founded upon a biased sample. But it didn't occur to him to doubt whether his sample - of one, the son of a publisher living in a neighbourhood where houses usually cost more than PS800,000 - really constituted a refutation of my experience of hundreds of cases, an experience borne out by all serious research into the matter.

Will & Mysteria: Two Inseparable Yogi's

Our liberation is closer than we might acknowledge...So many of us today yearn to live an authentic life in alignment with our higher self. We enroll in meditation classes, practice yoga, engage in unique relationships to explore our feelings, while trying to truly understand ourselves and live in the present. We seek to know what fulfills and motivates us to be the best we can be. Will and Mysteria is the mythical journey of one young man - Oliver Humane. He's an ambitious young professor who wants to make a difference in the world. He subconsciously desires to know who he really is and what he can aspire to be. Will and Mysteria are two influential yogis he comes to know through his travails; while bumping up against their rival, Edgar. Together, the three will help Oliver explore his innermost being and wake him up to the kind of divine existence we can all aspire to....

La placa del Diamant

La vida de Natalia, la protagonista i narradora de La placa del Diamant, es capgira quan coneix Quimet: el seu nom canviara i passara a dir-se Colometa, i la seva petita vida personal, plena de maldecaps, es barrejara amb els grans esdeveniments col*lectius que sacsegen la societat catalana del primer terc del segle xx: la Republica, la guerra, la postguerra. Colometa en viu les consequencies, sola i amb els seus dos fills, fins que, en un proces d'alliberament del passat i de reconciliacio amb un present ple de mancances, recupera la seva propia identitat. Aixi, La placa del Diamant es converteix en una cronica fidel i intencionada de la vida popular de la ciutat, d'una Barcelona genuina, actualment en vies d'extincio.

Love, Lex (The Undergrad Years, #1)

This summer, I'd planned to celebrate my eighteenth birthday in Europe with my fellow Manhattanites--Taddy Brill, Blake Morgan, and Vive Farnworth--until I caught my boyfriend screwing my mother. According to the police report, this vomit-inducing incident happened around the same time I'd supposedly blown-up my mother's penthouse. Like I'm walking around Soho with a stick of dynamite in my Louis Vuitton purse--not! Now, my besties and I are in jail.Officer Ford Gotti, the Harley-wheelin' biker cop who arrested us, keeps sticking his perfectly-sculpted nose into my case. His inked body is jacked like a superhero, and he says I can trust him. He wants me to fess up. I won't. Not again. Why should I? My friends and I had a previous stint in juvie that nearly destroyed us. I gotta protect them and keep my mouth shut. Right? --Lex Easton, women's studies major, motorcycle enthusiast, and virgin. The Undergrad Years is a New Adult contemporary miniseries about first loves, independence, and everlasting friendships. Contains mature content intended for readers 17 and up.

Domechild

A suicidal machine. A child with a secret that can change the world. The man trapped between them. In the City, where machines take care of everything, lives Albert, an ordinary citizen with an extraordinary problem: Hes being blackmailed into becoming the first person in living memory to actually do something.What begins as a chance encounter with an outlaw child swiftly spirals out of control as Albert is trapped between the authorities and the demands of his unusual blackmailer. Forced to go on the run for his life, he finds himself in a shadow world of cyber-junkies, radicals and rebels, where he discovers the horrifying truth behind the City, a truth that will make him question everything he has ever known.

Poems of Paul Celan

"In the writing of Paul Celan even we readers who can hear poetry only dimly in German can sense the greatness of his invention: the cadences of a music tilted against music's complacency; words punished for their plausibility by being reinvented and fused together and broken apart; syntax chopped and stretched to crack and expose its crust of dead rhetoric Michael Hamburger has earned our gratitude for rendering these poems into a reasonably inventive English "Robert Pinsky, THE NEW REPUBLIC.Parallel German text and English translation.

Capital in the Twenty First Century

What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again.

By Freedom's Light

To thirteen-year-old Sarah Caldwell, everything in Indiana is dark--the bug-filled cabin, the woods engulfing the farm, and especially the future. She is far from her beloved sister, Rachel, who stayed in North Carolina when their family moved. Their widowed father has married Eliza, a young Quaker schoolteacher, and Sarah has just discovered that Eliza is an abolitionist! Sarah believes she must tell her father about the secret, unlawful activities Eliza's sewing circle performs at Levi and Catherine Coffin's home. Yet when Sarah learns her sister will be visiting Indiana with her husband and baby, happiness and anticipation overcome her concern about Eliza. Rachel's family soon arrives, bringing Polly, a slave girl about Sarah's age. Thrown together to do farm chores and look after Rachel's baby, the two girls, white and black, free and enslaved, slowly develop a friendship. Between Polly's company and that of her extended family, Sarah's world brightens. Meanwhile, Sarah begins to question her beliefs about slavery. When bounty hunters nearly kidnap Polly, Sarah worries for her safety. Tensions mount within the cramped household as it appears that her brother-in-law may trade Polly's future for his family's prosperity. Ultimately, Sarah is faced with a bitter decision that could change forever the lives of her family.

