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The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World
by Jeremy RifkinThe Industrial Revolution, powered by oil and other fossil fuels, is spiraling into a dangerous endgame. The price of gas and food are climbing, unemployment remains high, the housing market has tanked, consumer and government debt is soaring, and the recovery is slowing. Facing the prospect of a second collapse of the global economy, humanity is desperate for a sustainable economic game plan to take us into the future. Here, Jeremy Rifkin explores how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create a powerful "Third Industrial Revolution. " He asks us to imagine hundreds of millions of people producing their own green energy in their homes, offices, and factories, and sharing it with each other in an "energy internet," just like we now create and share information online. Rifkin describes how the five-pillars of the Third Industrial Revolution will create thousands of businesses, millions of jobs, and usher in a fundamental reordering of human relationships, from hierarchical to lateral power, that will impact the way we conduct commerce, govern society, educate our children, and engage in civic life. Rifkin's vision is already gaining traction in the international community. The European Union Parliament has issued a formal declaration calling for its implementation, and other nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, are quickly preparing their own initiatives for transitioning into the new economic paradigm. The Third Industrial Revolutionis an insider's account of the next great economic era, including a look into the personalities and players - heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs - who are pioneering its implementation around the world.
The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World
by Jeremy RifkinA New York Times–bestselling account of the next great economic era, with a look into the individuals pioneering its implementation around the world.One of the most influential social thinkers of our time reveals how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create the new jobs of the twenty-first century and change the world.In The Third Industrial Revolution, Jeremy Rifkin takes us on a journey into a new economic era where hundred of millions of people produce their own green energy in their homes, businesses, and factories and share it with each other on an “energy Internet.” Rifkin’s Third Industrial Revolution vision has been taken up by the European Union and China and endorsed by the United Nations. In this book, the author goes behind the scenes to meet the heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGO leaders who are pioneering the new economic paradigm.Praise for The Third Industrial Revolution“Jeremy Rifkin argues that green energy and the internet will revolutionize society and the environment . . . With the European Union already on board, this is a big idea with backbone.” —Nature“Impeccably argued . . . a compelling and cogent argument to overhaul our society and economy in favor of a distributed and collaborative model.” —Publishers Weekly
Third International Conference on Image Processing and Capsule Networks: ICIPCN 2022 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #514)
by Joy Iong-Zong Chen João Manuel R. S. Tavares Fuqian ShiThis book provides a collection of the state-of-the-art research attempts to tackle the challenges in image and signal processing from various novel and potential research perspectives. The book investigates feature extraction techniques, image enhancement methods, reconstruction models, object detection methods, recommendation models, deep and temporal feature analysis, intelligent decision support systems, and autonomous image detection models. In addition to this, the book also looks into the potential opportunities to monitor and control the global pandemic situations. Image processing technology has progressed significantly in recent years, and it has been commercialized worldwide to provide superior performance with enhanced computer/machine vision, video processing, and pattern recognition capabilities. Meanwhile, machine learning systems like CNN and CapsNet get popular to provide better model hierarchical relationships and attempts to more closely mimic biological neural organization. As machine learning systems prosper, image processing and machine learning techniques will be tightly intertwined and continuously promote each other in real-world settings. Adopting this trend, however, the image processing researchers are faced with few image reconstruction, analysis, and segmentation challenges. On the application side, the orientation of the image features and noise removal has become a huge burden.
Third International Congress on Information and Communication Technology: ICICT 2018, London (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #797)
by Xin-She Yang Simon Sherratt Nilanjan Dey Amit JoshiThe book includes selected high-quality research papers presented at the Third International Congress on Information and Communication Technology held at Brunel University, London on February 27–28, 2018. It discusses emerging topics pertaining to information and communication technology (ICT) for managerial applications, e-governance, e-agriculture, e-education and computing technologies, the Internet of Things (IOT), and e-mining. Written by experts and researchers working on ICT, the book is suitable for new researchers involved in advanced studies.
Third RILEM International Conference on Concrete and Digital Fabrication: Digital Concrete 2022 (RILEM Bookseries #37)
by Richard Buswell Ana Blanco Sergio Cavalaro Peter KinnellThis book gathers peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 3rd RILEM International Conference on Concrete and Digital Fabrication (Digital Concrete), held in Loughborough, UK, on June 27-29, 2022. Focusing on additive and automated manufacturing technologies for the fabrication of cementitious construction materials, such as 3D concrete printing, powder bed printing, and shotcrete 3D printing, the papers highlight the latest findings in this fast-growing field, addressing topics like mixture design, admixtures, rheology and fresh-state behavior, alternative materials, microstructure, cold joints & interfaces, mechanical performance, reinforcement, structural engineering, durability and sustainability, automation and industrialization.
