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Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2
by Jennifer JordanNational Outdoor Book Award Winner: “Superbly researched portraits of the first five women to summit K2”—and the stories of their tragic fates (SF Gate).Though not as tall as Everest, the “Savage Mountain” is far more dangerous. Located on the border of China and Pakistan, K2 has some of the harshest climbing conditions in the world. Ninety women have scaled Everest, but of the six women who reached the summit of K2, three lost their lives on the way back down the mountain and two have since died on other climbs. In Savage Summit, Jennifer Jordan shares the tragic, compelling, inspiring, and extraordinary true stories of a handful of courageous women—mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, poets and engineers—who reached this peak yet ultimately perished in pursuit of their dreams, and explores what drove them to attempt to conquer the world’s deadliest mountain.“Savage Summit will have you amazed at the female climbers who dared to risk everything.” —Philadelphia Inquirer“Highlights not only the dangers but also the sexism, disregard for basic decency, and narcissism that plague the world of high-altitude alpinism.” —The New York Times Book Review“Jordan demonstrates how these women got swept up in their high-flying quests and gives us a sense of the rapture that comes from standing on top of the world’s highest mountains.” —Los Angeles TimesIncludes photos
Circle of Three #1: So Mote It Be
by Isobel BirdSpecial feature: This PerfectBound e-book contains Part One of an interview with author Isobel Bird. With this ribbon I do bindMy heart to yours and yours to mine.Love, I call you, come to me,As is my will, so mote it be. Kate cast the love spell with results unforeseen.She cannot stop it by herself, but the book of spells tells her of two strangers who can help her -- if only she can find them.
Circle of Three #4: What the Cards Said
by Isobel BirdCards of fortune, tell your I story,Answer all I've come to ask let the draw set forth the course of what has been and yet may pass Annie's fascination with Tarot spirals beyond her control when her readings become reality. As if cursed, Annie faces friends Cooper and Kate with this newfound power-a power that threatens the very strength of their Wiccan bond.
Circle of Three #5: In the Dreaming
by Isobel BirdOn the eve of fair midsummer,Longest day and shortest night,Faerie magic, fill these woods,With joyous song and laughter bright.Midsummer's eve finds Kate, Annie, and Cooper celebrating the most joyous sabbat with nature -- and a few not unwelcome strangers. On a night when identities and emotions become tangled and confused under the strange solstice sky, one will be led astray.
Circle of Three #6: Ring of Light
by Isobel BirdHere within the healing circle,Bathe in the light and pain dispel,All that sickens, all that troubles,Wash away and be made well.Disillusioned, Cooper abandons the Wiccan circle and Kate and Annie are left without her. But when an illness threatens someone close to one of them, Cooper returns. Can the circle, once broken, ever be restored?
Circle of Three #9: Through the Veil
by Isobel BirdAs the year comes to an ending, in the hour'tween old and new, part the veil and let pass the spirits who would travel through. As Annie, Kate, and Cooper prepare for Samhain, or Halloween, they are filled with anticipation. It is a time when the veil between the worlds is thin, and those who have passed into the spirit world may be more easily contacted. Those Annie holds dear dwell behind this veil already-will she find them on this eve of Wiccan celebration?
Smiles to Go
by Jerry SpinelliWhat is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe?Jerry Spinelli knows.
Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
by Bernd HeinrichFrom flying squirrels to grizzly bears, and from torpid turtles to insects with antifreeze, the animal kingdom relies on some staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter. Unlike their human counterparts, who must alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, animals are adaptable to an amazing range of conditions.<P><P>Examining everything from food sources in the extremely barren winter land-scape to the chemical composition that allows certain creatures to survive, Heinrich's Winter World awakens the largely undiscovered mysteries by which nature sustains herself through winter's harsh, cruel exigencies.
Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy through the Grand Canyon
by Edward Dolnick0n May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon; to adventurers of that era it was a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis -- and as perilous. The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story.
Emeraldalicious
by Victoria KannEveryone's favorite pink-loving gal returns in Emeraldalicious, the imaginative, glitterlicious sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Pinkalicious! Pinkalicious combines magic, love, and imagination to turn an ordinary place into an Emeraldalicious world. Pinkalicious and Peter visit their favorite park, but on the way Pinkalicious's wand breaks. She isn't worried at all, because she knows just what to do. She takes a stick, some vines, and a very special flower to make a magical wand. When Pinkalicious and Peter finally arrive at the park it's covered in stinky trash! But never fear, Pinkalicious is here with her magical wand, lots of love, and pinktastic rhymes to turn the trash into an Emeraldalicious paradise.