Shibumi

A classic spy novel from the bestselling author, Trevanian, about a westerner raised in Japan who becomes one of the world's most accomplished assassins.Nicholai Hel is the world's most wanted man. Born in Shanghai during the chaos of World War I, he is the son of an aristocratic Russian mother and a mysterious German father and is the protege of a Japanese Go master. Hel survived the destruction of Hiroshima to emerge as the world's most artful lover and its most accomplished--and well-paid--assassin. Hel is a genius, a mystic, and a master of language and culture, and his secret is his determination to attain a rare kind of personal excellence, a state of effortless perfection known only as shibumi.Now living in an isolated mountain fortress with his exquisite mistress, Hel is unwillingly drawn back into the life he'd tried to leave behind when a beautiful young stranger arrives at his door, seeking help and refuge. It soon becomes clear that Hel is being tracked by his most sinister enemy--a supermonolith of international espionage known only as the Mother Company. The battle lines are drawn: ruthless power and corruption on one side, and on the other . . . shibumi .

The Autobiography Of Howard Spring

The autobiography of a man who was once one of the most popular authors in Britain, the volume comprising three previous autobiographical works --Heaven Lies About Us (1939), In The Meantime (1942), and And Another Thing (1946).

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you'll understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye - that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work - in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink": the election of Warren Harding; "New Coke"; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing" - filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

The Invention of Wings

Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world--and it is now the newest Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection.Hetty "Handful" Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke's daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.Kidd's sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah's eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other's destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women's rights movements.Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful's cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better.This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.

Crush

Richard Siken's Crush, selected as the 2004 winner of the Yale Younger Poets prize, is a powerful collection of poems driven by panic and obsession. Siken writes with ferocity, and his reader hurtles unstoppably with him. His poetry is confessional, gay, savage, and charged with violent eroticism. In the world of American poetry, Siken's voice is striking. In her introduction to the book, competition judge Louise Gluck hails the "cumulative, driving, apocalyptic power, [and] purgatorial recklessness" of Siken's poems. She notes, "Books of this kind dream big. . . . They restore to poetry that sense of crucial moment and crucial utterance which may indeed be the great genius of the form."

Possessing the Secret of Joy

Possessing the Secret of Joy is the story of Tashi, a tribal African woman who lives much of her adult life in North America. As a young woman, a misguided loyalty to the customs of her people led her to voluntarily submit to the tsunga's knife and be genitally mutilated (pharoanoically circumcised). Severely traumatized by this experience, she spends the rest of her life battling madness, trying desperately through psychotherapy - she is treated by disciples of both Freud and C.G. Jung, and even by Jung himself - to regain the ability to recognize her own reality and to feel. It is only with the help of the most unlikely ally she can imagine that she begins to study the mythological "reasons" invented by her ancient ancestors for what was done to her and to millions of other women and girls over thousands of years. As her understanding grows, so does her capacity to encounter her overwhelming grief. Underneath this grief is her glowing anger. Anger propels her to act. Action brings both feeling - life, the ability to exist with awareness in the moment - and death, of which she finds she has completely lost her fear.While not a sequel to The Color Purple or The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy follows the life of a barely-glimpsed character from those books. Combining fact and fiction, communing with the spirits of the living and the dead, Alice Walker in this novel strikes with graceful power at the heart of one of the most controversial issues of our time.

Letter to a Christian Nation

In response to The End of Faith, Sam Harris received thousands of letters from Christians excoriating him for not believing in God. Letter to A Christian Nation is his reply. Using rational argument, Harris offers a measured refutation of the beliefs that form the core of fundamentalist Christianity. In the course of his argument, he addresses current topics ranging from intelligent design and stem-cell research to the connections between religion and violence. In Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris boldly challenges the influence that faith has on public life in our nation.

Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary

An important and fascinating firsthand account of life with Hitler from 1942 until his death in the Berlin bunker in 1945, by the young woman who was his last secretary.

Vanity Fair

A novel that chronicles the lives of two women who could not be more different: Becky Sharp, an orphan whose only resources are her vast ambitions, her native wit, and her loose morals; and her schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a typically naive Victorian heroine, the pampered daughter of a wealthy family.

