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The Big Freeze: A Reporter's Personal Journey into the World of Egg Freezing and the Quest to Control Our Fertility
by Natalie LampertA fascinating investigation into the lucrative, minimally regulated, fast-growing industry of egg freezing, from a young reporter on a personal journey into the world of cutting-edge reproductive medicine&“An engaging and groundbreaking book.&”—Toni Weschler, MPH, author of Taking Charge of Your FertilityLONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD • A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAROvaries. Most women have two; journalist Natalie Lampert has only one. Then, in her early twenties, she almost lost it, along with her ability to ever have biological children. Doctors urged her to freeze her eggs, and Lampert started asking questions. The Big Freeze is the story of Lampert's personal quest to investigate egg freezing as well as the multibillion-dollar femtech industry, in order to decide the best way to preserve her own fertility. She attended flashy egg-freezing parties, visited high-priced fertility clinics, talked to dozens of women who have frozen their eggs, toured the facility in Italy where the technology was developed, and even attended a memorial service for thousands of accidentally destroyed embryos. What was once science fiction is now simply science: Fertility can be frozen in time. Between 2009 and 2023, more than 150,000 women in the United States opted to freeze their eggs. Along with in vitro fertilization, egg freezing is touted as a way for women to &“have it all&” by conquering their biological clocks, in line with the global trend of delaying childbirth. A generation after the Pill, this revolutionary technology offers a new kind of freedom for women—career-focused ones in particular. But does egg freezing give women real agency or just the illusion of it? A personal and deeply researched guide to the pros, cons, and many facets of this wildly popular technology, The Big Freeze is a page-turning exploration of the quest to control fertility, with invaluable information that answers the questions women have been afraid to ask—or didn't know they should ask in the first place.
Recent Trends in Thermal and Fluid Sciences: Select Proceedings of INCOME 2021 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering)
by Debi Prasad Mishra Ashok Kumar Dewangan Achhaibar SinghThe book presents select proceedings of the International Conference on Mechanical Engineering (INCOME 2021). It presents the topics related to thermal and fluid mechanics including various sources of energy. The topics covered include theoretical and practical aspects of thermal and fluid systems and thermal design of the related equipment. The book also includes latest topics such as solar energy, computational techniques, enhancement of energy storage capacity, fluid solid interaction, and hybrid energy systems. The book will be a valuable reference for beginners, researchers, and professionals interested in research, design and development in thermal and fluid sciences.
Michel Foucault, the State and the Social Sciences (Political Philosophy and Public Purpose)
by Arnault SkornickiThis book proposes an original reading of Foucault&’s political thought. Far from setting aside the question of the State to focus on the relationships of power &“from below&”, the Foucauldian approach offers a radical anti-substantialist theory of the State. Concepts such as biopolitics, discipline, pastoral power, and governmentality serve as tools for understanding the statization of power relations. Contrary to some of Foucault's own statements, Skornicki highlights the elective affinities between genealogy and sociology, which enable an in-depth dialogue with Marxism, Max Weber, Norbert Elias, Edward P. Thompson, among others. Unexpectedly, the analytics of power appears thereby as a corrosive and productive science of the State. The author meticulously reconstructs, drawing on Foucault's extensive body of work, how his famous 'microphysics of power' fits into a broader genealogy of the modern State—namely, the processes of political monopolization that have shaped the so-called Leviathan from the Middle Ages to the present. The State thus emerges not as the coldest of all cold monsters, nor simply as a vast apparatus of repression, but rather as both the product and the agent of multiple governmentalities, diverse rationalities, and various religious tendencies—ranging from the modern rule of law to totalitarianism and neoliberal bureaucracy. This is not just a new book about Foucault. It is a book about the State and the enduring possibility of theorizing it—immersed once more in the caustic waters of genealogy.
