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Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery
by Richard HollinghamToday, astonishing surgical breakthroughs are making limb transplants, face transplants, and a host of other previously un dreamed of operations possible. But getting here has not been a simple story of medical progress. In Blood and Guts, veteran science writer Richard Hollingham weaves a compelling narrative from the key moments in surgical history. We have a ringside seat in the operating theater of University College Hospital in London as world-renowned Victorian surgeon Robert Liston performs a remarkable amputation in thirty seconds—from first cut to final stitch. Innovations such as Joseph Lister's antiseptic technique, the first open-heart surgery, and Walter Freeman's lobotomy operations, among other breakthroughs, are brought to life in these pages in vivid detail. This is popular science writing at it's best.
The Blonde: A Thriller
by Duane SwierczynskiBoy meets girl. Girl kidnaps boy. Boy loses girl, and is pursued by a professional killer carrying a decapitated head in a gym bag. The Blonde is a modern (crime) love story from The Wheelman author Duane Swierczynski. The night before a big meeting, Jack Eisley is sitting in an airport bar in Philadelphia, chatting up a pretty young blonde. Sure, Jack has a wife and daughter at home, but this is just a little harmless flirting. Harmless, that is, until the blonde leans forward and says, "I poisoned your drink."She tells Jack that unless she can keep someone within ten feet of her at all times, she'll die. And if he wants the antidote, he'll have to take her back to his hotel room and promise to stay by her side.Jack thinks: psycho. But as the violent night wears on, and he encounters a relentless government assassin, a threatening voice on a cell phone, a deadly waitress, dirty cops, and shady cab drivers . . . He begins to believe her...
Blockchains in 6G: A Standardized Approach To Permissioned Distributed Ledgers (River Publishers Series in Communications and Networking)
by Chonggang Wang Mischa Dohler Diego R. LopezBased on work done within ETSI, this comprehensive guide dives deep into the heart of blockchains and their imminent intersection with 6G. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or an industry expert, this book promises to enlighten, engage, and inspire, drawing you into the exciting intersection of 6G and blockchains.Part I - Blockchain Enablers: Embark on a foundational journey through blockchains, unraveling their basic principles and complex mechanics. From understanding the rudiments of blockchains to exploring the nuances of smart contracts, this section elucidates the pivotal aspects that make blockchains tick. Learn about the necessity for scalability, interoperability, and the crucial role of permissioned distributed ledgers.Part II - Blockchain Ecosystem: Delve into the underpinnings that form the blockchain ecosystem. This segment demystifies the governance and technical standards that guide blockchains and touches upon the alliances formed in its name. As an essential addition, it delves into the regulatory landscape and the critical R&D projects pushing blockchain boundaries.Part III - Blockchain Standards: Setting a benchmark for quality and reliability, this part deciphers the ETSI standards work governing blockchains. Understand the governance of permissioned distributed ledger (PDL) applications, explore reference architectures, and comprehend the role of smart contracts. Data management in a distributed setup and the intricacies of offline operations are neatly detailed, followed by a deep dive into the challenges and solutions for ledger interoperability.Part IV - Blockchains in 6G: The last part of the book bridges the vast world of blockchains with the frontier of 6G telecommunication systems. Commencing with an introduction to the predecessors of 6G, it then charts the course for blockchains' role in 6G data sharing and the radio access network, as well as the emerging topic of the metaverse.