From Beirut to Jerusalem

This extraordinary bestseller is still the most incisive, thought-provoking book ever written about the Middle East. Thomas L. Friedman, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, and now the Foreign Affairs columnist on the op-ed page of the New York Times, drew on his ten years in the Middle East to write a book that The Wall Street Journal called "a sparkling intellectual guidebook... an engrossing journey not to be missed." Now with a new chapter that brings the ever-changing history of the conflict in the Middle East up to date, this seminal historical work reaffirms both its timeliness and its timelessness. "If you're only going to read one book on the Middle East, this is it." -- Seymour Hersh

Musings of a usual mind

The book is a collection of short stories. The stories attempt to understand the emotions, feelings and thought process of its protagonists.

The Girl with All the Gifts (The Girl with All the Gifts, #1)

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.

Hana (Delirium, #1.5)

Lauren Oliver's riveting, original digital story set in the world of her New York Times bestseller Delirium.The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing--and even her first kiss.But on the surface, Hana must be a model of perfect behavior. She meets her approved match, Fred Hargrove, and glimpses the safe, comfortable life she'll have with him once they marry. As the date for her cure draws ever closer, Hana desperately misses Lena, wonders how it feels to truly be in love, and is simultaneously terrified of rebelling and of falling into line.In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will come to understand scenes from Delirium through Hana's perspective. Hana is a touching and revealing look at a life-changing and tumultuous summer.

Love, Stargirl (Stargirl, #2)

LOVE, STARGIRL picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life.In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and - of course - love.From the Hardcover edition.

Grave Measures (The Grave Report, #2)

What do shadows darting across the walls, cryptic writing, black fog, and a little girl who can see ghosts have in common? Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, has forty-four hours to find out. To make matters worse, his years of body-hopping and monster-hunting are catching up with him. He's losing his mind. An old contact has shut him out. To top it all off, something's skulking through an asylum, killing patients. Three guesses who might be next, and the first two don't count. The writing on the wall is not so clear. But one thing is: if he doesn't figure this out he's a dead man--well, deader--and a strange young girl might follow. Vincent's got his back against a wall, and that wall's crumbling. Some days it's not worth it to wake up in someone else's body.

The Iliad

Dating to the ninth century B.C., Homer's timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it coexists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. He maintains the drive and metric music of Homer's poetry, and evokes the impact and nuance of the Iliad's mesmerizing repeated phrases in what Peter Levi calls "an astonishing performance."

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Endlessly digressive, boundlessly imaginative and unmatched in its absurd and timeless witLaurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it, with a rich metafictional narrative that might classify it as the first 'postmodern' novel. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate 'hero' Tristram Shandy, the eccentric philosophy of his father Walter, the amours and military obsessions of Uncle Toby, and a host of other characters, including Dr Slop, Corporal Trim and the parson Yorick. A joyful celebration of the endless possibilities of the art of fiction, Tristram Shandy is also a wry demonstration of its limitations. The text and notes of this volume are based on the acclaimed Florida Edition, with a critical introduction by Melvyn New and Christopher Ricks's introductory essay from the first Penguin Classics edition.

My Life and Spiritual Journey: From Tragedy to Acceptance,How One Atheist Looked Beyond Doctrines To Integrate Our World's Religions

The child of a military family, young Marshall Shearer dealt with personal tragedy by formulating poignant questions that led to contradictory and unsatisfactory religion-based explanations. He never stopped seeking answers, even as he has enjoyed a wonderful life: medical school, loving marriage, beautiful family, and a distinguished career dedicated to helping people learn to live happily, to embrace others, and to cherish life. Through it all, he persisted as a student of the world's religions, asking new and ever-more sophisticated questions and finding answers we can all accept, from atheists to the most devout. Having developed his own unique perspective for understanding our place in the world, he continues to share his vision through books ranging from how to grow successful relationships to advocating bold new ways to achieve harmony among all religions. In My Life and Spiritual Journey, Dr. Shearer tells us his own story, the intimate perspective of one determined man who refuses to compromise in his quest to discover the acceptance we all seek and deserve.

A Timeless Abandon

In the future, the sentence executed against a man for a crime he didn't commit has serious ramifications for the entire human race. Weapons of mutually assured destruction are about to resurface in a budding conflict against the New and Old worlds, and if the populations of both Earth and the Martian Colonies are to survive, they are going to need his help. But there's a problem. The man has spent the last year at the mercy of their sentence, in a state of total isolation and indefinite exile, and now he looks on humanity with bitter eyes. Can old wounds be healed, or will history repeat itself?

Follow Your Heart

The concepts in this book ring true with practical, applicable advice, and Matthews's lucid writing and witty stories help bring his message into sharp focus. Follow Your Heart is everything you could ask for in a self-help book. It is about doing what you love, dealing with bills and disasters, discovering your own power, and finding peace of mind. Start down the road to changing your life because as Matthews says: "Our mission in life is not to change the world--our mission is to change ourselves."

