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CCEA A2 Unit 1 Business Studies Student Guide 3: Strategic decision making
by John McLaughlin David McAreeReinforce your understanding of CCEA A2 Unit 1: Strategic decision making and improve your exam technique for the CCEA A2 Unit A assessment.Packed full of clear topic summaries, knowledge check questions and sample exam-style questions and answers with commentaries, this guide will help you aim for and achieve the highest grades. This Student Guide will help you to:- Identify key content for the exams with our concise coverage of topics- Avoid common pitfalls with clear definitions and exam tips throughout- Reinforce your learning with bullet-list summaries at the end of each section- Test your knowledge with rapid-fire knowledge check questions and answers- Find out what examiners are looking for with our Questions & Answers section
The Cautious Traveller's Guide to The Wastelands: Be transported by the most exciting debut of 2024
by Sarah BrooksA breathtaking historical fantasy set onboard the Great Trans-Siberian Express - available to preorder now! 'Exciting . . . Imagine a crossover between Murder on the Orient Express, Game of Thrones and Paradise Lost . . . Brooks has serious talent' SUNDAY TIMES'I was completely transported by this book . . . I urge everybody to pick up a copy' STUART TURTON'Breathtaking . . . Abounding with mysteries and marvels' SAMANTHA SHANNON'Exceptional. Strange, addictive, immersive, it's a steampunk Piranesi meets His Dark Materials' JENNIE GODFREY'Mysterious and clever and brilliant' NATASHA PULLEYIt is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.It is the end of the nineteenth century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow.Nothing touches the Wastelands except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares.Onto the platform steps a curious cast of characters: Marya, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Weiwei, a famous child born on the train; and Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist.But there are whispers that the train isn't safe. As secrets and stories begin to unravel, the passengers and crew must survive their journey together, even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in . . .
Causal Inference in Pharmaceutical Statistics (Chapman & Hall/CRC Biostatistics Series)
by Yixin FangCausal Inference in Pharmaceutical Statistics introduces the basic concepts and fundamental methods of causal inference relevant to pharmaceutical statistics. This book covers causal thinking for different types of commonly used study designs in the pharmaceutical industry, including but not limited to randomized controlled clinical trials, longitudinal studies, singlearm clinical trials with external controls, and real-world evidence studies. The book starts with the central questions in drug development and licensing, takes the reader through the basic concepts and methods via different study types and through different stages, and concludes with a roadmap to conduct causal inference in clinical studies. The book is intended for clinical statisticians and epidemiologists working in the pharmaceutical industry. It will also be useful to graduate students in statistics, biostatistics, and data science looking to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry.Key Features: Causal inference book for clinical statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry Introductory level on the most important concepts and methods Align with FDA and ICH guidance documents Across different stages of clinical studies: plan, design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation Cover a variety of commonly used study designs
The Causal Angel: The Quantum Thief, The Fractal Prince, The Causal Angel (Jean le Flambeur #3)
by Hannu RajaniemiWith his infectious love of storytelling in all its forms, his rich characterization and his unrivaled grasp of thrillingly bizarre cutting-edge science, Hannu Rajaniemi swiftly set a new benchmark for Science Fiction in the 21st century. Now, with his third novel, he completes the tale of the many lives, and minds, of gentleman rogue Jean de Flambeur.Influenced as much by the fin de siècle novels of Maurice leBlanc as he is by the greats of SF, Rajaniemi weaves intricate, warm capers through dazzling science, extraordinary visions of a wild future,and deep conjectures on the nature of reality and story.In The Causal Angel we will discover the ultimate fates of Jean, his employer Miele, the independently minded ship Perhonnen, and the rest of a fractured and diverse humanity flung throughout the solar system.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Caught Inbetween
by Shawna JeanneWhen Lori Callahan meets Jack and Brandt at an auto care class they teach, she isn't sure which one of them is hitting on her more. They invite her out for drinks, and she's surprised to learn they're already a couple ... but they're looking for someone like her to complete them. Drinks turn into a date, which leads to much more.Jack Rowe and Peter Brandt have been together since high school, and fight like an old married couple. They don't agree on anything, it seems, except sex and how they both feel about Lori.But soon she finds herself caught inbetween the two. She doesn't want to take sides when her men fight -- she loves them both, and knows they love each other, even if they never say the words out loud.One evening Brandt pushes Jack too far. Will Lori be able to patch things up between them, or will their loving threesome fall apart for good?
