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The Bitter Past: A Mystery (Porter Beck #1)
by Bruce BorgosIn the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos's The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck…Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.
Crossing the Postmodern Divide
by Albert BorgmannIn this eloquent guide to the meanings of the postmodern era, Albert Borgmann charts the options before us as we seek alternatives to the joyless and artificial culture of consumption. Borgmann connects the fundamental ideas driving his understanding of society's ills to every sphere of contemporary social life, and goes beyond the language of postmodern discourse to offer a powerfully articulated vision of what this new era, at its best, has in store. "[This] thoughtful book is the first remotely realistic map out of the post modern labyrinth."—Joseph Coates, The Chicago Tribune "Rather astoundingly large-minded vision of the nature of humanity, civilization and science."—Kirkus Reviews
Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life: A Philosophical Inquiry
by Albert BorgmannBlending social analysis and philosophy, Albert Borgmann maintains that technology creates a controlling pattern in our lives. This pattern, discernible even in such an inconspicuous action as switching on a stereo, has global effects: it sharply divides life into labor and leisure, it sustains the industrial democracies, and it fosters the view that the earth itself is a technological device. He argues that technology has served us as well in conquering hunger and disease, but that when we turn to it for richer experiences, it leads instead to a life dominated by effortless and thoughtless consumption. Borgmann does not reject technology but calls for public conversation about the nature of the good life. He counsels us to make room in a technological age for matters of ultimate concern—things and practices that engage us in their own right.
Towards a Smart, Resilient and Sustainable Industry: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Industrial Engineering and Automation ISIEA 2023 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #745)
by Yuri Borgianni Guido Orzes Dominik T. Matt Margherita MolinaroThis book offers insights into the new trends that are pushing industries toward the 5.0 paradigm. Digitalization has made tremendous inroads, and the key enabling technologies for Industry 4.0 are increasingly mature. “Towards a Smart, Resilient and Sustainable Industry” not only strikes a balance among the current benefits, issues, and limitations of the current wave of digitalization, but also identifies the key challenges for making new industrial developments favorable for people and the environment. The different perspectives presented in this collection are gathered from contributions presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Industrial Engineering and Automation (ISIEA 2023), which took place at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano on June 22-23, 2023. Readers will realize how aspects from different disciplines are interwoven to allow positive changes across industries: from engineering to artificial intelligence, from management to design, and from health care to biology.
Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering IX, Volume 1: Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal
by José L. Borges António S. Cardoso Pedro A. Costa António T. Gomes José C. Marques Castorina S. VieiraNUMGE 2018 is the ninth in a series of conferences on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering organized by the ERTC7 under the auspices of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). The first conference was held in 1986 in Stuttgart, Germany and the series continued every four years (1990 Santander, Spain; 1994 Manchester, United Kingdom; 1998 Udine, Italy; 2002 Paris, France; 2006 Graz, Austria; 2010 Trondheim, Norway; 2014 Delft, The Netherlands).The conference provides a forum for exchange of ideas and discussion on topics related to numerical modelling in geotechnical engineering. Both senior and young researchers, as well as scientists and engineers from Europe and overseas, are invited to attend this conference to share and exchange their knowledge and experiences.This work is the first volume of NUMGE 2018.
Seeking Molecular Biomarkers for Schizophrenia Using ROC Analysis
by Margareth Borges Coutinho GalloSchizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) manifest multidimensionally, presenting a syndromic nature with several symptomatic domains. These are driven by dynamic systemic biological changes that unfold over the course of the disease. Thus far, the diagnosis is solely based on symptoms, which may be rather subjective, moving research toward the search for SSD biomarkers. This book presents a summary of the main hypotheses that have evolved over time to explain the pathophysiology of SSD and that have driven the discovery of associated biomarkers: neurotrophic, neurotransmitter, neuroendocrine, immune-inflammatory, nitrosative/oxidative stress, metabolic, and gut microbiota-brain axis. The book shows the most relevant research carried out in the last twelve years to develop predictive, diagnostic, theranostic or transdiagnostic models based on these biomarkers using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Chapters also discuss how the literature has addressed the development and/or addition of new discriminatory biomarkers to achieve robust and successful results. The book is rounded out with a step-by-step explanation on how to work on the MetaboAnalyst platform, including the meaning of the chosen statistics and how to interpret them in the results obtained. This book is a useful resource for students and scientists involved in the discovery of biomarkers for psychiatric disorders and other diseases.
