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China as a Double-Bind Regulatory State: How Internet Regulators’ Predicament Produces Regulatees’ Autonomy
by Aifang MaThis book explores the dynamics of the Chinese regulation of internet firms. Sitting at the crossroad of regulation studies, communication studies, political economy, and the social movements, it conceptualises China as a “double-bind regulatory state”, defined as a two-step autonomy-enabling process. First, the party-state’s pursuit of competiting objectives creates a predicament for regulators. In the second step, private internet firms consciously exploit regulators’ predicament to enlarge their maneuvering room. The approach of “double-bind regulatory state” challenges some current academic accounts that exaggerate the capacity of the Chinese party-state to establish seamless control. This book is of interest to scholars of Chinese politics, digital law, political economy, and more.
Advances in Human Activity Detection and Recognition (Synthesis Lectures on Computer Science)
by Santosh Kumar Tripathy Roshan Singh Rajeev Srivastava Akash Kumar Bhoi Santosh Kumar SatapathyThis book provides a comprehensive overview of Human Activity Detection or Recognition (HADR) systems. Detection or recognition of human activities is a prominent research area in the fields of computer vision and artificial intelligence because of its many applications in daily life, including monitoring in public transport areas, health monitoring, anomaly detection in traffic, and smart homes. This book divides different activities according to their criticality, then discusses the various motivations and challenges that are involved in HADR systems. The authors then propose a framework for activity detection or recognition. The book also covers ten key applications of HADR systems and the recent developments for each of them. The authors also propose areas for future research.
Reliability Assessment of Tethered High-altitude Unmanned Telecommunication Platforms: k-out-of-n Reliability Models and Applications (Infosys Science Foundation Series)
by Vladimir M. Vishnevsky Dharmaraja Selvamuthu Vladimir Rykov Dmitry V. Kozyrev Nika Ivanova Achyutha KrishnamoorthyThis book provides a systematic presentation of the major results in the field of the theory of k-out-of-n systems obtained in recent years and their applications for the reliability assessment of high-altitude unmanned platforms. Mathematical models, methods, and algorithms, presented in the book, will make a significant contribution to the development of reliability theory and the theoretical foundations of unmanned UAV-based aerial communications networks in the framework of the concept of creating the 5G and beyond networks. The book gives a description of new mathematical methods and approaches (based on decomposable semi-regenerative processes, simulation and machine learning methods, and inventory models) to the study of the complex k-out-of-n systems, which makes it possible to carry out numerical calculations of reliability indicators. Organized into five chapters, each chapter begins with a summary of the main definitions andresults contained in the chapter. The content of this book is based on the original results developed by the authors, many of which appear for the first time in book form.
Python for Water and Environment (Innovations in Sustainable Technologies and Computing)
by Anil Kumar Manabendra SahariaThis textbook delves into the practical applications of surface and groundwater hydrology, as well as the environment. The Part I, "Practical Python for a Water and Environment Professional," guides readers through setting up a scientific computing environment and conducting exploratory data analysis and visualization using reproducible workflows. The Part II, "Statistical Modeling in Hydrology," covers regression models, time series analysis, and common hypothesis testing. The Part III, "Surface and Subsurface Water," illustrates the use of Python in understanding key concepts related to seepage, groundwater, and surface water flows. Lastly, the Part IV, "Environmental Applications," demonstrates the application of Python in the study of various contaminant transport phenomena.
Correlation in Engineering and the Applied Sciences: Applications in R (Synthesis Lectures on Mathematics & Statistics)
by Rajan ChattamvelliThis book focuses on correlation coefficients and its applications in applied science fields. The book begins by describing the historical development and various types of correlations. Rank correlation methods including Pearson’s, Spearman’s, and Kendall’s correlation are discussed at length. The book also discusses sampling distribution of correlation coefficients and applications of correlations in various fields. The book presents novel topics such as (i) a quick analytical method to approximate Pearson's correlation, (ii) single-variable correlation, (iii) fractional co-skewness and co-kurtosis, and (iv) the fallacy on correlation between the sample mean and sample variance. This book is ideal for courses on mathematical statistics, engineering statistics, and exploratory data analysis and is primarily aimed at upper-undergraduate and graduate level students. The book is also useful for researchers and professionals in various fields who are interested in data analysis.
