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Sacred Ground
by Barbara WoodTwo thousand years ago, there was a great bay and a peaceful land filled with sage, citrus trees, and pine. And there was a tribe called the Topaa. Marimi, a healer in her tribe, is unprepared for what fate holds in store for her. Without her knowledge, her actions place her under the watchful, suspicious gaze of a rival...and Marimi's family is placed under a curse that impacts how their legacy unfolds. From prehistoric California to the days of Spanish explorers, from the time of California colonialism to the swashbuckling cowboy days of early Los Angeles and right up to the present day, Scared Ground tells the story of the female descendants of Marimi. It tells of their loves, their betrayals, their loses, their families, and their ruthless ambitions that would forge a new country.
Woman of a Thousand Secrets
by Barbara WoodThe Bestselling Author of The Blessing Stone and Daughter of the SunShe came to them from the sea, and to the sea they returned her. . . . A story of sacrifice and survival in the New World.Tonina lives an idyllic life on a small island in the Caribbean hundreds of years before Europeans discovered it. But she has always been an outsider among her people. Unlike them, Tonina is tall and lean and light skinned, and her origins remain a mystery. Her adoptive parents had found her floating in a basket in the sea—a sacrifice? A shipwreck? No one knows. When Tonina turns nineteen, her parents know she must return to the sea so that the gods don't become angry with the village for keeping something that is not theirs. Under the guise of finding a medicinal plant, they send Tonina to the mainland, a terrifying place she can't even imagine. They know, however, that they will never see her again. And here is where her adventure begins. It is a tale of survival and sacrifice, of luck, magic, intrigue, and danger, romance and betrayal, an epic filled with ancient lore, tales of bearded white men who sailed to this shore in giant ships, and discoveries of medicinal miracles in faraway places. But most of all, it's the story of one woman's quest to discover where—and to whom—she really belongs. This sweeping story of the undiscovered world before the time of Columbus is Barbara Wood at her very best.
Leadership in Early Childhood Education: A Cultural-Historical Theory of Practice Development (Educational Leadership Theory)
by Elizabeth Wood Jenny Martin Joce Nuttall Linda HendersonThe book presents a conceptual framework for understanding leadership for effective educator learning in early childhood settings. The book describes how leaders can move centre practices from crisis to stabilization. It argues that a core component of leaders' work in early childhood settings is to construct and enact epistemological accounts of practice change. The book includes case examples that bring to life the contexts early childhood services and services leaders who participated in the research. The book also describes the application of cultural-historical activity theory to the development of practice in early childhood education. It describes how background theory, literature, and data can be synthesized to create new focal theory in education. Readers will benefit from the theory that is presented, establishing a sound basis for testing in future research in schools as well as in early childhood education. “Joce Nuttall and team are congratulated for their ground-breaking scholarly endeavour in designing, implementing, validating findings, and then writing a book that unambiguously connects theory-policy-practice in enacting leadership in early childhood settings. This book is ambitious, eloquent, and inspirational. The research was driven by a bold vision to build a new theorisation of early childhood leadership. The writing style of the book makes the complex clear and easy to digest, and thereby strengthening its readability and understanding. The comparative lens adopted in the study, underscores the neoliberal control of the working lives of early childhood leaders in both Australia and England. The use of case study narratives to explain various aspects including the study design and methodology, was refreshingly engaging. Notes of encouragement addressed to novice researchers such as those embarking on higher degree studies, also provide apt guidance about the messiness of conducting qualitative research. The book is infused with lots of examples demonstrating the transformative power of learning – especially when expertly scaffolded by the research team, and thereby increasing practitioner agency and quality improvement across the early childhood setting. If professional autonomy is the driver of reform and change, then we must find ways to nurture strong educational leaders who can think outside the box. Overall, Nuttall and team succeed in arousing learning-rich possibilities for reimagining early childhood leadership in theory and in practice, and thereby making a magnificent contribution to the scholarship of educational leadership.” Professor Manjula Waniganayake PhD, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
The Fun Stuff: And Other Essays
by James WoodFollowing The Broken Estate, The Irresponsible Self, and How Fiction Works—books that established James Wood as the leading critic of his generation—The Fun Stuff confirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of the contemporary novel. In twenty-three passionate, sparkling dispatches—that range over such crucial writers as Thomas Hardy, Leon Tolstoy, Edmund Wilson, and Mikhail Lermontov—Wood offers a panoramic look at the modern novel. He effortlessly connects his encyclopedic, passionate understanding of the literary canon with an equally in-depth analysis of the most important authors writing today, including Cormac McCarthy, Lydia Davis, Aleksandar Hemon, and Michel Houellebecq. Included in The Fun Stuff are the title essay on Keith Moon and the lost joys of drumming—which was a finalist for last year's National Magazine Awards—as well as Wood's essay on George Orwell, which Christopher Hitchens selected for the Best American Essays 2010. The Fun Stuff is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about contemporary literature.
