It starts with an 'oops'   a 'look out'  and a 'crash'  then in walks Father Giant   with his quivering moustache....    When Father Giant's favourite china elephant is smashed, he wants to know who the culprit is. It's not Olive and her brother, Grub, so who did it?

The Elephant in the Room

Variant: The elephant in the room

Warehouse 200

Magic stops. Men vanish. Worlds end. Life goes on.  The stories in The Last Vanishing Man start with the end of the world, as a narrator seeks to imagine how the actions of an American terrorist ripple through his family. American violence and masculinity are topics that weave through these stories, as characters of various genders and sexualities get scarred by the wounds of manhood. But though these stories bounce similar themes off each other, they are not narrow in focus or tone. Hard-edged realism lives alongside ghost stories and weird tales; the lyrical tragedy of "A Suicide Gun" sits beside the wild, filthy, absurdist romp that is "The Ballad of Jimmy and Myra", a murder ballad that might be a lost Weird Al song for a John Waters movie. The collection winds down with an expatriot American living in the melting tundra of Siberia, seeking liberation from the forces that deranged his life, the same forces that shaped and warped the lives of all the other characters in the book. The Last Vanishing Man is organized in four sections. The first section tells tales of people seeking to make sense of history and their place in it, whether the history of a queer sanctuary in Canada or of the unfulfilled dreams of the Warhol star Candy Darling. The second section gives us characters who are each on a quest to understand someone who is gone, vanished into memory or worlds beyond, their stories closer to myth than history. In the third section, lonely men seek meaning in a world where they have lost their way. Their quests become philosophical, even spiritual, as they wander toward something greater than their own transient desires. The final section breaks the book open with extremes: extremes of feeling, extremes of strangeness, extremes of horror. The fiercely disturbing story "Patrimony" portrays a post-apocalypse where male power renders the procreation of humanity into torture. "On the Government of the Living" is also a post-apocalyptic story, also a story of children and humanity, but more haunting parable than horror, more Samuel Beckett than Clive Barker. The Last Vanishing Man is a book for readers seeking more than familiar genre conventions, readers seeking stories that challenge, unsettle, surprise, and sing. These are stories aware of the sufferings of the world, stories of characters tormented by unfulfilled desires and unfathomable violence, but also stories of compassion, of community, of humor, and of infinite possibilities beyond the prison of the self.

The Last Vanishing Man and Other Stories

Variant: The last vanishing man and other stories

It is 1947, 14 years after the victory of Kong over the US military. Manhattan Island has been evacuated and is now a no-go zone. These are the adventures of the pilots of the elite squadron tasked with watching over Kong's new domain, where, rumour has it, strange things have started happening...

Kong Crew. 3

Variant: Kong Crew. 3

Ariana arrives at her new boarding school, Ravenwood School, where she befriends several other students, who come from different families. As the school progresses, the students quickly make new friends. Soon after the school year starts, Ariana and her friends discover keys. They learn that these keys unlock a portal to a magical school, Starlight Academy. However, a prank by one of the students leaves them vulnerable to danger.

The Journey

Variant: The journey

Pigeons. Oh, how Bobby hated pigeons. In fact, he hated pigeons so much that he would rather see them all go extinct than have to live in the same world with one for another minute. It was time Bobby took things into his own hands. However, being the unfortunate, accident-prone individual that he was - not to mention his blind hatred for pigeons - things could only end in apocalyptic pandemonium.

The Pigeon Chronicles

Variant: The pigeon chronicles

Feeling hopeless from her imprisonment, Amber thinks she will never set foot in the outside world again. As well as her evil parents there is also a terrible curse on her. Her freedom has a terrible effect on the villagers. Until the gloomiest day arrives which turns out to be the best for her but not her captors. Her rescuer comes from an unlikely place and makes her appreciate her situation and life even more. Do you think she will overcome her fear of stepping out from the clocktower? Only time will tell to see what is in store for her and the villagers.

The Princess of Color

Variant: The princess of color

Would it be possible for the doctor to remove the hurting chapter from her life? That chapter of her falling in love with her boyfriend. The chapter of her losing the love of her life. The chapter of her wishing just wishing to know the unknown to really decide what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. What makes Doctor Mond able to tolerate all this pain is that she has strong faith that God has planned everything in our lives and we as human beings should accept that as destiny. This novel touches the pain and move it into a wide plate of energy that pushes the human's potential and help us to tackle any pain, any wounds and any guilts.

Clock Beats

Variant: Clock beats

We dreamt together Walked around the lanes of London We flew to Swiss together Used to be our heaven We loved Paris Our relation started with a conversation about the city of love We dreamt of many cities altogether .. We settled in Colorado our dream home But, at the end We had two different final destinations We are far away from each other Our dreams never came true!

Unfinished

Variant: Unfinished

Your blood is fire, I've been told, flame or desire, I should hold. The wounds of life, are too old, through a future, bright as gold. F. A. SHARHAN Fire in My Soul is a collection of poignant and evocative poems that encapsulate the rollercoaster of emotions experienced by the author since 2013. As the title suggests, each poem blazes with an intense fire, kindled by the passion and rawness of the author's experiences. This book is an invitation to take a journey through the author's mind, a journey that is both challenging and fulfilling, as each poem provides a unique perspective on life. The poems in this book delve into themes that are universal, including love, loss, hope, despair, and the fragility of life. With each turn of the page, the author invites you to take a closer look at your own life, to reflect on your own experiences, and to feel the emotions that these poems evoke. The book encourages you to take a deep breath, focus on the present, and let yourself be immersed in the power of these words. The author's intention in writing this book is to create a connection between the reader and the poetry, to inspire and encourage you to find your own meaning in these words. This book is an invitation to explore the depths of your own soul and to find a sense of peace and fulfilment amidst the chaos of life. If you are looking for a book that will touch your heart, ignite your passion, and inspire your spirit, then Fire in My Soul is the book for you.

