Mobile phones are a ubiquitous technology with a fascinating history. There are now as many mobile phones in the world as there are people. We carry them around with us wherever we go. And while we used to just speak into them, now mobiles are used to do all kinds of tasks, from talking to twittering, from playing a game to paying a bill. Jon Agar takes the mobile to pieces, tracing what makes it work, and puts it together again, showing how it was shaped in different national contexts in the United States, Europe, the Far East and Africa. He tells the story from the early associations with cars and the privileged, through its immense popular success, to the rise of the smartphone. Few scientific revolutions affect us in such a day-to-day way as the development of the mobile phone. Jon Agar's deft history explains exactly how this revolution has come about - and where it may lead in the future. Views: 18
Shannon's troubled stepdaughter has been missing for two weeks. When Keisha finally calls, Shannon doesn't hesitate to welcome her into her home—despite her husband, John's, misgivings. As a pharmacist, Shannon has always taken an analytical view of Keisha's addiction problems and feels that treating her underlying depression and providing a support system can break the bonds that have taken over her life. When Keisha first begins breaking the rules, Shannon worries John will kick Keisha out and send her back to her druggie friends. Shannon commits to being even more diligent in helping Keisha. As more of her energy goes toward Keisha, a distance emerges between Shannon, her husband, and their twelve-year-old son, Landon. Shannon finds it easy to justify her own behavior as unconditional love, but as Keisha's stumblings become dramatic falls, Shannon realizes this is no longer just about Keisha. Shannon finds herself facing the reality that addiction comes in many forms.... Views: 18
What happened to the children? The year is 2043, and humans have been mysteriously unable to reproduce for almost thirty years. To prevent panic and keep the population from dwindling to nothing, global authorities offer a Lotto, where a few winners each week can enter a time portal and bring back adopted children from the future. They’re never allowed to talk about what they saw. The exception to this system is Los Angeles resident and reluctant celebrity Rachel Harris, the only woman of her generation to naturally give birth. Years of medical tests and treatments have been unable to explain or replicate her pregnancy, and the whole world grieved when Rachel’s daughter died in a tragic accident. When Rachel wins the Lotto, she’s shocked, and then elated. She can be a mother again. But the baby she meets in 2108 carries a secret that will shatter Rachel’s reality and endanger everyone close to her. Now Rachel must race across time to save her life and her child, even as she discovers that nothing—and no one—are what they seem. Views: 18
THE AUTHOR SAYS, 'Greetings readers and listeners, and welcome to the final instalment in the Incredible Journey of Pete McGee...okay, okay, don't get all stressed. I will tell you right now that Pete does not die in this book. I'm pretty sure anyway'. Views: 18
Richard Morgan blazed onto the SF scene in 2002 with ALTERED CARBON, which won the Philip K. Dick award and was optioned by Hollywood. He followed this up with two further novels continuing the adventures of Takeshi Kovacs - BROKEN ANGELS and WOKEN FURIES. He also wrote two further standalone SF novels, MARKET FORCES and BLACK MAN (which won the Arthur C. Clarke award). All five of these novels are collected here as the perfect introduction to Richard’s work, or a welcome reminder of his power as a writer. Richard has also written two computer games (CRYSIS 2 and SYNDICATE), comics for MARVEL and is currently working on a fantasy trilogy comprising OF THE STEEL REMAINS, THE COLD COMMANDS, THE DARK DEFILES. Views: 18
From bestselling author Charlaine Harris and rising star Amanda Stevens come two otherworldly tales sure to haunt readers well after the last page is turned. Dancers in the Dark #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris Layla Rue Le May is no ordinary dancer--her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. When Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music...and wonder if this will finally be her last dance. The Devil's Footprints Award-winning author Amanda Stevens Years after her sister's unsolved murder, Sarah DeLaune is haunted by the mysteries of her past when two mutilated bodies are found near Sarah's New Orleans home, the crime scene desecrated by cloven footprints. Sarah has always believed that her sister was killed by a man named Ashe Cain. But no one else has ever seen Ashe. Until now. Views: 18
Called out to investigate a suspected suicide in a luxury high-rise apartment, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean only just escapes with her life when the building is blown to smithereens. An accident - or something more sinister? A mostly empty block of trendy apartments in downtown Cleveland seems an unlikely terrorist target. The following day, Theresa is examining another suspected suicide in a wealthy neighbourhood when the cop accompanying her is shot dead by an unseen assailant. Could the two events be connected? As Theresa painstakingly pieces the clues she uncovers evidence of a dark secret in the murdered cop's past. Views: 18