The Third Wave
by Alvin TofflerThe Third Wave offers a striking way out of today's despair...a bracing, optimistic look at our new potentials. The Third Wave makes startling sense of the violent changes now battering our world. Its sweeping synthesis casts fresh light on our new forms of marriage and family, on today's dramatic changes in business and economics. It explains the role of cults, the new definition of play, love and success. It points toward new forms of twenty-first-century democracy.
Third Ways: How Bulgarian Greens, Swedish Housewives, and Beer-swilling Englishmen Created Family-centered Economies--and Why They Disappeared
by Allan C. CarlsonThis volume examines a very different search among some Europeans and North Americans for a Third Way, a form of social and economic organization that in important respects would be neither capitalist nor Communist. Freewheeling capitalism or collectivist communism: when it came to political-economic systems, did the twentieth century present any other choice? Does our century? InThird Ways,social historian Allan Carlson tells the story of how different thinkers from Bulgaria to Great Britain created economic systems during the twentieth century that were by intent neither capitalist nor communist. Unlike fascists, these seekers were committed to democracy and pluralism. Unlike liberal capitalists, they refused to treat human labor and relationships as commodities like any other. And unlike communists, they strongly defended private property and the dignity of persons and families. Instead, the builders of these alternative economic systems wanted to protect and renew the "natural" communities of family, village, neighborhood, and parish. They treasured rural culture and family farming and defended traditional sex roles and vital home economies. Carlson's book takes a fresh look at distributism, the controversial economic project of Hilaire Belloc and G. K. Chesterton which focused on broad property ownership and small-scale production; recovers the forgotten thought of Alexander Chayanov, a Russian economist who put forth a theory of "the natural family economy"; discusses the remarkable "third way" policies of peasant-led governments in post-World War I Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania; recounts the dramatic and largely unknown effort by Swedish housewives to defend their homes against radical feminism; relates the iconoclastic ideas of economic historian Karl Polanyi, including his concepts of "the economy without markets" and "the great transformation"; and praises the efforts by European Christian Democrats to build a moral economy on the concept ofhomo religious-"religious man. " Finally, Carlson's work explains why these efforts-at times rich in hope and prospects-ultimately failed, often with tragic results. The tale inspires wistful regret over lost opportunities that, if seized, might have spared tens of millions of lives and forestalled or avoided the blights of fascism, Stalinism, socialism, and the advent of the servile state. And yet the book closes with hope, enunciating a set of principles that could be used today for invigorating a "family way" economy compatible with an authentic, healthy, and humane culture of enterprise.
Third World Citizens and the Information Technology Revolution
by Nivien SalehThis book challenges the widely-held view that the information technology (IT) revolution has empowered people in the Third World. Tracing the making of the global IT regime, it shows that governments and corporations of the wealthy countries dominated this process, systematically excluding representatives of low-income countries.
A Thirsty Land: The Fight for Water in Texas (Natural Resources Management and Conservation)
by Seamus McGraw“An important story not just about [Texas’s] water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity” (Western Historical Quarterly).As a changing climate threatens the whole country with deeper droughts and more furious floods that put ever more people and property at risk, Texas has become a bellwether state for water debates. Will there be enough water for everyone? Is there the will to take the steps necessary to defend ourselves against the sea? Is it in the nature of Americans to adapt to nature in flux?The most comprehensive—and comprehensible—book on contemporary water issues, A Thirsty Land delves deep into the challenges faced not just by Texas but also by the nation, as we struggle to find a way to balance the changing forces of nature with our own ever-expanding needs. Part history, part science, part adventure story, and part travelogue, this book puts a human face on the struggle to master that most precious and capricious of resources, water. Seamus McGraw goes to the taproots, talking to farmers, ranchers, businesspeople, and citizen activists, as well as to politicians and government employees. Their stories provide chilling evidence that Texas—and indeed the nation—is not ready for the next devastating drought, the next catastrophic flood. Ultimately, however, A Thirsty Land delivers hope. This deep dive into one of the most vexing challenges facing Texas and the nation offers glimpses of the way forward in the untapped opportunities that water also presents.