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Last Rites: The End of the Church of England
by Michael HampsonA former parish priest offers a provocative examination of the contemporary Church of England—an institution in crisis—in this controversial book. Dire Sunday services, shrinking congregations and financial meltdown are the realities of today&’s Church of England. In Last Rites, Michael Hampson, who worked as a parish priest for thirteen years, examines why this centuries-old institution is in such crisis. He describes a church divided between liberals and evangelicals, shackled by tradition and with little resonance for the laity of modern Britain. He locates the roots of its demise in its history, from the Reformation to the ordination of women and beyond. According to Hampson, the internal fault lines of the Church were exposed in 2003 by the forced resignation of Jeffrey John, the first openly gay man appointed a bishop. Hampson demolishes the arguments against homosexual clergy and movingly describes his own journey to ordination as a gay man within a prejudiced Church. In a powerful conclusion, he argues that a radical transformation of both culture and structure is the only hope for the renewal of the Church of England. Last Rites is a fiery insider&’s view of a Church that has failed its clergy, its laity and the nation at large.
Campfire Cookery: Adventuresome Recipes and Other Curiosities for the Great Outdoors
by Sarah Huck Jaimee Young&“The variety of dishes that Huck and Young present as possibilities for preparing and cooking outdoors is rather astounding and pleasantly surprising&” (Epicurious). Camping fare typically includes burgers and hot dogs, and while these are certainly easy, get ready to rethink the cuisine that can be savored over the open flame. With recipes like Spiced Currant Cream Scones, Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon, and Tomato Tarte Tatin, Huck and Young celebrate delicious food and the great outdoors. They also include step-by-step instructions for activities such as stargazing, foraging for woodland berries, and minding one&’s fruits of the sea (or, how to clean a fish). Campfire Cookery proves that the campfire cannot only be a blissful escape but a true culinary destination. &“It is the rare cookbook that has even the camping-averse actually contemplating a weekend of mosquitoes and sweaty sleeping bags . . . But really, we simply love the recipes.&” —LA Weekly
The Eye of the Leopard: A Novel (World Of Crime Ser.)
by Henning MankellFrom the creator of the acclaimed Kurt Wallander series: A thrilling story set in Sweden and Zambia told with &“heart-stopping tension&” (Entertainment Weekly). Interweaving past and present, The Eye of the Leopard draws on bestselling author Henning Mankell&’s deep understanding of both Scandinavia and post-colonial Africa. Hans Olofson arrives in Zambia in the 1970s, at the start of its independence. There, he hopes to fulfill the missionary dream of a boyhood friend who was unable to make the journey. But he is also there to flee the traumas of his motherless childhood in provincial Sweden: his father&’s alcoholism, his best friend&’s terrible accident, his fear of an ordinary and stifled fate. Africa is a terrible shock, yet he stays and makes it his home. In all his years as a mzungu, a wealthy white man among native blacks, he never comes to fully understand his adoptive home, or his precarious place in it. Rumors of an underground army of revolutionaries wearing leopard skins warn him that the fragile truce between blacks and whites is in danger of rupturing. Alternating between Hans&’s years in Africa and those of his youth in Sweden, The Eye of the Leopard is a bravura achievement and a study in contrasts—black and white, poor and wealthy, Africa and Europe—both sinister and elegiac. &“Mankell&’s novels are a joy.&” —USA Today &“A fascinating novel . . . [the] prose is powerful, and the narrative of The Eye of the Leopard is profound.&” —Bookreporter.com &“A thought-provoking, multilayered novel whose themes will challenge and linger.&” —The Courier Mail &“Mankell is a master of atmosphere and suspense.&” —Los Angeles Times &“Mankell&’s novels are the best Swedish export since flatpack furniture.&” —The Guardian &“Beautiful, heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful . . . A powerful exploration of the stresses and challenges of freedom.&” —Booklist, starred review
Lost Worlds: What Have We Lost, & Where Did It Go?
by Michael BywaterA &“funny, erudite, and fascinating&” miscellany of things lost, large and small—from cultures to candies, species to sports gear—by the acclaimed columnist (A.C. Grayling). They go. They vanish. People. Civilizations. Languages. Philosophies. Works of art disappear, species are extinguished, books are lost. Dunwich is drowned, Pompeii buried, Athena&’s statue gone from the Parthenon, Suetonius&’s Lives of the Great Whores gone the way of the Roman Empire. Whole libraries of knowledge, galleries of secrets. Gone. Little things, too. Train compartments. Snuff, galoshes, smog. Your mother&’s perfume. Michael Bywater argues that we are not defined by what we have but by what we have lost along the way. In Lost Worlds, he offers a witty, eclectic, and endlessly fascinating glossary of the missing, a cabinet of absent curiosities, weaving a web of everything we no longer have.
Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life
by Jay Perry Don MaruskaWhether you’re the new kid in a cubicle, the boss in the executive suite, or self-employed, you have huge potential for greater productivity and fulfillment. Even very high performers in excellent organizations—large and small, for profit and nonprofit—report that 30 to 40 percent of their talent is untapped. Imagine what lies waiting for you.Take Charge of Your Talent details three keys to develop and enjoy your abilities. You’ll discover new ways to identify your aspirations and opportunities, power past obstacles, and translate your intentions into results. Finally, you’ll create a personal brand with enduring career assets that will multiply the payoffs for yourself and your organization.“This inspiring book will teach you how to unlock your gifts and release your power and potential.”—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Great Leaders Grow“This wonderfully practical and inspiring book is based on a belief I cherish: that all humans are creative and have talent.”—Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and So Far From Home“Maruska and Perry’s book shows how we can harness our talents in ways that expand our horizons, ramp up our ability to bring out our best, and energize those around us in the same way. Indispensable.”—Michael Ray, professor emeritus, Stanford Business School, coauthor of Creativity in Business, and author of The Highest Goal
Empty Houses (The Kate Waters Mysteries #1)
by Betsy ThorntonMystery series debut: Newly arrived in Arizona, Kate finds her hideaway shattered by the murder of two tourists—and Kate fears she may be next. Dudley, Arizona, is an isolated desert town that attracts people who need to escape: Kate Waters flees there following an abusive relationship and Phoenix cop Malcolm MacGregor comes to recover from the death of his wife. No one knows why Carrie and Wes Cooper arrived. But when they are shot dead, the police try to protect the tourist trade by making a quick arrest—without asking too many questions. Having met Carrie briefly, Kate is still unsettled by the encounter—and convinced that the wrong man has been arrested for the crime. Was the shooting random, or is there something in the victims&’ history back east that would explain it? When she teams up with Malcolm MacGregor, Kate uncovers disturbing links between her own past and Carrie&’s. Is Kate herself at risk? The first in the Kate Waters series by the author of the Chloe Newcomb mysteries.
If Anything Should Happen: A New California-based Mystery Series (The Kit Doyle Mysteries #1)
by Bonnie Hearn HillA California talk radio host turns amateur sleuth to solve her mother&’s murder—and prevent her own—in this mystery series debut. When Kit Doyle&’s near-perfect mother tells her about the letter she&’s written and locked away—a letter to be read only &“if anything should happen&” to her—Kit thinks she&’s being melodramatic. But the next day Kit&’s mother is dead—and what she reads in that letter will change Kit&’s life forever. Armed with nothing but the secret letter, a tight-lipped father, and some good friends at the radio station where she works, Kit sets out to learn the truth about the shady past her mother has kept hidden for so many years. But when another dead body turns up, Kit realizes that at least one person is determined to prevent her from finding out the truth—whatever it takes. &“An intriguing premise and an intricate plot.&” —Library Journal &“This first in a series combines an engaging mystery with some of the appeal of women&’s fiction.&” —Booklist
The Firebird's Feather
by Marjorie EcclesA sheltered young woman postpones her entry into Edwardian society to solve the untimely demise of her mother. London, May, 1911. The new king, George V, is preparing for his coronation. The suffragettes are campaigning for women to get the vote. The East End seethes with unrest. And eighteen-year-old Kitty Challoner is looking forward to &‘coming out&’ in London society. But Kitty&’s secure, sheltered world is about to be torn apart. Lydia Challoner is shot dead while out riding in Hyde Park, and during the ensuing murder investigation Kitty discovers that there was so much she didn&’t know about her mother. Was Lydia really the killer&’s intended target? Is there a link to her Russian heritage? Why had she been behaving so strangely in recent weeks? Was she having an affair? As Kitty determines to uncover the truth and wonders exactly whom she can trust, she learns that the household in which she lives harbors a number of dangerous secrets. &“Solid writing, an engaging heroine, authentic period ambience, and some unexpected twists make this an entertaining and satisfying read for all historical-mystery buffs.&” ―Booklist &“Well-drawn characters, inventive plotting, and a touch of romance distinguish this lively historical.&” ―Publishers Weekly &“Eccles once again combines history and romance with a clever mystery filled with a wide array of suspects.&” ―Kirkus Reviews
Remains to be Seen (The Chief Inspector Peach Mysteries #11)