Empowerment Cycle: Know Your Flow
by Sharon WoodA Guide to Australian Weddings helps you to plan the most important event in your life. And it's full of information for everyone involved in planning or taking part in a wedding—including your family, bridal party, and friends. All the finer details of getting married—the presents, invitations, organizing the ceremony and reception, how to handle the tricky problems that arise when parents are divorced, finding the right wedding gowns and suits, choosing flowers and selecting photographers, dealing with caterers, and how to make speeches—are explained in a helpful, practical way. A Guide to Australian Weddings unlocks all the mysteries of wedding etiquette and is packed with useful checklists and schedules so your marriage will go without a hitch. This is your complete guide to a perfect day.
The War Nurse: A Novel
by Tracey Enerson Wood"Any readers who enjoyed the mix of romance, intrigue, and medical accuracy of Call the Midwife will love The War Nurse."—New York Journal of Books"[An] impeccably researched, well-drawn, based-on-a-true-story tale, written by a former RN...The War Nurse shines an important light on a woman whose story was, until now, lost to time."—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost NamesBased on a true story, The War Nurse is a sweeping historical novel by USA Today bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood that takes readers on an unforgettable journey through WWI France.She asked dozens of young women to lay their lives on the line during the Great War. Can she protect them?Superintendent of Nurses Julia Stimson must recruit sixty-four nurses to relieve the battle-worn British, months before American troops are ready to be deployed. She knows that the young nurses serving near the front lines will face a challenging situation, but nothing could have prepared her for the chaos that awaits when they arrive at British Base Hospital 12 in Rouen, France. The primitive conditions, a convoluted, ineffective system, and horrific battle wounds are enough to discourage the most hardened nurses, and Julia can do nothing but lead by example—even as the military doctors undermine her authority and make her question her very place in the hospital tent.When trainloads of soldiers stricken by a mysterious respiratory illness arrive one after the other, overwhelming the hospital's limited resources, and threatening the health of her staff, Julia faces an unthinkable choice—to step outside the bounds of her profession and risk the career she has fought so hard for, or to watch the people she cares for most die in her arms.Fans of Martha Hall Kelly's Lost Roses and Marie Benedict's Lady Clementine will devour this mesmerizing celebration of some of the most overlooked heroes in history: the fierce, determined, and brave nurses who treated soldiers in World War I.Praise for The War Nurse:"Through careful research, this book shows the incredible bravery and compassion of women who find themselves in extraordinary situations."—Julia Kelly, international bestselling author of The Last Garden in England and The Light Over London"A rich, gripping history of one woman's lifelong battle against systemic prejudice."—Stewart O'Nan, award-winning author of The Good Wife"Once again, Tracey Enerson Wood, with her impeccable research and evocative prose, kept me glued to the page. Wood has a talent for bringing strong, yet lesser-known women from history, to life."—Linda Rosen, author of The Disharmony of Silence"A riveting and surprisingly timely story of courage, sacrifice, and friendship forged at the front lines."—Kelly Mustian, author of The Girls in the Stilt House"If you, like me, are a voyeur of historical drama that unfolds as if the kitchen window flew open and the characters were caught in action, then The War Nurse is for you."—Diane Dewey, author of Fixing the Fates"Fans of Patricia Harman will love Wood's treatment of medical expertise in a historical setting."—Booklist
The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier
