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All the Weyrs of Pern
by Anne McCaffreyThe rediscovery of AIVAS stunned the whole planet of PERN - it's announcement that it could eliminate thread for good would change the world forever.PERN has been turned upside down by the knowledge that AIVAS has shared, revolutionising medicine, music and technology. Against the backdrop of deep suspicion of this new source of wisdom, every dragon and rider will be called upon to enact it's audacious plan to defeat the thread of thread for all time.
The Edible Woman
by Margaret AtwoodBy the author of The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments and Alias Grace'Clara', she said, 'do you think I'm normal?''I'd say you're almost abnormally normal, if you know what I mean.' Marian is determinedly ordinary, waiting to get married. She likes her work, her broody flatmate and her sober fiancé Peter. All goes well at first, but Marian has reckoned without an inner self that wants something more, that calmly sabotages her careful plans, her stable routine - and her digestion. Marriage à la mode, Marian discovers, is something she literally can't stomach . . .Margaret Atwood's first novel is both a scathingly funny satire of consumerism and a heady exploration of emotional cannibalism.'Atwood has the magic of turning the particular and the parochial into the universal' The Times'Written with a brilliant angry energy' Observer'Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance . . . a joy to read' Good Housekeeping'A witty, elegant, generous and patient writer' Punch
And They Were Roommates: A hilarious and heartwarming queer exes-to-lovers boarding school romance
by Page PowarsTwo roommates. One secret. A lot of love letters. To All The Boys I've Loved Before meets Young Royals in this heartwarming and hilarious queer boarding school rom-com.When Charlie joins Valentine Academy for Boys, love is the last thing on his mind. His only plan is to survive the school year with perfect grades and no one discovering that he's trans. Especially his roommate, Jasper; a famous poet and Charlie's ex-camp romance who doesn't seem to recognise him. Yet.The boys make a deal; Jasper will request a new room if Charlie helps him deliver secret love letters between the boys at Valentine and the girls at its sister academy.But as Jasper tutors him in the art of romance, will Charlie be able to keep from falling in love himself?
Written on the Dark
by Guy Gavriel KayBoth epic and intimate, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the equally intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.Thierry Villar is a well-known - even notorious - tavern poet, intimately familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be swept into the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king - and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.
The Dolphins of Pern
by Anne McCaffreyWhen humanity first arrived on PERN the hold of the Colony Ship Bahrain held twenty five dolphins who would be used to populate the seas of the new world. Generations later their descendants would prove vital to the world's survival.When Readis and his uncle are saved by a pod of 'shipfish' he is stunned when the animals start to speak to him. As the story of their rescue spreads further it comes to the attention of AIVAS, who recounts the history of the dolphins who came to PERN and their connection with the first settlers of PERN.Against the wishes of his family and the backdrop of the final fall of Thread, Readis sets out to establish the first Dolphin Crafthall, and restore the relationship lost for generations.
Oryx And Crake (The Maddaddam Trilogy)
by Margaret AtwoodBy the author of THE HANDMAID'S TALE and ALIAS GRACE* Pigs might not fly but they are strangely altered. So, for that matter, are wolves and racoons. A man, once named Jimmy, lives in a tree, wrapped in old bedsheets, now calls himself Snowman. The voice of Oryx, the woman he loved, teasingly haunts him. And the green-eyed Children of Crake are, for some reason, his responsibility. *Praise for Oryx and Crake:'In Jimmy, Atwood has created a great character: a tragic-comic artist of the future, part buffoon, part Orpheus. An adman who's a sad man; a jealous lover who's in perpetual mourning; a fantasist who can only remember the past' -INDEPENDENT'Gripping and remarkably imagined' -LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS
Peatlands: A Journey Between Land and Water
by Alys Fowler'Why do I like bogs so much? I think it is because I feel very at home with them, I think this has something to do with my queerness and their queer nature as a space.'The value of peat bogs as a natural resource and haven of biodiversity is undisputed, yet few of us have been lucky enough to experience their beauty and richness. In Peatlands, Wainwright Prize-shortlisted author Alys Fowler calls for us to sink deep into the dark, black soils of these rugged places and take a close look at the birds, animals, plants and insects that live within them. Living in North Wales next to a huge peat bog makes Alys Fowler's Peatlands both personal and illuminating. Her odyssey takes her deep into the Flow Country, to the remote Border Mires, up the Brecon Beacons and the Peak District, creating an intimate picture of these magical places and the people who care for them.
