This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 192
Sequel to Milton's Hero. Things are looking up for comic book geek Milton Katz. He has a couple of good friends in JJ and Maggie. They've introduced him to Steve, a guy Milton hopes might turn out to be more than a friend.Milton is thrilled when Steve invites him to go to Comic-Con. But the next morning at school Steve just walks on by when a couple of jocks try to stuff Milton into his locker.Steve Morrison doesn't know how to balance being gay and a baseball jock. His indecision may have just cost him Milton's friendship. Steve knows Milton has a thing for comic book superheroes, so after being urged by Maggie to apologize, he rents a Superman costume and goes to visit Milton to beg for a second chance.Can Milton trust Steve not to hurt him again? Does Steve have the guts to be Milton's friend in public as well as in private? Or will it take a genuine superhero? Views: 192
The remarkable secret revealed in the following pages is not purely fiction. The discovery, much in the form that I have here presented it, has actually been made, and its discoverer, a well-known professor at one of the Universities in the North of Europe, recently placed the extraordinary statement in my hands. Views: 192
Lock is a banished spirit who must attach himself to a human host in order to hide from those who would drag him back to hell. When he meets Rachael he finds more than a host, he finds an ally. Together they must defeat each of the seven sins in order to guarantee Lock's safe passage into the Third Realm, a loophole in creation that would allow him to escape hell and have peace. Views: 192
Duty. Devotion. Desire. When fate brings two isolated people together, love is in the cards.
An Elder Races Novella
As a palace guard and assassin for the Dark Fae, Xanthe always wore a mask, hiding her emotions to do her duty. But when her identity is compromised, she trades undercover work for guarding Queen Niniane—a position that often brings her in contact with Chancellor Aubrey Riordan.
Aubrey’s trust is shattered. A year ago his wife tried to assassinate their new queen in his name, a betrayal of everything he believes in. And now an attack on his life is proof the dark conspiracy is not yet over. Although injured and weak, Aubrey can’t help but be drawn to this shy assassin and loyal protector. Xanthe is everything Naida wasn’t, and the passion she stirs in him is something he thought had long passed him by.
Warning: Take a man recovering from an assassination attempt, the assassin sworn to protect him, add in a magical Tarot card deck and an isolated cabin, and watch the sparks fly! Views: 192
John Hicks is an English trained vet who has spent much of his working life in rural New Zealand. On one level A Wander in Vetland is an insider's look at his changing profession. Hicks's entertaining anecdotes mark a fond farewell to "Herriotism": the dated public image of life as a rural vet, so lovingly depicted in the novels of James Herriot.But this memoir has a far broader scope. In a lively, literary style John Hicks links his tales with some of the more curious aspects of history - particularly veterinary and medical history. Hemlock poisoning leads to a discourse on Socrates' death; brain surgery on a ram poses the question of how Neolithic man performed similar operations. There are insights into the nature of bladder stones in animals and how these relate to the suffering of Samuel Pepys in the seventeenth century; and if you ever wondered how Italian women seduced their lovers or about the use of goose quills by eunuchs in Eastern seraglios, the answers are... Views: 192
Secrets From the Deed Box of John H Watson, MD: Book Three in the Deed Box SeriesThe deed box of Dr. Watson, presented to me some time ago by a friend who rescued it from the archives of a London bank, continues to produce treasures. The stories in this collection, which I have entitled Secrets from the Deed Box of John H Watson MD, all represent some aspect of Holmes and his adventures that has previously been undiscovered. In many ways these are (with the possible exception of The Bradfield Push, which Watson left unpublished for personal reasons) somewhat darker in tone than the stories that he did release to the public and publish in the Strand magazine.For some reason, Watson failed to date most of Holmes' adventures, and we must therefore make a guess at the chronology of these stories through their allusions to other cases.The first of these tales, The Conk-Singleton Forgery Case, is mentioned by Watson. He gives no other details in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, and the story was presumably withheld from the public on account of Holmes'brush with the police as described here. The story provides excellent examples of Holmes' skill in deduction from seemingly trivial observations, as well as details of his methods of working a case.The next story, The Strange Case of James Phillimore, is likewise mentioned in passing by Watson. James Phillimore is described as stepping into his house to retrieve his umbrella, never to be seen more in this world. This brief description implies a somewhat supernatural twist to things, but the truth of the matter is even more surprising. The open antagonism between Sherlock Holmes and some officers of the Metropolitan Police Force may come as somewhat of a surprise to those who have always regarded him as an unflagging ally of the official guardians of law and order.In The Enfield Rope, we enter unknown territory.Watson never alluded to this