by Colin Woodard&“A thorough and engaging history of Maine&’s rocky coast and its tough-minded people.&”—Boston Herald&“[A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance.&”—USA TodayFor more than four hundred years the people of coastal Maine have clung to their rocky, wind-swept lands, resisting outsiders&’ attempts to control them while harvesting the astonishing bounty of the Gulf of Maine. Today&’s independent, self-sufficient lobstermen belong to the communities imbued with a European sense of ties between land and people, but threatened by the forces of homogenization spreading up the eastern seaboard.In the tradition of William Warner&’s Beautiful Swimmers, veteran journalist Colin Woodard (author of American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) traces the history of the rugged fishing communities that dot the coast of Maine and the prized crustacean that has long provided their livelihood. Through forgotten wars and rebellions, and with a deep tradition of resistance to interference by people &“from away,&” Maine&’s lobstermen have defended an earlier vision of America while defying the &“tragedy of the commons&”—the notion that people always overexploit their shared property. Instead, these icons of American individualism represent a rare example of true communal values and collaboration through grit, courage, and hard-won wisdom.
Network Programming with Go: Code Secure and Reliable Network Services from Scratch
by Adam WoodbeckNetwork Programming with Go teaches you how to write clean, secure network software with the programming language designed to make it seem easy.Build simple, reliable, network software Combining the best parts of many other programming languages, Go is fast, scalable, and designed for high-performance networking and multiprocessing. In other words, it&’s perfect for network programming. Network Programming with Go will help you leverage Go to write secure, readable, production-ready network code. In the early chapters, you&’ll learn the basics of networking and traffic routing. Then you&’ll put that knowledge to use as the book guides you through writing programs that communicate using TCP, UDP, and Unix sockets to ensure reliable data transmission. As you progress, you&’ll explore higher-level network protocols like HTTP and HTTP/2 and build applications that securely interact with servers, clients, and APIs over a network using TLS. You'll also learn:Internet Protocol basics, such as the structure of IPv4 and IPv6, multicasting, DNS, and network address translationMethods of ensuring reliability in socket-level communicationsWays to use handlers, middleware, and multiplexers to build capable HTTP applications with minimal codeTools for incorporating authentication and encryption into your applications using TLSMethods to serialize data for storage or transmission in Go-friendly formats like JSON, Gob, XML, and protocol buffersWays of instrumenting your code to provide metrics about requests, errors, and moreApproaches for setting up your application to run in the cloud (and reasons why you might want to) Network Programming with Go is all you&’ll need to take advantage of Go&’s built-in concurrency, rapid compiling, and rich standard library. Covers Go 1.15 (Backward compatible with Go 1.12 and higher)
Louder Than Words
by Ashley Woodfolk Lexi UnderwoodThis amazing collaboration brings together two inspirational Black artists, NYT bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk and actress Lexi Underwood, for a story about the transformative power of art as protest and its capacity to change the world.When Jordyn Jones transfers to Edgewood High, it's her opportunity to forget everything that happened at her old school. To forget what she and her friends did. To forget who she used to be. That was a different person — this is a fresh start. Now she's someone new, someone better.Except it's the very first day of school, and somehow everyone already seems to know who she is. But Jordyn soon finds a group of friends, and she even starts talking to Izaiah, a soccer star who shares her love of art. Life is good. That's until an anonymous podcast called Tomcat Tea begins revealing humiliating secrets about Edgewood students, ruining their reputations and in some cases their futures. Jordyn and her friends know they have to do something—and this is Jordyn's chance to prove to herself that she's changed.Jordyn's plan to take down the podcast throws her into the spotlight, and as the momentum builds, so do the risks—because Jordyn has a secret of her own, one that could ruin everything . . . and that a mysterious harasser online is threatening to expose.With riveting prose, New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk and acclaimed actress Lexi Underwood balance an insightful depiction of the power of art as protest with asking some of the biggest questions facing teenagers today—in an era where mistakes can be picked over endlessly online, who is worthy of forgiveness? Can someone ever really change?
Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age
by Linda Woodhead Jane Shaw Sarah Ogilvie Roberta KatzAn optimistic and nuanced portrait of a generation that has much to teach us about how to live and collaborate in our digital world. Born since the mid-1990s, members of Generation Z comprise the first generation never to know the world without the internet, and the most diverse generation yet. As Gen Z starts to emerge into adulthood and enter the workforce, what do we really know about them? And what can we learn from them? Gen Z, Explained is the authoritative portrait of this significant generation. It draws on extensive interviews that display this generation’s candor, surveys that explore their views and attitudes, and a vast database of their astonishingly inventive lexicon to build a comprehensive picture of their values, daily lives, and outlook. Gen Z emerges here as an extraordinarily thoughtful, promising, and perceptive generation that is sounding a warning to their elders about the world around them—a warning of a complexity and depth the “OK Boomer” phenomenon can only suggest. ? Much of the existing literature about Gen Z has been highly judgmental. In contrast, this book provides a deep and nuanced understanding of a generation facing a future of enormous challenges, from climate change to civil unrest. What’s more, they are facing this future head-on, relying on themselves and their peers to work collaboratively to solve these problems. As Gen Z, Explained shows, this group of young people is as compassionate and imaginative as any that has come before, and understanding the way they tackle problems may enable us to envision new kinds of solutions. This portrait of Gen Z is ultimately an optimistic one, suggesting they have something to teach all of us about how to live and thrive in this digital world.
Organized Crime and American Power: A History, Second Edition
by Michael WoodiwissPopular histories of organized crime in the United States often look to the Mafia and the sons of early twentieth-century immigrants – such as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Meyer Lansky – for their origins. In this second edition of Organized Crime and American Power, Michael Woodiwiss refocuses on US organized crime as an American problem. The book starts in 1789, with the birth of a new nation, intended to be run according to laws and conventions, with a written commitment to civil rights. Woodiwiss examines the organization of crime before the Civil War, which damaged or destroyed the lives of those excluded from constitutional protections: Indigenous peoples, Black people, and women. The book focuses on white supremacist crime and the pernicious influence of Southern leaders in alliance with opportunistic politicians. It examines the organized crimes of powerful business interests in alliance with politicians, as well as the corrupt consequences of the US moralistic campaigns against alcohol, gambling, drugs, and abortion. Organized Crime and American Power brings solid historical evidence and analysis to the task of refuting conventional wisdom that frames organized crime as something external to US political, economic, and social systems.