“A hard look at a hard problem: finding sufficient water to live in a place without much of it. . . . McGraw’s fine book serves as a useful guide. Observers of Western waterways will want to have this on their shelves alongside the likes of Marc Reisner and Charles Bowden.” —Kirkus Reviews“In stark prose that often gleams like a bone pile bleached in the sun, McGraw travels back and forth across Texas to give a free-ranging but deadeye view of the crisis on the horizon.” —Texas Monthly“It’s hard to write about the slow creep of environmental crises like drought without resorting to shock tactics or getting lost in the weeds . . . [McGraw] draws out the conflicts in compelling ways by drilling into the plight of individual water users. Even if you feel no connection to Texas, these stories are relevant to every part of the country.” —Outside“Interviewing both scientific experts and everyday water users, [McGraw] clearly delineates the competing interests, describes political and geological reality, and makes a compelling argument for statewide water policy that utilizes modern technology and fairly weighs parochial needs against the good of the whole.” —Arizona Daily Star, Southwest Books of the Year
A Thirsty Land: The Fight for Water in Texas (Natural Resources Management and Conservation)
by Seamus McGraw“An important story not just about [Texas’s] water history, but also about its social, economic, and political identity” (Western Historical Quarterly).As a changing climate threatens the whole country with deeper droughts and more furious floods that put ever more people and property at risk, Texas has become a bellwether state for water debates. Will there be enough water for everyone? Is there the will to take the steps necessary to defend ourselves against the sea? Is it in the nature of Americans to adapt to nature in flux?The most comprehensive—and comprehensible—book on contemporary water issues, A Thirsty Land delves deep into the challenges faced not just by Texas but also by the nation, as we struggle to find a way to balance the changing forces of nature with our own ever-expanding needs. Part history, part science, part adventure story, and part travelogue, this book puts a human face on the struggle to master that most precious and capricious of resources, water. Seamus McGraw goes to the taproots, talking to farmers, ranchers, businesspeople, and citizen activists, as well as to politicians and government employees. Their stories provide chilling evidence that Texas—and indeed the nation—is not ready for the next devastating drought, the next catastrophic flood. Ultimately, however, A Thirsty Land delivers hope. This deep dive into one of the most vexing challenges facing Texas and the nation offers glimpses of the way forward in the untapped opportunities that water also presents.“A hard look at a hard problem: finding sufficient water to live in a place without much of it. . . . McGraw’s fine book serves as a useful guide. Observers of Western waterways will want to have this on their shelves alongside the likes of Marc Reisner and Charles Bowden.” —Kirkus Reviews“In stark prose that often gleams like a bone pile bleached in the sun, McGraw travels back and forth across Texas to give a free-ranging but deadeye view of the crisis on the horizon.” —Texas Monthly“It’s hard to write about the slow creep of environmental crises like drought without resorting to shock tactics or getting lost in the weeds . . . [McGraw] draws out the conflicts in compelling ways by drilling into the plight of individual water users. Even if you feel no connection to Texas, these stories are relevant to every part of the country.” —Outside“Interviewing both scientific experts and everyday water users, [McGraw] clearly delineates the competing interests, describes political and geological reality, and makes a compelling argument for statewide water policy that utilizes modern technology and fairly weighs parochial needs against the good of the whole.” —Arizona Daily Star, Southwest Books of the Year
Thirty-Eight Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case
by A. M. Rosenthal"[Rosenthal] told a stunning, tragic story and called each one of us to account for averting our eyes-- and hearts-- and voices." -Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes. It remains one of the most notorious deaths in New York City history not because of who was murdered but because of the circumstances: 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was brutally murdered, in an attack that took nearly thirty minutes and had thirty-eight witnesses... not one of whom did a thing to stop the murderer or even call for help. A.M. Rosenthal, who would later become one of the most famous and controversial editors The New York Times has ever had, was the newspaper's city editor then; the murder happened on his beat. He first published this book in 1964, the year of the murder. It is part memoir, part investigative journalism, and part public service.
Thirty Great Inventions of China: From Millet Agriculture to Artemisinin
by Jueming Hua Lisheng FengThe book presents thirty great Chinese inventions, both ancient and modern, which are original, distinct, have made outstanding contributions and had extensive influence in China and around the globe. It also clarifies the misunderstandings and provides a clear definition and classification of the evaluation criteria for great inventions. Each invention is presented with color pictures and comprehensive discussions. The book not only offers readers the fascinating stories behind the greatest inventions of all time from China, such as the compass, paper, and tea making & planting, but also allows them to be inspired by the great Chinese inventors’ inherent spirit of innovation and creativity.