by J. M. GregsonThe London detective returns to see a criminal kingpin put behind bars—only to discover that his nefarious deeds are from over. Northumberland&’s usually unflappable Det. Chief Inspector Percy Peach has suddenly found himself on the anxious side. It&’s not that the bust didn&’t go as planned. The raid on the sprawling country manor of a drug baron rounded up all the usual suspects. But only hours later, a converted stable on the grounds goes up in flames. In the ashes is the charred body of unassuming carpenter, Neil Cartwright. Peach can&’t help but think the fire is too well-timed and highly suspicious. So does his fiancée, Det. Sergeant Lucy Blake. But whom to question? All that&’s left is the butler, the gardener, the cook, and an assortment of cagey housekeepers. Yet as each goes mum, Peach realizes that they&’re less a staff than a gang—and the sordid secrets of the estate didn&’t end with the arrest of their boss. In fact, they&’re only beginning to surface. And they&’re nastier—and more dangerous—than Peach and Blake can imagine.
They Just Don't Get It!: Changing Resistance Into Understanding
by Leslie Yerkes Randy MartinThey Just Don't Get It! explores an all-too-common dilemma: when people around us just don't "get" our ideas. Through a charming illustrated fable, it tells the story of Julie Buffet, a hard-charging advertising executive with what she thinks is a fantastic idea for a new campaign. But nobody gets it-not the client, not her boss, and not her coworkers. And Julie can't understand why.We have all found ourselves in this situation at one time or another, and we typically see this problem as a failing on the part of the other party. They Just Don't Get It! shows that when they don't get it, the problem is really with ourselves. And it shows how we can finally really get it.If you've ever wondered why your ideas haven't been received or acted on in the way you expected, this book will reveal your own personal responsibility in helping others understand your intentions. Examining the root source of the problem, it details five keys to "getting it"-Take Responsibility; Practice Humility; Begin with Questions; Remain Open; and Believe They Can. These five simple steps will enable you to overcome the problem, and prevent it from happening in the future.They Just Don't Get It! will teach you how to communicate your ideas better, and how to motivate others to pull together and achieve your highest goals in any situation.
100 Hieroglyphs: Think Like an Egyptian
by Barry Kemp&“Written by the greatest living Egyptologist, this wonderful, fun, and short book will take you inside the heads of the ancient Egyptians.&”—Sarah Parcak, National Geographic Egyptian culture is divided from us by several millennia, a lost people and a dead language. We can discover much about this fascinating civilization from its physical remains, but perhaps the greatest insights into the Egyptian mind come from Egyptian hieroglyphs. They reveal the priorities, concerns and beliefs of the Egyptians—a whole worldview. Unlike the Western alphabet, which is an arbitrary set of symbols not anchored in reality, each Egyptian hieroglyph denotes a concept central to Egyptian thinking. The language and its written form are intimately bound up with the imaginative world of the Egyptians. Here, Barry Kemp presents 100 of the Egyptian hieroglyphs to provide access to this unique culture. Kemp takes us on a journey through the Egyptian mind, revealing not only aspects of day-to-day life in Ancient Egypt, but gradually building a picture of the historical and mythological references that were the cornerstones of Egyptian thought. This fascinating book helps us get inside a long-vanished world. &“A capsule key to the ancient Egyptian mind.&”—Dr. Norman Hammond, The Times &“Kemp uses 100 hieroglyphs as a springboard for discussion of a range of topics . . . This clever premise works well . . . [an] enjoyable and informative volume.&”—Times Higher Education Supplement &“This is most certainly a book that will challenge and reward.&”—New World
Classic in the Barn (The Jack Colby, Car Detective Mysteries #1)
by Amy MyersA &’38 Lagonda is driving someone to murder in &“this lively, fast-paced mystery&” series debut featuring British classic car expert and detective Jack Colby (Publishers Weekly). When Jack Colby, owner of Frogs Hill Classic Car Restorations, stumbles upon a 1938 coupé Lagonda V12 rusting away in a country barn in Kent, he longs to bring it back to its former glory. Jack also takes a shine to its owner, the fetching widow Polly Davis. Sadly, his romantic pursuits cut short. A few days later Polly is murdered just a few feet from the elegant machine. Now Jack&’s curiosity about the car—and the crime—are kicking into high gear. He knows that years ago Polly&’s late husband was found dead in the driver&’s seat. And it&’s clear she had no interest in selling or restoring the Lagonda—just hiding it. But are the rumors about Polly&’s dicey past the key to it all, or just a detour? Convinced that the Lagonda is somehow involved, especially when it disappears, Jack is determined to uncover Polly&’s secrets and bring her killer to justice, even at the risk of his own life.
