A legend is made the moment you deiced the cost is worth the journey. The moment you decided your life is worth fighting for, bleeding for, and killing for. This is the moment Vlad will choose between murderer or victim. This is the moment the legend of the Wraith begins. Could you live with the choice? Views: 26
Tiffany Aching, a young witch-in-training, learns about magic and responsibility as she battles a disembodied monster with the assistance of the six-inch-high Wee Free Men and Mistress Weatherwax, the greatest witch in the world. Views: 26
Second in size only to Jupiter, bigger than a thousand Earths but light enough to float in water, home of cushing gravity and delicate, seemingly impossible rings, it dazzles and attracts us: Saturn. Earth groans under the rule of fundamentalist political regimes. Crisis after crisis has given authoritarians the upper hand. Freedom and opportunity exist in space, for those with the nerve and skill to run the risks. Now the governments of Earth are encouraging many of their most incorrigible dissidents to join a great ark on a one-way expedition, twice Jupiter’s distance from the Sun, to Saturn, the ringed planet that baffled Galileo and has fascinated astronomers ever since. But humans will be human, on Earth or in the heavens — so amid the idealism permeating Space Habitat Goddard are many individuals with long-term schemes, each awaiting the right moment. And hidden from them is the greatest secret of all, the real purpose of this expedition, known to only a few… Views: 26
In the final decades of the nineteenth century, three brilliant and visionary titans of America's Gilded Age--Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse--battled bitterly as each vied to create a vast and powerful electrical empire. In Empires of Light, historian Jill Jonnes portrays this extraordinary trio and their riveting and ruthless world of cutting-edge science, invention, intrigue, money, death, and hard-eyed Wall Street millionaires. At the heart of the story are Thomas Alva Edison, the nation's most famous and folksy inventor, creator of the incandescent light bulb and mastermind of the world's first direct current electrical light networks; the Serbian wizard of invention Nikola Tesla, elegant, highly eccentric, a dreamer who revolutionized the generation and delivery of electricity; and the charismatic George Westinghouse, Pittsburgh inventor and tough corporate entrepreneur, an industrial idealist who in the era of gaslight imagined a world powered... Views: 26
HELP WANTED:Position open for goal-oriented professional. Must be willing to work in zero gravity. MAY THE WORK-FORCE BE WITH YOU.In this all-new, original anthology, today's top sf talents tackle tomorrow's jobs-in space and beyond. Each story in this intriguing collection begins with a Want Ad-and ends up revealing a space-age working world of headhunters, applicants, bosses, and employees. So punch the timeclock-and get to work...It's not just a job. It's the future. Views: 26
"There comes a time in your life when the past decides to run you down," Mark Slouka writes in this heartbreaking and soul-searching memoir about one man's attempt to reckon with the past.Born in Czechoslovakia, Mark Slouka's parents survived the Nazis only to have to escape the Communist purges after the war. Smuggled out of their own country, the newlyweds joined a tide of refugees moving from Innsbruck to Sydney to New York, dragging with them a history of blood and betrayal that their son would be born into.From World War I to the present, Slouka pieces together a remarkable story of refugees and war, displacement and denial—admitting into evidence memories, dreams, stories, the lies we inherit, and the lies we tell—in an attempt to reach his mother, the enigmatic figure at the center of the labyrinth. Her story, the revelation of her life-long burden and the forty-year love affair that might have saved her, shows the way out of the maze. Views: 26
From a leading scholar of our country’s foreign policy, the brilliant essay about America and the world that has caused a storm in international circles now expanded into book form. European leaders, increasingly disturbed by U.S. policy and actions abroad, feel they are headed for what the New York Times (July 21, 2002) describes as a "moment of truth." After years of mutual resentment and tension, there is a sudden recognition that the real interests of America and its allies are diverging sharply and that the transatlantic relationship itself has changed, possibly irreversibly. Europe sees the United States as high-handed, unilateralist, and unnecessarily belligerent; the United States sees Europe as spent, unserious, and weak. The anger and mistrust on both sides are hardening into incomprehension. This past summer, in Policy Review, Robert Kagan reached incisively into this impasse to force both sides to see themselves through the eyes of the other. Tracing the widely differing histories of Europe and America since the end of World War II, he makes clear how for one the need to escape a bloody past has led to a new set of transnational beliefs about power and threat, while the other has perforce evolved into the guarantor of that “postmodern paradise” by dint of its might and global reach. This remarkable analysis is being discussed from Washington to Paris to Tokyo. It is esssential reading. Views: 26
This "beautifully written" novel about a murder in small-town South Dakota explores "a haunted territory of regret, longing and guilt" (Jess Walter). Hayley Jo Zimmerman is gone. Taken. And the people of small-town Twisted Tree must come to terms with this terrible event—their loss, their place in it, and the secrets they all carry. In this brilliantly written novel, one girl's story unfolds through the stories of those who knew her. Among them, a supermarket clerk recalls an encounter with a disturbingly thin Hayley Jo. An ex-priest remembers baptizing Hayley Jo and seeing her with her best friend, Laura, whose mother the priest once loved. And Laura berates herself for all the running they did, how it fed her friend's addiction, and how there were so many secrets she didn't see. And so, Hayley Jo's absence recasts the lives of others and connects them, her death rooting itself into the community in astonishingly violent and tender ways. Solidly in the... Views: 26