Elektronik in der Fahrzeugtechnik: Hardware, Software, Systeme und Projektmanagement (ATZ/MTZ-Fachbuch)
by Kai BorgeestDas Buch vermittelt die Grundlagen, um die Besonderheiten der Elektronik und Software im Kfz nicht nur zu kennen, sondern auch zu verstehen. Zusätzlich wird an Beispielen die Komplexität realer Systeme im Fahrzeug vorgeführt und gezeigt, welche Anwendungen durch die Elektronik erst möglich werden. Das Spannungsfeld zwischen Sicherheit, Zuverlässigkeit und Komplexität prägt in Verbindung mit branchenüblichen Abläufen das Vorgehen bei der Entwicklung, das ein in diesem Bereich tätiger Ingenieur verstehen muss.
Reinventing Hollywood: How 1940s Filmmakers Changed Movie Storytelling
by David BordwellIn the 1940s, American movies changed. Flashbacks began to be used in outrageous, unpredictable ways. Soundtracks flaunted voice-over commentary, and characters might pivot from a scene to address the viewer. Incidents were replayed from different characters’ viewpoints, and sometimes those versions proved to be false. Films now plunged viewers into characters’ memories, dreams, and hallucinations. Some films didn’t have protagonists, while others centered on anti-heroes or psychopaths. Women might be on the verge of madness, and neurotic heroes lurched into violent confrontations. Combining many of these ingredients, a new genre emerged—the psychological thriller, populated by women in peril and innocent bystanders targeted for death. If this sounds like today’s cinema, that’s because it is. In Reinventing Hollywood, David Bordwell examines the full range and depth of trends that crystallized into traditions. He shows how the Christopher Nolans and Quentin Tarantinos of today owe an immense debt to the dynamic, occasionally delirious narrative experiments of the Forties. Through in-depth analyses of films both famous and virtually unknown, from Our Town and All About Eve to Swell Guy and The Guilt of Janet Ames, Bordwell assesses the era’s unique achievements and its legacy for future filmmakers. Reinventing Hollywood is a groundbreaking study of how Hollywood storytelling became a more complex art and essential reading for lovers of popular cinema.
The Material: A Novel
by Camille Bordas&“A novel about an MFA program for stand-up comics better be damned funny, and The Material is definitely that. It&’s also profound, deeply engrossing, dark, and generous, a great novel about humans making art right now.&”—Sam Lipsyte, author of No One Left to Come Looking for You &“Brilliance is on display here.&”—Percival Everett, author of James and The TreesCan comedy be taught? Someone, at some point, seemed to think so. The Chicago Stand-Up MFA program has enrolled young comedians for nearly a decade.Its teachers and students all know how bits work—in theory, at least. They know that there&’s a line between sharp and cruel, that sad becomes funny at the right angle, that the worst is the best, the truth is the worst, and any moment of your life that isn&’t a punch line will either get you to a punch line or force you to be one.They&’re all afraid to be one.Artie may be too handsome for standup, Olivia too reluctant to examine her own life, and Phil too afraid to cause harm. Kruger may be too vanilla to command his students&’ respect, Ashbee too detached. And then we have Dorothy—the only woman on the program&’s faculty—who though preparing to launch a comeback tour can&’t tell if she&’s too abiding, too ambitious, or too ambivalent.Whether a visiting professor—the high-profile, controversy-steeped comedian Manny Reinhardt—will do more to help or harm their cause remains to be seen. But he&’s on his way. He&’ll be arriving sooner than anyone thinks.Riffing keenly across a diverse array of precision-cut perspectives, The Material examines life through the eyes of a reluctantly assembled ensemble, a band of outsiders bound together by the need to laugh and the longing to make others laugh even harder.
The Rhetoric of Fiction
by Wayne C. BoothThe first edition of The Rhetoric of Fiction transformed the criticism of fiction and soon became a classic in the field. One of the most widely used texts in fiction courses, it is a standard reference point in advanced discussions of how fictional form works, how authors make novels accessible, and how readers recreate texts, and its concepts and terms—such as "the implied author," "the postulated reader," and "the unreliable narrator"—have become part of the standard critical lexicon. For this new edition, Wayne C. Booth has written an extensive Afterword in which he clarifies misunderstandings, corrects what he now views as errors, and sets forth his own recent thinking about the rhetoric of fiction. The other new feature is a Supplementary Bibliography, prepared by James Phelan in consultation with the author, which lists the important critical works of the past twenty years—two decades that Booth describes as "the richest in the history of the subject."