First Things First: Understand Why So Often Our First Things Aren't First
by Stephen R. Covey A. Roger Merrill Rebecca R. MerrillThe New York Times–bestselling time management book from the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen R. Covey&’s First Things First is the gold standard for time management books. His principle-centered approach for prioritizing gives you time management tips that enable you to make changes and sacrifices needed in order to obtain happiness and retain a feeling of security. First Things First: The Interactive Edition takes Dr. Covey&’s philosophy and remasters the entire text to include easy-to-understand infographics, analysis, and more. This time-saving version of First Things First is the efficient way to apply Dr. Covey&’s tested and validated time management tips, while retaining his core message. This guide will help you: • Get more done in less time • Develop and retain rich relationships • Attain inner peace • Create balance in your life • And, put first things first &“Covey is the hottest self-improvement consultant to hit US business since Dale Carnegie.&” —USA Today &“Covey has reached the apex with First Things First. This is an important work. I can&’t think of anyone who wouldn&’t be helped by reading it.&” —Larry King, CNN &“These goals embody a perfect balance of the mental, the physical, the spiritual, and the social.&” —BooklistReaders should note that this ebook edition differs slightly from the print edition and does not contain all the same materials.
The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Volume Two: Swords Against Wizardry, The Swords of Lankhmar, and Swords and Ice Magic (The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser)
by Fritz LeiberThe Hugo and Nebula Award–winning series of sword and sorcery—featuring two unorthodox heroes—from a Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Long before George R. R. Martin&’s Game of Thrones became a worldwide phenomenon, Fritz Leiber ruled the literary universe of sword and sorcery. This novel and two short story collections chronicle the adventures of Leiber&’s endearing and groundbreaking antiheroes: the barbarian Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, a former wizard&’s apprentice—in the series hailed as &“one of the great works of fantasy in this century&” (Publishers Weekly). This is a must-read collection of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser short stories, featuring the Hugo Award–nominated novellas &“Scylla&’s Daughter&” and &“Stardock.&” Swords Against Wizardry: Bold Fafhrd and the sly Gray Mouser find adventure wherever they tread quick and lightly, whether it be in consulting a witch for advice, climbing Nehwon&’s highest peak in search of riches, discovering that they may not actually be the greatest thieves in Lankhmar, or working both sides of a royal battle for the throne of Quarmall. The Swords of Lankhmar: With a plague of rats teeming in Lankhmar, Fafhrd and the Mouser are hired by the city to guard a shipment of grain overseas. But when the duo returns, they discover the sentient vermin have taken over Lankhmar for themselves! And now it&’s up to the barbarian and the thief to build a better rat trap. Swords and Ice Magic: Fafhrd and Gray Mouser make their way by sword and stealth as they face death in many forms, earn the ire of gods whose names they rarely even speak in vain anymore, lazily drift on the Great Equatorial Current, and venture far into the icy wastes of the Rime Isle to confront a pair of deities and a pillaging fleet in this World Fantasy Award nominee.