The Name of This Book Is Secret (Secret, #1)

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

The Adventures of Augie March

Augie comes on stage with one of literature's most famous opening lines. "I am an American, Chicago born, and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted." It's the "Call me Ishmael" of mid-20th-century American fiction. (For the record, Bellow was born in Canada.) Or it would be if Ishmael had been more like Tom Jones with a philosophical disposition. With this teeming book Bellow returned a Dickensian richness to the American novel. As he makes his way to a full brimming consciousness of himself, Augie careens himself through numberless occupations, and countless mentors and exemplars, all the while enchanting us with the slapdash American music of his voice.

Islam Between East and West

Islam Between East and West - Islamic and Western philosophies examined, by the first president of Bosnia. In comparing the offerings of secular civilization with the truths and justice of Islam, the author analyzes the West s denial of Islam and the lack of progress among Muslims. An inspiring and astonishingly integrated analysis of the human condition. The seep of its power gives an invigorating sense of the beauty and universality of Islam

The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist

In this brilliant and hilarious compilation of essays, letters, diaries, and excerpts--some never before published--Mark Twain takes on Heaven and Hell, sinners and saints and showcases his own unique approach to the Holy Scriptures including*ADAM AND EVE'S DIVERGENT ACCOUNTS OF THEIR DOMESTIC TROUBLES*SATAN'S TAKE ON OUR CONCEPT OF THE AFTERLIFE*METHUSELAH'S DISCUSSION OF AN ANCIENT VERSION OF BASEBALL*ADVICE ON HOW TO DRESS AND TIP PROPERLY IN HEAVENBehind the humor of these pieces, readers will see Twain's serious thoughts on the relationship between God and man, biblical inconsistencies, Darwinism, science, and the impact of technology on religious beliefs. The Bible According to Mark Twain is vintage Twain and is sure to surprise, delight, and perhaps shock modern readers.Description from back cover

On Chesil Beach

A novel of remarkable depth and poignancy from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time.It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence's response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence's anxieties run deeper: she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite. Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan--a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up -- she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn't hurt. Lily can't get him out of her head. But Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his "no dating" rule, she can't help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan -- her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

ALOT TO SAY, SUMTHIN TO TALK ABOUT

This book is written to inspire, uplift, or just give you something to think about. A bad day--we've all had one; loss of a loved one--memories last forever. A frienemy indeed is not the friend you need. Real talk about everyday life and trying to maintain. So sit back, relax, and enjoy one unique read.

Addressed To Her: A Short Story

Being the sole bearer of the truth, and responsible for delivering a package of grave importance, Harshvardhan Singh travels to the address of the addressee, only to find himself in the midst of a celebratory household. Knowing his very life hangs by a fragile thread, will he be able to deliver the package in time, before everything he has ever known obliterates into nothingness?

Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency from the Cold War Through the Dawn of a New Century

The National Security Agency is the world's most powerful, most far-reaching espionage. Now with a new afterword describing the security lapses that preceded the attacks of September 11, 2001, Body of Secrets takes us to the inner sanctum of America's spy world. In the follow-up to his bestselling Puzzle Palace, James Banford reveals the NSA's hidden role in the most volatile world events of the past, and its desperate scramble to meet the frightening challenges of today and tomorrow.Here is a scrupulously documented account-much of which is based on unprecedented access to previously undisclosed documents-of the agency's tireless hunt for intelligence on enemies and allies alike. Body of secrets is a riveting analysis of this most clandestine of agencies, a major work of history and investigative journalism.

Untamed (House of Night, #4)

Zoey Redbird's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested and shocking true intentions come to light, in this spellbinding fourth novel in the House of Night series.

Shadows (Lux, #0.5)

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are...well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.Bethany can't deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren't a complication she wants, she can't stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she's drawn in.Captivated. Lured. Loved.Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can't stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

My Life in France

The bestselling story of Julia's years in France--and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams--in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia's unforgettable story--struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe--unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia's success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America's most endearing personalities.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 (Fullmetal Alchemist, #1)

Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime!In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone. the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders...even to kill. Except his powers aren't unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

Riotous Assembly

Tom Sharpe's savagely funny first novel is set in South Africa, where the author was imprisoned and later deported. When Miss Hazelstone of Jacaranda Park kills her Zulu cook in a sensational crime passionnel , the hasty, rude members of the South African police force are soon upon the Kommandant van Heerden, whose secret longing for the heart of an English gentleman leads to the most memorable transplant operation yet recorded; Luitenant Verkramp of the Security Branch, ever active in his search for Communist cells; Konstabel Els, with his propensity for shooting first and not thinking later--and also for forcing himself upon African women in a manner legally reserved for male members of their own race. In the course of the bizarre events that follow, we encounter some very esoteric perversions when the Kommandant is held captive in Miss Hazelstone's remarkable rubber room; and some even more amazing perversions of justice when Miss Hazelstone's brother, the Bishop of Barotseland, is sentenced to be hanged from the ancient gallows of the local prison. Not a "political" novel in any previously imagined sense, Riotous Assembly provides a completely fresh approach to the horror of South Africa--an approach at once outrageous and startling in its deadpan savagery. Along with Indecent Exposure , this does for South Africa what Swift's A Modest Proposal did for Ireland.