Quantitative Energy Finance: Recent Trends and Developments
by Fred Espen Benth Almut E. D. VeraartPower markets are undergoing a major transformation from gas and oil-fueled generation toward renewable electricity production from wind and solar sources. Simultaneously, there is an increasing demand for electrification, coupled with long-term climate-induced weather changes. The uncertainties confronting energy market participants require sophisticated modelling techniques to effectively understand risk, many of which are covered in this book.Comprising invited papers by high-profile researchers, this volume examines the empirical aspects of forward and futures prices, uncovering patterns of noise factors in various European electricity markets. Additionally, it delves into the recent, influential classes of Hawkes and trawl processes, emphasizing their significance in energy markets. The impact of renewables on energy market prices is a pivotal concern for both producers and consumers. Mean-field games provide a powerful mathematical framework for this, and a dedicated chapter outlining their dynamics is included in the book. The book also explores structural financial products and their connection to climate risk as a risk management tool, underscoring the essential need for a comprehensive understanding of these products in the realm of "green finance," to which the energy industry is integral. Lastly, the book thoroughly analyzes spatial smoothing and power purchase (PPA) contracts, addressing central issues in energy system planning and financial operations.Tailored for researchers, PhD students, and industry energy analysts, this volume equips readers with insights and tools to navigate the constantly evolving energy market landscape. It serves as a sequel to the earlier Quantitative Energy Finance book, featuring all-new chapters.
LIT: Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action
by Jeff Karp Teresa BarkerRadically simple experimental tools to help anyone tap into a high-energy brain state to fire up innovative potential and shape their lives with intention—by the founder of a Harvard biomedical engineering innovation lab.In an age of convenience and information overload, it’s easy to go through the motions, pressured, distracted, and seeking instant gratification rather than harnessing our potential for meaningful and impactful lives. When we’re accustomed to a low energy brain state and lulled by the comfort zone it creates, it’s difficult to rouse ourselves to act with intention and create the lives we truly want to lead. In LIT, Jeff Karp, Ph.D., professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and biotech innovator, helps us look to nature as a vital source of humankind’s best wisdom, most inspired action, and greatest good.Diagnosed with learning differences at a young age, he persisted through nearly insurmountable struggles with support from his mom in developing ways to achieve hyper-awareness and maximize decisions based on his curiosity, passion, creativity, and connection to nature. As a student at McGill University and at the University of Toronto, as a researcher at MIT, and as a professor at Harvard Medical School, he evolved these approaches into LIT (Life Ignition Tools) —and road-tested these tools daily in his own personal life and with his lab team to innovate medical discoveries inspired by the “problem solving” process they find throughout the natural worldLIT teaches us to:turn inward and connect with what is truly important to usturn outward to act on that, connecting with others and different ways of knowingquestion assumptions—break out of habitual thinking and other patterns to discover what really serves you bestnavigate multiple streams of sensory input and manage information overloadrecognize manipulative messaging that can throw us off courseexplore, experiment and discover fresh approaches to old challengesintercept routine patterns to actively think and decide versus just jumping in with habitual responsesLIT takes us off autopilot and helps us stay alert, present, and fully engaged in our lives. Dr. Karp also shares insights from some of the world’s most accomplished people, including Nobel Prize winners, the founder of an Indigenous wellness center, a visionary photographer, a social justice activist, a five-time US memory champion, an Olympic medalist, a neurosurgeon who founded a center for compassion, and numerous professors, inventors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and members of his laboratory—all creatives in their own ways.Using Dr. Karp’s principles, anyone can redirect their lives with energy, focus, creativity, motivation, intention, and impact to create the lives they truly want to lead. Learning to be lit is the ultimate renewable energy and is accessible to everyone, anytime, wherever you are.
The Whole Truth: A Novel (DI Fawley series #5)
by Cara HunterFrom Cara Hunter, the New York Times bestselling author of Murder in the Family, comes the fifth novel in her DI Fawley detective series, one of Britain’s most enduringly popular and mega-selling crime series.When DI Adam Fawley is assigned a sexual assault case filed by an Oxford student against a tenured professor, he expects the facts to match up with the far too many previous reports he’s investigated time and again. But neither he nor anyone on his team imagined the victim would turn out to be a male rugby player accusing one of the university’s most respected female professors. As the detectives try to unravel the truth behind the he said/she said crime, another threat arises—someone with a personal grudge against Fawley. . .