Distributed Fault-Tolerant Consensus Control of Leader-Following Systems: Based on Adaptive Control Approach (Intelligent Control and Learning Systems #11)
by Qikun ShenThis book provides recent theoretical results and applications of the consensus control for nonlinear leader-following systems. Combining adaptive control technique, fuzzy logic systems, neural networks with the other control techniques or approaches, this book investigates the consensus control problem of leader-following systems and proposes the corresponding control scheme. This book intends to provide the readers a good understanding on consensus control based on adaptive control technology. This book can serve as a reference for the main research issues and results on nonlinear multi-agent systems including leader-following systems for researchers devoting to various areas of control theory, as well as a material for graduate and undergraduate students interested in nonlinear multi-agent systems including leader-following systems and their applications. Some prerequisites for reading this book include nonlinear system theory, matrix theory, mathematics, basic graph theory, and so on.
Microfluidics Diagnostics: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology #2804)
by Valérie Taly Stéphanie Descroix Karla Perez-TorallaThis detailed volume explores a wide range of microfluidic-based approaches that exploit the unique features of microfluidic devices, which hold significant potential in the field of diagnosis. Beginning with a section on microchips for sample preparation, including cell-free DNA, exosomes, and cells, the book continues by covering protein marker analysis and detection, single-cell analysis, analysis of bacteria and viruses, as well as human cell-based culture and analysis. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Microfluidics Diagnostics: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for researchers investigating how microfluidics can shape the future of diagnosis.
A Systemic Functional Typology of MOOD (The M.A.K. Halliday Library Functional Linguistics Series)
by Dongqi LiThe grammatical category of (sentence) mood has been of central interest to many branches of linguistics, including linguistic typology and systemic functional linguistics. This book is a successful integration of the typological and systemic functional approaches to mood, aiming to investigate the commonalities and variations across languages in both mood system and mood structure. To this aim, it establishes a geographically, genetically and typologically representative sample of 60 languages and provides detailed systemic functional descriptions of the mood system and mood structure of these languages. Based on such descriptions, it makes cross-linguistic comparisons of the mood system and mood structure of the languages in the sample. Structurally, it explores the cross-linguistic commonalities and variations in (i) the realizations of some major functional elements in mood structure, (ii) the realizations of mood options and (iii) the realizations of mood system. Systemically, it investigates how languages resemble and vary from each other in (i) the subtypes of major mood types, (ii) the organization of mood system and (iii) the semantic dimensions along which mood system is elaborated further in delicacy. Moreover, building on the descriptions and comparisons, it makes some generalizations about the structural and systemic features of mood and proposes some tentative explanations for the commonalities and variations languages display in mood system and mood structure. This book is an empirical and holistic approach to the typology of mood and contributes to a deeper understanding of the grammatical category. It is of special interest to systemic functional linguists, typologists, grammarians and descriptive linguists.
Physics—Problems, Solutions, and Computer Calculations: Volume 2 Waves, Sound, Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics
by Wan Muhamad Wan Hassan Abd Rahman Tamuri Muhammad Zaki Yaacob Roslinda ZainalKnowledge of and skill in physics are essential foundations for studies in science and engineering. This book offers students an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of physics. It covers various topics specifically related to waves, sound, electricity, magnetism, and optics. Each chapter begins with a summary of concepts, principles, definitions, and formulae to be discussed, as well as ending with problems and solutions that illustrate the specific topic. Steps are detailed to help build reasoning and understanding. There are 250 worked problems and 100 exercises in the book, as well as 280 figures to help the reader visualize the processes being addressed. Computer calculations and solutions are carried out using wxMaxima to give insight and help build computational skills. The book is aimed at first-year undergraduate students studying introductory physics, and would also be useful for physics teachers in their instruction, particularly the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring: Fundamentals, Possibilities, Limitations (Issn Ser.)