Three Tigers, One Mountain: A Journey Through the Bitter History and Current Conflicts of China, Korea, and Japan
by Michael BoothFrom the author of The Almost Nearly Perfect People, a lively tour through Japan, Korea, and China, exploring the intertwined cultures and often fraught history of these neighboring countries.There is an ancient Chinese proverb that states, “Two tigers cannot share the same mountain.” However, in East Asia, there are three tigers on that mountain: China, Japan, and Korea, and they have a long history of turmoil and tension with each other. In his latest entertaining and thought provoking narrative travelogue, Michael Booth sets out to discover how deep, really, is the enmity between these three “tiger” nations, and what prevents them from making peace. Currently China’s economic power continues to grow, Japan is becoming more militaristic, and Korea struggles to reconcile its westernized south with the dictatorial Communist north. Booth, long fascinated with the region, travels by car, ferry, train, and foot, experiencing the people and culture of these nations up close. No matter where he goes, the burden of history, and the memory of past atrocities, continues to overshadow present relationships. Ultimately, Booth seeks a way forward for these closely intertwined, neighboring nations.An enlightening, entertaining and sometimes sobering journey through China, Japan, and Korea, Three Tigers, One Mountain is an intimate and in-depth look at some of the world’s most powerful and important countries.
Islands of Silence: A Novel
by Martin BoothIslands of Silence is the story of the young Alec Marquand, who in the summer of 1914 has just graduated from college with a degree in archaeology. He has been hired by the lord of a remote country estate in the Scottish Highlands to survey the ancient Stone Age brochs that lie on his property. Once there Alec comes upon a small island which is called Eilean Tosdach--the Island of Silence. What Alec discovers on that island changes him forever. And just as Alec makes his amazing find, he is shipped off to war . . . a war he does not want to fight, but one in which he ends up as a medic aboard a ship ready to storm the beaches of Gallipoli.A brilliantly crafted novel in the tradition of All's Quiet on the Western Front and The Ghost Road, Islands of Silence is a tour through one man's hell in search of a path for redemption.
Multiplicity of Time Scales in Complex Systems: Challenges for Sciences and Communication I (Mathematics Online First Collections)
by Bernhelm Booß-Bavnbek Katherine Richardson Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen Oriol Vallès CodinaThis highly interdisciplinary volume brings together a carefully curated set of case studies examining complex systems with multiple time scales (MTS) across a variety of fields: materials science, epidemiology, cell physiology, mathematics, climatology, energy transition planning, ecology, economics, sociology, history, and cultural studies. The book addresses the vast diversity of interacting processes underlying the behaviour of different complex systems, highlighting the multiplicity of characteristic time scales that are a common feature of many and showcases a rich variety of methodologies across disciplinary boundaries. Self-organizing, out-of-equilibrium, ever-evolving systems are ubiquitous in the natural and social world. Examples include the climate, ecosystems, living cells, epidemics, the human brain, and many socio-economic systems across history. Their dynamical behaviour poses great challenges in the pressing context of the climate crisis, since they may involve nonlinearities, feedback loops, and the emergence of spatial-temporal patterns, portrayed by resilience or instability, plasticity or rigidity; bifurcations, thresholds and tipping points; burst-in excitation or slow relaxation, and worlds of other asymptotic behaviour, hysteresis, and resistance to change. Chapters can be read individually by the reader with special interest in such behaviours of particular complex systems or in specific disciplinary perspectives. Read together, however, the case studies, opinion pieces, and meta-studies on MTS systems presented and analysed here combine to give the reader insights that are more than the sum of the book’s individual chapters, as surprising similarities become apparent in seemingly disparate and unconnected systems. MTS systems call into question naïve perceptions of time and complexity, moving beyond conventional ways of description, analysis, understanding, modelling, numerical prediction, and prescription of the worldaround us. This edited collection presents new ways of forecasting, introduces new means of control, and – perhaps as the most demanding task – it singles out a sustainable description of an MTS system under observation, offering a more nuanced interpretation of the floods of quantitative data and images made available by high- and low-frequency measurement tools in our unprecedented era of information flows.
