This elegantly written and useful book . . . describes how, for millennia, human beings have struggled to rein in desire." -USA Today At a time when the fallout from reckless spending and unrestrained consumption is fueling a national malaise, Daniel Akst delivers a witty and comprehensive investigation of the central problem of our time: how to save ourselves from what we want. Temptation reminds us that while more calories, sex, and intoxicants are readily available than ever before, crucial social constraints have eroded, creating a world that sorely tests the limits of human willpower. Referencing history, literature, psychology, philosophy, and economics, Akst draws a vivid picture of the many-sided problem of desire-and delivers a blueprint for how we can steer shrewdly away from a campaign of self-destruction. Views: 497
Mr. Trinklein's 7th grade class creative stories compilation.The year is 2040, and in the Solomon Islands a programme to breed genetically-modified dolphins with near-human brains is underway. Dawn, a girl from England on a visit to the Solomons, suffers strange hallucinations when she encounters the dolphins, in which she is transported by means of a spirit journey into a parallel universe. It transpires that she too has been genetically modified, not by humans but by benign aliens from this parallel universe, so that her brain, as it reaches maturity, becomes like theirs. An unintended consequence of the dolphins’ neural modifications is that they are telepathic and are able to journey into this parallel universe. The intention of the aliens is that Dawn should play a key role in the development of dolphin culture. However, other malign aliens from the parallel universe have made contact with a sinister religious cult bent on world domination. The battle that ensues between Dawn’s dolphins and these malign forces takes place in both this and the parallel universe. Set against this backdrop is the romantic attachment that grows between the leader of the dolphin community and one of the humans caught up in the conflict. Views: 497
Bound by misery. Marked by sin. Set free by death.Barely into their teens, without homes, they dwell in neon shadows, the violent eddies of urban America. They trade their innocence for money, abuse their hopes, and then a monster comes...A monster without fangs or claws, but more deadly. Because of them, he has lost everything: his wife, his family. And he vows to clean the streets of Chicago...for good.One of the street kids and a man of the cloth form a desperate pact. Together, they will find the madman whose basement has become a chamber of horrors...PENANCE was part of Dell Abyss' remarkable horror line, lauded by none other than Stephen King. Views: 496
Can men truly know and experience peace? Can nations? Can families? Follow one man's quest for unity, justice and a better existence.What causes brother to rise up against brother? Can men, nations, and families ever experience true unity and peace? Will racism and hatred finally be eradicated? War often seems to be man's answer for settling disputes and thwarting evil. Perhaps the best solution to our conflicts doesn't reside in this world. When a Civil War chaplain finds himself dodging death-stamped mini balls and dismembering shrapnel, he realizes there is a better way, a final, lasting hope. Views: 496
Rebekah needs healing for her cold heart and finds it in a gift from the fairies.A song for Rebekah from the fairies heals her hurt and pain bringing her back to love and life. Views: 496
The reporter Peter Miller investigates the world of psychics after his brother's death. He wishes to reveal them as frauds but he uncovers a conspiracy that crosses dimensions and threatens mankind.Peter Miller's brother Andy dies under suspicious circumstances. Peter's mother is advised by a psychic named Sybil that Andy's death was a suicide and they should let Andy rest. His mother agrees and wishes to close the police investigation. However, Peter will not let it go and is aggravated by Sybil's interference. Peter thinks the only way to get his brother's case reopened is prove to his mother that Sybil is a sham, so he goes undercover to investigate the world of psychics. The investigation leads him to a psychic development center called Remote View. During this time Peter has a bizarre dream that warns him of an impending danger. While at the facility, he has a dream again but it proves not to be a dream. It is a contact from another dimension telling him about a conspiracy that could ruin humanity and Peter must stop it. One big problem is that the head of the Remote View center is involved with the inter-dimensional plot. Oneiromancy is the divination of dreams and sometimes bad dreams come true. This is a satire but not a comedy. Views: 496
While trying to launch her newest invention, a cheerful pixie named Pudding inadvertently plays a role in one of history’s greatest myths.On an obscure island in the North Atlantic Ocean, a cheerful pixie named Pudding is about to make history by launching the world's first submarine. Unfortunately, the maiden voyage, which should be an easy cruise around the ocean for the young inventor and her three friends, quickly turns into an unexpected adventure. With events of mythological proportions happening all around her, Pudding soon realizes that her newest invention may land her in the history books for an entirely different reason. Views: 496
Trevanian's Shibumi was a landmark bestseller, one of the classic international bestselling thrillers of the twentieth century. Now, chosen by Trevanian's heirs, the hugely admired writer Don Winslow returns with an irresistible "prequel": Satori.