Caught: A gripping thriller from the #1 bestselling creator of hit Netflix show Fool Me Once
by Harlan CobenBestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix show Fool Me Once Harlan Coben brings us a shocking thriller about a missing teenager and a journalist who will stop at nothing to discover the truth.Haley never gave her parents a moment's worry. Until one morning her mother wakes to find that her seventeen-year-old daughter didn't come home the night before.The community is stunned by her loss. Three months pass without a word and everyone assumes the worst.Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission: to identify and bring down sexual predators. Her latest target is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens.But Wendy soon realises she can't trust her own instincts - or the motives of the people around her - and that this story is more twisted than she could have imagined...
Catwoman’s Kitty Caper: Featuring Batgirl! (Bat-family Adventures Ser.)
by Steve Korté"The Dynamic Duo team up with Batgirl in this action-packed early chapter book. Someone has stolen a litter of rare cats from a Gotham City pet store! Batman and Robin team up with Batgirl to solve the case. But before the cat burglar is captured, another valuable item goes missing: a cat-themed painting from the Gotham Museum of Art. Can the Bat-Family put a stop to these kitty capers, or are the Caped Crusaders up against the purr-fect crimes? Find out in this must-read installment of Bat-Family Adventures. With easy-to-read text and full-color illustrations, this exhilarating series is perfect for young superhero fans—and their entire family! More Bat-Family Adventures! Bat-Mite in the Batcave Gorilla Grodd’s Animal Attack Killer Croc’s Powerful Potion"
Catholic Spectacle and Rome's Jews: Early Modern Conversion and Resistance
by Dr Emily MichelsonA new investigation that shows how conversionary preaching to Jews was essential to the early modern Catholic Church and the Roman religious landscapeStarting in the sixteenth century, Jews in Rome were forced, every Saturday, to attend a hostile sermon aimed at their conversion. Harshly policed, they were made to march en masse toward the sermon and sit through it, all the while scrutinized by local Christians, foreign visitors, and potential converts. In Catholic Spectacle and Rome’s Jews, Emily Michelson demonstrates how this display was vital to the development of early modern Catholicism.Drawing from a trove of overlooked manuscripts, Michelson reconstructs the dynamics of weekly forced preaching in Rome. As the Catholic Church began to embark on worldwide missions, sermons to Jews offered a unique opportunity to define and defend its new triumphalist, global outlook. They became a point of prestige in Rome. The city’s most important organizations invested in maintaining these spectacles, and foreign tourists eagerly attended them. The title of “Preacher to the Jews” could make a man’s career. The presence of Christian spectators, Roman and foreign, was integral to these sermons, and preachers played to the gallery. Conversionary sermons also provided an intellectual veneer to mask ongoing anti-Jewish aggressions. In response, Jews mounted a campaign of resistance, using any means available.Examining the history and content of sermons to Jews over two and a half centuries, Catholic Spectacle and Rome’s Jews argues that conversionary preaching to Jews played a fundamental role in forming early modern Catholic identity.
The Catholic School: A Novel
by Edoardo AlbinatiA semiautobiographical coming-of-age story, framed by the harrowing 1975 Circeo massacreEdoardo Albinati’s The Catholic School, the winner of Italy’s most prestigious award, The Strega Prize, is a powerful investigation of the heart and soul of contemporary Italy.Three well-off young men—former students at Rome’s prestigious all-boys Catholic high school San Leone Magno—brutally tortured, raped, and murdered two young women in 1975. The event, which came to be known as the Circeo massacre, shocked and captivated the country, exposing the violence and dark underbelly of the upper middle class at a moment when the traditional structures of family and religion were seen as under threat.It is this environment, the halls of San Leone Magno in the late 1960s and the 1970s, that Edoardo Albinati takes as his subject. His experience at the school, reflections on his adolescence, and thoughts on the forces that produced contemporary Italy are painstakingly and thoughtfully rendered, producing a remarkable blend of memoir, coming-of-age novel, and true-crime story. Along with indelible portraits of his teachers and fellow classmates—the charming Arbus, the literature teacher Cosmos, and his only Fascist friend, Max—Albinati also gives us his nuanced reflections on the legacy of abuse, the Italian bourgeoisie, and the relationship between sex, violence, and masculinity.