Multiplicity of Time Scales in Complex Systems: Challenges for Sciences and Communication II (Mathematics Online First Collections)
by Bernhelm Booß-Bavnbek Katherine Richardson Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen Oriol Vallès CodinaNote to the interested reader to have a look at the companion to this volume Challenges for Sciences and Communication I | ISBN: 978-3-031-28048-1.This highly interdisciplinary volume brings together a carefully curated set of case studies examining complex systems with multiple time scales (MTS) across a variety of fields: materials science, epidemiology, cell physiology, mathematics, climatology, energy transition planning, ecology, economics, sociology, history, and cultural studies. The book addresses the vast diversity of interacting processes underlying the behaviour of different complex systems, highlighting the multiplicity of characteristic time scales that are a common feature of many and showcases a rich variety of methodologies across disciplinary boundaries. Self-organizing, out-of-equilibrium, ever-evolving systems are ubiquitous in the natural and social world. Examples include the climate, ecosystems, living cells, epidemics, the human brain, and many socio-economic systems across history. Their dynamical behaviour poses great challenges in the pressing context of the climate crisis, since they may involve nonlinearities, feedback loops, and the emergence of spatial-temporal patterns, portrayed by resilience or instability, plasticity or rigidity; bifurcations, thresholds and tipping points; burst-in excitation or slow relaxation, and worlds of other asymptotic behaviour, hysteresis, and resistance to change. Chapters can be read individually by the reader with special interest in such behaviours of particular complex systems or in specific disciplinary perspectives. Read together, however, the case studies, opinion pieces, and meta-studies on MTS systems presented and analysed here combine to give the reader insights that are more than the sum of the book’s individual chapters, as surprising similarities become apparent in seemingly disparate and unconnected systems. MTS systems call into question naïve perceptionsof time and complexity, moving beyond conventional ways of description, analysis, understanding, modelling, numerical prediction, and prescription of the world around us. This edited collection presents new ways of forecasting, introduces new means of control, and – perhaps as the most demanding task – it singles out a sustainable description of an MTS system under observation, offering a more nuanced interpretation of the floods of quantitative data and images made available by high- and low-frequency measurement tools in our unprecedented era of information flows.
Into the Sublime
by Kate A. Boorman"Gripping and breathless, Into the Sublime is equal parts terrifying, claustrophobic, psychological, and cunning." —Wendy Heard, author of She's Too Pretty to Burn and Dead End GirlsA new YA psychological thriller from Kate A. Boorman, author of What We Buried, about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears.When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.- Three of them came out alive.- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.- And one is soaked in blood and ready to talk.Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk—and survive—its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group’s dares. But as her account unwinds, and the girls’ personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she’s not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl?Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between?After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us.
College Chemistry (Collins College Outlines)
by Steven Boone Drew H. WolfeThe Collins College Outline for College Chemistry is a comprehensive guide to the fundamental concepts behind chemical reactions, bonding, equilibria, and thermodynamics, with topics ranging from simple chemical measurements and the basics of atoms and molecules to entropy, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Fully revised and updated by Dr. Steven Boone, College Chemistry includes practical "test yourself" sections with answers and complete explanations at the end of each chapter. Also included are essential vocabulary definitions and sample exercises, as well as detailed images, charts, and diagrams.The Collins College Outlines are a completely revised, in-depth series of study guides for all areas of study, including the Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Language, History, and Business. Featuring the most up-to-date information, each book is written by a seasoned professor in the field and focuses on a simplified and general overview of the subject for college students and, where appropriate, Advanced Placement students. Each Collins College Outline is fully integrated with the major curriculum for its subject and is a perfect supplement for any standard textbook.
The Jokiest Joking Christmas Joke Book Ever Written . . . No Joke!: 525 Yuletide Gags, Santa Sillies, and Frosty Funnies (Jokiest Joking Joke Books #6)
by Brian Boone525 Christmas shenanigans to giggle all the way!Fa la la la la, la ha-ha-ha! Welcome to The Jokiest Joking Christmas Joke Book Ever...No Joke!–where you will find a jolly sleigh ride of jokes, giggles, gags, and Christmas joy that will have you snickering along with good ol’ St. Nick and all his reindeer friends. Get ready for the Santa season with enough laughs to shake your belly like a bowlful of jelly! This Christmas companion can fit just as easily inside your stocking as it can in your sleigh–so take it on the go-ho-ho! - 525 of the goofiest, kid-friendliest jokes for frosty fun - Splendid sillies for everyone on Santa’s good list - Festively funny illustrations for a jingle-belling good time Let your yuletide dreams be merry and bright with these funny one-liners, sparkling knock-knock jokes, snowy puns, and holiday chucklers that are sure to keep you laughing like it’s Christmas every day!