Be More Chill

Jeremy Heere is your average high school dork. Day after day, he stares at beautiful Christine, the girl he can never have, and dryly notes the small humiliations that come his way. Until the day he learns about the "squip." A pill-sized supercomputer that you swallow, the squip is guaranteed to bring you whatever you most desire in life. By instructing him on everything from what to wear, to how to talk and walk, the squip transforms Jeremy from Supergeek to superchic. Now an off-Broadway musical!Alternate cover: URL

Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography

Did the Great Flood of Indian legend actually happen? Why did the Buddha walk to Sarnath to give his first sermon? How did the Europeans map India?The history of any country begins with its geography. With sparkling wit and intelligence, Sanjeev Sanyal sets off to explore India and look at how the country's history was shaped by, among other things, its rivers, mountains and cities. Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, he considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask: Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the subcontinent? What was it like to sail on an Indian Ocean merchant ship in the fifth century AD? Why was the world's highest mountain named after George Everest?

The Early Tales of Snow and Oakham

A rite of passage, an adventure saga, and a redemption tale wrapped into one. "Snow and Oakham" is a story told across five continents: paying visit to a world of orphans and villains, heroes and slaves, cannibals and saints - all seen through the eyes of two brothers thrust into an adventure for the ages. When they are told that their birthright is buried in the Wild West End orphans Henry Snow and Jack Oakham set out to discover where they came from. And thus begins a journey to answer questions at the heart of every man. A saga about fathers and sons and the cost of forgiveness, "The Early Tales of Snow and Oakham is, '... An important, sprawling work with a lion's share of tenderness. It is proof that rip-roaring adventure is alive and well.'" Socratic VenturesThe Early Tales of Snow and Oakham is the first novel by Philip Chavanne, who traveled for seven years to collect the stories in this book. Alongside his wife and his two daughters he manages a ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

They Come in All Colors

2019 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library AssociationMalcolm Hansen arrives on the scene as a bold new literary voice with his stunning debut novel. Alternating between the Deep South and New York City during the 1960s and early '70s, They Come in All Colors follows a biracial teenage boy who finds his new life in the big city disrupted by childhood memories of the summer when racial tensions in his hometown reached a tipping point.It's 1968 when fourteen-year-old Huey Fairchild begins high school at Claremont Prep, one of New York City's most prestigious boys' schools. His mother had uprooted her family from their small hometown of Akersburg, Georgia, a few years earlier, leaving behind Huey's white father and the racial unrest that ran deeper than the Chattahoochee River.But for our sharp-tongued protagonist, forgetting the past is easier said than done. At Claremont, where the only other nonwhite person is the janitor, Huey quickly realizes that racism can lurk beneath even the nicest school uniform. After a momentary slip of his temper, Huey finds himself on academic probation and facing legal charges. With his promising school career in limbo, he begins examining his current predicament at Claremont through the lens of his childhood memories of growing up in Akersburg during the Civil Rights Movement--and the chilling moments leading up to his and his mother's flight north.With Huey's head-shaking antics fueling this coming-of-age narrative, the story triumphs as a tender and honest exploration of race, identity, family, and homeland.

Perfect (Second Opportunities, #2)

A rootless foster child, Julie Mathison had blossomed under the love showered upon her by her adoptive family. Now a lovely and vivacious young woman, she was a respected teacher in her small Texas town, and she passionately lived her ideals. Julie was determined to give back all the kindness she'd received; nothing and no one would ever shatter the perfect life she had fashioned. Zachary Benedict was an actor/director whose Academy Award-winning career had been shattered when he was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. After the tall, ruggedly handsome Zack escaped from a Texas prison, he abducted Julie and forced her to drive him to his Colorado mountain hideout. She was outraged, cautious, and unable to ignore the instincts that whispered of his innocence. He was cynical, wary, and increasingly attracted to her. Passion was about to capture them both in its fierce embrace...but the journey to trust, true commitment, and proving Zack's innocence was just beginning....

Fraulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther

This enchanting novel tells the story of the love affair between Rose-Marie Schmidt and Roger Anstruther. A determined young woman of twenty-five, Rose-Marie is considered a spinster by the inhabitants of the small German town of Jena where she lives with her father, the Professor. To their homes comes Roger, an impoverished but well-born young Englishman who wishes to learn German: Rose-Marie and Roger fall in love. But the course of true love never did run smooth: distance, temperament and fortune divide them. We watch the ebb and flow of love between two very different people and see the witty and wonderful Rose-Marie get exactly what she wants.