Catholic Faith And Practice: A Manual Of Theology
by Alfred Garnett MortimerThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Categorical and Nonparametric Data Analysis: Choosing the Best Statistical Technique (Multivariate Applications Series)
by E. Michael NussbaumNow in its second edition, this book provides a focused, comprehensive overview of both categorical and nonparametric statistics, offering a conceptual framework for choosing the most appropriate test in various scenarios. The book’s clear explanations and Exploring the Concept boxes help reduce reader anxiety. Problems inspired by actual studies provide meaningful illustrations of these techniques. Basic statistics and probability are reviewed for those needing a refresher with mathematical derivations placed in optional appendices.Highlights include the following:• Three chapters co-authored with Edgar Brunner address modern nonparametric techniques, along with accompanying R code.• Unique coverage of both categorical and nonparametric statistics better prepares readers to select the best technique for particular research projects.• Designed to be used with most statistical packages, clear examples of how to use the tests in SPSS, R, and Excel foster conceptual understanding.• Exploring the Concept boxes integrated throughout prompt students to draw links between the concepts to deepen understanding.• Fully developed Instructor and Student Resources featuring datasets for the book's problems and a guide to R, and for the instructor PowerPoints, author's syllabus, and answers to even-numbered problems.Intended for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in categorical and nonparametric statistics taught in psychology, education, human development, sociology, political science, and other social and life sciences.
Catastrophizing: Materialism and the Making of Disaster
by Gerard PassannanteWhen we catastrophize, we think the worst. We make too much of too little, or something of nothing. Yet what looks simply like a bad habit, Gerard Passannante argues, was also a spur to some of the daring conceptual innovations and feats of imagination that defined the intellectual and cultural history of the early modern period. Reaching back to the time between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, Passannante traces a history of catastrophizing through literary and philosophical encounters with materialism—the view that the world is composed of nothing but matter. As artists, poets, philosophers, and scholars pondered the physical causes and material stuff of the cosmos, they conjured up disasters out of thin air and responded as though to events that were befalling them. From Leonardo da Vinci’s imaginative experiments with nature’s destructive forces to the fevered fantasies of doomsday astrologers, from the self-fulfilling prophecies of Shakespeare’s tragic characters to the mental earthquakes that guided Kant toward his theory of the sublime, Passannante shows how and why the early moderns reached for disaster when they ventured beyond the limits of the sensible. He goes on to explore both the danger and the critical potential of thinking catastrophically in our own time.
Catastrophic Thinking: Extinction and the Value of Diversity from Darwin to the Anthropocene (science.culture)
by David SepkoskiA history of scientific ideas about extinction that explains why we learned to value diversity as a precious resource at the same time as we learned to “think catastrophically” about extinction. We live in an age in which we are repeatedly reminded—by scientists, by the media, by popular culture—of the looming threat of mass extinction. We’re told that human activity is currently producing a sixth mass extinction, perhaps of even greater magnitude than the five previous geological catastrophes that drastically altered life on Earth. Indeed, there is a very real concern that the human species may itself be poised to go the way of the dinosaurs, victims of the most recent mass extinction some 65 million years ago. How we interpret the causes and consequences of extinction and their ensuing moral imperatives is deeply embedded in the cultural values of any given historical moment. And, as David Sepkoski reveals, the history of scientific ideas about extinction over the past two hundred years—as both a past and a current process—is implicated in major changes in the way Western society has approached biological and cultural diversity. It seems self-evident to most of us that diverse ecosystems and societies are intrinsically valuable, but the current fascination with diversity is a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, the way we value diversity depends crucially on our sense that it is precarious—that it is something actively threatened, and that its loss could have profound consequences. In Catastrophic Thinking, Sepkoski uncovers how and why we learned to value diversity as a precious resource at the same time as we learned to think catastrophically about extinction.