The Kobe Way: The Iconic Moments and Maneuvers That Made Him a Legend
by Brian Boone“I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan. I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”Kobe Bryant was an unstoppable force. His secret: he played The Kobe Way. Go inside the techniques that made the “Black Mamba” a late-game hero for the Los Angeles Lakers, the on- and off-court leadership moments that continue to inspire all athletes, and the unrelenting determination and spirit that made him get back up for the win time and time again over twenty seasons. - Learn how Kobe tenaciously worked to make himself better, faster, and more precise - Get motivated with Kobe’s best quotes that capture his tireless pursuit of greatness- Take in a Mamba-eyed view of the exact games, points, and drills that separated Kobe from the rest- Discover little-known facts and stats about Kobe’s life and gameplay through fun, bold infographics- Look back on Kobe’s generous spirit through his sports academy, charitable giving, and mentorship effortsTwenty-five stories and original, vibrantly illustrated portraits celebrate Kobe’s larger-than-life persona and boundless spirit.
Dispatches from the Pacific: The World War II Reporting of Robert L. Sherrod
by Ray E. BoomhowerIn the fall of 1943, armed with only his notebooks and pencils, Time and Life correspondent Robert L. Sherrod leapt from the safety of a landing craft and waded through neck-deep water and a hail of bullets to reach the shores of the Tarawa Atoll with the US Marine Corps. Living shoulder to shoulder with the marines, Sherrod chronicled combat and the marines' day-to-day struggles as they leapfrogged across the Central Pacific, battling the Japanese on Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. While the marines courageously and doggedly confronted an enemy that at times seemed invincible, those left behind on the American home front desperately scanned Sherrod's columns for news of their loved ones. Following his death in 1994, the Washington Post heralded Sherrod's reporting as "some of the most vivid accounts of men at war ever produced by an American journalist." Now, for the first time, author Ray E. Boomhower tells the story of the journalist in Dispatches from the Pacific: The World War II Reporting of Robert L. Sherrod, an intimate account of the war efforts on the Pacific front.
The Virus and the Vaccine: Contaminated Vaccine, Deadly Cancers, and Government Neglect
by Debbie Bookchin Jim SchumacherJonas Salk's polio vaccine has taken on an almost legendary quality as a medical miracle, for it largely eradicated one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century. But the story of the vaccine has a dark side, one that has never been fully told before...Between 1954 and 1963, close to 98 million Americans received polio vaccinations contaminated with a carcinogenic monkey virus, now known as SV40. A concerted government effort downplayed the incident, and it was generally accepted that although oncogenic to laboratory animals, SV40 was harmless to humans.But now SV40 in showing up in human cancers, and prominent researchers are demanding a serious public health response to this forgotten polio vaccine contaminant. A gripping medical detective story, The Virus and the Vaccine raises major questions about vaccine policy.
Canto Volume 1: If I Only Had a Heart (Canto)
by David M. BooherA tiny clockwork hero on a quest for a heart for the one he loves, fights for freedom and hope, facing tyrannical forces in a fantastical modern fairytale.Enslaved for generations, Canto&’s people once had hearts. Now they have clocks. They are forbidden to love, yet Canto loves a little tin girl. When slavers damage her clock beyond repair, Canto embarks on an incredible journey through his strange and fantastic world to bring back her heart. As he conquers fearsome creatures and finds unlikely allies, he must confront the mysterious figure who has taken their hearts to save the one he loves.Hailed as a &“truly entertaining and striking modern fairy tale,&” (Newsarama) and a &‘beautiful and heartfelt story about love and heroism,&” (The Brazen Bull), Canto is an adventure for past, present and future generations alike. By Eisner and GLAAD Media Award nominated writer David M. Booher (Rain, Specs, Killer Queens) and brilliant artist Drew Zucker.This high-quality hardcover reprint features brand new cover art, collects the entire first series, an expansive cover gallery, sketchbook and process section, and a new introduction by legendary Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai!
