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A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali: America's Wildest Peak
by Patrick DeanThe captivating and heroic story of Hudson Stuck—an Episcopal priest—and his team's history-making summit of Denali.In 1913, four men made a months-long journey by dog sled to the base of the tallest mountain in North America. Several groups had already tried but failed to reach the top of a mountain whose size—occupying 120 square miles of the earth&’s surface —and position as the Earth&’s northernmost peak of more than 6,000 meters elevation make it one of the world&’s deadliest mountains. Although its height from base to top is actually greater than Everest&’s, it is Denali's weather, not altitude, that have caused the great majority of fatalities—over a hundred since 1903. Denali experiences weather more severe than the North Pole, with temperatures of forty below zero and winds that howl at 80 to 100 miles per hour for days at a stretch. But in 1913 none of this mattered to Hudson Stuck, a fifty-year old Episcopal priest, Harry Karstens, the hardened Alaskan wilderness guide, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum, both just in their twenties. They were all determined to be the first to set foot on top of Denali. In A Window to Heaven, Patrick Dean brings to life this heart-pounding and spellbinding feat of this first ascent and paints a rich portrait of the frontier at the turn of the twentieth century. The story of Stuck and his team will lead us through the Texas frontier and Tennessee mountains to an encounter with Jack London at the peak of the Yukon Goldrush. We experience Stuck's awe at the rich Aleut and Athabascan indigenous traditions—and his efforts to help preserve these ways of life. Filled with daring exploration and rich history, A Window to Heaven is a brilliant and spellbinding narrative of success against the odds.
A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
by Anders Gyllenhaal Beverly GyllenhaalA captivating drama from the frontlines of the race to save birds set against the devastating loss of one third of the avian population. Three years ago, headlines delivered shocking news: nearly three billion birds in North America have vanished over the past fifty years. No species has been spared, from the most delicate jeweled hummingbirds to scrappy black crows, from a rainbow of warblers to common birds such as owls and sparrows. In a desperate race against time, scientists, conservationists, birders, wildlife officers, and philanthropists are scrambling to halt the collapse of species with bold, experimental, and sometimes risky rescue missions. High in the mountains of Hawaii, biologists are about to release clouds of laboratory-bred mosquitos in a last-ditch attempt to save Hawaii&’s remaining native forest birds. In Central Florida, researchers have found a way to hatch Florida Grasshopper Sparrows in captivity to rebuild a species down to its last two dozen birds. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a team is using artificial intelligence to save the California Spotted Owl. In North Carolina, a scientist is experimenting with genomics borrowed from human medicine to bring the long-extinct Passenger Pigeon back to life. For the past year, veteran journalists Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled more than 25,000 miles across the Americas, chronicling costly experiments, contentious politics, and new technologies to save our beloved birds from the brink of extinction. Through this compelling drama, A Wing and a Prayer offers hope and an urgent call to action: Birds are dying at an unprecedented pace. But there are encouraging breakthroughs across the hemisphere and still time to change course, if we act quickly.
A Winter Amid the Ice
by Jules VerneWhen his son Louis and members of the crew of the ship Jeune-Hardie, do not return from sea, Jean Cornbutte decides to refit the ship and go north to find them. Accompanying him on this trip is his son's fiancée, Marie, and the man who would be his son's rival for her affections, the ship's first officer, André Vasling. When the missing party is found in the extreme north, the only thing left to do is survive the bitter cold and rivalry. Jules Verne wrote this adventure novel in 1855.