"McLemore's second novel is such a lush surprising fable, you half expect birds to fly out of the pages... McLemore uses the supernatural to remind us that the body's need to speak its truth is primal and profound, and that the connection between two people is no more anyone's business than why the dish ran away with the spoon."-Jeff Giles, New York Times Book Review, on When the Moon was Ours Love grows such strange things.Anna-Marie McLemore's debut novel The Weight of Feathers garnered fabulous reviews and was a finalist for the prestigious YALSA Morris Award, and her second novel, When the Moon was Ours, was longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Now, in Wild Beauty, McLemore introduces a spellbinding setting and two characters who are drawn together by fate—and pulled apart by reality.For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera,... Views: 26
The second instalment in military historian Mark Zuehlke’s compelling World War II tales of Canadians overcoming insurmountable odds in Italy.For the allied armies fighting their way up the Italian boot in early 1944, Rome was the prize that could only be won through one of the greatest offensives of the war. Following upon his book about the battle of Ortona, Mark Zuehlke returns to the Mediterranean theatre of World War II with this gripping tribute to the valiant Canadians who opened the way for the Allies to take Rome.The Liri Valley is testament to the bravery of these Canadians, like the badly wounded Captain Pierre Potvin, who survived more than thirty hours alone in the hell of no man’s land. This book, like the battle it records, will live long in readers’ memories. Views: 26
"Impressive . . . a powerful indictment of U.S. military and foreign policy." -Los Angeles Times Book Review, front page In the years after the Soviet Union imploded, the United States was described first as the globe's "lone superpower," then as a "reluctant sheriff," next as the "indispensable nation," and in the wake of 9/11, as a "New Rome." In this important national bestseller, Chalmers Johnson thoroughly explores the new militarism that is transforming America and compelling us to pick up the burden of empire.Recalling the classic warnings against militarism-from George Washington's Farewell Address to Dwight Eisenhower's denunciation of the military-industrial complex-Johnson uncovers its roots deep in our past. Turning to the present, he maps America's expanding empire of military bases and the vast web of services that support them. He offers a vivid look at the new caste of professional militarists who have infiltrated multiple branches of government, who classify as "secret" everything they do, and for whom the manipulation of the military budget is of vital interest. Among Johnson's provocative conclusions is that American militarism is already putting an end to the age of globalization and bankrupting the United States, even as it creates the conditions for a new century of virulent blowback. The Sorrows of Empire suggests that the former American republic has already crossed its Rubicon-with the Pentagon in the lead. Chalmers Johnson, president of the Japan Policy Research Institute, is a frequent contributor to the London Review of Books and The Nation. His previous books include the national bestseller Blowback, as well as MITI and the Japanese Miracle. Johnson lives near San Diego. In the years after the Soviet Union imploded, the United States was described first as the globe's "lone superpower," then as a "reluctant sheriff," next as the "indispensable nation," and, in the wake of 9/11, as a "New Rome." Here, Johnson thoroughly explores the new militarism that is transforming America and compelling its citizens to pick up the burden of empire. Recalling the classic warnings against militarism—from George Washington's Farewell Address to Dwight Eisenhower's denunciation of the military-industrial complex—Johnson uncovers the deep war-mongering roots of our past. Turning to the present, he maps America's expanding empire of military bases and the vast web of services that support them. He also offers a vivid look at the new caste of professional militarists who have infiltrated multiple branches of government, who classify as "secret" everything they do, and for whom the manipulation of the military budget is of vital interest. Among Johnson's more provocative conclusions is that American militarism is already putting an end to the age of globalization, and bankrupting the United States even as it creates the conditions for a new century of virulent blowback. The Sorrows of Empire suggests that the former American republic has already crossed its Rubicon—with the Pentagon in the lead. From the author of Blowback comes this bestselling and timely critique of American-style militarism."[An] enormously useful study."—Ronald Steel, The Nation"Impressive . . . A powerful indictment of U.S. military and foreign policy."—Los Angeles Times Book Review "Exhaustive . . . Johnson, an Asia scholar and onetime consultant for the CIA, [produces] voluminous research on the many United States military and intelligence outposts unknown to most Americans, and weaves a frightening picture of a military-industrial complex grown into exactly the powerful, secretive force that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against—made more dangerous by an aggressive executive branch, creating a state of perpetual war and economic bankruptcy. His assessment is chilling."—Serge Schmemann, The New York Times Book Review"Johnson devotes most of his book to examining the numerous foreign bases (which have proliferated since the end of the Cold War), the often legitimate reasons for their initial establishment, the outrages that American servicemen from them perpetrate on their hosts, as well as the comforts and benefits of empire and militarism that prevent their abandonment. Johnson believes that the initial post-Cold War base expansion was aimed at supporting America's century-old economic imperialism, now called 'globalization.' But with the election of the 'boy emperor' and the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, 'the United States shifted decisively from economic to military imperialism,' which undermined international law and organizations, weakened democracy at home, replaced truth with propaganda, and courted financial ruin. Johnson's superbly researched book is also an angry [one]. But who can blame him?"