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Black Ephemera: The Crisis and Challenge of the Musical Archive
by Mark Anthony NealPROSE Award- Music and Performing Arts Category WinnerA framework for understanding the deep archive of Black performance in the digital eraIn an era of Big Data and algorithms, our easy access to the archive of contemporary and historical Blackness is unprecedented. That iterations of Black visual art, such as Bert Williams’s 1916 silent film short “A Natural Born Gambler” or the performances of Josephine Baker from the 1920s, are merely a quick YouTube search away has transformed how scholars teach and research Black performance.While Black Ephemera celebrates this new access, it also questions the crisis and the challenge of the Black musical archive in a moment when Black American culture has become a global export. Using music and sound as its primary texts, Black Ephemera argues that the cultural DNA of Black America has become obscured in the transformation from analog to digital. Through a cross-reading of the relationship between the digital era and culture produced in the pre-digital era, Neal argues that Black music has itself been reduced to ephemera, at best, and at worst to the background sounds of the continued exploitation and commodification of Black culture. The crisis and challenges of Black archives are not simply questions of knowledge, but of how knowledge moves and manifests itself within Blackness that is obscure, ephemeral, fugitive, precarious, fluid, and increasingly digital. Black Ephemera is a reminder that for every great leap forward there is a necessary return to the archive. Through this work, Neal offers a new framework for thinking about Black culture in the digital world.
Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines
by Steve Talbott"Self-forgetfulness is the reigning temptation of the technological era. This is why we so readily give our assent to the absurd proposition that a computer can add two plus two, despite the obvious fact that it can do nothing of the sort--not if we have in mind anything remotely resembling what we do when we add numbers. In the computer's case, the mechanics of addition involve no motivation, no consciousness of the task, no mobilization of the will, no metabolic activity, no imagination. And its performance brings neither the satisfaction of accomplishment nor the strengthening of practical skills and cognitive capacities."In this insightful book, author Steve Talbott, software programmer and technical writer turned researcher and editor for The Nature Institute, challenges us to step back and take an objective look at the technology driving our lives. At a time when 65 percent of American consumers spend more time with their PCs than they do with their significant others, according to a recent study, Talbott illustrates that we're forgetting one important thing--our Selves, the human spirit from which technology stems.Whether we're surrendering intimate details to yet another database, eschewing our physical communities for online social networks, or calculating our net worth, we freely give our power over to technology until, he says, "we arrive at a computer's-eye view of the entire world of industry, commerce, and society at large...an ever more closely woven web of programmed logic."Digital technology certainly makes us more efficient. But when efficiency is the only goal, we have no way to know whether we're going in the right or wrong direction. Businesses replace guiding vision with a spreadsheet's bottom line. Schoolteachers are replaced by the computer's dataflow. Indigenous peoples give up traditional skills for the dazzle and ease of new gadgets. Even the Pentagon's zeal to replace "boots on the ground" with technology has led to the mess in Iraq. And on it goes.The ultimate danger is that, in our willingness to adapt ourselves to technology, "we will descend to the level of the computational devices we have engineered--not merely imagining ever new and more sophisticated automatons, but reducing ourselves to automatons."To transform our situation, we need to see it in a new and unaccustomed light, and that's what Talbott provides by examining the deceiving virtues of technology--how we're killing education, socializing our machines, and mechanizing our society.Once you take this eye-opening journey, you will think more clearly about how you consume technology and how you allow it to consume you."Nothing is as rare or sorely needed in our tech-enchanted culture right now as intelligent criticism of technology, and Steve Talbott is exactly the critic we've been waiting for: trenchant, sophisticated, and completely original. Devices of the Soul is an urgent and important book."--Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World"Steve Talbott is a rare voice of clarity, humanity, and passion in a world enthralled by machines and calculation. His new book, Devices of the Soul, lays out a frightening and at the same time inspiring analysis of what computers and computer-like thinking are doing to us, our children, and the future of our planet. Talbott is no Luddite. He fully understands and appreciates the stunning power of technology for both good and evil. His cool and precise skewering of the fuzzy thinking and mindless enthusiasm of the technology true believers is tempered by his modesty, the elegance of his writing, and his abiding love for the world of nature and our capacity for communion with it. "--Edward Miller, Former editor, Harvard Education Letter"Those who care about the healthy and wholesome lives of children can gain much from Steve Talbott's wisdom. He examines the need to help children spe
The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web
by Tamar WeinbergBlogs, networking sites, and other examples of the social web provide businesses with a largely untapped marketing channel for products and services. But how do you take advantage of them? With The New Community Rules, you'll understand how social web technologies work, and learn the most practical and effective ways to reach people who frequent these sites. Written by an expert in social media and viral marketing, this book cuts through the hype and jargon to give you intelligent advice and strategies for positioning your business on the social web, with case studies that show how other companies have used this approach. The New Community Rules will help you:Explore blogging and microblogging, and find out how to use applications such as Twitter to create brand awarenessLearn the art of conversation marketing, and how social media thrives on honesty and transparencyManage and enhance your online reputation through the social webTap into the increasingly influential video and podcasting marketDiscover which tactics work -- and which don't -- by learning about what other marketers have triedMany consumers today use the Web as a voice. The New Community Rules demonstrates how you can join the conversation, contribute to the community, and bring people to your product or service.