The Wealth Money Can't Buy: The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life
by Robin SharmaA groundbreaking and timely book from the international bestselling author of The 5AM Club The Wealth Money Can’t Buy will hardwire in a completely new way of measuring wealth. We inhabit a world where the common idea of success requires you to hustle and grind, to sacrifice your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health, and to miss out on the finest times with those you love to scale a mountaintop of financial fortune, fame and material possessions.Yet money is only one form of wealth. A truly abundant life includes seven other forms of wealth. With proven tactics, Robin Sharma—legendary leadership advisor to many of the world’s most successful people and a personal mastery expert trusted by tens of millions of people across the world—will help you to stop chasing the wrong kinds of riches—which can waste years—so you can get directly on track to making a life you absolutely adore.
red helicopter—a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math)
by James RheeEmbrace your agency, lead change, and fly free—in the business of life and the life of business—with kindness (plus a little math)In kindergarten, James Rhee received a toy red helicopter in gratitude for a simple act of generosity—sharing his lunch. Decades later, the lesson from that small gift led him to develop a human-centered framework for business and personal achievement that helped him overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles and find unprecedented success.“red helicopter is a transformative experience. James Rhee's story is a must read for anyone, of any age, who wishes to think, act, and lead with balance, agility, and wisdom." —Jay ShettyRhee was a high school teacher turned private equity investor when he unexpectedly took the helm of Ashley Stewart, an iconic company predominantly employing and serving Black women. Inspired by the values his dying Korean immigrant parents instilled in him, he knew that a radically different—yet familiar—approach was required to lead this twice-bankrupt company from certain liquidation to true transcendence.Is it possible to be successful and kind? To lead with precision and compassion? To honor who we are in all areas of our lives?The entire world bet against him and Ashley, but Rhee trusted his instincts to identify, measure, and leverage the intangible goodwill at the company’s core, a decision which ultimately multiplied its fortunes several times over.Anyone can combine the clarity and imagination we had as children with fundamental business metrics. Anyone can apply this refreshingly intuitive approach to lead change at work and at home. While eloquently sharing a story of personal and professional success, red helicopter presents a comforting yet bold solution to the dissatisfaction and worry we all feel in a chaotic and sometimes terrifying world.The insights and knowledge that Rhee imparts have been accumulated over decades of investing and leading at the highest levels of business. Drawing on this experience, he encourages us to trust the wisdom deep inside each of us so we can learn how to:Create and measure “goodwill,” the ultimate collective goodDiscover agency and the truth about kindness it entailsIdentify the invisible obstacles standing in your wayLead transformational change through small, scalable actsConstruct an accurate “balance sheet” of our assets and liabilitiesReorient our lives, organizations, and the world to reflect the best in usAre you looking for a sustainable balance between life, money, and joy? For yourself and others?Imagine, a clear path forward told as a deeply felt human story. A poignant and uplifting celebration of humanity, red helicopter—a parable for our times is a tale of struggle and triumph, compelling for its honesty and relatability as much as for the instructions we can all use to balance the books of our lives.red helicopter—a parable for our times features approximately 20 original illustrations by Korean artist Heyon Cho.
How to End a Love Story: A Novel
by Yulin Kuang“Emotional, relatable and binge-worthy." –Tessa Bailey“I’ll read anything she writes. An absolute star." –Emily Henry “I was hooked on the very first page. Don't miss this one!" — Carley FortuneTwo writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show... Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin KuangNamed a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Entertainment Weekly · Today.com · Paste · Daily Waffle ·The Nerd Daily and more!Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever.Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except…Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he’s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can’t pass up.Grant’s exactly as Helen remembers him—charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she’s never been. And Helen’s exactly as Grant remembers too—brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he’s in the picture at all.When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.
Dragonfruit
by Makiia LucierFrom acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology. In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. But as with all things that offer hope when hope had gone, the tale came with a warning.Every wish demands a price.Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time-hope.But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.