Blockchain for Big Data: AI, IoT and Cloud Perspectives
by Shaoliang PengIn recent years, the fast-paced development of social information and networks has led to the explosive growth of data. A variety of big data have emerged, encouraging researchers to make business decisions by analysing this data. However, many challenges remain, especially concerning data security and privacy. Big data security and privacy threats permeate every link of the big data industry chain, such as data production, collection, processing, and sharing, and the causes of risk are complex and interwoven. Blockchain technology has been highly praised and recognised for its decentralised infrastructure, anonymity, security, and other characteristics, and it will change the way we access and share information. In this book, the author demonstrates how blockchain technology can overcome some limitations in big data technology and can promote the development of big data while also helping to overcome security and privacy challenges. The author investigates research into and the application of blockchain technology in the field of big data and assesses the attendant advantages and challenges while discussing the possible future directions of the convergence of blockchain and big data. After mastering concepts and technologies introduced in this work, readers will be able to understand the technical evolution, similarities, and differences between blockchain and big data technology, allowing them to further apply it in their development and research.Author:Shaoliang Peng is the Executive Director and Professor of the College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, National Supercomputing Centre of Hunan University, Changsha, China. His research interests are high-performance computing, bioinformatics, big data, AI, and blockchain.
Blockchain and AI: The Intersection of Trust and Intelligence (Smart Technology)
by Niaz Chowdhury Ganesh Chandra DekaIn the rapidly evolving landscape of the digital age, two technologies stand out for their transformative potential: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. This book offers an incisive exploration of the confluence between these technological titans, shedding light on the synergies, challenges, and innovations that arise at this intersection. The chapters explore thought-provoking analyses, informed by cutting-edge research and expert perspectives, that navigate the nuanced interplay of decentralized ledger technology and intelligent systems. From potential applications in teaching and learning, finance, healthcare, and governance to ethical considerations and future trajectories, this volume serves as an essential compendium for scholars, professionals, and anyone keen to grasp the future of digital innovation.
The Block Party: A Novel
by Jamie DayRaves for the hottest thriller of 2023!"This is wicked fun." --Publishers Weekly“Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR"Like a firecracker on a hot summer night . . . If you like my novels, you’ll love THE BLOCK PARTY.” ―Elin Hilderbrand, #1 Bestselling author of THE HOTEL NANTUCKETThis summer, meet your neighbors.The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.
Blinded by the Whites: Why Race Still Matters in 21st-Century America (Blacks in the Diaspora)
by David H. IkardThe election of Barack Obama gave political currency to the (white) idea that Americans now live in a post-racial society. But the persistence of racial profiling, economic inequality between blacks and whites, disproportionate numbers of black prisoners, and disparities in health and access to healthcare suggest there is more to the story. David H. Ikard addresses these issues in an effort to give voice to the challenges faced by most African Americans and to make legible the shifting discourse of white supremacist ideology—including post-racialism and colorblind politics—that frustrates black self-determination, agency, and empowerment in the 21st century. Ikard tackles these concerns from various perspectives, chief among them black feminism. He argues that all oppressions (of race, gender, class, sexual orientation) intersect and must be confronted to upset the status quo.
Blind to Sameness: Sexpectations and the Social Construction of Male and Female Bodies
by Asia FriedmanWhat is the role of the senses in how we understand the world? Cognitive sociology has long addressed the way we perceive or imagine boundaries in our ordinary lives, but Asia Friedman pushes this question further still. How, she asks, did we come to blind ourselves to sex sameness? Drawing on more than sixty interviews with two decidedly different populations—the blind and the transgendered—Blind to Sameness answers provocative questions about the relationships between sex differences, biology, and visual perception. Both groups speak from unique perspectives that magnify the social construction of dominant visual conceptions of sex, allowing Friedman to examine the visual construction of the sexed body and highlighting the processes of social perception underlying our everyday experience of male and female bodies. The result is a notable contribution to the sociologies of gender, culture, and cognition that will revolutionize the way we think about sex.