Cataracts: A Patient’s Guide to Treatment
by David F. Chang Bryan LeeIf you have been diagnosed with cataracts or are concerned you may have them, get detailed and understandable answers to your questions with Cataracts: A Patient’s Guide to Treatment, Third Edition, newly updated to include the latest information on rapidly-evolving cataract surgical and lens implant technologies. Even though cataract surgery is performed several million times a year, it is common for patients to have questions, concerns, and misconceptions when it comes to the surgery. This useful resource covers the most commonly asked questions with clear, understandable explanations. Two of the country’s foremost cataract experts, Dr. David F. Chang and Dr. Bryan S. Lee, walk readers through the procedure and explain why cataracts form, how they are diagnosed, how they are treated, and what other eye conditions may affect cataract surgery, all in a way that is easily understandable for patients and their families.Cataracts: A Patient’s Guide to Treatment, Third Edition is easy-to-read and brief in length. It nonetheless provides comprehensive information on patient-specific issues that affect cataract surgery success and outcomes. It serves as an excellent supplement to information and advice obtained from the patient’s own eye doctor.A few of the questions answered inside Cataracts: A Patient’s Guide, Third Edition: How are cataracts diagnosed? How do I know if I should have cataract surgery? What kind of anesthesia is used during surgery? Which of the intraocular lens implant options should I consider? What is the role of lasers in cataract surgery? What is the recovery like after surgery? Will I still need glasses or contacts after surgery? Can I have surgery if I have glaucoma or other eye conditions? After reading Cataracts: A Patient’s Guide, Third Edition, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about cataract surgery and will understand much more about the range of artificial lens implant options that can get you seeing clearly again.
Cataract Surgery With Phaco and Femtophaco Techniques
by Lucio Buratto Stephen Brint Rosalia SorceCataract Surgery With Phaco and Femtophaco Techniques offers a unique insight into the evolution of phacoemulsification machines and the development of new ways to supply energy, as well as new devices that improve fluidics therefore increasing the safety of the phaco and femtophaco surgical procedures. Dr. Lucio Buratto, Dr. Stephen Brint, and Dr. Rosalia Sorce provide a step-by-step approach to everything the surgeon must learn about the physical principles that regulate the fluidics and energy to understand the machine’s working during the surgical procedure. Cataract Surgery With Phaco and Femtophaco Techniques covers a wide variety of topics, including anterior chamber phacoemulsification, endocapsular techniques, irrigation and aspiration, fluidics and pumps, and principles of femtosecond cataract surgery. Supplemented by more than 300 color illustrations, diagrams, a glossary, and references, all surgeons from beginner to expert will want this unique resource by their side.
Cataract Surgery in Complicated Cases
by Luigi Caretti Lucio Buratto Stephen BrintCataract Surgery in Complicated Cases offer the latest techniques in treating complicated cases as faced by today’s surgeons performing cataract surgery. Dr. Lucio Buratto; Dr. Stephen Brint; and Dr. Luigi Caretti provide step-by-step approach to facilitate how to assess the patient, perform the technique, and manager the most challenging cataract surgery complicated cases facing both beginning and experienced surgeons.Cataract Surgery in Complicated Cases covers a wide variety of topics including cataract in high myopia, floppy iris syndrome, traumatic cataract, phacoemulsification with a small pupil, and IOL explanation and replacement.Supplemented by more than 250 color illustrations, diagrams, a glossary, and references, all surgeons, from beginner to expert will want this unique resource by their side.