Introducing iOS 8: Swift Programming from Idea to App Store
by Steve DericoLearn to make iOS apps even if you have absolutely no programming experience. This hands-on book takes you from idea to App Store, using real-world examples—such as driving a car or eating at a restaurant—to teach programming and app development. You’ll learn concepts through clear, concise, jargon-free language.This book focuses on Apple’s new programming language, Swift. Each lesson is divided into two parts: the lecture portion explains the terms and concepts through examples, and the exercise portion helps you apply these concepts while building real-world apps, like a tip calculator. Learn how to think differently—and see the world from a whole new perspective.Learn the basic building blocks of programmingDive into the Swift programming languageMake apps for iPhone and iPadUse GPS in your app to find a user’s locationTake or select photos with your appIntegrate your app with Facebook and TwitterSubmit your app to the App StoreManage and market your app on the App Store
Doing Data Science: Straight Talk from the Frontline
by Cathy O'Neil Rachel SchuttNow that people are aware that data can make the difference in an election or a business model, data science as an occupation is gaining ground. But how can you get started working in a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary field that’s so clouded in hype? This insightful book, based on Columbia University’s Introduction to Data Science class, tells you what you need to know.In many of these chapter-long lectures, data scientists from companies such as Google, Microsoft, and eBay share new algorithms, methods, and models by presenting case studies and the code they use. If you’re familiar with linear algebra, probability, and statistics, and have programming experience, this book is an ideal introduction to data science.Topics include:Statistical inference, exploratory data analysis, and the data science processAlgorithmsSpam filters, Naive Bayes, and data wranglingLogistic regressionFinancial modelingRecommendation engines and causalityData visualizationSocial networks and data journalismData engineering, MapReduce, Pregel, and HadoopDoing Data Science is collaboration between course instructor Rachel Schutt, Senior VP of Data Science at News Corp, and data science consultant Cathy O’Neil, a senior data scientist at Johnson Research Labs, who attended and blogged about the course.
Enterprise Service Bus: Theory in Practice
by David A ChappellLarge IT organizations increasingly face the challenge of integrating various web services, applications, and other technologies into a single network. The solution to finding a meaningful large-scale architecture that is capable of spanning a global enterprise appears to have been met in ESB, or Enterprise Service Bus. Rather than conform to the hub-and-spoke architecture of traditional enterprise application integration products, ESB provides a highly distributed approach to integration, with unique capabilities that allow individual departments or business units to build out their integration projects in incremental, digestible chunks, maintaining their own local control and autonomy, while still being able to connect together each integration project into a larger, more global integration fabric, or grid.Enterprise Service Bus offers a thorough introduction and overview for systems architects, system integrators, technical project leads, and CTO/CIO level managers who need to understand, assess, and evaluate this new approach. Written by Dave Chappell, one of the best known and authoritative voices in the field of enterprise middleware and standards-based integration, the book drills down into the technical details of the major components of ESB, showing how it can utilize an event-driven SOA to bring a variety of enterprise applications and services built on J2EE, .NET, C/C++, and other legacy environments into the reach of the everyday IT professional.With Enterprise Service Bus, readers become well versed in the problems faced by IT organizations today, gaining an understanding of how current technology deficiencies impact business issues. Through the study of real-world use cases and integration patterns drawn from several industries using ESB--including Telcos, financial services, retail, B2B exchanges, energy, manufacturing, and more--the book clearly and coherently outlines the benefits of moving toward this integration strategy. The book also compares ESB to other integration architectures, contrasting their inherent strengths and limitations.If you are charged with understanding, assessing, or implementing an integration architecture, Enterprise Service Bus will provide the straightforward information you need to draw your conclusions about this important disruptive technology.