Information and Communication Technology: 13th International Symposium, SOICT 2024, Danang, Vietnam, December 13–15, 2024, Proceedings, Part III (Communications in Computer and Information Science #2352)
by Minh-Triet Tran Binh Huynh Thi Thanh Wray Buntine Morten Fjeld Truyen Tran Takumi MiyoshiThis four-volume set, CCIS 2350-2353, constitutes the referred proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Information and Communication Technology, SOICT 2024, held in Danang, Vietnam in December 2024. The 88 full papers and 68 poster papers presented here were carefully reviewed and selected from 229 submissions. The papers presented in these volumes are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Multimedia Processing; Operations Research. Part II: AI Applications; Cyber Security. Part III: AI Foundations and Big Data; Human-Computer Interaction. Part IV: Lifelog and Multimedia Retrieval; Generative AI; Software Engineering.
Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications ENUMATH 2023, Volume 2: European Conference, September 4-8, Lisbon, Portugal (Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering #154)
by Adélia Sequeira Ana Silvestre Svilen S. Valtchev João JanelaThis book gathers outstanding papers presented at the European Conference on Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications, ENUMATH 2023. The conference was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in September 2023. Leading experts in the field presented the latest results and ideas regarding the design, implementation and analysis of numerical algorithms, as well as their applications to relevant societal problems. ENUMATH is a series of conferences held every two years to provide a forum for discussing basic aspects and new trends in numerical mathematics and its scientific and industrial applications, all examined at the highest level of international expertise. The first ENUMATH was held in Paris in 1995, with successive installments at various sites across Europe, including Heidelberg (1997), Jyvaskyla (1999), lschia Porto (2001), Prague (2003), Santiago de Compostela (2005), Graz (2007), Uppsala (2009), Leicester (2011), Lausanne (2013), Ankara (2015), Bergen (2017), and Egmond aan Zee (2019).
The AI City (The Urban Book Series)
by Siegfried Zhiqiang WUThis open access book presents the concept of AI Cites for the first time. It includes the theoretical basis, development frontier, and different application scenarios of artificial intelligence cities. The book is accompanied by rich practical cases to conduct in-depth and detailed discussions on the proposition of artificial intelligence cities. It fills the gap between artificial intelligence and urban planning. This book points out the urgent human needs in the city for AI scientists to considered in the next round of AI technology development. It also provides new ideas for urban planners and researchers to solve problems with new technologies.
Advances in Cryptology – EUROCRYPT 2025: 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, Madrid, Spain, May 4–8, 2025, Proceedings, Part VIII (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15608)
by Serge Fehr Pierre-Alain FouqueThis eight-volume set, LNCS 15601-15608, constitutes the proceedings of the 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, EUROCRYPT 2025, held in Madrid, Spain, during May 4–8, 2025. The 123 papers included in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 602 submissions. They are organized in topical sections as follows:Part I: Secure Multiparty Computation IPart II: Public-Key Cryptography and Key-ExchangePart III: Advanced Cryptographic SchemesPart IV: (Non-)Interactive Proofs and Zero-KnowledgePart V: Secure Multiparty Computation IIPart VI: MPC II: Private Information Retrieval and Garbling; Algorithms and AttacksPart VII: Theoretical FoundationsPart VIII: Real-World Cryptography
Advances in Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing, Volume 2: Proceeding of the 19th International Conference on IIH-MSP in conjunction with 11th International Conference on Orange Technology, Applications and Tools, December 5-7, 2023, Daegu, South Korea (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies #416)
by Jeng-Shyang Pan Margarita Favorskaya Shih-Pang Tseng Anand PaulThis book presents selected papers from the 19th International Conference on Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing, in conjunction with the 11th International Conference on Orange Technology, Applications, and Tools, held on December 5–7, 2023, in Daegu, South Korea. It is divided into two volumes and discusses latest research outcomes in the field of information technology (IT) including but not limited to information hiding, multimedia signal processing, big data, data mining, bioinformatics, database, industrial and internet of things, and their applications.
Proceedings of the 2nd Cognitive Mobility Conference (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #1345)
by Péter Baranyi László Palkovics Máté ZöldyThis book features selected papers presented at the 2nd International Conference on Cognitive Mobility which took place on October 19-20, 2023, in Budapest, Bosch Innovation Campus. This conference brought together innovative research that explores the intersection of mobility, transportation, and social sciences, offering valuable insights for professionals in these fields. The proceedings encompass a diverse range of topics, including: Deep learning models for classification in mobility contexts. Vehicle engineering advancements. Social impacts of transportation systems. Designed for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, this book serves as a vital resource for understanding and advancing cognitive mobility. They provide practical applications and theoretical frameworks that can enhance decision-making and innovation in transportation solutions.