Scoundrel
by Bernard CornwellFrom the incomparable New York Times bestselling master of gripping adventure, Bernard Cornwell, comes a relentlessly suspenseful contemporary thriller set in the lethal world of international terror.Bostonian Paul Shanahan is many things: part-time marine surveyor, smuggler, gunrunner, suspected CIA agent. A full-time scoundrel with ties to nothing and no one--except to an ex-lover who died years before in a hail of bullets--he has agreed to transport five million dollars in gold across the ocean by sailboat, money earmarked by the Irish Republican Army for the purchase of fifty-three Stinger missiles. Shanahan's instincts are telling him there's more to this deal below the surface and that he's not meant to survive after delivery. But, if he can elude British Intelligence and several terrorist organizations' most efficient killers--and with only his life left to lose--$5 million might just be enough to get a desperate rogue out of the game for good.
Sharpe's Devil: Napoleon and South America, 1820-1821 (Sharpe #23)
by Bernard CornwellFrom New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, another exciting adventure in the world-renowned Sharpe series, chronicling the rise of Richard Sharpe, a Private in His Majesty’s Army at the siege of Seringapatam. Five years after the Battle of Waterloo, Sharpe’s peaceful retirement in Normandy is shattered. An old friend, Don Blas Vivar, is missing in Chile, reported dead at rebel hands – a report his wife refuses to believe. She appeals to Sharpe to find out the truth.Sharpe, along with Patrick Harper, find themselves bound for Chile via St. Helena, where they have a fateful meeting with the fallen Emperor Napoleon. Convinced that they are on their way to collect a corpse, neither man can imagine that dangers that await them in Chile…
Stormchild
by Bernard CornwellTragedy has decimated Tim Blackburn's safe and comfortable existence. Having already lost a son in a terrorist attack, he must now cope with the death of his beloved wife, killed in a mysterious explosion at sea. And all that remains of his destroyed family is his missing daughter Nicole, last seen in the company of Caspar von Rellsteb--the mad, charismatic leader of the shadowy environmental activist group called Genesis--who keeps an iron-fisted hold over his fanatically dedicated followers. Determined to free Nicole from the crazed, self-proclaimed "protector of the planet," Tim sets sail aboard the sloop Stormchild, with the beautiful, story-hungry journalist Jackie Potten. But their hunt for the hidden lair of Genesis is leading them into dangerous and terrifying waters--and the darkness that waits for Tim Blackburn on the far side of the world could destroy both his sanity and his soul.
The Daring Book for Girls
by Andrea J. Buchanan Miriam PeskowitzThe Daring Book for Girls is the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn't mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it's female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it's not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers—although that's included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl's invitation to adventure.
Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth
by Kinky FriedmanWell, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Delivering belly laughs, hee-haws, and downright slackjaw amazement, this hilarious guide to the homeland of George W. and Willie Nelson is the essential how-to for surviving in the Lone Star State. From strange Texas laws and the history of Dr. Pepper to "Texas Talk" (in which a "turd floater" is a heavy downpour) and final-meal requests by death row inmates, Kinky Friedman, "the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own any real estate," provides an insider's guide that will be loved by native Texans and the rest of us poor devils alike.Even if you don't know the difference between an Aggie and an armadillo -- or what's really in the back on Willie Nelson's tour bus -- you can pass for a Texan with the Kinkster's expert coaching. So grab your hairspray and the keys to the Cadillac and get reading!
The Trees in My Forest
by Bernd HeinrichIna book destined to become a classic, biologist and acclaimed nature writer Bernd Heinrich takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the hidden life of a forest.
Scuse Me While I Whip This Out: Reflections on Country Singers, Presidents, and Other Troublemakers
by Kinky FriedmanKinky Friedman is back, and with 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out he gets it on with all manner of egos. In this collection of twisted takes on life, the Kinkster gives us funny, irreverent, and insightful looks at outsized personalities from people he's known, like Bill Clinton, George W., Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan -- not to mention Joseph Heller and Don Imus -- to people he's known in spirit, such as Moses, Jesus, Jack Ruby, and Hank Williams. With his meditations on subjects ranging from sleeping at the White House, marriage, his pets, fishing in Borneo, country music, and cigars to the tribulations of possessing talent, Kinky doesn't deny us the "flashes of brilliance and laugh-out-loud observations" (Rocky Mountain News) that are present in all his other work. Hilarious, irreverent, and passionately twisted, 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out reads as if it were written by a slightly ill modern-day Mark Twain.