Getting Started with Varnish Cache: Accelerate Your Web Applications
by Thijs FerynHow long does it take for your website to load? Web performance is just as critical for small and medium-sized websites as it is for massive websites that receive tons of hits. Before you pour money and time into rewriting your code or replacing your infrastructure, first consider a reverse-caching proxy server like Varnish. With this practical book, you’ll learn how Varnish can give your website or API an immediate performance boost.Varnish mimicks the behavior of your webserver, caches its output in memory, and serves the result directly to clients without having to access your webserver. If you’re a web developer familiar with HTTP, this book helps you master Varnish basics, so you can get up and running in no time. You’ll learn how to use the Varnish Configuration Language and HTTP best practices to achieve faster performance and a higher hit rate.Understand how Varnish helps you gain optimum web performanceUse HTTP to improve the cache-ability of your websites, web applications, and APIsProperly invalidate your cache when the origin data changesOptimize access to your backend serversAvoid common mistakes when using Varnish in the wildUse logging and debugging tools to examine the behavior of Varnish
Application Security for the Android Platform: Processes, Permissions, and Other Safeguards (Oreilly And Associate Ser.)
by Jeff SixWith the Android platform fast becoming a target of malicious hackers, application security is crucial. This concise book provides the knowledge you need to design and implement robust, rugged, and secure apps for any Android device. You’ll learn how to identify and manage the risks inherent in your design, and work to minimize a hacker’s opportunity to compromise your app and steal user data.How is the Android platform structured to handle security? What services and tools are available to help you protect data? Up until now, no single resource has provided this vital information. With this guide, you’ll learn how to address real threats to your app, whether or not you have previous experience with security issues.Examine Android’s architecture and security model, and how it isolates the filesystem and databaseLearn how to use Android permissions and restricted system APIsExplore Android component types, and learn how to secure communications in a multi-tier appUse cryptographic tools to protect data stored on an Android deviceSecure the data transmitted from the device to other parties, including the servers that interact with your app
Java EE 6 Pocket Guide: A Quick Reference for Simplified Enterprise Java Development
by Arun GuptaThis handy guide provides an overview of Java Enterprise Edition 6’s main technologies and includes extensive, easy-to-understand code samples that demonstrate the platform’s many improvements. You’ll quickly understand how Java EE 6 simplifies the process of developing and deploying web and enterprise applications.Explore what’s new in Java EE 6, including Contexts and Dependency Injection and the Java API for RESTful Web ServicesDiscover how Java EE 6 features relate to design patterns in web and enterprise applicationsGet the specifications for making your application Java EE compliantLearn about revisions to Enterprise JavaBeans, JavaServer Faces, and other componentsFind out how Java EE 6 profiles change the platform’s “one size fits all” approachGet started with Java EE 6 development and deployment, using NetBeans IDE and GlassFish
Hands-On Sencha Touch 2: A Real-World App Approach
by Lee BoonstraGet hands-on experience building speedy mobile web apps with Sencha Touch 2.3, the user interface JavaScript framework built specifically for the mobile Web. With this book, you’ll learn how to build a complete touch application, called Find a Cab, that has the look and feel of a native app on Android, iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry devices.In the process, you’ll work with Sencha’s model-view-controller (MVC) components for form handling, styling, integration with outside data, and other elements. The Sencha Touch learning curve can be steep, but if you’re familiar with JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, and JSON, this guide will get you up to speed through real-world examples.Learn the fundamentals, including the class and layout systemsUse the Sencha MVC architecture to structure your codeImplement data models and stores, and create an event controllerMake remote connections by implementing server proxiesSave data offline by implementing client proxiesWork with view components such as maps, lists, and floating panelsImplement and handle forms, and construct a custom themeCreate production and native build packages
Programming ASP.NET MVC 4: Developing Real-World Web Applications with ASP.NET MVC