Pregnancy, Babies & Toddlers for Men
by Mark WoodsYou're having a baby! Or, at least, your partner is! Which means you are too.Not literally, of course, but you do have lots of excitement, anticipation and nervousness ahead, the likes of which you've never experienced before.This book is just for you: the new father. It guides you through the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy and gets you ready for anything your newborn may throw at you (including, but not limited to, regurgitated milk).From how your baby develops month by month to how to support your partner (it's the little things that count, we tell ourselves), from putting up a travel cot or installing a car seat once your little one is ready for the world, Pregnancy, Babies & Toddlers for Men is your survival guide from conception to the toddler years ahead.* Previously published separately as Pregnancy for Men and Babies & Toddlers for Men *
Christmas in Peachtree Bluff (The Peachtree Bluff Series #4)
by Kristy Woodson HarveyThe newest installment of the New York Times bestselling Peachtree Bluff series follows three generations of Murphy women as they come together to face a hurricane that threatens their hometown—and the holiday season—in this &“book equivalent of a warm and fuzzy pair of socks&” (E! Online).When the Murphy women are in trouble, they always know they can turn to their mother, Ansley. So when eldest daughter Caroline and her husband announce they are divorcing—and fifteen-year-old daughter Vivi acts out in response—Caroline, at her wits end, can&’t think of anything to do besides leave her with Ansley in Peachtree Bluff for the holidays. After all, how much trouble can one teenager get into on a tiny island? Quite a lot, as it turns out. As the &“storm of the century&” heads toward Peachtree Bluff, Ansley and her husband, Jack, with Vivi in tow, are grateful they&’re planning to leave for the trip of a lifetime. But Vivi&’s recklessness forces the trio to shelter in place during the worst hurricane Peachtree has ever seen. With no power, no provisions, and the water rising, the circumstances become dire very quickly…and the Murphy sisters soon realize it&’s up to them to conduct a rescue mission. With the bridges closed and no way to access Peachtree Bluff by land or air, they set sail on Caroline&’s boat, The Starlite Sisters, determined to rebuild their beloved town—and their family. In &“pitch perfect tones&” (Publishers Weekly) and written with her signature Southern charm, New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey explores the magic of Christmas, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of family in a tale that reminds us that, no matter the circumstances, home is always where we belong—especially during the holidays.
The Secret to Southern Charm (The Peachtree Bluff Series #2)
by Kristy Woodson HarveyA 2018 Spring Okra Pick USA TODAY Happy Ever After&’s Best Women&’s Fiction Southern Living&’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads of 2018 Deep South Magazine&’s Summer Reading List Raleigh News & Observer's &“The Best Reads of Summer&” Charlotte Observer&’s &“Summer&’s Best Books&” New York Live&’s &“Ashley&’s A-List&” Pick Leaving fans &“practically [begging] for a sequel&” (Bookpage), critically acclaimed author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with the second novel in her beloved Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family.After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane&’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve. Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley&’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light. But when Sloane&’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all. Harvey&’s signature warmth and wit make this a charming and poignant story of first loves, missed opportunities, and second chances and proves that she is "the next major voice in Southern fiction&” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author).
Slightly South of Simple: A Novel (The Peachtree Bluff Series #1)
by Kristy Woodson HarveyNATIONAL BESTSELLER *Glitter Guide&’s &“Must Reads for April&” *PopSugar&’s &“Ultimate Summer Reading&” *Bustle&’s Books to Read and Discuss With Your Mom and Grandma *New York Live&’s &“Ashley&’s A-List&” Pick &“One of the hottest new Southern writers.&” —Parade From the next &“major voice in Southern fiction&” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author) comes the first in an all-new series chronicling the journeys of three sisters and their mother—and a secret from their past that has the potential to tear them apart and reshape their very definition of what it means to be a family.Caroline Murphy swore she&’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father&’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley. Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she&’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open. Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.
The Southern Side of Paradise (The Peachtree Bluff Series #3)
by Kristy Woodson HarveyThe internationally bestselling Peachtree Bluff series concludes with this &“deliciously authentic Southern tale of family and the often messy, complex relationships between sisters, mothers, and daughters&” (Susan Boyer, USA TODAY bestselling author).With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can&’t help but feel like it&’s all a little too good to be true. Her youngest daughter, actress Emerson, is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime. She seemingly has the world by the tail and yet something she can&’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare. When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley&’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson&’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family. &“Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again….The Southern Side of Paradise is full of humor, charm, and family&” (Lauren K. Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author) and is the ultimate satisfying beach read.
The Summer of Songbirds
by Kristy Woodson HarveyINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series. Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life. June&’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They&’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice. Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most. But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives. From an author whose &“writing coats your soul with heart&” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.