A Winter Grave: From the worldwide bestselling author of THE BLACKHOUSE
by Peter MayFrom the twelve-million copy bestselling author of the Lewis trilogy comes a chilling new mystery set in the isolated Scottish Highlands.A TOMB OF ICEA young meteorologist checking a mountain top weather station in Kinlochleven discovers the body of a missing man entombed in ice.A DYING DETECTIVECameron Brodie, a Glasgow detective, sets out on a hazardous journey to the isolated and ice-bound village. He has his own reasons for wanting to investigate a murder case so far from his beat.AN AGONIZING RECKONINGBrodie must face up to the ghosts of his past and to a killer determined to bury forever the chilling secret that his investigation threatens to expose.Set against a backdrop of a frighteningly plausible near-future, A WINTER GRAVE is Peter May at his page-turning, passionate and provocative best.*PRE-ORDER THIS EXPLOSIVE NEW NOVEL NOW*
A Winter Grave: From the worldwide bestselling author of THE BLACKHOUSE
by Peter MayFrom the twelve-million copy bestselling author of the Lewis trilogy comes a chilling new mystery set in the isolated Scottish Highlands.A TOMB OF ICEA young meteorologist checking a mountain top weather station in Kinlochleven discovers the body of a missing man entombed in ice.A DYING DETECTIVECameron Brodie, a Glasgow detective, sets out on a hazardous journey to the isolated and ice-bound village. He has his own reasons for wanting to investigate a murder case so far from his beat.AN AGONIZING RECKONINGBrodie must face up to the ghosts of his past and to a killer determined to bury forever the chilling secret that his investigation threatens to expose.Set against a backdrop of a frighteningly plausible near-future, A WINTER GRAVE is Peter May at his page-turning, passionate and provocative best.*PRE-ORDER THIS EXPLOSIVE NEW NOVEL NOW*
A Winter Grave: a chilling new mystery set in the Scottish highlands
by Peter MayFrom the twelve-million copy bestselling author of the Lewis trilogy comes a chilling new mystery set in the isolated Scottish Highlands.A TOMB OF ICEA young meteorologist checking a mountain top weather station in Kinlochleven discovers the body of a missing man entombed in ice.A DYING DETECTIVECameron Brodie, a Glasgow detective, sets out on a hazardous journey to the isolated and ice-bound village. He has his own reasons for wanting to investigate a murder case so far from his beat.AN AGONIZING RECKONINGBrodie must face up to the ghosts of his past and to a killer determined to bury forever the chilling secret that his investigation threatens to expose.Set against a backdrop of a frighteningly plausible near-future, A WINTER GRAVE is Peter May at his best.(P) 2023 Quercus Editions Limited
A Winter Journey
by David UpdikeHomer goes out at night into a snowstorm in search of his dog Sophocles and experiences some strange and thrilling adventures.
A Wolf Called Fire: A Voice of the Wilderness Novel
by Rosanne ParryThe stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the wilderness survival story of the wolf pup known as Warm and is illustrated in black and white throughout. This Voice of the Wilderness Novel features extensive back matter, including a map.Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Just as Warm is finding his place, enemy wolves destroy and scatter the pack. Warm helps lead the pups away from the fight, only to find himself alone with four pups to defend and feed. Can he be both the heart and the head of a new pack? Does he have to choose the aggressive leadership style of his father and brothers? Or is there another way?A Wolf Called Fire is a stand-alone companion novel to A Wolf Called Wander. It’s inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who was the smallest of his pack and constantly bullied by his bigger brothers. Wolf 8 survived a tumultuous first year and grew up to be a different sort of leader—one who fought many rival wolves to submission but never killed any. He had a rare talent for mentoring young wolves and became the patriarch of the largest and most successful pack in Yellowstone by choosing a more collaborative and generous leadership style. Features black-and-white illustrations throughout and extensive back matter, including a map.
A Woman in the Polar Night (Pushkin Press Classics)
by Christiane Ritter&“An epic story, elegantly told and full of mystery.&” — Maggie Shipstead, author of Great CircleA rediscovered classic memoir - the mesmerizingly beautiful account of one woman's year spent living in a remote hut in the ArcticThis rediscovered classic memoir tells the incredible tale of a woman defying society's expectations to find freedom and peace in the adventure of a lifetime.In 1934, the painter Christiane Ritter leaves her comfortable life in Austria and travels to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen, to spend a year there with her husband. She thinks it will be a relaxing trip, a chance to 'read thick books in the remote quiet and, not least, sleep to my heart's content', but when Christiane arrives she is shocked to realize that they are to live in a tiny ramshackle hut on the shores of a lonely fjord, hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement, battling the elements every day, just to survive.At first, Christiane is horrified by the freezing cold, the bleak landscape the lack of equipment and supplies... But as time passes, after encounters with bears and seals, long treks over the ice and months on end of perpetual night, she finds herself falling in love with the Arctic's harsh, otherworldly beauty, gaining a great sense of inner peace and a new appreciation for the sanctity of life.
A Woman's Guide to the Wild: Your Complete Outdoor Handbook
by Ruby McconnellFor women who enjoy hiking, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor recreation or those inspired by Cheryl Strayed's Wild, this is the definitive guide to being a woman in the great outdoors. This friendly handbook covers the matters of most concern to women, from "feminine functions" in the wilderness to how to deal with condescending men, as well as the basics of wilderness survival tailored to women's unique needs. It includes gear lists in addition to advice for camp setup, fire building, food and water, safety, weather, and navigation.