Advances in Cryptology – EUROCRYPT 2025: 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, Madrid, Spain, May 4–8, 2025, Proceedings, Part V (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15605)
by Serge Fehr Pierre-Alain FouqueThis eight-volume set, LNCS 15601-15608, constitutes the proceedings of the 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, EUROCRYPT 2025, held in Madrid, Spain, during May 4–8, 2025. The 123 papers included in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 602 submissions. They are organized in topical sections as follows:Part I: Secure Multiparty Computation IPart II: Public-Key Cryptography and Key-ExchangePart III: Advanced Cryptographic SchemesPart IV: (Non-)Interactive Proofs and Zero-KnowledgePart V: Secure Multiparty Computation IIPart VI: MPC II: Private Information Retrieval and Garbling; Algorithms and AttacksPart VII: Theoretical FoundationsPart VIII: Real-World Cryptography
Advances in Cryptology – EUROCRYPT 2025: 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, Madrid, Spain, May 4–8, 2025, Proceedings, Part III (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15603)
by Serge Fehr Pierre-Alain FouqueThis eight-volume set, LNCS 15601-15608, constitutes the proceedings of the 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, EUROCRYPT 2025, held in Madrid, Spain, during May 4–8, 2025. The 123 papers included in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 602 submissions. They are organized in topical sections as follows:Part I: Secure Multiparty Computation IPart II: Public-Key Cryptography and Key-ExchangePart III: Advanced Cryptographic SchemesPart IV: (Non-)Interactive Proofs and Zero-KnowledgePart V: Secure Multiparty Computation IIPart VI: MPC II: Private Information Retrieval and Garbling; Algorithms and AttacksPart VII: Theoretical FoundationsPart VIII: Real-World Cryptography
Subjectivism in Economics and Philosophy: Re-orientating Economic Theory
by Karl MittermaierAvailable open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Following on from The Hand Behind the Invisible Hand and A Realist Philosophy of Economics, this new book drawn from Karl Mittermaier’s writings examines the intricate relationship between economic theory and real-world economic experiences. Despite the centrality of subjectivism in both philosophy and economics, these fields have often overlooked each other's insights. Mittermaier challenges this disconnect, advocating for a shift from deterministic models to a more reflective approach in economics. He examines the historical, methodological and philosophical dimensions of economic theory, highlighting its struggle to connect economic theory to empirical data and individuals' lived experiences. Originally penned between 1979 and 1982 and now published posthumously, this work remains a crucial contribution to contemporary economic discussions.
Civic Engagement in Later Life (Ageing in a Global Context)
by Rodrigo SerratAvailable open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Older adults’ civic engagement has become a key concern in academic and policy debates in recent years. However, existing studies on this topic remain fragmented across various conceptual and methodological approaches. This book provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and multidimensional perspective on older adults' civic engagement. It proposes a conceptual framework which understands civic engagement as a multidimensional concept encompassing a diversity of activities through which older adults contribute to their communities and wider society. Contributors explore the factors shaping older adults’ participation in various civic activities across the life course, considering their diversity in terms of social locations such as gender, health status, migrant background, socioeconomic background and residential arrangements. By analysing past and current research, policy and practice, the book offers recommendations for future efforts to advance the field.
The Borders Within: Causes and Fixes of Geographic Divides
by Michael DonnellyGeographic divisions that exist internally within countries – ‘the borders within’ – can be seen in how much people earn and levels of economic growth, as well as in health and educational outcomes. With fresh thinking, this book explores what lies beneath these geographic divisions and what maintains them. Its novel framework shows how different social class groups derive radically different meanings from place that heighten geographic divisions. Drawing on research with over 200 young people across 17 different UK localities, this book challenges orthodox policy understandings of regional development, putting forward an alternative starting point for how we address borders within countries.