by Josef Zentner David B. MacDonald Celine WegnerIntraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) has gained increasing interest during the past decades and is now an integral part of various surgical disciplines, especially in neurosurgery, but also in otolaryngology, orthopedics, vascular surgery and general surgery. With expanding applications and evolving techniques, the monitoring team is faced with increasingly complex tasks and responsibilities. Despite its importance and significance in modern surgical medicine and the expectations associated with it, IONM is still not a regular part of the training program of medical professionals. Although knowledge on monitoring is imparted in basic courses offered by a few professional societies, systematic training of medical and non-medical staff according to a standardized curriculum is still lacking.This book aims to contribute to closing this gap. It provides a practical guide to help medical, nursing, and technical personnel get familiar with intraoperative neuromonitoring. The basic tenor is to combine theoretical and practical knowledge and thus to systematically convey essential skills about fundamentals, possibilities, but also limitations of IONM to a broad circle of readers. In order to achieve this goal, the text has been reduced to the absolutely necessary length in favor of numerous illustrations and tables.After an introduction to the tasks, the significance, and the historical development of IONM, the anatomical, physiological and physical basics are presented. This is followed by a presentation of various modalities as well as stimulation and recording techniques. The intraoperative part begins with some information on the organizational processes in the operating room, the presentation of safety aspects, and a description of the influences of anesthesia on monitoring, including the special aspects of awake surgery. This is followed by some basic remarks on the interpretation of monitoring results and a rough overview of the application fields of IONM in various disciplines including representative case examples. The manual concludes with an evaluation of the efficiency of monitoring and practical recommendations for the detection and elimination of intraoperative sources of error. Self-tests in individual chapters are intended to give readers the opportunity to determine their level of knowledge.
CLOUD Computing – CLOUD 2025: 18th International Conference, Held as Part of the Services Conference Federation, SCF 2025, Hong Kong, China, September 27–30, 2025, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #16153)
by Liang-Jie Zhang Min LuoThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on CLOUD Computing – CLOUD 2025, held as part of the Services Conference Federation, SCF 2025, in Hong Kong, China, during September 27–30, 2025. The 7 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 10 submissions. CLOUD 2025 has been a prime international forum for both researchers and industry practitioners to exchange the latest fundamental advances in the state of the art and practice of cloud computing, identify emerging research topics, and define the future of cloud computing.
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Signal and Data Processing: ICSDP 2022 (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1026)
by K. P. Ray Debashis Adhikari Arati Dixit Ribu MathewThis volume comprises the select proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Signal & Data Processing (ICSDP) 2022. The contents focus on the latest research and developments in the field of artificial intelligence & machine learning, Internet of things (IoT), cybernetics, advanced communication systems, VLSI embedded systems, power electronics and automation, MEMS/ nanotechnology, renewable energy, bioinformatics, data acquisition and mining, antenna & RF systems, power systems, biomedical engineering, aerospace & navigation. This volume will prove to be a valuable resource for those in academia and industry.
Introduction to Noncommutative Algebra (Universitext)
by Matej BrešarThis textbook offers an elementary introduction to noncommutative rings and algebras. Beginning with the classical theory of finite-dimensional algebras, it then develops a more general structure theory of rings, grounded in modules and tensor products. The final chapters cover free algebras, polynomial identities, and rings of quotients. Many results are presented in a simplified form rather than in full generality, with an emphasis on clear and understandable exposition. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, and new concepts are introduced gradually and carefully motivated. Introduction to Noncommutative Algebra is thus accessible to a broad mathematical audience, though it is primarily intended for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates encountering the subject for the first time. This new edition includes several additions and improvements, while preserving the original text&’s character and approach. Praise for the first edition: &“It will soon find its place in classrooms&” — Plamen Koshlukov, Mathematical Reviews &“Very well written [...] very pleasant to read&” — Veereshwar A. Hiremath, zbMATH &“An excellent choice for a first graduate course&” — D. S. Larson, Choice
The Fear
by Natasha PrestonThe instant New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller! Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers The Twin and The Lake, the undisputed queen of YA thrillers is back. Don't be afraid. Be terrified. It&’s just a stupid meme that&’s going around their small fishing town in the dead of winter—people reposting and sharing their biggest fear. But when her classmates start turning up dead—dying in the way that they said scared them the most—Izzy knows it&’s no joke. With each death hitting closer to home, Izzy sets out to try to stop the killer. Could her older sister&’s friend Tristan have something to do with the deaths? He&’s given her some strange vibes. Or what about his brooding cousin, Axel? But he&’s in her classes at school. He&’s not a murderer . . . is he? Izzie&’s soon on a path that will lead her right to the killer . . . and her own worst nightmare.