Thirty Years of Astronomical Discovery with UKIRT
by Andy Adamson John Davies Ian RobsonThese are the proceedings of an international meeting hosted by the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the UKIRT, the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope. The volume comprises 31 professional level papers. The first part of the book has 10 thorough reviews of the conception, design and build of the telescope, as well as accounts of some its key instruments such as IRCAM (the common-user infrared camera), CGS4 (the fourth Cooled Grating Spectrometer) and the Wide Field Camera. The second part of the book comprises 14 reviews of scientific achievements during its twenty years of visitor mode operations. The final part of the book is a series of 7 reviews of the results from the multiple surveys being done as part of UKIDSS (UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey). The authors are all experts in their respective fields, for example instrument scientists, operations staff and leading astronomers.
The Thirtymile Fire: A Chronicle of Bravery and Betrayal
by John N. MacleanThe Thirtymile Fire in the North Cascade Range near the Canadian border of Washington began as a simple mop-up operation; in a few hours, a series of catastrophic errors led to the entrapment and deaths of four members of the fire crew--two teenage girls and two young men. Each had brought order and meaning to their lives by joining the fire world. Then the very flames they pursued turned on them, extinguishing their lives. When the victims were blamed for their own deaths, the charge brought a storm of controversy that undermined the firefighting community. Continuing a tradition established by his previous books, and by his father Norman's Young Men and Fire, John Maclean re-creates the harrowing few minutes when the rogue wildfire burst out of a remote canyon to trap the surprised firefighters. Maclean's unflinching analysis exposes the details of the fire's unexpected violence--which is matched by the passions released by the official verdict of the blaze. Weaving together the astonishing stories told by the fire's witnesses and, later, the victims' family members and the response to the official reports, Maclean creates a telling narrative of a catastrophe that continues to divide a community. He also offers new information that could help to prevent such tragedies in the future. Even though the Thirtymile Fire is changing the way fire is fought, the author believes the fire world has been slow to adopt flexible field-tested procedures over traditional firefighting rules and regulations. "Fire has a life of its own beyond scientific absolutes," Maclean writes. It's deadly and unpredictable. The biggest unsolved mystery of the Thirtymile Fire concerns its erratic behavior. Why did it take that tragic left hook, entrapping four youths on that fateful July day? It's a question that will haunt readers of this dramatic true story.
This Blessed Earth: A Year In The Life Of An American Family Farm
by Ted GenowaysIs there still a place for the farm in today’s America? The family farm lies at the heart of our national identity, yet its future is in peril. Rick Hammond grew up on a small ranch, and for forty years he has raised cattle and crops on his wife’s fifth-generation homestead in York County, Nebraska, in hopes of passing it on to their four children. But as the handoff nears, their small family farm—and their entire way of life—are under siege. Rising corporate ownership of land and livestock is forcing small farmers to get bigger and bigger, assuming more debt and more risk. At the same time, after nearly a decade of record-high corn and soybean prices, the bottom has dropped out of the markets, making it ever harder for small farmers to shoulder their loans. All the while, the Hammonds are confronted by encroaching pipelines, groundwater depletion, climate change, and shifting trade policies. Far from an isolated refuge beyond the reach of global events, the family farm is increasingly at the crossroads of emerging technologies and international detente. Following the Hammonds from harvest to harvest, Ted Genoways explores this rapidly changing landscape of small, traditional farming operations, mapping as it unfolds day to day. This Blessed Earth is both a concise exploration of the history of the American small farm and a vivid, nuanced portrait of one family’s fight to preserve their legacy and the life they love.
This Book Isn't Safe
by Colin FurzeColin Furze, five-time Guinness World Record Holder and YouTube's undisputed king of crazy inventions, instructs fans and curious young inventors on how to build ten brand new wacky inventions at home with an affordable tool kit.Colin Furze's bonkers and brilliant inventions such as a homemade hoverbike, DIY Wolverine Claws, an alarm clock ejector bed, and Hoover shoes have earned him 4.5 million YouTube subscribers and more than 450 million video views. Now Colin is on a mission to inspire a new generation of budding inventors with This Book Isn't Safe! This Book Isn't Safe contains instructions on how to make ten brand new inventions with a basic at-home toolkit, alongside behind-the-scenes stories about some of Colin's greatest inventions and top secret tips and tricks straight from his invention bunker (aka a shed in his backyard in Stamford Lincolnshire).