The Boat of a Million Years
by Poul AndersonA New York Times Notable Book and Hugo and Nebula Award Finalist: This epic chronicle of ten immortals over the course of history &“succeeds admirably&” (The New York Times). The immortals are ten individuals born in antiquity from various cultures. Immune to disease, able to heal themselves from injuries, they will never die of old age—although they can fall victim to catastrophic wounds. They have walked among mortals for millennia, traveling across the world, trying to understand their special gifts while searching for one another in the hope of finding some meaning in a life that may go on forever. Following their individual stories over the course of human history and beyond into a richly imagined future, &“one of science fiction&’s most revered writers&” (USA Today) weaves a broad tapestry that is &“ambitious in scope, meticulous in detail, polished in style&” (Library Journal).
Citizen Farmers: The Biodynamic Way to Grow Healthy Food, Build Thriving Communities, and Give Back to the Earth
by Susan Puckett Daron JoffeA guide to organic vegetable gardens and small-scale farming with an emphasis on sustainability. Biodynamic farming, with its focus on ecological sustainability, has emerged as the gold standard in the organic gardening movement. Daron Joffe—known as Farmer D—has made it his mission to empower, educate, and inspire people to become conscientious consumers, citizens, and stewards of the land. In this engaging call to action, Farmer D teaches us to not only create sustainable gardens but also to develop a more holistic, community-minded approach to how our food is grown and how we live our lives in balance with nature. Illustrated with photographs of gardens designed by Farmer D as well as line drawings, the book is packed with advice on: Establishing a biodynamic gardenCompostingSoil composition and replenishmentControlling pests and diseaseCooperative gardening practicesCreating delicious meals with your home-grown produce In collaboration with a James Beard Award–nominated food journalist, Farmer D offers an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to make the world a greener place.
The Household Tips of the Great Writers
by Mark CrickWhat would literary lions tell us about cooking, cleaning, and gardening? A three-book collection of parody and practical advice by a &“brilliant&” humorist (The Financial Times). The Household Tips of Great Writers covers all your household needs, indoors and outdoors, from pruning a rose bush with Pablo Neruda to mending a dripping tap with Jean-Paul Sartre. Throwing a tea party? Irvine Welsh has the recipe for the perfect chocolate cake, though that's not all he's cooking. Brilliant, hilarious, and always pitch-perfect, this omnibus edition of Mark Crick's wonderful books of literary pastiche will inform and entertain the most erudite of householders. Includes: Sartre&’s Sink &“This brilliantly inventive DIY manual both parodies and celebrates great authors ... Crick is a brilliant literary ventriloquist.&”—The Financial Times Kafka&’s Soup &“These literary and visual pastiches of writers and their relationships with food provide a laugh a line as they skewer their literary originals with effortless accuracy...a masterpiece.&”—The Guardian Machiavelli&’s Lawn &“Erudite and enjoyable prose, no less rewarding for its horticultural accuracy.&”—Times Literary Supplement
Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill, and Sandwich Maker
by Laura Werlin&“Clever versions of the American classic&” from the James Beard Award winner for The All American Cheese and Wine Book (Publishers Weekly). Brie and apricot jam on a baguette; spinach and goat cheese on a croissant; blue cheese and fresh figs on crusty Italian bread: this is not your mother&’s grilled cheese sandwich. In Great Grilled Cheese, cheese expert and award-winning cookbook author Laura Werlin presents fifty scrumptious grilled cheese and panini recipes that range from the traditional to the contemporary. In addition to the more inventive combinations, including grilled cheese for dessert, there&’s always room at the table for the classics: grilled American on white, or apple, ham, and cheddar on sourdough. Werlin discusses techniques—nonstick versus cast-iron pan, whether to cover during cooking, how to use the ultra-popular panini machine. Maren Caruso&’s tantalizing photographs perfectly convey the appeal of creamy melted cheese pressed between two slices of crisp, buttery bread. For cheese aficionados, parents whose kids insist on grilled cheese at every meal, and the kid in all of us who craves comfort food, Great Grilled Cheese will satisfy everyone&’s cheese dreams.
Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese
by Bruce Weinstein Mark ScarbroughA &“delightful&” cookbook that &“breaks new culinary ground&” with recipes using goat meat, goat cheese, goat milk, and more (David Leite, author of The New Portuguese Table). From high-end restaurants to street food carts coast-to-coast, goat meat and dairy products are being embraced across the country as the next big thing. With its excellent flavor, wide-ranging versatility, and numerous health benefits, goat meat, milk, and cheese are a new frontier for home cooks. Goat is the world&’s primary meat—upwards of seventy percent of the red meat eaten around the world—and this is the first goat-oriented cookbook designed for American readers. Goat is a no-holds-barred goatapedia, laugh-out-loud cooking class, cheesemaking workshop, and dairy-milking expedition all in one. With recipes such as Pan-Roasted Chops with Blackberries and Sage, Meatballs with Artichokes and Fennel, and Chocolate-Dipped Goat Cheese Balls, this book is sure to become the standard cook&’s resource for this new frontier. &“Awesome recipes and gorgeous photography.&” —Claire Robinson, Food Network host and author of 5 Ingredient Fix
The Lost and the Blind
by Declan BurkeA mystery in modern-day rural Ireland may have roots in World War II, in this thriller by a &“fine dramatic writer and storyteller&” (Booklist). The elderly German, Karl Uxkull, was either senile or desperate for attention. Why else would he concoct a tale of Nazi atrocity on the remote island of Delphi, off the coast of Donegal? And why now, sixty years after the event, just when Irish-American billionaire Shay Govern has tendered for a gold prospecting license in Lough Swilly? Journalist Tom Noone doesn&’t want to know. With his young daughter Emily to provide for, and a new ghostwriting commission for Shay Govern&’s biography, the timing is all wrong. Besides, can it be mere coincidence that Karl Uxkull&’s tale bears an uncanny resemblance to a thriller written by spy novelist Sebastian Devereaux, the reclusive English author who has spent the past fifty years holed up on Delphi? But when a body is discovered drowned, Tom and Emily find themselves running for their lives in pursuit of the truth that is their only hope of survival. &“Burke has a real knack for dialogue and phrasing.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Readers . . . will be rewarded with an unholy Chinese box of a thriller. Make that an Irish-German box.&” —Kirkus Reviews
The TekWar Series Books 7–9: Tek Money, Tek Kill, and Tek Net (The TekWar Series)
by William ShatnerThe final three books in the bestselling hard-boiled, science fiction detective series by the legendary actor who played Captain Kirk on Star Trek. It&’s the twenty-second century, and mankind has expanded the horizons of science and technology. For those who want to go even further, Tek takes them there. The bio-digital microchip is more powerfully mind-altering than any other drug ever known. For those who become addicted, it&’s out of this world—and straight into hell. And only private eye Jake Cardigan can stop it . . . Tek Money: Jake must race against time to save his son&’s life—and get the deadliest weapons in the world out of the hands of the most dangerous criminals in the universe . . . Tek Kill: Jake and his partner, Sid Gomez, are working to clear their boss of murder charges when they uncover a far-reaching criminal conspiracy . . . Tek Net: Sid&’s ex-wife is caught in the crossfire of a bloody cartel war between Teklords, and it&’s up to Jake and Sid to save her.
The Works of Clifford D. Simak Volume Four: The Big Front Yard and Other Stories, Time Is the Simplest Thing, and The Goblin Reservation (The Works of Clifford D. Simak)
by Clifford D. SimakA collection of masterpieces from a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master of Science Fiction who &“has never written a bad book&” (Theodore Sturgeon).The Big Front Yard and Other Stories: Handyman Hiram likes things he can understand and fix. But he has a true mystery on his hands when a new ceiling appears in his basement—a ceiling with the ability to repair televisions so they&’re better than before. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, &“The Big Front Yard&” is a powerful story about what happens when an ordinary man finds reality coming apart around him. Along with the other stories in this collection, it is some of the most lyrical science fiction ever published. &“To read science fiction is to read Simak. A reader who does not like Simak stories does not like science fiction at all.&” —Robert A. Heinlein Time Is the Simplest Thing: Space travel has been deemed too dangerous and expensive, and now the Fishhook company holds a monopoly on interstellar exploration, using telepaths who can expand their minds throughout the universe. But when Fishhook employee Shepherd Blaine is implanted with a copy of an alien consciousness, he becomes something more than human—and soon there is no safe place for him to hide. This Hugo Award finalist is a richly imagined tale of prejudice, corporate greed, oppression, and, ultimately, transcendence. &“Simak is the most underrated great science fiction writer alive, and has never written a bad book.&” —Theodore Sturgeon The Goblin Reservation: In this unabashedly tongue-in-cheek novel, Professor Peter Maxwell of the College of Supernatural Phenomena is murdered—but he&’s even more dismayed when he turns up at a matter transmission station several weeks later and discovers he&’s not only dead, but also unemployed. This &“alternate&” Maxwell soon learns he&’s being used as a vessel by a strange alien race to carry knowledge of remarkable technology back to Earth—and it seems someone does not want the information shared . . . &“The finest novel in a merry mood that Simak has yet given us.&” —Fritz Leiber This brilliant volume represents the genre at its very best, reaffirming that &“without Simak, science fiction would have been without its most humane element, its most humane spokesman for the wisdom of the ordinary person and the value of life lived close to the land&” (James Gunn).