Star Island: A novel (Skink Series)
by Carl HiaasenA hilarious spin on life in the celebrity fast lane from &“Florida&’s most entertainingly indignant social critic&” (The New York Times Book Review) and the national bestselling author of Squeeze Me.Meet twenty-two-year-old Cherry Pye (née Cheryl Bunterman), a pop star since she was fourteen—and about to attempt a comeback from her latest drug-and-alcohol disaster. Now meet Cherry again: in the person of her &“undercover stunt double,&” Ann DeLusia. Ann portrays Cherry whenever the singer is too &“indisposed&”—meaning wasted—to go out in public. And it is Ann-mistaken-for-Cherry who is kidnapped from a South Beach hotel by obsessed paparazzo Bang Abbott. Now the challenge for Cherry&’s handlers (über–stage mother; horndog record producer; nipped, tucked, and Botoxed twin publicists; weed whacker–wielding bodyguard) is to rescue Ann while keeping her existence a secret from Cherry&’s public—and from Cherry herself.The situation is more complicated than they know. Ann has had a bewitching encounter with Skink—the unhinged former governor of Florida living wild in a mangrove swamp—and now he&’s heading for Miami to find her . . .Will Bang Abbott achieve his fantasy of a lucrative private photo session with Cherry Pye? Will Cherry sober up in time to lip-synch her way through her concert tour? Will Skink track down Ann DeLusia before Cherry&’s motley posse does?BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey.
Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life
by Nicholas D. KristofFrom New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and best-selling author Nicholas D. Kristof, an intimate and gripping memoir about a life in journalism&“Nick Kristof takes us behind the scenes as he risks his life to shine a light on the world&’s most pressing problems and blaze a trail to a better future. In a time when trust in journalism is in jeopardy, his honesty, humility, and humanity are rays of hope.&”—Adam Grant, author of Hidden PotentialSince 1984, Nicholas Kristof has worked almost continuously for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world.Reporting from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo, while traveling far afield to India, Africa, and Europe, Kristof witnessed and wrote about century-defining events: the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the wave of addiction and despair that swept through his hometown and a broad swath of working-class America. Fully aware that coverage of atrocities generates considerably fewer page views than the coverage of politics, he nevertheless continued to weaponize his pen against regimes and groups violating basic human rights, raising the cost of oppression and torture. Some of the risks he took while doing so make for hair-raising reading.Kristof writes about some of the great members of his profession and introduces us to extraordinary people he has met, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing schoolgirls he had kidnapped. These are the people, the heroes, who have allowed Kristof to remain optimistic. Side by side with the worst of humanity, you always see the best.This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
Tehrangeles: A Novel
by Porochista KhakpourNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR BY VOGUE, HARPER'S BAZAAR, W MAGAZINE, AND VANITY FAIR! • MEET THE MILANIS. FAST-FOOD HEIRESSES, L.A. ROYALTY, AND YOUR NEWEST REALITY TV OBSESSION • "Think the Kardashians meet Little Women and Crazy Rich Asians…An indelible, uproarious snapshot of young womanhood."—Vogue &“Delightfully twisted and heartfelt...Khakpour is a satirist extraordinaire." —Kevin Kwan • &“Funny, devastating, and filled with dazzlingly accurate observations about the absurdities of our age, this is a story and family that will stay with you long after you finish."—Marjan KamaliIranian-American multimillionaires Ali and Homa Milani have it all—a McMansion in the hills of Los Angeles, a microwaveable snack empire, and four spirited daughters. There&’s Violet, the big-hearted aspiring model; Roxanna, the chaotic influencer; Mina, the chronically-online overachiever; and the impressionable health fanatic Haylee. On the verge of landing their own reality TV show, the Milanis realize their deepest secrets are about to be dragged out into the open before the cameras even roll.Each of the Milanis—even their aloof Persian cat Pari—has something to hide, but the looming scrutiny of fame also threatens to bring the family closer than ever. Dramatic, biting yet full of heart, Tehrangeles is a tragicomic saga about high-functioning family dysfunction and the ever-present struggle to accept one&’s true self.