Killer Queens 2: Kings, Not Wings!
by David M. BooherThe Galaxy&’s sassiest (and GLAAD-nominated!) assassins are back!Join rising star David M. Booher (Canto, All-New Firefly, Rain, Specs) and an all-LGBTQ creative team as they tackle issues of identity, family, and freedom in this hilarious and heartfelt sequel.During a day of questionable choices at Space Pride, Max & Alex bump into their old boss, Bieti and his new-and-improved hench bears. The grumpy little simian tries to get them back on his team to chase down a runaway heir to the throne of Sarelia, an alien planet ruled by a brutal patriarchy. Little does he know that the heir in question happens to be Alex&’s younger sibling. And they have…wings.Turns out, a genetic quirk gives some of their race wings when they&’re born. But on a planet that lives by the motto &“Kings, not wings&”, those born with wings are required to have them cut off. It&’s supposed to make them more &“masculine.&” The king is doing all he can to get his youngest heir back on the butcher block and restore the line of succession. As Alex and Max race to save Alex&’s sibling from Bieti, the king&’s guard, and a galaxy-wide bounty hunt, they&’ll dredge up Alex&’s past and confront her planet&’s misogynist present. If that means burning the patriarchy to the ground, well, get out the torches.Collects Killer Queens II issues #1–#4.
The Sugar King of California: The Life of Claus Spreckels
by Dr. Sandra E. BonuraClaus Spreckels (1828–1908) emigrated from his homeland of Germany to the United States with only seventy-five cents in his pocket, built a sugar empire, and became one of the richest Americans in history alongside John D. Rockefeller, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates. Migrating to San Francisco after the gold rush, Spreckels built the largest sugar beet factory of its kind in the United States. His sugar beet production in the Salinas Valley changed the focus of valley agriculture from dry to irrigated crops, resulting in the vast modern agricultural-industrial economy in today&’s &“Salad Bowl of the World.&” When Spreckels gave America its first sugar cube, he became the &“Sugar King.&” The indomitable Spreckels was a colorful and complicated character on both sides of the Pacific. A kingpin in the development of the Hawai&‘i-California sugarcane industry, he wielded a clenched fist over Hawai&‘i&’s economy for nearly two decades after occupying a position of unrivaled power and political influence with the Hawaiian monarchy, while also advancing major technology developments on the islands. The Sugar King&’s legacy continued as the Spreckels family developed large portions of California, building and breaking monopolies in agriculture, shipping, railroading, finance, real estate, horse breeding, utilities, streetcars, and water infrastructure, and building entire towns and cities from infrastructure to superstructure. In The Sugar King of California Sandra E. Bonura tells the rags-to-riches story of Spreckels&’s role in the developments of the sugarcane industry in the American West and across the Pacific, triumphing in a milieu rife with cronyism and corruption and ultimately transforming California&’s industry and labor. Harshly criticized by his enemies for ruthless business tactics but loved by his employees, he was unapologetic in his quest for wealth, asserting &“Spreckels&’s success is California&’s success.&” But there&’s always a cost for single-minded determination; the legendary family quarrels even included a murder charge. Spreckels&’s biography is one of business triumph and tragedy, a portrait of a family torn apart by money, jealousy, and ego.
Conversations with Greil Marcus (Literary Conversations Series)
by Joe BonomoGreil Marcus once said to an interviewer, “There is an infinite amount of meaning about anything, and I free associate.” For more than four decades, Marcus has explored the connections among figures, sounds, and events in culture, relating unrelated points of departure, mapping alternate histories and surprising correspondences. He is a unique and influential voice in American letters. Marcus was born in 1945 in San Francisco. In 1968 he published his first piece, a review of Magic Bus: The Who on Tour, in Rolling Stone, where he became the magazine’s first records editor. Renowned for his ongoing “Real Life Top Ten” column, Marcus has been a writer for a number of magazines and websites and is the author or editor of over fifteen books. His critique is egalitarian: no figure, object, or event is too high, low, celebrated, or obscure for an inquiry into the ways in which our lives can open outward, often unexpectedly. In Conversations with Greil Marcus, Marcus discuses in lively, wide-ranging interviews his books and columns as well as his critical methodology and broad approach to his material, signaled by a generosity of spirit leavened with aggressive critical standards.
Dauntless
by Elisa A. BonninA teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin. “Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”Seri's world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts - a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she's ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace."Dauntless captures the best parts of every action-packed fantasy—breathtaking scenes of power and victory that push the limits of human tenacity. This is a triumphant tale of courage and self discovery that will make you believe in your own strength." —Kylie Lee Baker, author of The Keeper of Night