Blessings: A Novel
by Chukwuebuka Ibeh&“Chukwuebuka Ibeh&’s writing has a certain delicacy to it, so wonderfully observant, and so beautiful.&” —Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, author of AmericanahA powerful portrait of sexual awakening and self-acceptance set in a Nigeria on the brink of criminalizing same-sex relationships.Uzoamaka&’s miracle baby, Obiefuna, arrives after a series of miscarriages. As a young boy, he brings luck to his family and joy to those in his orbit, from the teachers at his school to the ladies getting their hair braided at Uzoamaka&’s salon. But by adolescence, Obiefuna has grown unsure of himself. After his father brings home an apprentice from a nearby village, the lightness Obiefuna feels is quickly dashed when the two are caught sharing a moment of intimacy.Without explanation, Obiefuna is sent off to Christian boarding school, where he must navigate strict codes, hierarchies, and alliances among his new classmates. There, he internalizes the lesson that he must hide his true self, pushing away those who may have otherwise brought him comfort. Back home, Uzoamaka must contend with the absence of her beloved son, her husband&’s cryptic reasons for sending him away, and realizations that were within her all along.Told from the alternating perspectives of Obiefuna and Uzoamaka, as they reach towards a future that will hold them both, Blessings is an elegant rendering of the compromises made in a country that forbids homosexuality and the love that can flourish in spite of them—among friends and partners, but also between a parent and child.
Blessings: A Novel
by Chukwuebuka IbehA MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • Moonlight meets Purple Hibiscus in this coming of age novel about self-acceptance, sexual awakening, and first love set in a Nigeria on the verge of criminalizing same-sex relationships&“Chukwuebuka Ibeh&’s writing has a certain delicacy to it, so wonderfully observant, and so beautiful.&” —Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of AmericanahObiefuna has always been the black sheep of his family—sensitive where his father, Anozie, is pragmatic, a dancer where his brother, Ekene, is a natural athlete. But when Obiefuna&’s father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and another boy, his deepest fears are confirmed, and Obiefuna is banished to boarding school.As he navigates his new school&’s strict hierarchy and unpredictable violence, Obiefuna both finds and hides who he truly is. Back home, his mother, Uzoamaka, must contend with the absence of her beloved son, her husband&’s cryptic reasons for sending him away, and the hard truths that they&’ve all been hiding from. As Nigeria teeters on the brink of criminalizing same-sex relationships, Obiefuna&’s identity becomes more dangerous than ever before, and the life he wants drifts further out of reach.Set in post-military Nigeria and culminating in the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2013, Blessings is an elegant and exquisitely moving story that asks how to live freely in a country that forbids one&’s truest self, and what it takes for love to flourish despite it all.
Blessing of the Lost Girls: A Brady and Walker Family Novel
by J. A JanceFrom J. A. Jance’s New York Times bestselling Brady and Walker novels, federal investigator Dan Pardee, Brandon Walker’s son-in-law, crosses paths with Sheriff Joanna Brady as he traces the bloody path of a merciless serial killer across the Southwest in this intense thriller.Driven by a compulsion that challenges his self-control, the man calling himself Charles Milton prowls the rodeo circuit, hunting young women. He chooses those he believes are the most vulnerable, wandering alone and distracted, before he strikes. For years, he has been meticulous in his methods, abducting, murdering, and disposing of his victims while leaving no evidence of his crimes—or their identities—behind. Indigenous women have become his target of choice, knowing law enforcement’s history of ignoring their disappearances.A cold case has just been assigned to Dan Pardee, a field officer with the newly formed Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s Task Force. Rosa Rios, a young woman of Apache descent and one-time rodeo star, vanished three years ago. Human remains, a homicide victim burned beyond recognition, were discovered in Cochise County around the time she went missing. They have finally been confirmed to be Rosa. With Sheriff Joanna Brady’s help, Dan is determined to reopen the case and bring long-awaited justice to Rosa’s family. As the orphaned son of a murdered indigenous woman, he feels an even greater, personal obligation to capture this killer.Joanna’s daughter Jennifer is also taking a personal interest in this case, having known Rosa from her own amateur rodeo days. Now a criminal justice major, she’s unofficially joining the investigation. And as it becomes clear that Rosa was just one victim of a serial killer, both Jennifer and Dan know they’re running out of time to catch an elusive predator who’s proven capable of getting away with murder.