A Christmas Duet: A Novel
by Debbie MacomberNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion—and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun—in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.&“A perfectly delicious Christmas bonbon of a novel.&”—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Santa Suit and Bright Lights, Big ChristmasHailey Morgan&’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother&’s meddling questions about her love life. When Hailey&’s close friend offers her the use of her family&’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town&’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help. Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay&’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.
The Second Coming: A novel
by Garth Risk HallbergFrom the New York Times best-selling author of City on Fire comes an intimate epic that plunges us deep into the lives of a troubled teenage girl and her estranged father when he returns home in an attempt to save her. Navigating love, grief, betrayal, and redemption, Jolie and Ethan must find a way to survive as a family.&“Beautiful and daring.&” —Nathan Hill, author of Oprah&’s Book Club pick Wellness • &“Breathtaking.&” —Christina Baker Kline, author of #1 New York Times best seller Orphan TrainSpring, 2011. When thirteen-year-old Jolie Aspern goes down onto the subway tracks to retrieve her dropped phone—and nearly gets hit by a train—the last thing she wants is sympathy from her estranged dad, Ethan. A recovering addict and felon, now living in California, Ethan has long struggled to see beyond himself. But when news of Jolie&’s accident reaches him, Ethan comes to fear she&’s in more serious trouble than anyone realizes. And believing he&’s the only one who can save her, he decides to return home.So begins the journey of Jolie and Ethan, father and daughter, apart and together, different yet the same. It will stretch from Manhattan in the midst of the Great Recession to a remote beach on Maryland&’s Eastern Shore, where their lives really began. In time, it will push Jolie out past her depth with a mysterious stranger, and Ethan in over his head with his first love—Jolie&’s mom.Soaring, aching, full of revelation, The Second Coming is at once an incandescent feat of storytelling and an exploration of an enduring mystery: Can the people we love ever really change?
Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire
by Lizzie JohnsonA cautionary tale for a new era of megafires, Paradise is the gripping true story of a town wiped off the map and the determination of its people to rise again. The inspiration for the Apple Original Film The Lost Bus, starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera&“A tour de force story of wildfire and a terrifying look at what lies ahead.&”—San Francisco Chronicle (Best Books of the Year)On November 8, 2018, the people of Paradise, California, awoke to a mottled gray sky and gusty winds. Soon the Camp Fire was upon them, gobbling an acre a second. Less than two hours after the fire ignited, the town was engulfed in flames, the residents trapped in their homes and cars. By the next morning, eighty-five people were dead.As a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Lizzie Johnson was there as the town of Paradise burned. She saw the smoldering rubble of a historic covered bridge and the beloved Black Bear Diner and she stayed long afterward, visiting shelters, hotels, and makeshift camps. Drawing on years of on-the-ground reporting and reams of public records, including 911 calls and testimony from a grand jury investigation, Johnson provides a minute-by-minute account of the Camp Fire, following residents and first responders as they fight to save themselves and their town. We see a young mother fleeing with her newborn; a school bus full of children in search of an escape route; and a group of paramedics, patients, and nurses trapped in a cul-de-sac, fending off the fire with rakes and hoses.In Paradise, Johnson documents the unfolding tragedy with empathy and nuance. But she also investigates the root causes, from runaway climate change to a deeply flawed alert system to Pacific Gas and Electric&’s decades-long neglect of critical infrastructure. The definitive firsthand account of the nation&’s deadliest wildfire in a century, Paradise is a riveting examination of what went wrong and how to avert future tragedies.Cover image © Apple TV+
Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America
by Paola RamosAN NPR BEST BOOK OF 2024 • An award-winning journalist's exploration of how race, identity and political trauma have influenced the rise in far-right sentiment among Latinos, and how this group can shape American politics &“A deeply reported, surprisingly personal exploration of a phenomenon that is little understood in our politics: the affiliation of Latino voters with causes and candidates that would seem, at first glance, unwelcoming to them." —Rachel MaddowDemocrats have historically assumed they can rely on the Latino vote, but recent elections have called that loyalty into question. In fact, despite his vociferous anti-immigrant rhetoric and disastrous border policies, Trump won a higher percentage of the Latino vote in 2020 than he did in 2016. Now, journalist Paola Ramos pulls back the curtain on these voters, traveling around the country to uncover what motivates them to vote for and support issues that seem so at odds with their self-interest.From coast to coast, cities to rural towns, Defectors introduces readers to underdog GOP candidates, January 6th insurrectionists, Evangelical pastors and culture war crusaders, aiming to identify the influences at the heart of this rightward shift. Through their stories, Ramos shows how tribalism, traditionalism, and political trauma within the Latino community has been weaponized to radicalize and convert voters who, like many of their white counterparts, are fearful of losing their place in American society.We meet Monica de la Cruz, a Republican congresswoman from the Rio Grande Valley who won on a platform centered on finishing &“what Donald Trump started&” and pushing the Great Replacement Theory; David Ortiz, a Mexican man who refers to himself as a Spaniard and opposed the removal of a statue of a Spanish conquistador in New Mexico; Luis Cabrera, an evangelical pastor pushing to &“Make America Godly Again;&” Anthony Aguero, an independent journalist turned border vigilante; and countless other individuals and communities that make up the rising conservative Latino population. Cross-cultural and assiduously reported, Defectors highlights how one of America's most powerful and misunderstood electorates may come to define the future of American politics.
But I Trusted You: Ann Rule's Crime Files #14 (Ann Rule's Crime Files #14)
by Ann RuleIn this chilling volume of New York Times bestselling author Ann Rule&’s Crime Files, discover unforgettable cases of a spouse, lover, family member or helpful stranger who is totally trusted—until it&’s too late.Whether driven to extreme violence by greed or jealousy, passion or rage, the calculating sociopaths in this true crime collection targeted those closest to them—unwitting victims whose last disbelieving words could well have been &“but I trusted you....&” Headlining this page-turning anthology is the case of middle-school counselor Chuck Leonard, found shot to death outside his Washington State home on an icy February morning. A complicated mix of family man and wild man, Chuck played hard and loved many...but who crossed the line by murdering him in cold blood? And why? The revelation is as stunning as the shattering crime itself, powerfully illuminating how those we think we know can ingeniously hide their destructive and homicidal designs. Along with other shocking cases, immaculately detailed and sharply analyzed by America&’s #1 true crime writer, this fourteenth Crime Files volume is essential reading for getting inside the mind of the hidden killers among us.
The Joy Machine (Star Trek: The Original Series #80)
by James GunnTimshel was once the vacation spot of the galaxy, full of culture, natural beauty, and friendly, hospitable inhabitants. But now Timshel has cut itself off from the universe. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Concerned, the Federation has sent agents to investigate, but none have returned. Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship EnterpriseTM are shocked to discover the truth: the people of Timshel have succumbed to an insidious new technology that guarantees every citizen total pleasure, a soul-destroying ecstasy that has enslaved their entire civilization. Kirk and Spock have faced many threats before, but now they face the most seductive menace of all: perfect happiness. And the rest of the Federation may soon fall under the irresistible control of the Joy Machine.