A Woman's Journey Round the World: From Vienna to Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, and Asia Minor
by Ida PfeifferThis scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
A Woman's Place Is at the Top: A Biography of Annie Smith Peck, Queen of the Climbers
by Hannah KimberleyAnnie Smith Peck is one of the most accomplished women of the twentieth century that you have never heard of. Peck was a scholar, educator, writer, lecturer, mountain climber, suffragist, and political activist. She was a feminist and an independent thinker who refused to let gender stereotypes stand in her way. Peck gained fame in 1895 when she first climbed the Matterhorn at the age of forty-five – not for her daring alpine feat, but because she climbed wearing pants. Fifteen years later, she was the first climber ever to conquer Mount Huascarán (21,831 feet) in Peru. In 1911, just before her sixtieth birthday, she entered a race with Hiram Bingham (the model for Indiana Jones) to climb Mount Coropuna. A Woman’s Place Is at the Top: The Biography of Annie Smith Peck is the first full length work about this incredible woman who single-handedly carved her place on the map of mountain climbing and international relations. Peck marched in suffrage parades and became a political speaker and writer before women had the right to vote. She was a propagandist, an expert on North-South American relations, and an author and lecturer contracted to speak as an authority on multinational industry and commerce before anyone had ever thought to appoint a woman as a diplomat. With unprecedented access to Peck’s original letters, artifacts, and ephemera, Hannah Kimberley brings Peck’s entire life to the page for the first time, giving Peck her rightful place in history.
A Woman's Walks
by Lady Colin CampbellA book of exploration and discovery, celebrating the 175th anniversary of The London Library.From young men seeking outdoor adventure to intrepid ladies of a certain age discovering other cultures, Victorian explorers were starting to develop a more personal kind of travelogue. In A Woman's Walks, Lady Colin Campbell takes us on a voyage of exploration through her inner landscape - as well as through Italy, France, Switzerland, Austro-Hungary, London, and the English countryside.The books in "Found on the Shelves" have been chosen to give a fascinating insight into the treasures that can be found while browsing in The London Library. Now celebrating its 175th anniversary, with over seventeen miles of shelving and more than a million books, The London Library has become an unrivalled archive of the modes, manners and thoughts of each generation which has helped to form it.From essays on dieting in the 1860s to instructions for gentlewomen on trout-fishing, from advice on the ill health caused by the "modern" craze of bicycling to travelogues from Norway, they are as readable and relevant today as they were more than a century ago.
A Word for Nature
by Robert L. DormanThe careers and ideas of four figures of monumental importance in the history of American conservation--George Perkins Marsh, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and John Wesley Powell--are explored in A Word for Nature. Robert Dorman offers lively portraits of each of these early environmental advocates, who witnessed firsthand the impact of economic expansion and industrial revolution on fragile landscapes from the forests of New England to the mountains of the West. By examining the nineteenth-century world in which the fourmen lived--its society, economy, politics, and culture--Dormansheds light on the roots of American environmentalism. Heprovides an overview of the early decades of both resourceconservation and wilderness preservation, discussing how Marsh, Thoreau, Muir, and Powell helped define the issues that began changing the nation's attitudes toward its environment by the early twentieth century. Dorman's readings of works including Marsh's Man and Nature, Thoreau's The Maine Woods, Muir's The Mountains of California, and Powell's Report on the Lands of the Arid Region reveal their authors' influence on environmental thought and politics even up to the present day.
A Workshop Summary Communicating Uncertainties in Weather and Climate Information
by Elbert W. FridayThe report explores how best to communicate weather and climate information by presenting five case studies, selected to illustrate a range of time scales and issues, from the forecasting of weather events, to providing seasonal outlooks, to projecting climate change.
A World After Climate Change and Culture-Shift
by Jim NorwineIn this book, an international team of environmental and social scientists explain two powerful current change-engines and how their effects, and our responses to them, will transform Earth and humankind into the 22nd-century (c. 2100). This book begins by detailing the current state of knowledge about these two ongoing, accelerating and potentially world-transforming changes: climate change, in the form of global warming, and a profound emerging shift of normative cultural condition toward the assumptions and values often associated with so-called postmodernity, such as tolerance, diversity, self-referentiality, and dubiety replaced with certainty. Next, the contributors imagine, explain and debate the most likely consequent transformations of human and natural ecologies and economies that will take place by the end of the 21st-century. In 16 compellingly original, provocative and readable chapters, A World after Climate Change and Culture-Shift presents a one-of-a-kind vision of our current age as a "hinge" or axial century, one driven by the most radical combined change of nature and culture since the rise of agriculture at the end of the last Ice Age some 10 millennia ago. This book is highly recommended to scholars and students of the environmental and social sciences, as well as to all readers interested in how changes in nature and culture will work together to reshape our world and ourselves. "I cannot think of a book more geared to advancing the art and science of geography. " - Yi-Fu Tuan, J. K. Wright and Vilas Professor Emeritus of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison"Outstanding," "unique," and "exceptional timeliness of topic and ambition ofvision". - Richard Marston, University Distinguished Professor, Kansas State University; past president, Association of American Geographers
A World Between Waves: Politics And Extinction On A Hawaiian Island
by Frank StewartA World Between Waves is a collection of essays on the natural history of Hawaii by some of America's most renowned writers. It is a testament to the biological and geological wealth of this unique and threatened island landscape, and a passionate call to action on behalf of what may soon be gone.
