'For me, being in a paddock means anything is possible . . .' Country girl and bestselling novelist Rachael Treasure seemed to have it all, a long-dreamed-of lifestyle on her own patch of dirt in Tasmania's rugged and beautiful wilderness. But through the breakdown of her marriage, Rachael lost her family farm and, in her words, lost her way in life. Discovering an all-new compass to live by, she took her two kids and her dogs and left the beaten path. Mass production, intensive farming, men on the land and women in the home - everywhere Rachael looked she saw ongoing harm to the soil and the foodchain. By going down the dirt roads and getting back to grassroots, she discovered another set of stories about country life in Australia, and a different way to live on the land. From her rebel granny to pioneering farmers and passionate animal handlers, Rachael became inspired by fresh ways to do things. Down the Dirt Roads starts as a heartfelt and moving insight into the... Views: 16
A compelling new set of interviews on our changing and turbulent times with Noam Chomsky, one of the world's foremost thinkersIn this new collection of conversations, conducted from 2010 to 2012, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: the future of democracy in the Arab world, the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the European financial crisis, the breakdown of American mainstream political institutions, and the rise of the Occupy movement. As always, Chomsky presents his ideas vividly and accessibly, with uncompromising principle and clarifying insight.The latest volume from a long-established, trusted partnership, this collection shows once again that no interlocutor engages with Chomsky more effectively than David Barsamian. These interviews will inspire a new generation of readers, as well as longtime Chomsky fans eager for his latest thinking on the many crises we now confront, both at home and abroad. They... Views: 16
Word of Alpha's recovery spreads throughout the region. The news is welcomed by most - but not all. Some see the small Texas town as a threat, others want to dominate and control the prosperous community. Often, it's difficult to discern friend from foe, and miscommunication can be deadly.The legendary range wars of the early American West were brutal, bloody affairs. Water was often an excuse for the skirmishes, but rarely was it the true root of conflict. Political competition, an unquenchable thirst for power, and poor communications were the real catalysts for these violent struggles.In the post-apocalyptic world of Bishop and Terri, circumstances are ripe for history to repeat. Electricity replaces water as the point of contention, the new world on the brink of falling into violent chaos, just like in the past. The issues run in tandem, human nature apparently unchanged in 200 years. Join the citizens of post-collapse West Texas as they struggle to rebuild and improve their lives. It's a journey filled with the joy of success and fraught with the peril of defeat. Views: 16
It's junior prom night. Andrea is grounded for getting her older brother to buy booze for her, Paul is having panic attacks, Roemi has been stood up by his Internet date, and Candace is busy tagging a building (before she gets collared by a particularly tenacious cop). By happenstance, the four near-strangers end up together, getting into more trouble, arguing and ultimately helping each other out over the course of eight madcap hours. Views: 16
In this prequel to the earlier books in the series, Ellis Portal, the disgraced former judge turned sleuth, is taken back to his law school days. Views: 16
“If the end of the twentieth century can be characterized by futurism, the twenty-first can be defined by presentism.”This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, explains award-winning media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, but we don’t seem to have any time in which to live it. Instead we remain poised and frozen, overwhelmed by an always-on, live-streamed reality that our human bodies and minds can never truly inhabit. And our failure to do so has had wide-ranging effects on every aspect of our lives.People spent the twentieth century obsessed with the future. We created technologies that would help connect us faster, gather news, map the planet, compile knowledge, and connect with anyone, at anytime. We strove for an instantaneous network where time and space could be compressed.Well, the future’s arrived. We live in a continuous now enabled by Twitter, email, and a so-called real-time technological shift. Yet this “now” is an elusive goal that we can never quite reach. And the dissonance between our digital selves and our analog bodies has thrown us into a new state of anxiety: present shock.Rushkoff weaves together seemingly disparate events and trends into a rich, nuanced portrait of how life in the eternal present has affected our biology, behavior, politics, and culture. He explains how the rise of zombie apocalypse fiction signals our intense desire for an ending; how the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street form two sides of the same post-narrative coin; how corporate investing in the future has been replaced by futile efforts to game the stock market in real time; why social networks make people anxious and email can feel like an assault. He examines how the tragedy of 9/11 disconnected an entire generation from a sense of history, and delves into why conspiracy theories actually comfort us.As both individuals and communities, we have a choice. We can struggle through the onslaught of information and play an eternal game of catch-up. Or we can choose to live in the present: favor eye contact over texting; quality over speed; and human quirks over digital perfection. Rushkoff offers hope for anyone seeking to transcend the false now.Absorbing and thought-provoking, Present Shock is a wide-ranging, deeply thought meditation on what it means to be human in real time.Review“This is a wondrously thought-provoking book. Unlike other social theorists who either mindlessly decry or celebrate the digital age, Rushkof f explores how it has caused a focus on the immediate moment that can be both disorienting and energizing.”