The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness
by Virginia PostrelWhether it's sleek leather pants, a shiny new Apple computer, or a designer toaster, we make important decisions as consumers every day based on our sensory experience. Sensory appeals are everywhere, and they are intensifying, radically changing how Americans live and work. The twenty-first century has become the age of aesthetics, and whether we realize it or not, this influence has taken over the marketplace, and much more.In this penetrating, keenly observed book, Virginia Postrel makes the argument that appearance counts, that aesthetic value is real. Drawing from fields as diverse as fashion, real estate, politics, design, and economics, Postrel deftly chronicles our culture's aesthetic imperative and argues persuasively that it is a vital component of a healthy, forward-looking society.Intelligent, incisive, and thought-provoking, The Substance of Style is a groundbreaking portrait of the democratization of taste and a brilliant examination of the way we live now.
The Great Failure: My Unexpected Path to Truth
by Natalie GoldbergOne of America's favorite teachers, Natalie Goldberg has inspired millions to write as a way to develop an intimate relationship with their minds and a greater understanding of the world in which they live. Now, through this honest and wry exploration of her own life, Goldberg puts her teachings to work.
The Blue Bear
by Lynn schoolerHis body twisted by adolescent scoliosis, Lynn Schooler's soul was scarred from the loneliness of someone who, at an early age, stood 'at a strange angle to the rest of the world'. He made a life on the slim crescent of remote Alaskan coastline surrounding the city of Juneau, a place where he was least likely to encounter people. In 1990, celebrated Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino hired Schooler to help him shoot a segment on humpback whales in Glacier Bay, and the two formed a profound friendship. Their conversations often revolved around the glacier bear (known as the blue bear for its unique granite-coloured fur), a nearly extinct creature so rare that it is shrouded in legend. Together the two men became obsessed with finding the animal, every year searching through Ice-Age vistas to capture the blue bear on film. Their obsession cost Hoshino his life when he was killed by a grizzly bear - but alone in the eighth year, Schooler finally found and photographed the elusive creature.
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (P. S. Series)
by Bernd HeinrichHeinrich involves us in his quest to get inside the mind of the raven. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close, Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat. He studies their daily routines, and in the process, paints a vivid picture of the ravens' world. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation and analysis, we become their intimates too.Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven follows an exotic journey--from New England to Germany, and from Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature. Each new discovery and insight into raven behavior is thrilling to read, at once lyrical and scientific.
Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land
by Walter R. BornemanThis panoramic chronicle of Alaska captures the grandeur of its geography, history, and many larger-than-life personalities: “Just plain terrific” (Bradford Washburn).The history of Alaska is filled with stories of new land and new riches—and ever present are new people with competing views on how these valuable resources should be used. Here are the stories of Russians exploiting a fur empire; explorers checking rival advances; prospectors stampeding to the clarion call of “Gold!”; soldiers battling out a decisive chapter in WWII; oil wildcatters looking for a different kind of mineral wealth; and always at the core of these disputes is the question of how the land itself is to be used—and by whom.While some want Alaska to remain static, others are in the vanguard of change. Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land shows that there are no easy answers on either side of this perennial debate, and that Alaska will always be crossing the next frontier.
Summer World
by Bernd HeinrichIn Summer World: A Season of Bounty, Bernd Heinrich brings us the same bottomless reserve of wonder and reverence for the teeming animal life of backwoods New England that he brought us in Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. Now he is focusing on the animal kingdom in the extremes of the warmer months, with all its feeding, nesting, fighting, and mating. Whether presenting disquisitions on ant wars, the predatory characteristics of wasps, the mating rituals of woodpeckers, or describing an encounter with a road full of wood frogs, Summer World never stops observing the beautifully complex interactions of animals and plants with nature, giving extraordinary depth to the relationships between habitat and the warming of the earth. How can cicadas survive--and thrive--at temperatures pushing 115°F? Do hummingbirds know what they're up against before they migrate over the Gulf of Mexico? Why do some trees stop growing taller even when three months of warm weather remain? With awe and unmatched expertise, Heinrich explores hundreds of questions like these. Exquisitely illustrated with dozens of the author's own drawings, Summer World is Bernd Heinrich's most engaging book to date, a fascinating work from one of our very best science writers.
A Voyage For Madmen: Nine Men Set Out To Race Each Other Around The World. Only One Made It Back ...
by Peter NicholsIn 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death. In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tale of sailors driven by their own dreams and demons, of horrific storms in the Southern Ocean, and of those riveting moments when a split-second decision means the difference between life and death.
Hell and High Water: Global Warming—the Solution and the Politics—and What We Should Do
by Joseph RommGlobal warming is the story of the twenty-first century. It is the most serious issue facing the future of humankind, but American energy and environmental policy is driving the whole world down a path toward global catastrophe. According to Joseph Romm, we have ten years, at most, to start making sharp cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions, or we will face disastrous consequences. The good news, he writes, is that there is something we can do—but only if the leadership of the U.S. government acts immediately and asserts its influence on the rest of the world.Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy, and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change.