Cataract Surgery from Routine to Complex: A Practical Guide
by Randall Olson George Jin Ike Ahmed Alan CrandallCataract Surgery from Routine to Complex: A Practical Guide provides eye care professionals guidance on what to do and how to avoid potential complications in all aspects of cataract surgery, just as if the world’s experts were by your side. Drs. Randy Olson, George Jin, Ike Ahmed, Alan Crandall, Robert Cionni, and Jason Jones concisely provide a wealth of information, including a detailed list of key issues and considerations for virtually all the possible contingencies of the procedure. Some Topics and Sections Include: -Examination Pupil size, ocular dominance, biometry, and more -IOL Choice Monofocal: aspheric vs. traditional; presbyopia-correcting: mutifocal vs. accommodating; toric, and more -Routine Cataract Surgery Microincision cataract surgery, OVD selection, current phacoemulsification techniques, and more -Complex Cataract Surgery Hypermature cataract, small pupil, pseudoexfoliation, nanophthalmos, pediatric cataract, and more Intra-Operative Complications Wound burn, posterior capsular rupture, shallow anterior chamber, and more -Patient Assessment Visual acuity, refraction, visual quality, and more -Postoperative Complications Endophthalmitis, toxic anterior segment syndrome, IOL dislocation, and more Cataract Surgery from Routine to Complex also includes a companion website that provides more than 2 hours of learning with 38 edited and narrated video presentations, perfectly complementing the procedures discussed inside the text. Cataract Surgery from Routine to Complex is the combination of a practical guide with broad academic underpinnings along with current controversial subjects on cataract surgery, making it ideal for eye care professionals who wish to update their knowledge and translate it into improved surgical techniques and better cataract patient education.
Cataract Surgery Complications
by Lucio Buratto Stephen Brint Mario RomanoCataract Surgery Complications offer the latest techniques in prevention and management of all intra and postoperative complications faced by today’s surgeons performing cataract surgery. Dr. Lucio Buratto; Dr. Stephen Brint; and Dr. Mario R. Romano are joined by 11 expert contributors who provide step-by-step approach to facilitate how to comfortably manage complications, including instrumentation and technique.Cataract Surgery Complications covers a wide variety of topics including hydrodissection maneuvers, posterior capsule rupture; endophthalmitis; corneal incisions, and phacoemulsification.Supplemented by more than 200 color illustrations, diagrams, and references, all surgeons, from beginner to expert will want this unique resource by their side.
Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Lenses
by Lucio Buratto Domenico Boccuzzi Stephen BrintCataract Surgery and Intraocular Lenses offer a detailed overview of intraocular lenses, as the choice of the IOL to be implanted is a critical detail in the patient selection and surgical preparation, and therefore leading to the most optimal patient results. Dr. Lucio Buratto, Dr. Stephen Brint, and Dr. Domenico Boccuzzi present the latest information on the most advanced diagnostic techniques and surgical decisions for IOL selection and implantation. Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Lenses covers a wide variety of topics, including monofocal IOLs, multifocal IOLs, accommodative IOLs, injectors and implantation of foldable IOLs, tear or damage of the IOL, and viscoelastic substances. Supplemented by more than 200 color illustrations, diagrams, a glossary, and references, all surgeons from beginner to expert will want this unique resource by their side.
Cataract Surgery: Introduction and Preparation
by Lucio Buratto Stephen Brint Laura SacchiCataract Surgery: Introduction and Preparation offer the latest information and examines the most popular instruments used, the preoperative examination, and the operating technique for cataract surgery. Dr. Lucio Buratto, Dr. Stephen Brint, and Dr. Laura Sacchi provide a step-by-step approach to facilitate assessing the patient, performing the technique, and managing cataract surgery in the most optimal way possible. Cataract Surgery: Introduction and Preparation will lead beginning surgeons down the exciting path of cataract surgery as they increase their knowledge of phacoemulsification and the femtolaser by learning all the details associated with the procedures. Cataract Surgery: Introduction and Preparation covers a wide variety of topics, including presurgery examination, incisions, capsulorhexis, hydrodissection, prevention of endophthalmitis, and ophthalmic viscosurgical devices for modern cataract surgery. Supplemented by more than 200 color illustrations, diagrams, a glossary, and references, all surgeons from beginner to expert will want this unique resource by their side.