—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs “Rushkoff gives readers a healthy dose of perspective, insight, and critical analysis that’s sure to get minds spinning and tongues wagging.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “In this refreshing antidote to promises of digital Utopia, Rushkoff articulates his own well-informed second thoughts. We should pay close attention—while we still can.”—George Dyson, author of Turing’s Cathedral and Darwin Among the Machines “If you read one book next year to help you make sense of the present moment, let it be Present Shock.”—Anthony Wing Kosner, Forbes.com “Present Shock holds up new lenses and offers new narratives about what might be happening to us and why, compelling readers to look at the larger repercussions of today’s technologically mediated social practices, from texting to checking in with a location-based service, jet-lag to The Simpsons, in new ways.”—Howard Rheingold, author of *Net Smart “A wide-ranging social and cultural critique, Present Shock *artfully weaves through many different materials as it makes its point: we are exhilarated, drugged, and consumed by the now. But we need to attend to the future before us and embrace the present in a more constructive way.”—Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together *“With brilliant insight Rushkoff once again gets there early, making us confront the new world of ‘presentism’—the shif t in our focus from the future to the present, from the horizon-gazing to the experience of here and now. He points to signs of presentism all around us—in how we conduct politics, interact with media, and negotiate relationships.”—Marina Gorbis, executive director, Institute for the Future*About the AuthorDOUGLAS RUSHKOFF, PH.D., is a world-renowned media theorist whose twelve books, including Life Inc and Program or Be Programmed, have won prestigious awards and have been translated into thirty languages. He is a commentator on CNN and a contributor to the Guardian, Discover, and NPR. He also made the PBS documentaries The Merchants of Cool, The Persuaders, and Digital Nation. He advocates for digital literacy at Codecademy.com, and teaches at NYU and The New School. He lives in New York with his wife, Barbara, and daughter, Mamie.Visit www.Rushkoff.com Views: 16
Longing to tell your partner you want to serve (or be served)? Desire to be punished (or punish)? Need ideas on how to start that conversation? Let the Femdom Firsts contributors-Nikki, Cherie, Amanda, Joshua, Tanner, Ben and many more-show you how to start living the Femdom life! Views: 16
When the Phantasm seeks Zoë out to find Homicide Detective Joe Halloran, the Wraith must patch her broken heart to be of any use. Yet a simple case of missing persons becomes a race to find a magical instrument capable of finding Witches, in hopes it can locate the missing detective. But will she be able to locate Joe when she finds herself pitted against the Society of Ishmael, the Seraphim, as well as the First Born she trusted? This is book 6.1 in the Zoë Martinique Investigation Series. If you're interested in the full series, check on Amazon for Zoë Martinique! Views: 16
River, Tara, and Kat met in the police academy, but decided to forgo becoming cops and try life as private investigators instead. That easily, Angel Investigations was born.
Targeted by a killer, Kat is forced into lockdown, guarded by the three men she most wants to escape, along with her vivid memories of the night she indulged in her wildest fantasies. One woman can’t have three men as lovers forever… Can she?
Rafe has loved Kat since they were kids, spending his entire life looking after her and introducing her to his two best friends and the pleasure of being with them. He knows Kat loved every moment, despite her fleeing the following morning.
Now Rafe, Liam, and Adrian are back, helping to protect Kat and wanting only one more thing— to arrange for her pleasure, in hopes of showing her just how possible it is to keep three men forever. Views: 16
The Original 1982 is the wise and memorable debut novel of love, regret, music and motherhood, by singer and songwriter Lori Carson of the Golden Palominos.It's 1982, and Lisa is twenty-four years old, a waitress, an aspiring singer-songwriter, and girlfriend to a famous Latin musician. That year, she makes a decision, almost without thinking about it.But what if what if her decision had been a different one?In the new 1982, Lisa chooses differently. Her career takes another direction. She becomes a mother. She loves differently, yet some things remain the same.Alternating between two very different possibilities, The Original 1982 is a novel about how the choices we make affect the people we become-and about how the people we are affect the choices we make. Views: 16