Under the Southern Sky
by Kristy Woodson HarveyThis instant New York Times bestseller—that&’s &“perfect for fans of beach reads, P.S. I Love You, and anything by authors Jennifer Weiner and Elin Hilderbrand&” (Country Living)— follows two childhood friends who discover that love and family can be found in unconventional ways.Recently separated Amelia Saxton, a dedicated journalist, never expected that uncovering the biggest story of her career would become deeply personal. But when she discovers that a cluster of embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have been deemed &“abandoned,&” she&’s put in the unenviable position of telling Parker—and dredging up old wounds in the process. Parker has been unable to move forward since the loss of his beloved wife three years ago. He has all but forgotten about the frozen embryos, but once Amelia reveals her discovery, he knows that if he ever wants to get a part of Greer back, he&’ll need to accept his fate as a single father and find a surrogate. Each dealing with their own private griefs, Parker and Amelia slowly begin to find solace in one another as they navigate an uncertain future against the backdrop of the pristine waters of their childhood home, Cape Carolina. The journey of self-discovery leads them to a life-changing lesson: family is always closer than you think. &“Deliciously plotted, intricately constructed, gorgeously written, and brimming with hope, Under the Southern Sky will steal your heart and make you think about first loves, second chances, and the unforeseeable twists of fate that guide us all&” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).
The Wedding Veil
by Kristy Woodson HarveyThis &“masterfully woven…literary home run&” (New York Journal of Books) follows four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family from the New York Times bestselling author of the Peachtree Bluff series.Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it. Present Day: Julia Baxter&’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil&’s good luck isn&’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother, Babs, is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move into a retirement community. Though she hopes it&’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago. 1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—despite her family&’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own, and as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she&’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore&’s gilded gates. In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler&’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson&’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil is &“a sparkling, fast-paced joy of a book that celebrates love, family, and the right to shape one&’s own destiny&” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline WoodsonFor as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has always been everyone's hero: a pro football superstar, a beloved member of the neighbourhood and a really, really great dad. But there's something not right about ZJ's dad these days. He's having trouble remembering things, seems to be angry all the time and is starting to forget ZJ's name. Bit by bit, ZJ has to face this new reality that his family can't keep holding on to his dad's glory days. As his dad begins to have more bad than good days, will they ever find happiness again? Written in lyrical, emotive poetry, this book is beautiful and accessible - perfect for readers aged 9+.
The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace
by Kevin WoodsonA revelatory assessment of workplace inequality in high-status jobs that focuses on a new explanation for a pernicious problem: racial discomfort. America’s elite law firms, investment banks, and management consulting firms are known for grueling hours, low odds of promotion, and personnel practices that push out any employees who don’t advance. While most people who begin their careers in these institutions leave within several years, work there is especially difficult for Black professionals, who exit more quickly and receive far fewer promotions than their White counterparts, hitting a “Black ceiling.” Sociologist and law professor Kevin Woodson knows firsthand what life at a top law firm feels like as a Black man. Examining the experiences of more than one hundred Black professionals at prestigious firms, Woodson discovers that their biggest obstacle in the workplace isn’t explicit bias but racial discomfort, or the unease Black employees feel in workplaces that are steeped in Whiteness. He identifies two types of racial discomfort: social alienation, the isolation stemming from the cultural exclusion Black professionals experience in White spaces, and stigma anxiety, the trepidation they feel over the risk of discriminatory treatment. While racial discomfort is caused by America’s segregated social structures, it can exist even in the absence of racial discrimination, which highlights the inadequacy of the unconscious bias training now prevalent in corporate workplaces. Firms must do more than prevent discrimination, Woodson explains, outlining the steps that firms and Black professionals can take to ease racial discomfort. Offering a new perspective on a pressing social issue, The Black Ceiling is a vital resource for leaders at preeminent firms, Black professionals and students, managers within mostly White organizations, and anyone committed to cultivating diverse workplaces.