Holidays on Ice

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters (Us and Them); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French (Jesus Shaves); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm (Let It Snow); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations (Six to Eight Black Men); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like (The Monster Mash); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry (Cow and Turkey).

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679750154The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea tells the tale of a band of savage thirteen-year-old boys who reject the adult world as illusory, hypocritical and sentimental, and train themselves in a brutal callousness they call "objectivity." When the mother of one of them begins an affair with a ship's officer, he and his friends idealize the man at first; but it is not long before they conclude that he is in fact soft and romantic. They regard their disappointment in him as an act of betrayal on his part, and react violently.

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1)

There are alternate cover editions for this ASIN here and here.If you ain't scared, you ain't human. When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone. Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade. Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive. Everything is going to change. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run.

Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, #9)

Rand is on the run with Min, and in Cairhein, Cadsuane is trying to figure out where he is headed. Rand's destination is, in fact, one she has never considered.Mazrim Taim, leader of the Black Tower, is revealed to be a liar. But what is he up to?Faile, with the Aiel Maidens, Bain and Chiad, and her companions, Queen Alliandre and Morgase, is prisoner of Savanna's sept.Perrin is desperately searching for Faile. With Elyas Machera, Berelain, the Prophet and a very mixed "army" of disparate forces, he is moving through country rife with bandits and roving Seanchan. The Forsaken are ever more present, and united, and the man called Slayer stalks Tel'aran'rhiod and the wolfdream.In Ebou Dar, the Seanchan princess known as Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives--and Mat, who had been recuperating in the Tarasin Palace, is introduced to her. Will the marriage that has been foretold come about?There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it is a beginning....

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her enslaved ancestors, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons--as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta's small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia -- a land of wooden quarters for enslaved people, faith healings, and voodoo -- to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.Henrietta's family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family -- past and present -- is inextricably connected to the history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family--especially Henrietta's daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother's cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn't her children afford health insurance?Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

Britt-Marie Was Here

Britt-Marie can't stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others--no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes.When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg--of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it--she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. Most alarming of all, she's given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children's soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

Soul Music (Discworld, #16; Death, #3)

Other children get given xylophones. Susan just had to ask her grandfather to take his vest off. Yes. There's a Death in the family.It's hard to grow up normally when Grandfather rides a white horse and wields a scythe - especially when you have to take over the family business, and everyone mistakes you for the Tooth Fairy.And especially when you have to face the new and addictive music that has entered Discworld.It's lawless. It changes people.It's called "Music With Rocks In."It's got a beat and you can dance to it, but...It's ALIVE.And it won't fade away.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason ... HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

Honest Illusions

Honest Illusions The daughter of a world-renowned magician, Roxy Nouvelle has inherited her father's talents--and his penchant for jewel thievery. Into this colorful world comes Luke Callahan, an escape artist who captures her heart--and keeps secrets that could shatter all her illusions...

Fire Under the Snow: Testimony of a Tibetan Prisoner

Book by 'PALDEN GYATSO, TSERING SHAKYA'

King John

King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatises the reign of John, King of England (ruled ), son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and father of Henry III of England. It is believed to have been written in the mid-1590s but was not published until it appeared in the First Folio in 1623.

He Still Moves Stones: Everyone Needs a Miracle

It's what happens when obstacles prevent you from seeing what God has done for you ...He still moves stones.People with questions. The Bible is absolutely full of them. A crook on a cross. A wild man in a cemetery. A five-time divorcee. A despondent cripple. A grieving sister. A father at the end of his rope.Why are these portraits in the Bible? So we can look back in amazement at what Jesus did? No ... these aren't just Sunday school stories. They are historic moments in which a real God met real pain so we could answer the question. "Does God care when I hurt?"On every page of this powerfully moving book, Max Lucado reminds us, the God who spoke to Moses at the burning bush still speaks loudly to you today. The God who forgave King David still offers you forgiveness. The God who helped men and women in ages past still comes into your world, and he comes to do what you can't, to move the stone away so you can see his answer.