The Blessing (Ulverscroft Large Print Ser.)
by Jude DeverauxThe New York Times bestselling author of the Summerhouse series crafts an inspirational love story that has &“plenty of romance, fun, and adventure&” (San Antonio Express-News) following a workaholic businessman whose life and heart are changed forever by a young widow and her son. Wealthy corporate genius Jason Wilding reluctantly takes a break from his high-powered and stressful world to visit his hometown of Abernathy, Kentucky. As a favor to his brother David, he agrees to spend a week as a live-in babysitter for David&’s new girlfriend. Courting the free-spirted Amy has been difficult with her adorable but demanding baby in tow, and Jason&’s help is just what David needs. Expecting to be bored and annoyed, Jason is shocked to discover that Amy&’s joy for life, her love for her son, and her sparkling humor are irresistible and the reserved and enigmatic CEO finds himself warming to her charm. Their mutual attraction is glowing bright, but what to do about David? This &“bestseller by one of the all-time greats&” (Midwest Book Review), celebrates the unexpected journey of the heart toward love, and the eternal bond between mother and child.
Bless Your Heart, Tramp!: And Other Southern Endearments
by Celia RivenbarkFrom the wickedly hilarious pen of Southern humorist Celia Rivenbark comes a collection of essays that brings to mind Dave Barry (in high heels) or Jeff Foxworthy (in a prom dress).Step into the wacky world of "womanless wedding" fund-raisers, in which Bubbas wear boas. Meet two sisters who fight rural boredom by washing Budweiser cans and cutting them into pieces to make clothing. Learn why the word snow sends any right-thinking Southerner careening to the Food Lion for extra loaves of bread and little else. Humor columnist and slightly crazed belle-by-birth Celia Rivenbark tackles these and other lard-laden subjects in Bless Your Heart, Tramp, a hilarious look at Southern---and just plain human---foibles, up-close and personal. So pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and curl up on the pie-azza with Bless Your Heart, Tramp.
The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide
by Kevin Kelly Kathryn E. LinderThis user-friendly workbook equips faculty and administrators with best practices, activities, tools, templates, and deadlines to guide them through the process of revising traditional location-based courses into a blended format.Providing a step-by-step course design system that emphasizes active learning and student engagement, this book walks readers through the development of course goals and learning objectives, assignments, assessments, and student support mechanisms with an eye toward technology integration. New to this edition are the most up-to-date research on blended courses, fresh templates, tips on the latest pedagogical trends related to artificial intelligence, and two additional chapters on facilitation strategies and group work and collaboration. The authors engage in equity-minded approaches to supporting student success throughout and address the needs of specific groups, such as students with disabilities, working students, and students who are parents or caregivers.Offering detailed instructions for each stage of course design, this book is a must-have for college instructors looking for a blended course design blueprint.
Bleeding Orange: Fifty Years of Blind Referees, Screaming Fans, Beasts of the East, and Syracuse Basketball
by Jim Boeheim Jack McCallumNew York Times BestsellerIn this candid autobiography, Syracuse head coach and long time college basketball fixture Jim Boeheim reflects on his life, his teachers, and the game he loves.Jim Boeheim walked onto the Syracuse campus as a freshman in 1963 . . . and never walked off. A man who has been written off at various stages of his career and criticized for being disagreeable, Boeheim has experienced it all—triumph, despair, redemption; controversy, heartbreak, and scandal; championships, epic disappointments, colorful personalities, NCAA investigations.His combative personality helped ignite what was arguably the most competitive college basketball conference ever: the Big East of the 1980s, when he and Syracuse battled with Big John Thompson of Georgetown, roly-poly Rollie Massimino of Villanova, feisty Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, and beloved Looie Carnesecca of St. John’s, turning the Big East into a Coaches Conference and the Best Show in College Basketball. Boeheim talks about those days and the coming battles with powerhouses North Carolina and Duke, now that Syracuse has joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.From his association with Syracuse greats Dave Bing (a college teammate), Pearl Washington, and Derrick Coleman, to the Olympics—where he coached players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant—Boeheim has learned many lessons that have helped his team and continue to encourage him now as he nears seventy.His unprecedented fifty-year career as a player, assistant, head coach and icon has given him unique insight into coaching and the college game, knowledge he now shares.