A World Full of Wildlife: and how you can protect it
by Neal LaytonEvery animal and plant on earth is part of an incredible WEB OF LIFE. But living things are disappearing all over the world, and it's a big problem. Award-winning author-illustrator Neal Layton is here to introduce the concept of biodiversity to younger readers, explaining what it is, why it's so important, and how the actions of humans are hurting it. But he's also FULL of ideas for how you can help! From building a bug hotel to growing flowers on a windowsill and eating more organic food, A World Full of Wildlife will get young readers excited about how they can make a difference to keep the web of life bursting with energy.This brilliant non-fiction picture book is perfect for readers aged 5-7 who love nature and want to help the environment.Also available in this series:A Planet Full of PlasticA Climate in Chaos
A World Without Soil: The Past, Present, and Precarious Future of the Earth Beneath Our Feet
by Jo HandelsmanA celebrated biologist's manifesto addressing a soil loss crisis accelerated by poor conservation practices and climate change &“Jo Handelsman is a national treasure, and her clarion call warning of a looming soil-loss catastrophe must be heard. Add her clearly written alarm to other future-shocks: climate change, pandemics, and mass extinctions.&”—Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World out of Balance &“The ground beneath our feet is slipping away as we lose the precious soil that sustains us. Jo Handelsman&’s writing—as rich and life supporting as the soil itself—is a riveting warning.&”—Alan Alda, actor, writer, and host of the podcast &“Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda&” This book by celebrated biologist Jo Handelsman lays bare the complex connections among climate change, soil erosion, food and water security, and drug discovery. Humans depend on soil for 95 percent of global food production, yet let it erode at unsustainable rates. In the United States, China, and India, vast tracts of farmland will be barren of topsoil within this century. The combination of intensifying erosion caused by climate change and the increasing food needs of a growing world population is creating a desperate need for solutions to this crisis. Writing for a nonspecialist audience, Jo Handelsman celebrates the capacities of soil and explores the soil-related challenges of the near future. She begins by telling soil&’s origin story, explains how it erodes and the subsequent repercussions worldwide, and offers solutions. She considers lessons learned from indigenous people who have sustainably farmed the same land for thousands of years, practices developed for large-scale agriculture, and proposals using technology and policy initiatives.
A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out
by Nicholas DayThe true story of how a massive catastrophic eruption plunged the world into darkness, altering the global climate and inspiring the likes of Mary Shelley&’s Frankenstein—from the award-winning author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes and featuring black-and-white illustrations throughout.&“A tour-de-force for our times . . . At once a heart-stopping tale of climate change and a profoundly hopeful call to action.&”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winner for The One and Only IvanThe world was upside-down. The wind was fire. The sky was ash. The rain was rock.A couple of hundred years ago, on a quiet Indonesian island, a volcano called Tambora erupted with a force and violence that changed history.It tore apart the island, and in the months and years that followed, its fallout tore apart the world. The sun refused to shine; the rain refused to stop. Everything that everyone assumed would always be there—a world that made sense, a climate that made sense—was suddenly gone.From this riot of thunder and lightning, a young woman named Mary Shelley conceived of a scientist and his cursed creature. From the nightmare of Tambora, she wrote a nightmare of a book: Frankenstein—a terrifying reminder of how much damage we humans might do, without even realizing it.This is the story of a volcano that changed the world and a creature that changed us.Once upon a time, everything was different. And no one knew if it would ever be the same.In this masterful work, Nicholas Day, author of the Sibert Award–winning The Mona Lisa Vanishes, brings us a story taken from the archives but seemingly scripted for us today: a tale of climate change and human folly and hope—and what happens when the world suddenly goes wrong.