Wisdom Revolution (The Machinist, The Monk, And The Mesmerizer Chronicles, #1)

Few humans in the future find the secrets of what words and sounds can do, for the Apocalypse and war led them to evolve in mind and physique. Two of them end World War III with just a speech. Some say they did mass hypnosis. Others say it was their voice and will.Fifty years later in South Asia, KUSHA, a twenty-three-year-old machine-geek with social awkwardness and amnesia, tries to get the Devil's Book with secrets of voice.In a society that worships the evolved High Grades with voice, how you speak and which words you talk with is important. As someone who finds all solutions in books, Kusha thinks the secrets in the three-foot-long ancient book will teach her to speak mesmerizingly. She believes it will help her evolve. So, she decides to attend the auction where the book will be sold. But there's a problem. Her idol of voice and everyone's beloved war heroes, YUAN and RUEM, are also after it for power.They want to code fate, rewriting the material world. When they are not camping near the temples that rose from beneath the oceans after the Apocalypse, they are playing classical orchestra or Himalayan Thumri or ... maybe, reciting Bedouin or Bengali poetry. They are undead, immortal mesmerizers. And being a philosopher, Kusha admires their ethics as she fights them--the fight that starts with the book. The fight that creates a chain reaction leading her to an epic journey.She faces an unfair system, and if she wants to change it, she has to be a Goddess. And no drugs, hypnosis, or codes can help her to become what she needs to be. There's no shortcut to evolution.It's about love with no rules, friendship in the veil of enmity, and a war in the name of secret wisdom.

The Red Badge of Courage

Henry Fleming has joined the Union army because of his romantic ideas of military life, but soon finds himself in the middle of a battle against a regiment of Confederate soldiers. Terrified, Henry deserts his comrades. Upon returning to his regiment, he struggles with his shame as he tries to redeem himself and prove his courage.The Red Badge of Courage is Stephen Crane's second book, notable for its realism and the fact that Crane had never personally experienced battle. Crane drew heavy inspiration from Century Magazine, a periodical known for its articles about the American Civil War. However, he criticized the articles for their lack of emotional depth and decided to write a war novel of his own. The manuscript was first serialized in December 1894 by The Philadelphia Press and quickly won Crane international acclaim before he died in June 1900 at the age of 28.

No One Belongs Here More Than You

The creator and star of Me and You and Everyone We Know presents a collection of short works featuring profoundly sympathetic protagonists whose inherent sensitivities render them particularly vulnerable to unexpected events. 50,000 first printing.

The Poor Mouth

The Poor Mouth relates the story of one Bonaparte O'Coonassa, born in a cabin in a fictitious village called Corkadoragha in western Ireland equally renowned for its beauty and the abject poverty of its residents. Potatoes constitute the basis of his family's daily fare, and they share both bed and board with the sheep and pigs. A scathing satire on narratives of Gaelic Ireland, this work brought down on the author's head the full wrath of those who saw themselves as the custodians of Irish language and tradition when it was first published in Gaelic in 1941.

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)

You've lost your job as a department store lingerie buyer, your car's been repossessed, and most of your furniture and small appliances have been sold off to pay last month's rent. Now the rent is due again. And you live in New Jersey. What do you do?If you're Stephanie Plum, you become a bounty hunter. But not just a nickel-and-dime bounty hunter; you go after the big money. That means a cop gone bad. And not just any cop. She goes after Joe Morelli, a disgraced former vice cop who is also the man who took Stephanie's virginity at age 16 and then wrote details on a bathroom wall. With pride and rent money on the line, Plum plunges headlong into her first case, one that pits her against ruthless adversaries - people who'd rather kill than lose.In Stephanie Plum, Evanovich has created a resourceful and humorous character who stands apart from the pack of gritty female detectives.

Almost Transparent Blue

Almost Transparent Blue is a brutal tale of lost youth in a Japanese port town close to an American military base. Murakami's image-intensive narrative paints a portrait of a group of friends locked in a destructive cycle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. The novel is all but plotless, but the raw and often violent prose takes us on a rollercoaster ride through reality and hallucination, highs and lows, in which the characters and their experiences come vividly to life. Trapped in passivity, they gain neither passion nor pleasure from their adventures. Yet out of the alienation, boredom and underlying rage and grief emerges a strangely quiet and almost equally shocking beauty. Ryu Murakami's first novel, Almost Transparent Blue won the coveted Akutagawa literary prize and became an instant bestseller. Representing a sharp and conscious turning away from the introspective trend of postwar Japanese literature, it polarized critics and public alike and soon attracted international attention as an alternative view of modern Japan.

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

From the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne - the "dark ages" - learning, scholarship, and culture disappeared from the European continent. The great heritage of western civilization - from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish and Christian works - would have been utterly lost were it not for the holy men and women of unconquered Ireland. In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars, " the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved the west's written treasures. With the return of stability in Europe, these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not only were conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on western culture.

The Little House

Virginia Lee Burton won the Caldecott Medal in 1943 for her memorable picture book The Little House, a poignant story of a cute country cottage that becomes engulfed by the city that grows up around it. The house has an expressive face of windows and doors, and even the feelings of a person, so she's sad when she's surrounded by the dirty, noisy city's hustle and bustle: "She missed the field of daisies / and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight." Fortunately, there's a happy ending, as the house is taken back to the country where she belongs.