The Blazing Inner Fire of Bliss and Emptiness: An Experiential Commentary on the Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa (The Dechen Ling Practice Series)
by David GonsalezA set of commentaries that present some of the most rarefied and secret teachings within Tibetan Buddhism from the perspective of the Dalai Lama&’s Gelug school.The Blazing Inner Fire of Bliss and Emptiness presents lucid translations of a pair of detailed commentaries by the famed Tibetan tantric master Ngulchu Dharmabhadra (1772–1851), illuminating a set of extremely secret and restricted tantric practices of highest yoga tantra. The first of these commentaries details the practices of the Six Yogas of Naropa, one of the most celebrated and revered systems of completion-stage practice in Tibet. Dharmabhadra presents the Six Yogas by elaborating upon Lama Tsongkhapa&’s (1357–1419) masterpiece on the subject entitled Endowed with the Three Inspirations, which served as the basis for nearly all subsequent commentaries on the Six Yogas within the Gelug tradition. Ngulchu Dharmabhadra&’s commentary is unique in that it presents the Six Yogas within the context of Vajrayogini practice, making this book a perfect companion piece to The Extremely Secret Dakini of Naropa (Wisdom Publications, 2020). Also contained in this book is Ngulchu Dharmabhadra&’s lucid and concise commentary on the First Panchen Lama&’s (1570–1662) famous Supplication for Liberation from [Fear of] the Perilous Journey of the Intermediate State. The prayer—a beautiful literary contribution from the First Panchen Lama in its own right—invokes the immediacy of death and the potential to use the process of dying as an opportunity for liberation. The prayer extols the efficacy of the &“nine mixings&” of the completion stage as direct means of transforming our ordinary death process by using advanced yogas presented in the first commentary on the Six Yogas. Together, these works present the reader with a vast and profound vision of spiritual transformation—one in which every aspect of human experience can be used as an opportunity for transcendence and spiritual liberation.
Blatant Injustice: The Story of a Jewish Refugee from Nazi Germany Imprisoned in Britain and Canada during World War II (Footprints Series #1)
by Walter IgersheimerAfter escaping from Nazi Germany with his family, Igersheimer was completing his medical studies when he was caught in the panic that led to the internment of 30,000 German and Italian citizens living in Britain. They were placed behind barbed wire and treated as enemies. Many of the Jewish refugees were then sent to prisons in Canada, but the internees did not let the authorities crush their creativity or desire for an education: they started a free university, mounted plays, and wrote musicals. Laced with black humour, Blatant Injustice is a story of resilience and determination.
Blame the Stars: A Very Good, Totally Accurate Collection of Astrological Advice
by Heather BuchananPart surrealism, part humor, and part affectionate guidance, Blame the Stars is a wild adventure into a world of uniquely alternative zodiac signs.Welcome to the world of Horror Scoops: a weird and wonderful twist on classic zodiac signs. Meet passionate and wild Lemo (a.k.a. Leo), kind Lehbrah (Libra), steadfast Clopricrumb (Capricorn), Germini the Twrnnns (take two guesses), and others—signs which, although slightly silly, reveal more about us than we realize.Part One dives deep into each sign, offering insightful tidbits and advice on love, life, and work (for example, if you’re an Arbys, consider a career as a Pie-Eating Competition Judge, a Horse Observer, or a Horse Observer Observer). Part Two details a year’s worth of sign-specific guidance, Scoop-holidays (like January 15, the Day of Remembrance for Fallen Houseplants), and journal prompts to spark deep introspection. Full of colorful illustrations from Scoops creator and accidental astrologer Heather Buchanan, lots of entertaining nonsense, and occasional sense-sense, Blame the Stars offers the ideal way to contemplate the mysteries of the universe (or have a giggle). FOR ASTROLOGY FANS: Horoscope and astrology are