Essential Mathematics for Quantum Computing: A beginner's guide to just the math you need without needless complexities
by Leonard S. Woody IIIDemystify quantum computing by learning the math it is built onKey FeaturesBuild a solid mathematical foundation to get started with developing powerful quantum solutionsUnderstand linear algebra, calculus, matrices, complex numbers, vector spaces, and other concepts essential for quantum computingLearn the math needed to understand how quantum algorithms functionBook DescriptionQuantum computing is an exciting subject that offers hope to solve the world's most complex problems at a quicker pace. It is being used quite widely in different spheres of technology, including cybersecurity, finance, and many more, but its concepts, such as superposition, are often misunderstood because engineers may not know the math to understand them. This book will teach the requisite math concepts in an intuitive way and connect them to principles in quantum computing.Starting with the most basic of concepts, 2D vectors that are just line segments in space, you'll move on to tackle matrix multiplication using an instinctive method. Linearity is the major theme throughout the book and since quantum mechanics is a linear theory, you'll see how they go hand in hand. As you advance, you'll understand intrinsically what a vector is and how to transform vectors with matrices and operators. You'll also see how complex numbers make their voices heard and understand the probability behind it all.It's all here, in writing you can understand. This is not a stuffy math book with definitions, axioms, theorems, and so on. This book meets you where you're at and guides you to where you need to be for quantum computing. Already know some of this stuff? No problem! The book is componentized, so you can learn just the parts you want. And with tons of exercises and their answers, you'll get all the practice you need.What you will learnOperate on vectors (qubits) with matrices (gates)Define linear combinations and linear independenceUnderstand vector spaces and their basis setsRotate, reflect, and project vectors with matricesRealize the connection between complex numbers and the Bloch sphereDetermine whether a matrix is invertible and find its eigenvaluesProbabilistically determine the measurement of a qubitTie it all together with bra-ket notationWho this book is forIf you want to learn quantum computing but are unsure of the math involved, this book is for you. If you've taken high school math, you'll easily understand the topics covered. And even if you haven't, the book will give you a refresher on topics such as trigonometry, matrices, and vectors. This book will help you gain the confidence to fully understand quantum computation without losing you in the process!
The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created Alice in Wonderland
by Jenny WoolfA new biography of Lewis Carroll, just in time for the release of Tim Burton's all-star Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll was brilliant, secretive and self contradictory. He reveled in double meanings and puzzles, in his fiction and his life. Jenny Woolf's The Mystery of Lewis Carroll shines a new light on the creator of Alice In Wonderland and brings to life this fascinating, but sometimes exasperating human being whom some have tried to hide. Using rarely-seen and recently discovered sources, such as Carroll's accounts ledger and unpublished correspondence with the "real" Alice's family, Woolf sets Lewis Carroll firmly in the context of the English Victorian age and answers many intriguing questions about the man who wrote the Alice books, such as: • Was it Alice or her older sister that caused him to break with the Liddell family? • How true is the gossip about pedophilia and certain adult women that followed him? • How true is the "romantic secret" which many think ruined Carroll's personal life? • Who caused Carroll major financial trouble and why did Carroll successfully conceal that person's identity and actions? Woolf answers these and other questions to bring readers yet another look at one of the most elusive English writers the world has known.
Orlando: A Biography (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)
by Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf’s satirical, prescient novel Orlando, published in 1928, is a groundbreaking work that explores themes of gender, identity, and time. The narrative features a nobleman named Orlando who lives over three centuries, beginning in the Elizabethan era and ending in the twentieth century, and, remarkably, changes from man to woman at the midpoint. With its fusion of masculinity and femininity, this transformation allows Woolf to critique societal norms and expectations tied to gender and class in different periods. Through Orlando’s unique life span and gender fluidity, Woolf suggests that gender is not fixed or binary, challenging the traditional concepts of gender roles and stereotypes. A complex and multilayered novel that defies easy categorization, Orlando is lauded for its rich prose and its pioneering representation of gender and queer identity. It is a work of literature that continues to resonate with readers today.
The Elves and the Shoe Shop: Independent Reading Purple 8 (Reading Champion #517)
by Katie WoolleyThis story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. Perfect for 5-7 year olds.