This Eden
by Ed O’Loughlin“This Eden is a delight, a rollicking ride that never lets up, with a surprising — and emotionally rich — ending.” — Quill & Quire (Starred Review) Michael Atarian is out of his depth. The closest he ever came to working in tech was when he rode a delivery bike for a food app in Vancouver. Yet when his coder girlfriend dies, he is inexplicably headhunted by a sinister tech mogul and transplanted to Silicon Valley. There, a reluctant spy named Aoife lures him into the hands of an enigmatic war-gamer who tricks them both into joining his quest to save the world. Hunted by government agents and corporate goons, and manipulated at every turn, Aoife and Michael find themselves in an intercontinental chase that takes them from California to New York, from the forests of Uganda to Jerusalem, Gaza, Alexandria, and Paris, and to a final showdown with the truth in Dublin. Propulsive and richly entertaining, This Eden updates the classic spy novel for a world under mortal threat from cyber-warfare, feral money, runaway technology, and a cynical onslaught on truth itself.
This Explains Everything: 150 Deep, Beautiful, and Elegant Theories of How the World Works (Edge Question Series)
by John BrockmanDrawn from the cutting-edge frontiers of science, This Explains Everything will revolutionize your understanding of the world.What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation? This is the question John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website"--The Guardian), posed to the world's most influential minds. Flowing from the horizons of physics, economics, psychology, neuroscience, and more, This Explains Everything presents 150 of the most surprising and brilliant theories of the way of our minds, societies, and universe work.Jared Diamond on biological electricity * Nassim Nicholas Taleb on positive stress * Steven Pinker on the deep genetic roots of human conflict * Richard Dawkins on pattern recognition * Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek on simplicity * Lisa Randall on the Higgs mechanism * BRIAN Eno on the limits of intuition * Richard Thaler on the power of commitment * V. S. Ramachandran on the "neural code" of consciousness * Nobel Prize winner ERIC KANDEL on the power of psychotherapy * Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on "Lord Acton's Dictum" * Lawrence M. Krauss on the unification of electricity and magnetism * plus contributions by Martin J. Rees * Kevin Kelly * Clay Shirky * Daniel C. Dennett * Sherry Turkle * Philip Zimbardo * Lee Smolin * Rebecca Newberger Goldstein * Seth Lloyd * Stewart Brand * George Dyson * Matt Ridley
This is Gomorrah: Shortlisted for the CWA 2020 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award
by Tom Chatfield'Thriller writing at its absolute best' Chris Whitaker 'Gripping, intelligent and stylish' Sophie Hannah THIS IS GOMORRAH. An exclusive online marketplace where anything and everything is for sale. Guns and porn. Identities and elections. Lives and deaths.THIS IS HELL. The war on terror is no longer just fought on the ground. In Syria, Islamic Republic recruits are now learning to spread fear online. But they've left a clue to their deadly next move . . . THIS IS THE MAN WHO CAN STOP THEM.Lonesome hacker Azi Bello is nobody's idea of a hero. Except his skills have caught the attention of a mysterious espionage unit, who think he might have what it takes to stop this evil force. Sent on a mission which could cost him his life, Azi's ultimate destination is Gomorrah. But can he make it out alive?Praise for THIS IS GOMORRAH:'The classic twenty-first century thriller' Michael Ridpath'A swift and spiky view of modern dark web espionage' James Swallow'A techno-thriller with wit and style' Mick Herron 'A beguiling blend of riveting hacker lore, sharp dialogue and inventive action scenes' Sunday Times 'Tense . . . a well-told, fast-paced story packed with contemporary relevance' Adam HamdyWhat readers have said about THIS IS GOMORRAH:'Unputdownable''One of the best thrillers I have read so far this year' 'I am lost for words to describe just how spectacular this book is . . . a must read' 'This is one of the best books I have read so far this year, a clever rollercoaster of a ride and I cannot wait for the next book in this series''There was no way that I could predict some of the wild directions this thriller took. Totally exhilarating'
This is Gomorrah: Shortlisted for the CWA 2020 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award
by Tom ChatfieldThe Dark Web is everywhere - and those who know where to look, and who to ask, can find anything. Drugs, guns, porn, ideologies, lives and deaths are all up for sale . . . and everything must go. Set in the technological underbelly of the 21st century, this conspiracy thriller follows elite hacker Azi Bello on a journey of discovery into the dark marketplace known as Gomorrah, within which the world's worst people trade lives and influence. Taking the reader between London, Berlin, Athens and Los Angeles, as well as into terrorist-controlled Syrian cities, THIS IS GOMORRAH explores what it means to win, and to lose, at the global game of ideology and power. A loner, charmer, idealist and connoisseur of other people's mistakes, Azi's life is spun around by a mysterious approach from a young Muslim woman called Munira, and before long his carefully crafted privacy comes crashing down. Munira is at her wits' end, a fellow hacker whose cousin has been recruited by terrorists, and who has unearthed a terrible conspiracy in her struggle to bring him home. She needs Azi's help and connections to track him down. But can she be trusted? Can Azi trust anyone when identities can be changed with just a few clicks. . ?(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race
by Nicole PerlrothThis book is the product of more than seven years of interviews with more than three hundred individuals who have participated in, tracked, or been directly affected by the underground cyberarms industry. These individuals include hackers, activists, dissidents, academics, computer scientists, American and foreign government officials, forensic investigators, and mercenaries. Filled with spies, hackers, arms dealers, and a few unsung heroes, written like a thriller and a reference this book is an astonishing feat of journalism. Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, the author lifts the curtain on a market in shadow, revealing the urgent threat faced by us all if we cannot bring the global cyber arms race to heel.