deeply engrained in society. This modern divination book stands out as a playful and interactive option that will appeal to people who dig astrology but don't take it all too seriously (because life is serious enough).FROM THE CREATOR OF WILDLY POPULAR HORROR SCOOPS: Author Heather Buchanan has been creating and sharing her absurdist horoscopes for years to her hundreds of thousands of fans. This is the book those fans have been waiting for, capturing for the first time all the wild, insightful, colorful signs and observations they love in one volume. RELATABLE AND QUIRKY HUMOR: There is a genuine feeling of joy behind the absurd, offbeat humor of this horoscope book. While some astrological-themed metaphysical books may be more serious, this one feels approachable, engaging, and just plain fun.Perfect for:Fans of Horror Scoops and Heather Buchanan's work Astrology devotees (and the astrology-curious) who don't take themselves too seriously People interested in lighthearted self-helpFollowers of social media horoscope accounts and brands like Bitch Rising, Co-Star, That Libra Chic, and moreGift-giving to any astrology lover for birthday, anniversary, or just for fun
The Blackwater Lightship: A Novel
by Colm ToibinFrom the author of The Master and Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín weaves together the lives of three generations of estranged women as they reunite to witness and mourn the death of a brother, a son, and a grandson.It is Ireland in the early 1990s. Helen, her mother, Lily, and her grandmother, Dora, have come together to tend to Helen's brother, Declan, who is dying of AIDS. With Declan's two friends, the six of them are forced to plumb the shoals of their own histories and to come to terms with each other. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Blackwater Lightship is a deeply resonant story about three generations of an estranged family reuniting to mourn an untimely death. In spare, luminous prose, Colm Tóibín explores the nature of love and the complex emotions inside a family at war with itself. Hailed as "a genuine work of art" (Chicago Tribune), this is a novel about the capacity of stories to heal the deepest wounds.
Blackout
by James GoodmanOn July 13, 1977, there was a blackout in New York City. With the dark came excitement, adventure, and fright in subway tunnels, office towers, busy intersections, high-rise stairwells, hotel lobbies, elevators, and hospitals. There was revelry in bars and restaurants, music and dancing in the streets. On block after block, men and women proved themselves heroes by helping neighbors and strangers make it through the night.Unfortunately, there was also widespread looting, vandalism, and arson. Even before police restored order, people began to ask and argue about why. Why did people do what they did when the lights went out? The argument raged for weeks but it was just like the night: lots of heat, little light--a shouting match between those who held fast to one explanation and those who held fast to another.James Goodman cuts between accidents, encounters, conversations, exchanges, and arguments to re-create that night and its aftermath in a dizzying accumulation of detail. Rejecting simple dichotomies and one-dimensional explanations for why people act as they do in moments of conflict and crisis, Goodman illuminates attitudes, ideas, and experiences that have been lost in facile generalizations and analyses. Journalistic re-creation at its most exciting, Blackout provides a whirlwind tour of 1970s New York and a challenge to conventional thinking.
Blackfire’s Zombie Trouble (Teen Titans Go! Multiverse Adventures Ser.)
by Steve KortéWhen Beast Boy uses Raven’s spell book, he conjures a hole in the Multiverse that brings the Zombie Titans to town. If that wasn’t bad enough, a terrifying text from Tamaran alerts Starfire that her evil sister is up to no good. It’s a diabolical double whammy! Can the Teen Titans battle Blackfire and zombies at the same time? Or will they throw up their hands and become a brain buffet for their undead counterparts? Find out in this hilariously mixed-up Multiverse chapter book for fans of Teen Titans Go!