case. The principals here were far too well-known to Watson's public to allow of this case's publication, even with pseudonyms, and re¬spect for the British Establishment would have restrained Watson in this instance. Holmes' sense of the dramatic is shown here, and his admiration and liking for a member of a part of society that was often shunned at that time shows a human, more attractive side to Holmes than is often portrayed by Watson.The Bradfield Push is an early case of Sherlock Holmes, where Watson loses both his heart and his watch. Holmes can retrieve one, but not the other.These adventures of Sherlock Holmes are approved by The Conan Doyle Estate Ltd.From the AuthorOne of the joys of the exploration of the Holmes papers has been the increasing knowledge I have gained of the character and accomplishments of John Watson. Often regarded as little more than a sidekick to his more illustrious companion, it is interesting to see how often he serves as an accomplished investigator in his own right, while remaining modest about his abilities. Indeed, Holmes very often seems to rely on Watson's work in order to achieve the solution of a case. In the Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes remarks to Watson,"It may be that you are not yourself luminous,but you are a conductor of light." I would contradict Holmes' opinion here, and maintain that Watson, though by no means the shining beacon exemplified by Holmes, nonetheless still manages to provide sufficient illumination to shed light on the mysteries presented to his more famous friend. There are still more sealed envelopes in the deed box awaiting perusal, but the papers are becoming brittle in the Japanese climate, and Watson's handwriting seems to have deteriorated over time. It may be a matter of a few months before I am able to decipher more of the stories lurking at the bottom of the box.From the Back CoverThe first of these tales, The Conk-Singleton Forgery Case, is mentioned by Watson. He gives no other details in his reference in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, and the story was presumably withheld from the public on account of Holmes' brush with with the police as described here. The story provides excellent examples of Holmes' skill in deduction from seemingly trivial observations, as well as details of his methods of working a case.The next story, The Strange Case of James Phillimore, is likewise mentioned in passing by Watson. James Phillimore is described as stepping into his house to retrieve his umbrella, never to be seen more in this world. This vague description implies a somewhat supernatural twist to things, but the truth of the matter is even more surprising. Likewise, the open antagonism between Sherlock Holmes and some officers of the Metropolitan Police Force may come as somewhat of a surprise to those who have always regarded him as an unflagging ally of the official guardians of law and order.In The Enfield Rope, we enter unknown territory. Watson never alluded to this case. The principals here were far too well-known to Watson's public to allow of this case's publication, even with pseudonyms, and respect for the British Establishment would have restrained Watson in this case. Holmes' sense of the dramatic is shown here, and his admiration and liking for a member of a part of society that was often shunned at that time shows a human, more attractive side to Holmes than is often portrayed by Watson.Finally, The Bradfield Push was presumably locked in the deed box by Dr Watson because it showed a side of his emotional life prior to his marriage that he would sooner have kept hidden from Mary. An entertaining story of detection, with Holmes displaying his characteristic powers of observation and deduction. Views: 192
It's feast or famine for Philippa, who has returned from her OE to the small town she grew up in. She is being pursued by two men at once: Ben, a determined beekeeper who smells delectably of honey and seems to be Mr Nice Guy personified; and Andrew, who has a dangerous something about him that she just can't resist. But Philippa can't stop thinking about her Crush, the boy she idolised as a girl and never got over, and who may also be returning home . . . Sean and Gill, Philippa's best friends and allies, help her as much as they can but are embroiled in even deeper troubles of their own. Someone is threatening Sean with serious harm, and Gill's attempts to spice up her foundering marriage could well end up destroying it – and her. This is a small town with a dark underbelly, where love comes hand-in-hand with danger. Also available as an eBook Views: 192
In just under a decade, Facebook has gone from a Harvard prodigy's dorm-room experiment to an essential part of the social life of hundreds of millions of children, teens, and adults across the globe. It's no surprise, then, that the company has been the subject of countless magazine articles, books, and even movies. But despite the extensive coverage that has been given to the company in the years since founder Mark Zuckerberg first took Facebook live on Harvard's server, one question remains unanswered: From a business standpoint, how, exactly, did Facebook do it?How did a college student with no real-world business experience take a relatively simple idea and then, less than ten years later, turn it into a $100 billion dollar company? What specific steps did Facebook take along its journey to creating perhaps the most innovative startup of the 21st century? What approach did it take when pitching venture capitalists, and how did it go