—Walter C. Uhler, San Francisco Chronicle"A scathing and scary indictment of America's military expansion to all corners of the globe."—John Wilkens, The San Diego Union-Tribune"[An] enormously useful study."—Ronald Steel, The Nations26"Every page of The Sorrows of Empire burns with fierce indignation at the sacrifice of American rights, values, and economic well-being in the name of conquest and empire. Johnson has produced a blistering critique of the Bush Administration's militaristic foreign policy and its dangerous infatuation with high-tech weaponry. Everyone who cares about the survival of American democracy should read Johnson's stunning indictment."—Michael T. Klare, author of Resource Wars"Johnson's relentless logic, authoritative scholarship, and elegantly biting prose distinguish The Sorrows of Empire, like all his other work. Anyone who reads it will have a much sharper sense of the costs of America's new world-girdling commitments—and I hope it is widely read."—James Fallows, author of Breaking the News"Johnson has given us a polemic, but one soundly grounded in an impressive array of facts and data. The costs of empire are our sorrow, he contends. He anticipates a state of perpetual war, involving more military expenditures and overseas expansion, and presidents who will continue to eclipse or ignore Congress. He documents a growing system of propaganda, disinformation, and glorification of war and military power. Finally, he fears economic bankruptcy as the president underwrites these adventures with a congressional blank check while neglecting growing problems of education, health care, and a decaying physical infrastructure. The Sorrows of Empire offers a powerful indictment of current U.S. military and foreign policy. It also provides an occasion to consider the constitutional values of our republic."—Stanley I. Kutler, The Los Angeles Times"Johnson is a legendary scholar who gave Americans the first deeply authentic understanding of modern Japan's unique economic system. In this cri de couer, he asks us to understand ourselves—to grasp, before it is too late, that America's modern militarist empire threatens to destroy the democratic republic. His hanalysis is powerful and dreadfully persuasive."—William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy "For American patriots, there is no more important book to read today than The Sorrows of Empire. Chalmers Johnson reveals the corrupting weight of America's grand architecture of empire, the hundreds of foreign bases and formidable military capacity, maintained not by the enthusiasm of informed citizens but by the ability of the government to shroud its actions and assets in secrecy. Like Rome, the United States today is struggling with the consequences of a permanent global military engagement, from which self-dealing political elites derive great benefits, at the expense and ultimately the survival of America's heretofore resilient republic."—Steven C.Clemons, Executive Vice President, New America Foundation“Johnson's searing indictment of America's flirtation with an imperial foreign policy should be required reading for all concerned citizens. He describes an array of adverse consequences that add up to nothing less than a betrayal of America's heritage. One need not agree with all of his arguments to conclude that Sorrows of Empire is an extremely important and disturbing book.”—Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President, Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute"In Blowback, published before 'September 11,' Chalmers Johnson introduced us to a chilling code word for our times. The Sorrows of Empire is even more sobering, for it associates the United States with a dynamic most Americans still find unmentionable—our ever-deepening militarism, with all the sorrows of perpetual war and moral as well as political and economic bankruptcy that inevitably accompany this. Here, all of a piece, is a scholar's critique and a patriot's cry of anguish over the relentless erosion of once-cherished ideals—a dark vision presented with unflinching courage."—John W. Dower, author of Embracing Defeat, winner of the Pulitzer Prize"Johnson's new book is a stunner. He blows away the Defense Department's cover story that our empire of military bases exists to support humanitarian intervention. Along with these bases comes a mania for newer weapons, untested and unneeded . . . Something funny is happening on the way to the American forum: citizens are discovering they have an empire they never wanted—paid for in casualties, with civil liberties the first victim."—Patrick Lloyd Hatcher, U.S. Army Colonel (retired), author of The Suicide of an Elite: American Internationalists and Vietnam"In his prescient 2000 bestseller, Blowback, east Asia scholar Johnson predicted dire consequences for a U.S. foreign policy that had run roughshod over Asia. Now he joins a chorus of Bush critics in this provocative, detailed tour of what he sees as America's entrenched culture of militarism, its 'private army' of special forces, and its worldwide archipelago of military 'colonies.' According to Johnson, before a mute public and Congress, oil and arms barons have displaced the State Department, secretly creating 'a military juggernaut intent on world domination,' and are exercising 'preemptive intervention' for 'oil, Israel, and . . . to fulfill our self-perceived destiny as a New Rome.' Johnson admits that Bill Clinton, who disguised his policies as globalization, was a 'much more effective imperialist,' but most of the book assails 'the boy emperor' Bush and his cronies with one of the most startling and engrossing accounts of exotic defense capabilities, operations, and spending in print."—Publishers Weekly Views: 26