The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets
by Thomas R. CechOne of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2024 Exploring the most transformative breakthroughs in biology since the discovery of the double helix, a Nobel Prize–winning scientist unveils the RNA age. For over half a century, DNA has dominated science and the popular imagination as the “secret of life.” But over the last several decades, a quiet revolution has taken place. In a series of breathtaking discoveries, the biochemist Thomas R. Cech and a diverse cast of brilliant scientists have revealed that RNA—long overlooked as the passive servant of DNA—sits at the center of biology’s greatest mysteries: How did life begin? What makes us human? Why do we get sick and grow old? In The Catalyst, Cech finally brings together years of research to demonstrate that RNA is the true key to understanding life on Earth, from its very origins to our future in the twenty-first century. A gripping journey of discovery, The Catalyst moves from the early experiments that first hinted at RNA’s spectacular powers, to Cech’s own paradigm-shifting finding that it can catalyze cellular reactions, to the cutting-edge biotechnologies poised to reshape our health. We learn how RNA—once thought merely to transmit DNA’s genetic instructions to the cell’s protein-making machinery—may have jump-started life itself, and how, at the same time, it can cut our individual lives short through viral diseases and cancer. We see how RNA is implicated in the aging process and explore the darker depths of the supposed fountain of youth, telomerase. And we catch a thrilling glimpse into how RNA-powered therapies—from CRISPR, the revolutionary tool that uses RNA to rewrite the code of life, to the groundbreaking mRNA vaccines that have saved millions during the pandemic, and more—may enable us to improve and even extend life beyond nature’s current limits. Written by one of our foremost scientists, The Catalyst is a must-read guide to the present and future of biology and medicine.
Catalyst Preparation: Science and Engineering
by John RegalbutoImproving the effectiveness of catalysts is the best way to ensure cleaner, more efficient industrial processes for a wide range of applications. Catalyst Preparation: Science and Engineering explores the optimization of catalytic materials through traditional and novel methods of catalyst preparation, characterization, and monitoring on lab
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel (Star Wars)
by James LucenoNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Lauded Star Wars author James Luceno returns to pen an intense tale of ambition and betrayal that sets the stage for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. War is tearing the galaxy apart. For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine&’s top-secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before the Republic&’s enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic&’s, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key. Galen&’s energy-focused research has captured the attention of both Krennic and his foes, making the scientist a crucial pawn in the galactic conflict. But after Krennic rescues Galen; his wife, Lyra; and their young daughter, Jyn, from Separatist kidnappers, the Erso family is deeply in Krennic&’s debt. Krennic then offers Galen an extraordinary opportunity: to continue his scientific studies with every resource put utterly at his disposal. While Galen and Lyra believe that his energy research will be used purely in altruistic ways, Krennic has other plans that will finally make the Death Star a reality. Trapped in their benefactor&’s tightening grasp, the Ersos must untangle Krennic&’s web of deception to save themselves—and the entire galaxy.
Cat Musculature: A Photographic Atlas
by Gordon GreenblattThis series of brilliant photographs shows the dissection of the cat musculature. It is designed for use in conjunction with the third edition of Hyman's Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, edited by Marvalee Wake, although it can be used with other textbooks. Every possible step has been taken to make the photographs easy to interpret and to follow. Reference indications to the Wake texts are included, and also concise data on the origin, insertion, and action of each muscle. The scale is such that in most cases no more than five muscles are shown per photograph, thus simplifying the task of visualizing the individual muscles. An invaluable aid for every student of cat anatomy.
Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba
by Alina Fernández"Mommy, mommy, call him. Tell him to come here right away. I have so many things to tell him!"I had a ton of things to tell him. I wanted him to find a solution to all the shortages of clothes; of meat, so it would again be distributed through the ration books.I also wanted to ask him to give our Christmas back. And to come live with us. I wanted to let him know how much we really needed him...Fidel didn't answer my letter. I kept writing him letters from a sweet and well-behaved child, a brave but sad girl. Letters resembling those of a secret, spurned lover...As a girl growing up in Cuba, Alina Fernandez found nothing abnormal in the fact that Fidel Castro would occasionally visit her house bearing gifts just for her. At the age of ten, her mother finally told her the truth: she was Castro's Daughter.