by Hrusikesh Panda Jess Chadwick Todd SnyderGet up and running with ASP.NET MVC 4, and learn how to build modern server-side web applications. This guide helps you understand how the framework performs, and shows you how to use various features to solve many real-world development scenarios you’re likely to face. In the process, you’ll learn how to work with HTML, JavaScript, the Entity Framework, and other web technologies.You’ll start by learning core concepts such as the Model-View-Controller architectural pattern, and then work your way toward advanced topics. The authors demonstrate ASP.NET MVC 4 best practices and techniques by building a sample online auction site ("EBuy") throughout the book.Learn the similarities between ASP.NET MVC 4 and Web FormsUse Entity Framework to create and maintain an application databaseCreate rich web applications, using jQuery for client-side developmentIncorporate AJAX techniques into your web applicationsLearn how to create and expose ASP.NET Web API servicesDeliver a rich and consistent experience for mobile devicesApply techniques for error handling, automated testing, and build automationUse various options to deploy your ASP.NET MVC 4 application
Robert Menzies, A Life: Volume 2 1944-1978
by A. W. MartinFor each new generation of Australians, the name Robert Gordon Menzies resounds across the political landscape. No other federal politican this century can match his record period as Prime Minister, from 1949 to 1966. Not one of us is untouched by his life and work. This long-awaited second volume of Allan Martin's unrivaled biography describes and analyses the flowering of policies and practices foretold in the first. Beginning with the birth of the Liberal Party at the end of World War II, it is the first detailed study of Menzies' climb to power and of his post-war strategies for the country and the world. It ends with his death in 1978, mourned by many as an irreplaceable leader and father figure. The tumultuous years of the 1950s were echoed in Menzies' own life. His political acumen built on universal Cold War fears, and his anti-communist campaigns brought him into bitter conflict with H. V. Evatt. Menzies' frequent trips to the United States and Great Britain, usually by sea and invariably in time for the Test cricket, fuelled accusations of absenteeism. Menzies' lifelong devotion to all things British, most notably the monarchy, was rewarded towards the end of his life by investiture as a Knight of the Thistle and by his succeeding Winston Churchill as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The personal pleasure derived from his growing international stature cushioned to some degree his fall from power in domestic politics. This volume completes a monumental contribution to Australian political biography. For both scholars and ordinary Australians, Allan Martin has sought to chronicle Menzies' life and to judge what kind of a man he was and what sort of prime ministerial life he led.
This Everlasting Silence
by Nancy Robinson FlanneryNancy Robinson Flannery has done a fine job of editing these unabridged letters. They make poignant reading and are a reminder that even heroes suffer the same doubts and frailties as the rest of us.' (Elizabeth Dean, Australian Book Review, June 2000) Dark-eyed beauty Paquita Delprat, 17, first noticed the dashing Douglas Mawson, 27, at a function in Adelaide in 1909. By the end of 1910 they were engaged to be married. The only cloud on the horizon was Douglas's impending expedition to Antarctica. He expected to be away for fifteen months, but they did not count on the disastrous trek from which he staggered back, alone and close to death, to find that the waiting Aurora had given up and steamed away only hours earlier. Douglas was stranded for another full year, and the lovers' endurance was stretched to the limit. Long months intervened between ships to and from Antarctica. Letters from Douglas arrived in two batches, delivered twenty-two months apart. In one letter Paquita wailed, 'This everlasting silence is almost unbearable . . . ' The longer the lovers were apart, the more doubt, anxiety and despair crept into their correspondence, and the reader senses the growing strain on both sides. Touchingly, Douglas kept Paquita's letters all his life. Nancy Flannery first saw them in 1991 among the papers his Estate had entrusted to the University of Adelaide, and was intrigued to glimpse the emotional life of the austere explorer-scientist. Six years later, she found Douglas's letters to Paquita among private family papers, thus completing both sides of this romantic story.
Badlands: Australia's 13 Most Intriguing True Murders
by Liam HoulihanTwo bound Thai prostitutes are thrown into a Northern Territory river teeming with crocodiles. An elderly father and son are chopped to pieces by tomahawk-wielding ferals in Tasmania. A 'brave heart' youth worker is found savagely battered to death in Sydney for no apparent reason, mysteriously with false teeth in his pocket. When it comes to our most baffling, bizarre and brutal modern murders, very little is as it seems. Badlands unpacks the compelling psychological riddles, inspired investigations and sensational plot twists of 13 sordid contemporary homicides. Taking in the full sweep of humanity, from bumbling junkies to rich white rappers, illustrious art critics, deranged killers and tenacious cops, Liam Houlihan melds exclusive interviews and scrupulous research to bring us the most riveting stories from the depths of Australia's Badlands.