about forging its many strategic partnerships? And, most importantly, how can would-be founders learn and effectively utilize Facebook's unique techniques and strategies in their own startup efforts? In How to Create the Next Facebook, tech guru Tom Taulli answers all of these questions and more, crystallizing the process by which Facebook was shepherded from idea to IPO to provide a guided blueprint for budding entrepreneurs who are ready to start building their own great business.Regardless of what stage of development your startup is in, How to Create the Next Facebook provides you with clear, compelling, and ultimately actionable advice extracted from Facebook's startup success story. You'll learn how Facebook handled the very same situations your startup is confronting—from how it arrived at its mission statement to what its priorities were during its talent search process—before gaining access to all the concrete, practical guidance you need to make the right decisions for your company and continue moving forward with confidence. And, of course, because Facebook didn't get everything right at first, author Tom Taulli painstakingly details the company's most costly mistakes, documenting everything from its protracted legal struggles to its many failed attempts at establishing multiple revenue streams, so that you can arm your company against the various challenges that threaten to sink even the very best startups.By the time you turn the final pages of How to Create the Next Facebook, you'll realize that Facebook is more than just a fun place to catch up with old friends; it is the ideal model to follow for those who, like you, are ready to build the world's next great startup.What you’ll learnAfter reading this book, you will be able to:Capitalize on the Facebook phenomenon and understand how top startups are built. Avoid the most common pitfalls that cripple young ventures and improve your startup's chances at long-term success. Uncover innovative ways to boost your startup's growth and learn the importance of developing multiple revenue streams. Understand the startup financing process, from angel funding to the IPO. Protect yourself, your company, and your intellectual property from the competition. Create a sustainable and profitable company with long-term growth prospects. Who this book is forHow to Create the Next Facebook is specifically designed for the more than 400 million estimated entrepreneurs worldwide who are currently in the process of developing their own company. In addition, this book will appeal to aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages who, although they have not yet begun to develop their own company, are nonetheless interested in doing so in the future. Finally, thanks to the general interest that mainstream movies, narrative books, and the site itself have generated for Facebook, those who are fascinated by the company and want to learn the ins and outs of its early business efforts will constitute a third audience. Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: The MissionChapter 2: Legal StructureChapter 3: The ProductChapter 4: Raising CapitalChapter 5: The PitchChapter 6: Deal TermsChapter 7: Go-to-MarketChapter 8: The FinancialsChapter 9: The Business ModelChapter 10: Being a Great CEOChapter 11: The TeamChapter 12: M&AChapter 13: Selling Your CompanyChapter 14: The IPOChapter 15: Wealth Management Chapter 16: ConclusionGlossaryAbout the AuthorTom Taulli is based in Silicon Valley, in the heart of IPO land. On a regular basis, he talks with many of the top tech CEOs and founders to find the next hot deals and discover which startups are stinkers. A long-time follower of the IPO scene, Taulli started one of the first sites in the space, called WebIPO, in the mid-1990s. It was a place where investors got research as well as access to deals for the dot-com boom. From there, he started several other companies, such as Hypermart.net, which was sold to InfoSpace in 1999. Currently, Taulli is an advisor to tech companies and writes extensively on tech, finance, and IPOs. His work has appeared on Forbes.com, TechWeb, and BusinessWeek. He is also frequently quoted in publications like the Wall Street Journal and is regularly interviewed on CNBC and BloombergTV. You can follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. Views: 191
Capricorn Cap Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain. When Rain is injured in a fall, Cap is forced to attend the local middle school. Although he knows a lot about Zen Buddhism, nothing has prepared him for the politics of public school. Views: 191
"Michael Phillips has done the impossible—written a thriller on hell:" The final book in the spiritual fantasy trilogy, following Heaven and Beyond (C. Baxter Kruger, author of The Shack Revisited). A prominent atheist dies unexpectedly and goes to hell. Or so it appears, but nothing is what it seems in this engrossing allegorical novel about the afterlife. In the tradition of C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce and John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Michael Phillips has produced a riveting tale of eternity. Hell and Beyond is a lively and fascinating trip through the afterlife—one that will inspire you to rediscover the significance of your life here and now. "Phillips has offered a breathtaking and important addition to the world of traditional theological allegory, joining Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and C.S. Lewis' Pilgrim's Regress . . . It is beautiful beyond describing and stunning in... Views: 191