Weekends with You: A Novel
by Alexandra PaigeFor fans of Beth O’Leary and Josie Silver, a heartwarming and romantic debut told over the course of one year in monthly weekend installments, about found family, new love, and the magic of London.Flowers have always been the best communicators. They’ve mastered falling over one another in the perfect way to announce exactly what they need: sunlight, water, space. They do not rush. They do not bloom before their time. They do not take without giving in return…They are nothing like the rest of London.Between trying to keep her north London flower shop, The Lotus, afloat and falling for a flatmate, Lucy Bernstein is going to have to rethink everything she knows about “creative arrangements.”Unwillingly becoming one of eight flatmates in a quirky warehouse conversion would have been difficult enough without any romantic entanglements, but when Lucy lays eyes on Henry Baker, the traveling photographer who only comes home twelve weekends a year, she knows her hands will be full with more than just posies. As each weekend progresses, Lucy also finds herself unexpectedly falling for all her new flatmates, along with this bustling but ultimately sweeter home.Can Lucy learn from the flowers she tends to and bravely reach for all that she needs to bloom?
The Twilight Garden: A Novel
by Sara Nisha AdamsTwo feuding neighbors unite to resurrect a neglected city garden in this uplifting and quietly joyful novel by Sara Nisha Adams, author of the beloved The Reading List.In a small pocket of London, between the houses of No.77 and No.79 Eastbourne Road, lies a neglected community garden. It was a beautiful thing once, a little oasis in a bustling city for neighbors by day and the local foxes at twilight. Now it’s overgrown and neglected, an empty patch of greenery lost to time.Once a sanctuary, the garden’s gate is now firmly closed. And that’s exactly how Winston at No.79 likes it – anything to avoid Bernice, who has moved in next door with her young son. Their houses may share the garden, but they’re not exactly neighborly.But then a mysterious parcel drops on Winston’s doormat. It contains no note, only a bundle of photographs of the garden in bloom many years ago—vibrant with flowers, filled with people from every corner of the community. Is someone trying to tell them something? The seed of an idea is planted…Somewhere out there, a secret gardener made a decades-old promise to keep the community’s spirit alive. Now it’s time for The Twilight Garden to come out of hibernation.
Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age
by Norman OhlerThe author of the New York Times bestseller Blitzed returns with a provocative new history of drugs and postwar America, examining the untold story of how Nazi experiments into psychedelics covertly influenced CIA research and secretly shaped the War on Drugs. Berlin 1945. Following the fall of the Third Reich, drug use—long kept under control by the Nazis’ strict anti-drug laws—is rampant throughout the city. Split into four sectors, Berlin's drug policies are being enforced under the individual jurisdictions of each allied power—the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and the US. In the American zone, Arthur J. Giuliani of the nascent Federal Bureau of Narcotics is tasked with learning about the Nazis’ anti-drug laws and bringing home anything that might prove “useful” to the United States.Five years later, Harvard professor Dr. Henry Beecher began work with the US government to uncover the research behind the Nazis psychedelics program. Begun as an attempt to find a “truth serum” and experiment with mind control, the Nazi study initially involved mescaline, but quickly expanded to include LSD. Originally created for medical purposes by Swiss pharmaceutical Sandoz, the Nazis coopted the drug for their mind control military research—research that, following the war, the US was desperate to acquire. This research birthed MKUltra, the CIA's notorious brainwashing and psychological torture program during the 1950s and 1960s, and ultimately shaped US drug policy regarding psychedelics for over half a century.Based on extensive archival research on both sides of the Atlantic, Tripped is a wild, unconventional postwar history, a spiritual sequel to Norman Ohler’s New York Times bestseller Blitzed. Revealing the close relationship and hidden connections between the Nazis and the early days of drugs in America, Ohler shares how this secret history held back therapeutic research of psychedelic drugs for decades and eventually became part of the foundation of America’s War on Drugs.
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
by Nicholas ShakespeareA fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers. Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote.Ian's childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be “the complete man,” and he would strive for the means to achieve this “completeness'”all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction. Exceptionally well connected, and widely travelled, from the United States and Soviet Russia to his beloved Jamaica, Ian had access to the most powerful political figures at a time of profound change.Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering material that casts new light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography. His unprecedented access to the Fleming archive and his nose for a story make this a fresh and eye-opening picture of the man and his famous creation.