Nuked: The Submarine Fiasco that Sank Australia's Sovereignty
by Andrew FowlerLike all military acquisition programs worth billions of dollars, Australia's decision to buy a new submarine fleet was expected to be a torturous process. But no one could have predicted the trail of wreckage it left behind, from the boulevards of Paris to the dockyards of Adelaide, as deep inside the Australian Government a secret group conspired to overthrow the winning French bid. In this tale of treachery and intrigue, Andrew Fowler exposes the lies and deception that so outraged the President of France. Interviewing many of the main people involved and talking to sources in Paris, London, Washington and Canberra, Fowler pieces together the plot to sink the French and switch to a nuclear-powered US submarine - a botched operation that severely compromised Australia's ability to defend itself.
Histories of Controversy: Bonegilla Migrant Centre
by Alexandra DelliosBonegilla was a point of reception and temporary accommodation for approximately 320,000 post-war refugees and assisted migrants to Australia from 1947 to 1971. Its function was integral to the post-war immigration scheme, something officially lauded as an economic and cultural success. However, there were considerable hardships endured at Bonegilla, particularly during times of economic and political insecurity. Enforced family separation, poor standards of care, child malnutrition, and organised migrant protest need to be recognised as part of the Bonegilla story. Histories of Controversy: The Bonegilla Migrant Centre gives this alternative picture, revealing the centre's history to be one of containment, control, deprivation and political discontent. It tells a more complex tale than a harmonious making of modern Australia to include stories of migrant resistance and their demands on a society and its systems.
Intending the World: A Phenomenology of International Affairs
by Ralph PettmanHow we look at the world is informed mainly by our assumptions and the ways in which we rationalise them. Seldom do we rely—or allow ourselves to rely—on 'gut thinking' or intuition.Intending the World shows how rationalism, which is our primary approach in thinking about world affairs, is in crisis. By studying the world rationalistically, we objectify it and we look at it as detached from ourselves. But in doing so, we cease to see that we are using a perspective that limits as well as enlightens.In a disciplinary first, Ralph Pettman provides an account of twenty-first century international relations in terms of phenomenology—one of the main philosophical attempts to compensate for these limits. He explores how this re-embedded use of reason can successfully describe and explain world affairs in ways unused by rationalists.Intending the World follows the lead of the German philosopher Edmund Husserl. It looks at the world not only in terms of things-in-themselves, but also in terms of why it is we keep willing the world the way we do.
Spy in the Archives
by Sheila FitzpatrickIn 1968 historian Sheila Fitzpatrick was 'outed' by the Russian newspaper Sovetskaya Rossiya as all but a spy for Western intelligence. She was in Moscow at the time, working in Soviet archives for her doctoral thesis on AV Lunacharsky, the first Soviet Commissar of Enlightenment after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Despite KGB attention, and the impossibility of finding a suitable winter coat, Sheila felt more at ease in Moscow than in Britain—a feeling cemented by her friendships with Lunacharsky's daughter, Irina, and brother-in-law, Igor, a reform-minded old Bolshevik who became a surrogate father and a intellectual mentor. An affair with young Communist activist, Sasha, pulled her further into a world in which she already felt at home. For the Soviet authorities and archives, however, she would always be marked as a foreigner, and so potentially a spy. Punctuated by letters to her mother in Melbourne and her diary entries of the time, and borne along by Fitzpatrick's wry, insightful narrative, A Spy in the Archives captures the life and times of Cold War Russia.
Waiting
by Ghassan HageIn this rich and insightful collection of essays, leading anthropologist Ghassan Hage brings together academics across political science, philosophy, anthropology and sociology for an examination into the experience of waiting. What is it to wait? What do we wait for? And how is waiting connected to the social worlds in which we live? From Beckett's darkly comic play Waiting for Godot, to the perpetual waiting of refugees to return home or to moments of intense anticipation such as falling in love or the birth of a baby, there are many ways in which we wait. This compelling collection of essays suggests that this experience is among the essential conditions that make us human and connect us to others.