Alive, Alive Oh!: And Other Things That Matter
by Diana Athill&“Enchanting . . . Diana Athill, 98, still has a few things to teach us about growing old with dignity and humor and grace . . . Astute and sparkling.&”—Associated Press Several years ago, Diana Athill accepted that she could no longer live entirely independently, and moved to a retirement home in Highgate. Released from the daily anxieties of caring for her own property and free to settle into her remaining years, she reflects on what it feels like to be very old, and on the moments in her long life that have risen to the surface and which sustain her in these last years. What really matters in the end? Which memories stand out? As she approaches her 100th year, Athill recalls in sparkling, precise detail the exact layout of the garden of her childhood, a vast and beautiful park attached to a large house; relates with humor, clarity and honesty her experiences of the First and Second World Wars and her trips to Europe as a young woman; and in the remarkable title chapter, describes her pregnancy at the age of forty-three, losing the baby and almost losing her life—and her gratitude and joy on discovering that she had survived. Alive, Alive Oh! is &“so beautifully written and exquisitely detailed . . . [Athill] mines her memories of a life well-lived and generously lays them out on the page for the rest of the world to enjoy&” (Star Tribune). &“Witty, candid . . . If you haven&’t read Athill, and open her latest book expecting serene reflections from a nonagenarian sipping tea in her garden, you&’re in for a surprise.&”—San Francisco Chronicle
In Defence of History
by Richard J. Evans&“A lucid, muscular, and often sly reflection&” on the worth and purpose of historical scholarship by the award-winning author of The Third Reich Trilogy (Kirkus).In this volume, the renowned historian Richard J. Evans offers a fervent and deeply insightful defense of his craft and its importance to civilization. At a time when fact and historical truth are under unprecedented assault, Evans shows us why history is necessary. Taking us into the historians&’ workshop, he offers a firsthand look at how good history gets written. In staunch opposition to the wilder claims of postmodern historians, Evans thoroughly dismantles the notion that a realistic grasp of history is impossible to attain. He then goes on to explain the deadly political dangers of losing a historical perspective on the way we live our lives. In the tradition of E.H. Carr&’s What Is History? and G.R. Elton&’s The Practice of History, Evans&’ In Defense of History delivers &“a model of lucid and intelligent historiographical analysis&” (The Guardian, UK).
The Cocktail Club: A Year of Recipes and Tips for Spirited Tasting Parties
by Maureen Christian-PetroskyThe author of The Wine Club serves up &“a fun read broken up by month, complete with recipes for drinks and food pairings&” (Town & Country). With a little bit of history and a lot of flavor, The Cocktail Club is a guide for connecting with your friends over the best-tasting therapy around—cocktails! Using a format reminiscent of your favorite book club, Maureen Christian-Petrosky highlights one specific spirit or drink type each month. Classic favorites like the martini and the old-fashioned, as well as new sips like the Mason Jar Basil Pisco Sour and Blueberry Lavender Vodka Spritzer, will inspire novices and enthusiasts alike to build up their bar vocabulary and taste outside their comfort zone. The book also offers a delicious selection of hors d&’oeuvres pairings like Grilled Figs with Prosciutto and Rosemary Lemon Bars. So whether you&’ve been curious about absinthe rinses or want to bone up on your bitters, The Cocktail Club gives you the perfect excuse to pull out your shaker and dip into the art of at-home mixology.