The Bookmaker of Business: A Financial Tale

Multiply your wealth like banks do.Back in the year 1932, against the backdrop of the Great Depression, an unlikely conversation occurred between a banker and a common laborer. The banker revealed the wealth secret of the ages and why the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. An informative parable filled with investing, debt, and banking wisdom.Must read for anyone with a bank account.Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? From earliest recorded history, mankind has been comprised of the haves and the have-nots. But what separates the two? This simple parable reveals the cause and effect relationship of why some get richer while most stay poor. It tells the tale of a common laborer on a journey of self-enlightenment, who stumbles upon the secret as to how the rich have increased their wealth from ancient times. It simplifies and sheds light on the mysterious world of banking, how they make their profits, and how to protect oneself from bank failures. It also reveals how banks and other institutional investors maximize their returns and how individuals can do the same. But be warned. This story's simple and direct style may make you uncomfortable, especially if your actions are making you poorer. Are you ready?Bankers are the bookies of our economy.The bankers are playing a game where the odds are in their favor and they know it. Yet they are prone to making mistakes that can have severe consequences for their depositors and society at large. But you can protect yourself from bank failures if you know what to look for. With a simple glance, you can determine which banks are healthy and which are not. Like the bankers, the big money institutional investors are also playing a game where the odds are in their favor. They play the financial markets how a casino plays against a gambler: According to their rules. This gives them a decided edge. But the good news is that with the proper knowledge anyone can duplicate these methods, regardless of their bankroll size.Like the banks, you can use the universal power of compound interest to reap windfall profits in a money game that will skew decidedly in your favor. These are the same wealth secrets that Warren Buffett has used for years to trounce the stock market averages. This little volume lifts the veil off commercial banking unlike any other work of its kind. You may never look at your bank the same way again.

Enclave (Razorland, #1)

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight--guided by Fade's long-ago memories--in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind

At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion -- and indeed our future.

Vampire Baby

When Tootie gets her first teeth, it's clear to her big brother that she's no ordinary baby. But how to convince Mom and Dad?It happens overnight: little sister Tootie goes from cuddly, ga-ga-googoo, I-want-my-ba-ba baby...vampire baby. Now she's sinking her pointy fangs into everything -- furniture, toys, and especially her big brother ("Youch, Tootie! No bite!" ). Mom insists that it's just a phase, but Tootie's brother knows better. Just look at her hairline! Or the fact that all her favorite foods are bloodred! With perfect comic timing, Kelly Bennett and Paul Meisel give a fresh slant to the new-baby story, proving that even monstrous little arrivals have a funny way of staking their siblings' affections.

Exploits of a War Party from Seraph'Ithil (Hershel Saga #1)

Hershel is a former prince whose mother Empress, who is so afraid to lose power that she ordered her own son's execution and later, after he escaped the execution, assassination. So Hershel ended up living in hiding under an assumed name and later became a mage to defend himself from the assassins that corrupt evil Empress and privileged Tormellian elites will surely send after him way once their spies find his whereabouts. He also found two companions: Sol popular with women mage and a bard who loves beer, and Saratoga, loyal and devoted swordswoman Tormellia will not stop so Hershel has to find a way to defeat them before they kill him...

Confessions

Augustine's Confessions is one of the most influential and most innovative works of Latin literature. Written in the author's early forties in the last years of the fourth century A.D. and during his first years as a bishop, they reflect on his life and on the activity of remembering and interpreting a life. Books I-IV are concerned with infancy and learning to talk, schooldays, sexual desire and adolescent rebellion, intense friendships and intellectual exploration. Augustine evolves and analyses his past with all the resources of the reading which shaped his mind: Virgil and Cicero, Neoplatonism and the Bible. This volume, which aims to be usable by students who are new to Augustine, alerts readers to the verbal echoes and allusions of Augustine's brilliant and varied Latin, and explains his theological and philosophical questioning of what God is and what it is to be human. The edition is intended for use by students and scholars of Latin literature, theology and Church history.

Wise Blood

The American short story master Flannery O'Connor's haunting first novel of faith, false prophets, and redemptive wisdom.Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's astonishing and haunting first novel, is a classic of twentieth-century literature. It is the story of Hazel Motes, a twenty-two-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his inborn, desperate fate. He falls under the spell of a "blind" street preacher named Asa Hawks and his degenerate fifteen-year-old daughter, Sabbath Lily. In an ironic, malicious gesture of his own non-faith, and to prove himself a greater cynic than Hawks, Motes founds the Church Without Christ, but is still thwarted in his efforts to lose God. He meets Enoch Emery, a young man with "wise blood," who leads him to a mummified holy child and whose crazy maneuvers are a manifestation of Motes's existential struggles.This tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, blindings, and wisdom gives us one of the most riveting characters in American fiction.