Confined Spaces 2E: Principles and Practice
by Jones & Bartlett LearningThe Public Safety Group, a Jones & Bartlett Learning brand, is pleased to present the second edition of Confined Space: Principles and Practice. This edition provides a complete confined space rescue training solution that meets and exceeds the intent of the job performance requirements (JPRs) within Chapter 7: Confined Space Rescue of the 2021 edition of NFPA 1006, Standard for Technical Rescue Personnel Professional Qualifications. First responders learn everything from sizing up and controlling an incident site to effective victim rescue and retrieval-all while keeping themselves, their colleagues, and the public safe. Engaging training components for each chapter include a You are the Rescuer case study, safety tips, skill drills, key terms, a chapter summary, and much more.Now in the second edition:New: Content is new and fully updated, and each knowledge objective and skills objective is based on and mapped to a section of NFPA 1006. New: The book is divided into sections for the three levels of responder training: Awareness (Chapters 1-4), Operations (Chapters 5-9), and Technician (Chapters 10-12). Each contains information specific to its respective level of training and skills. New: "On Scene" sections in each chapter are based on real events and include questions that immediately follow the narrative.New: All photography for Skill Drills is new.New: Review Questions for each chapter help ensure learner success.New: "You Are the Rescuer" features and discussion questions are included at the beginning of each section.New: Photographs and other visuals show up-to-date gear, techniques, and safety precautions.New: Up-to-date content showcases current equipment and best practices.Confined Space: Principles and Practice, Second Edition includes the following features: A single, complete curriculum solution that supports both students and instructorsOne access code that unlocks digital components to complement the print resource Study tools to help students succeed, including lecture outlines and flashcardsAn eBook, Audiobook, and Skill Drill Slides to engage all students and enable learning on the go © 2026 | 500 pages
Exit Wounds: A breathtakingly unputdownable crime thriller (Connor Fraser #7)
by Neil Broadfoot'Blistering, whip-smart... Exit Wounds has pace, heart, conviction and some of the finest action writing this side of the Reacher novels... a masterclass in thriller writing' - Liam McIlvanney----------Dead men sometimes do tell tales... When the death of an old friend means a trip back to Northern Ireland, Connor Fraser welcomes the distraction from his troubles at home in Stirling. His estrangement from his partner, Jen, is growing ever-more painful, and he can only watch helplessly as his beloved grandmother's health deteriorates. When he spots three familiar faces at the funeral, faces with ties to Northern Ireland's bloody past, Connor suspects his friend's death was more than a tragic accident. But before he can investigate, he's lured into a trap and attacked. Pursued by ruthless professionals who don't care if they bring Connor to their bosses alive or dead, he must go off-grid. As he tries to untangle the web of deceit that has ensnared him, he's faced with choices, and losses, that threaten to break him. A mystery of the past could destroy the peace of the future. With his back to the wall, can Connor unravel it all, before it's too late?----------Praise for Neil Broadfoot: 'A true rising star of crime fiction' - Ian Rankin'I've followed the Connor Fraser series from the start and it just gets better. If you like Reacher, you'll LOVE this. An action thriller but with more emotion, more heart, more nuance, more...everything. Broadfoot is a master craftsman.' - Helen Fields'Wonderfully grisly and grim, and a cracking pace' - James Oswald'A frantic, pacy read with a compelling hero' - Steve Cavanagh
Historic Pub Crawls Through London, Vol. 1: 12 Guided Walks Around London's Iconic Pubs and Landmarks - the perfect gift for Father's Day
by Thomas J. VosperAfter spontaneously hosting a birthday pub crawl through London's finest alehouses, Thomas J. Vosper was inundated with requests from friends and family to make it a regular occurrence. And so, Historic Pub Crawls was born; a curated guide of fun, accessible and fact-filled walks which have taken social media by storm.Covering areas such as Greenwich, Kings Cross, London Bridge and Covent Garden, this guide takes you on expertly curated walks through 10-15 historic pubs across the heart of the capital. Sip a pint overlooking Parliament, wander past the ancient Tower of London, enjoy a riverside stroll near Shakespeare's Globe, or take in the stunning sights of St. Paul's Cathedral.Whether you're a history buff, a beer enthusiast, or just up for a great day out, this book is your ticket to unforgettable pub adventures. Grab a copy, gather your mates, and start your crawl!
The Spider Covenant
by Brian KleinOn 10 August 1944, with Germany on the verge of a crushing and humiliating defeat, Heinrich Himmler, the second most powerful Nazi and head of the notorious SS, holds a clandestine meeting in Strasbourg, with a handful of elite industrialists and bankers.A covert organisation is born, codenamed 'Die Spinne' - The Spider. The network is tasked with helping senior SS officers escape the clutches of advancing allied forces. New identities are created, bankrolled by illicit funds, allowing notorious criminals to begin new lives in Europe and South America. Many of them land key roles in the worlds of politics, banking and industry. Decades later, they're able to pass on a privileged and influential birth right to their descendants.Himmler's secret lovechild, Amelie, is also spirited out of Germany by 'Die ,armed with a Nazi nest egg of fifty million dollars. Eighty years on, Amelie's adopted son becomes the head of the Spider network, which has evolved, survived and prospered over the decades under a cloak of secrecy.Employing a level of AI technology years ahead of anything currently known, the Spider network operates a secret facility based in Strasbourg, capable of creating undetectable Deepfakes of their own extremist politicians: perfect avatars, capable of conducting live interviews on a video stream with any news outlet in the world. The computer 'brain' of the Deepfakes is linked to state-of-the-art AI machines, programmed to create the perfect politician, spouting extreme right-wing rhetoric, aimed at winning over the masses. At a time of world disorder, with bitter wars across and the Middle East, the leaders of the Spider network look to seize their opportunity of grabbing control of the levers of political power.