Halo: Book Three of the Forerunner Saga (Halo #10)
by Greg BearThe final novel of the Forerunner Saga trilogy by science fiction legend Greg Bear—set in the Halo universe and based on the New York Times bestselling video game series!One hundred thousand years ago. Chaos rules the final days of the Forerunner empire. The Flood—a horrifying, shape-changing, and unstoppable parasite—has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies, and internal strife has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses. Facing the imminent collapse of their civilization, the Forerunners known as the Ur-Didact and the Librarian reveal what they know about the relationship between the long-vanished race of the Precursors and the Flood. While the Precursors created many technological species, including those of the Forerunners and humanity itself, the roots of the Flood may be found in an act of enormous barbarity, carried out beyond our galaxy ten million years before. Because of that savagery, a greater evil looms. Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to a solution. As they face the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—a shocking act designed to prevent an insane abomination from dominating the entire galaxy…
Sliding Into Home
by Jon Warech Kendra WilkinsonKENDRA BARES ALL Fans of the E! smash hit series The Girls Next Door fell in love with sporty Playboy beauty Kendra Wilkinson’s care- free spirit, infectious laugh, and down-to-earth nature. Now that she’s moved out of the world’s most famous bachelor pad and into her own delightfully chaotic world on Kendra as wife to NFL star Hank Baskett and mother to their newborn son, we’ve watched her hilarious antics as she adjusts to domestic life. But how much do we really know about the fun-loving star? In this humorous and optimistic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always unfailingly honest memoir, Kendra reveals the highs and lows of her extraordinary journey. She wasn’t always the quintessential girl next door. Before she was a reality television superstar, Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend, or one of the most popular Playboy cover models ever, Kendra was an athletic tomboy whose father walked out on her family when she was a little girl. She grew into a rebellious teenager with a serious drug habit before she quit cold turkey and beat the odds to graduate from a high school that almost didn’t give her a second (or third, or fourth) chance. Following her rocky teenage years, an out-of-the- blue phone call from Hugh Hefner changed everything. Kendra dishes candidly about life in the Playboy Mansion: the sex, the parties, the show, and even her relationships with her Girls Next Door costars—Hef, Holly, and Bridget. She tells the true story about how she and Hank met and built a relationship in secret while she was still Hef’s girl- friend and a public face of Playboy. Finally, she reflects on the slew of unexpected changes in the short space of a year that have brought her sliding into home from Playboy party girl to wife and mother with a blooming Hollywood career. If you think you’ve seen all of Kendra, think again. She’s only warming up. . . .
The Dominion War: Call to Arms (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
by Diane CareyBased on "Call to Arms" written by Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe "A Time to Stand" written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler "Sons and Daughters" written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle "Rocks and Shoals" written by Ronald D. Moore "Behind the Lines" written by Rene Echevarria "Favor the Bold" written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler "Sacrifice of Angels" written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler
Son of the Morning
by Linda HowardNew York Times bestselling author Linda Howard captivates readers in the deeply romantic tale of a contemporary woman who unravels an extraordinary mystery from the past—by living it. A scholar specializing in ancient manuscripts, Grace St. John never imagined that a cache of old documents she discovered was the missing link to a lost Celtic treasure. But as soon as she deciphers the legend of the Knights of the Templar -- long fabled to hold the key to unlimited power -- Grace becomes the target of a ruthless killer bent on abusing the coveted force. Determined to stop him, Grace needs the help of a warrior bound by duty to uphold the Templar's secret for all eternity. But to find him -- and to save herself -- she must go back in time . . . to fourteenth-century Scotland . . . and to Black Niall, a fierce man of dark fury and raw, unbridled desire. . . .