This is Not a Game
by Walter Jon WilliamsTHIS IS NOT A GAME is a novel built around the coolest phenomenon in the world. That phenomenon is known as the Alternate Reality Game, or ARG. It's big, and it's getting bigger. It's immersive and massively interactive, and it's spreading through the Internet at the speed of light. To the player, the Alternate Reality Game has no boundaries. You can be standing in a parking lot, or a shopping center. A pay phone near you will ring, and on the other end will be someone demanding information. You'd better have the information handy. ARGs combine video, text adventure, radio plays, audio, animation, improvisational theater, graphics, and story into an immersive experience. Now, one of science fiction's most acclaimed writers, Walter Jon Williams, brings this extraordinary phenomenon to life in a pulse-pounding thriller. This is not a game. This is a novel that will blow your mind.
This Is Not A Drill: Just Another Glorious Day in the Oilfield
by Paul CarterThe outrageous sequel to Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs (She Thinks I m a Piano Player in a Whorehouse) brings more great stories from the far side of civilization - hilarious, full of humour, colourful characters and dramatic action! Just another glorious day in the oilfield for Paul Carter! He s stuck in the middle of the Russian sea on a rig staffed by a crew from Azerbaijan. The choppers are older than him and can only fly by line of sight, turning back regularly due to the weather which gets particuarly interesting when they are past the point of no return with half there fuel gone and they are committed to finding the rig in a fog that s thicker than a Big Brother housemate. The closest thing to a hotel for miles around is the Asylum , a former soviet mental institution that now houses offshore personnel en-route to the rig, where his room mates are Vodka Bob - who drinks Guinness for breakfast when he s not on the rig - Sick Boy, who snores like a pit bull being hot-waxed and Sealbasher . In his inimitable style Paul Carter regales us with his colourful adventures from the front line of thee oil industry and the far side of civilization!
This Is Not the End
by Chandler BakerIf you could choose one person to bring back to life, who would it be?Seventeen-year-old Lake Deveraux is the survivor of a car crash that killed her best friend and boyfriend. Now she faces an impossible choice. Resurrection technology changed the world, but strict laws allow just one resurrection per citizen, to be used on your eighteenth birthday or lost forever.You only have days to decide.For each grieving family, Lake is the best chance to bring back their child.For Lake, it's the only way to reclaim a piece of happiness after her own family fell apart.And Lake must also grapple with a secret--and illegal--vow she made years ago to resurrect someone else. Someone who's not even dead yet.Who do you need most?As Lake's eighteenth birthday nears, secrets and betrayals new and old threaten to eclipse her cherished memories. Lake has one chance to save a life...but can she live with her choice?
This Is Rocket Science
by Gloria Skurzynski..three, two, one... we have liftoff! From the award-winning author of Are We Alone? comes a title to propel young imaginations far into space. This Is Rocket Science explores the past, present, and future of space travel.The compelling text--vetted by NASA scientists--is a combination of history, science, human drama, and future challenges. Readers learn how fireworks in ancient China developed into the fire arrows used by Genghis Khan; we meet Sir Isaac Newton, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and learn how their imaginations shaped rocketry. We revisit the era of Sputnik, the satellite that launched a superpower space race, ending with moonwalks and a rendezvous in space. Finally we look forward to the future challenges of Mars and beyond. We also get a sneak peek at new technologies like space elevators, solar sails, ion propulsion, and more.