The Funfair: a gripping psychological suspense thriller for 2025 that will keep you up all night - perfect for summer reading
by Leah PittTHEN It's Rachel's favourite night of the year: the end-of-summer beach party with all her best friends. They're going to do something wild: break into the abandoned funfair. It'll be a night to remember. And none of their lives will ever be the same again. NOW Years later, Rachel still lives at home with her mother, trying to keep the memories of that night far from her mind. But when her old friends return to the sleepy seaside town unexpectedly, Rachel is forced to face up to the past. Who saw what? Who lied to who? And why does the old funfair still have such a hold on them all? A gripping psychological thriller from the author of The Beach Hut - perfect for your summer reading . . .
Peatlands: A Journey Between Land and Water
by Alys FowlerA beautiful, urgent and personal exploration of bogs and the role they must play in saving our planet - for fans of Otherlands and The Last Rainforests of Britain 'A fascinating, impassioned invitation into the hidden mystery of bogs' - OLIVIA LAING, author of The Garden Against Time'Enchanting . . . If you've ever looked at a wetland and wanted to know it better, Fowler is an ideal guide: knowledgeable, passionate, and above all, joyous and personable in her prose.' - JESSICA J. LEE, author of Two Trees Make a Forest'The book throws a sharp light on the plight of bogs - places that come spectacularly to life under Fowler's analytic and passionate gaze. A delight to read but also a sobering education.' - TOM STUART-SMITH'The curious, still silence of peat bogs is so much at odds with their deep and ancient complexities. This book, so immersive, thoughtfully penned and well-observed makes an intimate connection to these often overlooked and enormously precious places. It makes you want to tread lightly and to look deeper.' - DAN PEARSON -------'Why do I like bogs so much? I think it is because I feel very at home with them, I think this has something to do with my queerness and their queer nature as a space.' The value of peat bogs as a natural resource and haven of biodiversity is undisputed, yet few of us have been lucky enough to experience their beauty and richness. In Peatlands, Wainwright Prize-shortlisted author Alys Fowler calls for us to sink deep into the dark, black earths of these rugged places and take a close look at the birds, animals, plants and insects that live within them.Living in Wales nestled between bogs makes Alys Fowler's Peatlands both personal and illuminating. Her odyssey takes her deep into the Flow Country, to the remote Border Mires, through Bannau Bracheinoig, the Peak District and Ireland, creating an intimate picture of these magical places and the people who care for them.
Manage Your Money, Manage Your Mind: Positive Psychology Skills for Financial Wellbeing
by Dr Pradnya SuranaWhat if just earning more money isn't the solution to our financial troubles?Most of us struggle with money issues on a daily basis and this is the source of considerable stress and anxiety. If we want to reduce those worries, and develop our financial skills, maybe we need to look at our relationship with money so it isn't defined by crisis.Learning to have a more positive relationship with money, to not stress about it, and to make good choices with it creates a healthier and happier cycle.This interactive workbook will empower you to take action and create meaningful life changes. You will be guided through the world's most well-researched self-help techniques and interventions, encouraged to try them out and measure whether they have had concrete benefits for you. If not, it is time for the next one.This book incorporates perspectives from clinical, positive and organisational psychology along with insights from spiritual wisdom. Scientific research is translated from jargon to layman's terms so you can understand and begin applying what will actually work to promote financial wellbeing.You will learn about:· The relationship between money, money health and overall wellbeing· Aligning your personal values, emotions and actions with your financial goals· Skills for cultivating gratitude, self-compassion and finding purpose· Developing a psychological emergency toolkit to manage intense emotions· How to challenge irrational beliefs and reframe unhelpful thoughts· Developing healthy financial habits and improving financial literacy· Finding fulfilment through charitable givingEach intervention is accompanied by a resource list that includes books, websites, apps, podcasts and journal articles.