Beyond Shareholder Primacy: Remaking Capitalism for a Sustainable Future
by Stuart HartFrom the author of Capitalism at the Crossroads, a call to consciousness—and action—for individuals, organizations, communities, and nations. Our current Milton Friedman–style "shareholder primacy capitalism," as taught in business schools and embraced around the world, has become dangerous for society, the climate, and the planet. Moreover, Stuart L. Hart argues, it's economically unnecessary. But there are surprising reasons for hope—from the history of capitalism itself. Beyond Shareholder Primacy argues that capitalism has reformed itself twice before and is poised for a third major reformation. Retelling the origin story of capitalism from the fifteenth century to the present, Hart argues that a radically sustainable, just capitalism is possible, and even likely, in our lifetime. Hart goes on to describe what it will take to move beyond capitalism's present worship of "shareholder primacy," including corporate transformations to re-embed purpose and reforms to major economic institutions. A key requirement is eliminating the "externalities" (or collateral damage) of our current shareholder capitalism. Sustainable capitalism will explicitly incorporate the needs of society and the planet, include a financial system that allows leaders to prioritize the planet, reorganize business schools around sustainable management thinking, and enable corporations not just to stop ignoring the damage they cause, but actually begin to create positive impact.
What Was the Great Molasses Flood of 1919? (What Was?)
by Kirsten Anderson Who HQLearn about Boston's molasses disaster of 1919, when a storage tank burst and flooded the streets, in this latest addition to the New York Times Bestselling What Was? series.An unusually warm winter day resulted in 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooding the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The disaster killed twenty-one people and injured 150 others. Rescue missions were launched to save people from the sticky and deadly mess, led by the Red Cross, the Army, the Navy, and the Massachusetts Nautical School. With the help of hundreds of volunteers over the course of several weeks, the streets were cleaned up. But the smell of molasses and the horror of the preventable tragedy lingered for decades to come.
Toxic Prey (A Prey Novel #34)
by John SandfordLucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, team up to track down a dangerous scientist whose latest project could endanger the entire world, in this latest thriller from author John Sandford. <p><p> Gaia is dying. <p><p> That, at least, is what Dr. Lionel Scott believes. A renowned expert in tropical and infectious diseases, Scott has witnessed the devastating impact of illness and turmoil at critical scale. Society as it exists is untenable, and the direct link to Earth’s death spiral; population levels are out of control and people have allowed disarray and disorder to run rampant. While most are concerned about deadly disease, Scott knows that it is truly humanity itself that will destroy Gaia. It’s only by removing the threat that the planet can continue to prosper, and luckily, Scott is just the right man for the job… <p><p> When Scott then disappears without a trace, Letty Davenport is tasked with tracking down any and all leads. Scott’s connections to sensitive research into virus and pathogen spread has multiple national and international organizations on high alert, and his shockingly high clearance levels at various institutions, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, make him the last person they’d like to go missing. As the web around Scott becomes more tangled, Letty calls in her father, Lucas, help her lead a group of specialists to find Scott as soon as possible. But as Letty and Lucas begin to uncover startling and disturbing connections between Scott and Gaia conspiracists, their worst fears are confirmed, and it quickly becomes a race to find him before the virus he created becomes the perfect weapon. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Last Man: Large Print
by Mary ShelleyMary Shelley's landmark novel that invented the human extinction genre and initiated climate fiction, imagining a world where newly-forged communities and reverence for nature rises from the ashes of a pandemic-ravaged society, now for the first time in Penguin Classics, with a foreword by Rebecca SolnitA Penguin ClassicWritten while Mary Shelley was in a self-imposed lockdown after the loss of her husband and children, and in the wake of intersecting crises including the climate-changing Mount Tambora eruption and a raging cholera outbreak, The Last Man (1826) is the first end-of-mankind novel, an early work of climate fiction, and a prophetic depiction of environmental change. Set in the late twenty-first century, the book tells of a deadly pandemic that leaves a lone survivor, and follows his journey through a post-apocalyptic world that's devoid of humanity and reclaimed by nature. But rather than give in to despair, Shelley uses the now-ubiquitous end-times plot to imagine a new world where freshly-formed communities and alternative ways of being stand in for self-important politicians serving corrupt institutions, and where nature reigns mightily over humanity—a timely message for our current era of climate collapse and political upheaval. Brimming with political intrigue and love triangles around characters based on Percy Shelley and scandal-dogged poet Lord Byron, the novel also broaches partisan dysfunction, imperial warfare, refugee crises, and economic collapse—and brings the legacy of her radically progressive parents, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, to bear on present-day questions about making a better world less centered around &“man.&” Shelley&’s second major novel after Frankenstein, The Last Man casts a half-skeptical eye on romantic ideals of utopian perfection and natural plenitude while looking ahead to a greener future in which our species develops new relationships with non-human life and the planet.