A World in a Shell: Snail Stories for a Time of Extinctions
by Thom van DoorenFollowing the trails of Hawai&‘i&’s snails to explore the simultaneously biological and cultural significance of extinction.In this time of extinctions, the humble snail rarely gets a mention. And yet snails are disappearing faster than any other species. In A World in a Shell, Thom van Dooren offers a collection of snail stories from Hawai&‘i—once home to more than 750 species of land snails, almost two-thirds of which are now gone. Following snail trails through forests, laboratories, museums, and even a military training facility, and meeting with scientists and Native Hawaiians, van Dooren explores ongoing processes of ecological and cultural loss as they are woven through with possibilities for hope, care, mourning, and resilience. Van Dooren recounts the fascinating history of snail decline in the Hawaiian Islands: from deforestation for agriculture, timber, and more, through the nineteenth century shell collecting mania of missionary settlers, and on to the contemporary impacts of introduced predators. Along the way he asks how both snail loss and conservation efforts have been tangled up with larger processes of colonization, militarization, and globalization. These snail stories provide a potent window into ongoing global process of environmental and cultural change, including the largely unnoticed disappearance of countless snails, insects, and other less charismatic species. Ultimately, van Dooren seeks to cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for our damaged planet, revealing the world of possibilities and relationships that lies coiled within a snail&’s shell.
A World of Love
by Aimee Elizabeth ReidThere are a world of ways to show love for our young!Animal parents shower their little ones with love in so many unique ways. Doves coo and dolphins whistle, while penguins huddle with their chicks for warmth and mountain goats shield their kids&’ falls. Eye-catching collage illustrations and a lyrical text invite readers to explore animal behavior around the globe and celebrate the universal nature of a caregiver&’s love.
A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics Of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, And Zero Carbon Emissions
by Muhammad YunusA winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and bestselling author of Banker to the Poor offers his vision of an emerging new economic system that can save humankind and the planet Muhammad Yunus, who created microcredit, invented social business, and earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in alleviating poverty, is one of today's most trenchant social critics. Now he declares it's time to admit that the capitalist engine is broken--that in its current form it inevitably leads to rampant inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction. We need a new economic system that unleashes altruism as a creative force just as powerful as self-interest. Is this a pipe dream? Not at all. In the last decade, thousands of people and organizations have already embraced Yunus's vision of a new form of capitalism, launching innovative social businesses designed to serve human needs rather than accumulate wealth. They are bringing solar energy to millions of homes in Bangladesh; turning thousands of unemployed young people into entrepreneurs through equity investments; financing female-owned businesses in cities across the United States; bringing mobility, shelter, and other services to the rural poor in France; and creating a global support network to help young entrepreneurs launch their start-ups. In A World of Three Zeros, Yunus describes the new civilization emerging from the economic experiments his work has helped to inspire. He explains how global companies like McCain, Renault, Essilor, and Danone got involved with this new economic model through their own social action groups, describes the ingenious new financial tools now funding social businesses, and sketches the legal and regulatory changes needed to jumpstart the next wave of socially driven innovations. And he invites young people, business and political leaders, and ordinary citizens to join the movement and help create the better world we all dream of.
A World of Wounds: Rebuilding a Bipartisan Environmental Movement and Cultivating Authentic Hope
by Nancy J. ManringAt the end of the Reagan administration, American public opinion polls showed there were no discernible differences based on political party in response to the question, "Do you consider yourself an environmentalist?" However, in the early 1990s, a partisan gulf between conservatives and liberals emerged around environmental issues. Today, half as many Republicans self-identify as environmentalists when compared to Democrats. Political stagnation on climate action, in turn, has led to a growing number of Americans of all ages who experience ecological grief (known as solastalgia) and eco-anxiety (a chronic fear of environmental doom). These emotions emerged in response to the existential distress associated with living in a world of relentless environmental damage and irreversible ecological losses: a world of wounds. This book offers an antidote to political frustration and hopelessness. Nancy J. Manring provides an indispensable analysis of the multi-decade, conservative war against American environmentalism and maps out realistic strategies for rebuilding a bipartisan environmental movement. Nurturing authentic hope, in contrast to blind optimism or false promises, begins with an unflinching look at both planetary and political realities. Choosing authentic hope is an ongoing process that requires emotional honesty, courage, and action. This forceful book serves as both a tool for change and a spirited scholarly intervention.
A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey Of Migratory Birds
by Scott WeidensaulNew York Times Bestseller Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration. In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we’ve learned of these key migrations—how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis—is nothing short of extraordinary. Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela—the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest—avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides—and their reaction time actually improves. These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing from Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul also introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork, in A World on the Wing Weidensaul unveils with dazzling prose the miracle of nature taking place over our heads.