Blacked Out: Dilemmas of Race, Identity, and Success at Capital High
by Signithia FordhamThis innovative portrait of student life in an urban high school focuses on the academic success of African-American students, exploring the symbolic role of academic achievement within the Black community and investigating the price students pay for attaining it. Signithia Fordham's richly detailed ethnography reveals a deeply rooted cultural system that favors egalitarianism and group cohesion over the individualistic, competitive demands of academic success and sheds new light on the sources of academic performance. She also details the ways in which the achievements of sucessful African-Americans are "blacked out" of the public imagination and negative images are reflected onto black adolescents. A self-proclaimed "native" anthropologist, she chronicles the struggle of African-American students to construct an identity suitable to themselves, their peers, and their families within an arena of colliding ideals. This long-overdue contribution is of crucial importance to educators, policymakers, and ethnographers.
The Blackbird: An Alan Grofield Novel
by Richard StarkDonald E. Westlake is one of the greats of crime fiction. Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, he wrote twenty-four fast-paced, hardboiled novels featuring Parker, a shrewd career criminal with a talent for heists. Using the same nom de plume, Westlake also completed a separate series in the Parker universe, starring Alan Grofield, an occasional colleague of Parker. While he shares events and characters with several Parker novels, Grofield is less calculating and more hot-blooded than Parker; think fewer guns, more dames. Not that there isn’t violence and adventure aplenty. The third Grofield novel, The Blackbird shares its first chapter with Slayground: after a traumatic car crash, Parker eludes the police, but Grofield gets caught. Lying injured in the hospital, Grofield is visited by G-Men who offer him an alternative to jail, and he finds himself forced into a deadly situation involving international criminals and a political conspiracy. With a new foreword by Sarah Weinman that situates the Grofield series within Westlake’s work as a whole, this novel is an exciting addition to any crime fiction fan’s library.
Blackberry Fox
by Kathrin TordasiFor fans of the Wilderlore and Skandar series comes a thrilling middle grade fantasy adventure steeped in Welsh myths and legends about two intrepid friends who are tricked into opening the door to an enchanted world—only to get trapped inside.On a summer holiday in Wales, Portia and Ben find a mysterious door set in a bramble hedge in the middle of a forest. If the old stories about the wonders and dangers of the Otherworld hadn&’t long been forgotten, they may have realized the door was a portal to the perilous realm and should never be opened… Robin Goodfellow, the man with the fox shadow, needs someone to open the door in the brambles so he can finally return home, and he&’s willing to use the children&’s curiosity to his advantage and lures Portia under the guise of his innocent fox form. Once the portal is open, great danger arises, and Ben and Portia struggle to stop a powerful evil threatening both the human and the fairy worlds as they find themselves stuck in the wrong realm.
Black X: Liberatory thought in Azania
by Tendayi SitholeWhat does it mean to be Black in an anti-Black world?In Black X: Liberatory Thought in Azania, Tendayi Sithole offers a compelling example of how to engage South Africa differently. Set in the Black point of view as a site of critical reflection, he confronts the question of colonial conquest, social cohesion and justice. Since South Africa is a name given to the country by its conquerors, not by its indigenous inhabitants, for true liberation, a renaming needs to occur. The concept of Azania holds this emancipatory gesture.The post conquest, post 1994 liberal narratives mute the prevalence of racism while valorizing non-racialism and the transcendence of race. To indicate this silencing, the book deploys the concept of X, both as a signifier of repression and dehumanization of the Black subject, and as an empty signifier that holds the opportunity for radical and compassionate rehumanization.The book examines these strands of erasure and hope for the Black subject. Sithole scrutinizes the colonial contract, arguing that it is not a contract since there has never been an agreement between the indigenous people and the settler colonialists. This brings into focus the land question, specifically land dispossession and its existential connection to black life. The relevance of Black Consciousness to the Azanian existential tradition is based on Steve Biko’s case that Marxism ignores Black ontological misery through its valorization of class and failure to include anti-Black racism in its analysis of power. Finally, Sithole analyses Mabogo P. More’s philosophical meditations around what it means to be Black in an anti-Black world.In erasing the idea of South Africa and inscribing an open-ended naming of X, the book opens the way for something new to take its place that is imbued with greater humanity. This gesture opens up the potential to think about liberation in this country that is yet to rename and redefine itself.