What Were the Shark Attacks of 1916? (What Was?)
by Nico Medina Who HQThe panic-filled summer of 1916, when multiple deadly shark attacks shocked the nation, is chronicled in this gripping addition to the New York Times Best-Selling What Was? series.On July 1, 1916, witnesses watched in horror as twenty-eight-year-old Charles Vansant was attacked and killed by a shark in shallow water off Beach Haven, New Jersey—the first recorded shark attack in American history. Scientists claimed a shark could not be responsible, but more deadly attacks soon followed along the Jersey Shore and up the freshwater Matawan Creek, setting off a nationwide panic that led the White House to declare a &“War on Sharks.&” In this illustrated book, which features 16 pages of black-and-white photographs, readers will learn about the likely culprit (or culprits) in the attacks—the great white shark and the bull shark—and how the bloody summer of 1916 would change how people viewed sharks forever.
A Promise of Peridot (The Sacred Stones #2)
by Kate GoldenThe next seductive, sweeping, action-packed installment in the addictive Sacred Stones trilogy. A prophecy of death. A weapon of hope. A sacrifice of love. Arwen Valondale is sailing for the mysterious Kingdom of Citrine after the battle of Siren&’s Bay. Still reeling from the loss of her mother and the shock of her newfound powers, Arwen directs all of her pain and rage toward the man who betrayed her: King Kane Ravenwood. But Kane&’s presence is unavoidable as he leads Arwen and her friends on an expedition to recover the Blade of the Sun—a legendary weapon with the power to kill tyrannical Fae King Lazarus. Their uneasy truce proves difficult to maintain, as Arwen battles her unresolved feelings, and Kane is willing to become darkness itself to protect her. Arwen knows failure to fulfill the prophecy will seal both her own fate as well as the fates of those she loves most. But as Arwen faces creatures, foes, and magic beyond her wildest imaginings, her resolve is tested in ways she never could have foreseen.
The Darkness Rises
by Stacy StokesA gripping speculative thriller perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and Ginny Myers Sain, about one girl with the power to see death before it happens—and the terrible consequences she faces when saving someone goes wrong.SOMEONE WANTS REVENGE…Whitney knows what death looks like. Since she was seven, she&’s seen it hover over strangers&’ heads in dark, rippling clouds. Sometimes she can save people from the darkness. Sometimes she can&’t. But she&’s never questioned if she should try. Until the unthinkable happens—and a person she saves becomes the perpetrator of a horrific school shooting.Now Whitney will do anything to escape the memory of last year&’s tragedy and the guilt that gnaws at her for her role in it. Even if that means quitting dance—the thing she loves most—and hiding her ability from her family and friends. But most importantly, no one can know what really happened last year.Then Whitney finds an ominous message in her locker and realizes someone knows her secret. As the threats pile up, one thing becomes clear—someone wants payback for what she did. And if she&’s going to survive the year, she must track down whoever is after her before it&’s too late.
The Kiss Countdown
by Etta EastonA struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut.Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie's favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent's doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.What Amerie doesn't plan for is Vincent's gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he's exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she'll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.
Unhomed: Cycles of Mobility and Placelessness in American Cinema
by Pamela Robertson WojcikIn this rich cultural history, Pamela Roberston Wojcik examines America's ambivalent and shifting attitude toward homelessness. She considers film cycles from five distinct historical moments that show characters who are unhomed and placeless, mobile rather than fixed—characters who fail, resist, or opt out of the mandate for a home of one's own. From the tramp films of the silent era to the 2021 Oscar-winning Nomadland, Wojcik reveals a tension in the American imaginary between viewing homelessness as deviant and threatening or emblematic of freedom and independence. Blending social history with insights drawn from a complex array of films, both canonical and fringe, Wojcik effectively "unhomes" dominant narratives that cast aspirations for success and social mobility as the focus of American cinema, reminding us that genres of precarity have been central to American cinema (and the American story) all along.