It is the fall of 1951 and the Korean War is raging. Twenty-six-year-old Nicholai Hel has spent the last three years in solitary confinement at the hands of the Americans. Hel is a master of hodo korosu or "naked kill," and fluent in over six languages. Genius and mystic, he has honed extraordinary "proximity sense" — an extra-awareness of the presence of danger — and has the skills to be the world's most formidable assassin. The Americans need him. They offer Hel freedom in exchange for one small service: go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's Commissioner to China. It's almost certainly a suicide mission, but Hel accepts. Now he must survive violence, suspicion and betrayal while trying to achieve the ultimate goal of satori — the possibility of true understanding and harmony with the world.
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 496
Statistics Don't Lie is almost the perfect summertime story... almost. There's teen romance and murder. What more could anyone want?Even with the right plans and preparation, change and adaptation are necessary for the best zombie apocalypse survivor. This is the blog of a successful survivor that follows his experiences, successes and failures, as he hides away in his attic during the initial stages of the zombie plague to his eventual success in dealing with the hordes. It serves as a loose intro to other stories of the Zombie Apocalypse Survivor short stories and sketches by Jason Thornton. It is written as a first person, 'just the facts, Ma'am', account of how to handle life in the zombie apocalypse. Views: 496
Noah has a fierce crush on a hot jock on the high school football team whose locker is fifteen down from Noah's in the hall. When Melissa Bradshaw, only the most popular girl in school, suddenly shows an interest in Noah, he suspects he's being set up for a cruel joke.Noah Lipinski has a fierce crush on Doug Hathaway, a hot jock on the high school football team whose locker is fifteen down from Noah's in the hall. When Melissa Bradshaw, only the most popular girl in school, suddenly shows an interest in Noah, he suspects he's being set up for a cruel joke. She asks him to Homecoming and he refuses to go.After school, the doorbell rings and Noah's sure she's back to pester him about the dance. But when he opens the door, he finds Doug there instead, with an explanation and a much better offer than Melissa's. Views: 496
The Inspector must enter the unsavory world of politics to help a conscientious politician.Maigret is secretly summoned by a distraught cabinet minister who needs help in recovering a document - the Calame report, an engineering study that warned that a government-funded children's sanitarium was of unstable design. The study was hushed up, the report stolen, and the disaster made reality - with 128 children killed in the building's collapse. Now Maigret must plumb the depths of government corruption to find the thief and the report - and let the compromised government fall where it may. (less) Paperback, 196 pages Published June 1st 1996 by Mariner Books (first published 1954) Views: 495
Molly and her friend the Fluffalump go on magical adventures, and take on the school bully, and a burglar. She travels with Fluff to the land of Fluffa and meets the king, and goes on a holiday to spain with Fluff.How would you proceed to survive a huge global cataclysm - though not as bad as the one at the K-T bouundary? Your government no longer exists, 60 to 80 percent of the world's population is gone. It would be difficult, No? But, that's only one of the problems facing the survivors. Turns out descendants of former earthborn humans have returned...with a plan. The plan is to enslave all who remain...or kill off those who oppose them. Dr. Jonathan Prezlee, a rogue geologist, understands about global catastrophes and helps many to learn to adapt to the new world age. Yet, his job is not done but he's no fighter, no military man yet...[Once I finished the events after 67,000 words plus I realized there would be as many words for the conclusion. That would be too much of a novel so I stopped there. It occured to me that this novel would be a great pilot for a SciFi channel series. I'm pricing it low as I have other projects and I cannot get to the conclusion of this story for a while. If you enjoy the story please be patient and if you do not like it...c'est la vie.] Views: 495