Battleground: Why the Liberal Party Shirtfronted Tony Abbott
by Wayne Errington Peter van OnselenTony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades? Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked about cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
Beyond the Silver Screen: A History of Women, Filmmaking and Film Culture in Australia 1920–1990
by Mary TomsicBeyond the Silver Screen tells the history of women's engagement with filmmaking and film culture in twentieth-century Australia. In doing so, it explores an array of often hidden ways women in Australia have creatively worked with film. Beyond the Silver Screen examines film in a broad sense, considering feature filmmaking alongside government documentaries and political films. It also focusses on women's work regulating films and supporting film culture through organising film societies and workshops to encourage female filmmakers. As such, it tells a new narrative of Australian film history. Beyond the Silver Screen reveals the variety of roles film has in Australian society. It presents film as a medium of creative and political expression, which women have engaged with in diverse ways throughout the twentieth century. Gender roles and gendered ideologies operating within society at large have influenced women's opportunities to work with film and how their filmwork is recognised. Beyond the Silver Screen shows women's sustained involvement with film is best understood as political and cultural action.
The Christmas Inn: A Novel
by Pamela M. KelleyExplore this delightfully cozy and joyful novel of second chances at the most wonderful time of the year, from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley.A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more—a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmastime on Cape Cod.
Infinity Alchemist (Infinity Alchemist #1)
by Kacen CallenderAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND INDIE BESTSELLER!Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding fantasy novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power. With their signature "prowess" (FIYAH) and "unbridled creativity" (New York Times Book Review), acclaimed author Kacen Callender turns their formidable skill to young adult fantasy for the first time.The hardcover edition features a beautiful jacket with gold foil and a foil case stamp, an in-world map, and special illustrated endpaper.For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime.Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic—so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested—but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power.As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists—Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.Featuring trans, queer, and polyamorous characters of color, Infinity Alchemist is the hugely anticipated young adult fantasy debut from the extraordinary author of Felix Ever After, King and the Dragonflies, Queen of the Conquered and more."Spellbinding." —AIDEN THOMAS • "Thrilling." —ELANA K. ARNOLD • "A blast of heart-racing magic." —ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE • "Expands the possibilities of YA fantasy." —A. R. CAPETTA Most Anticiptated from Goodreads, Publishers Weekly, Book Riot, Bookpage, The Nerd Daily, and more!At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Alphabetical Diaries
by Sheila HetiNamed a Recommended Read of the Year by The New Yorker and a New York Times Critics Top Book of the YearOne of The Los Angeles Times's 15 Best Books of the YearOne of The New Statesman's 20 Best Books of the YearAn Electric Literature and Literary Hub Best Nonfiction Book of the YearA thrilling confessional from the award-winning, beloved author of Pure Colour.Sheila Heti collected 500,000 words from a decade’s worth of journals, put the sentences in a spreadsheet, and sorted them alphabetically. She cut and cut and was left with 60,000 words of brilliance and mayhem, joy and sorrow. These are her alphabetical diaries.
The Second Sword: Two Novellas
by Peter HandkeTwo novellas by Peter Handke—his first works to be published since he won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Second Sword and My Day in the Other Land are two novellas by the 2019 Nobel laureate Peter Handke. The first picks up the story where Handke’s last work of fiction, The Fruit Thief (described in The New York Times as “an experience of unadulterated literature”), left off. Here a man has returned to his home in the suburbs of Paris, only to soon set out again. Why? We learn, over the course of a story redolent of Handke’s harrowing A Sorrow Beyond Dreams, that he is seeking to avenge his mother, who has been unjustly denounced in the pages of a newspaper. The Second Sword is a suspenseful work of self-examination: Will the narrator’s journey end in him throwing down the gauntlet?My Day in the Other Land is the first work written by Handke after he was awarded the Nobel Prize. Evoking imagery from the Bible and classical mythology, it portrays a man who has been possessed by demons, causing him to rage endlessly against the inhabitants of his rural village. Aided by his sister, he embarks on a journey to a lake on whose opposite shore lies the “other land.” What ensues is an exorcism of sorts—and one of Handke’s most evocative and original endings. Together, The Second Sword and My Day in the Other Land are essential new entries in a body of work like no other.