Fire in My Soul

Variant: Fire in my soul

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in a Kuwaiti household, must be in want of a husband. And so the search starts, not with a glass slipper, but with an interrogation. A Kuwaiti woman sits through several meetings with potential candidates. Will any stick on for the next stage of courtship? For those not living in Kuwait: one of the ways a woman meets her prospective husband is for the man's family to call the woman's parents for an initial meeting. He will come over to sit and meet with her. If both sides find the meeting agreeable, they start the engagement talks. But what if you don't click from the first meeting? What if he doesn't even have an interest in her? What if, for all of your best intentions, you are met with someone who balks at the idea of you? Then you sit through another one. And then another meeting. And then another. And then several other meetings... Then you turn those awkward meetings into anecdotes. Or just vent into your diary. And if that diary is read by any person except my brother, then that's fine. Just as long as they don't out me on Twitter.

Dear Suitor

Variant: Dear suitor

ACE Year One is a book containing three fine selections of fictional stories, all written by one author: Hassan Husam Al Khafaji. With three separate journeys, containing an excellent cast of characters, it leaves you wondering about what's coming next. It allows your mind to create its own imaginary world, embracing the art of fiction as we know it.  All characters in these stories face different and unexpected conflicts, and must learn how to persevere through all odds, and to adapt to the circumstances they've been put under. However, this will not be the end to all these characters' journeys, there's more to happen, and more stories to be told.  The beauty of fiction is that it's unlimited, you can create whatever you desire, and craft your OWN perfect story, and that's exactly what the author was able to achieve here. All stories are different in their own ways, and may appeal to different audiences, you will never not find at least one work of fiction in this that you enjoy. As you're reading though this, you're able to let your mind wander, and imagine your own story that YOU'LL love. Have fun reading this, take your time to appreciate it, and enjoy!

Ace Year One

Variant: Ace year one

Text in Arabic. A captivating novel that unfolds in the philosophical world of Walid, a young man whose passion for cinema elicits dreams of travelling to France to study and produce films that personify his questions about religion, life, and loss. His hopes and dreams of escaping his mundane life, taking with him the French girl-next-door in whom he finds a proxy for the love of his deceased sister, are suddenly shattered when Walid is accused of murdering a Christian priest. The events unfold into a seemingly endless adventure of intellectual and life experiences, in an environment in which religions and nationalities coexist, social relations are intertwined, and the strange story of Father Dominique is revealed. Walids story becomes a gateway to other narratives of places and characters, of both Muslims and Christians and alike. The construction of narratives moving through different eras of time interject the monotony of the story and emphasize the Catch-22 of the protagonists psychological life. A snapshot of daily life in Tunisia in the 1980s, as seen through a candid lens exposing the inner lives of the main characters, the novel touches on their reality and innermost thoughts with boldness and transparency written in a lyrical way that builds suspense and excitement.

The Bell and the Minaret

Variant: The Bell and the Minaret

A primary objective in a first course in mechanics is to help develop a student's ability first to analyze problems in a simple and logical manner, and then to apply basic principles to their solutions. A strong conceptual understanding of these basic mechanics principles is essential for successfully solving mechanics problems. This edition of Vector Mechanics for Engineers will help instructors achieve these goals. Continuing in the spirit of its successful previous editions, this edition provides conceptually accurate and thorough coverage together with a significant refreshment of the exercise sets and online delivery of homework problems to your students. The 12th edition has new case studies and enhancements in the text and in Connect. The hallmark of the Beer-Johnston series has been the problem sets.This edition is no different. Over 650 of the homework problems in the text are new or revised. One of the characteristics of the approach used in this book is that mechanics of particles is clearly separated from the mechanics of rigid bodies. This approach makes it possible to consider simple practical applications at an early stage and to postpone the introduction of the more difficult concepts. Additionally, Connect has over 100 Free-Body Diagram Tool Problems and Process-Oriented Problems. McGraw-Hill's Connect, is also available. Connect is the only integrated learning system that empowers students by continuously adapting to deliver precisely what they need, when they need it, how they need it, so that class time is more effective. Connect allows the professor to assign homework, quizzes, and tests easily and automatically grades and records the scores of the student's work. Problems are randomized to prevent sharing of answers an may also have a "multi-step solution" which helps move the students' learning along if they experience difficulty.

VECTOR MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERS: DYNAMICS, SI

Variant: VECTOR MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERS: DYNAMICS, SI

This book discusses the importance of knowledge as an intangible asset, separate from physical entities, that can enable us to understand and/or change the world. It provides a thorough treatment of knowledge, one that is free of ideological and philosophical preconceptions, and which relies exclusively on concepts and principles from the theory of computing and logic. It starts with an introduction to knowledge as truthful and useful information, and its development and management by computers and humans. It analyses the relationship between computational processes and physical phenomena, as well as the processes of knowledge production and application by humans and computers.    In turn, the book presents autonomous systems that are called upon to replace humans in complex operations as a step toward strong AI, and discusses the risks - real or hypothetical - of the careless use of these systems. It compares human and machine intelligence, attempting to answer the question of whether and to what extent computers, as they stand today, can approach human-level situation awareness and decision-making.    Lastly, the book explains the functioning of individual consciousness as an autonomous system that manages short- and long-term objectives on the basis of value criteria and accumulated knowledge. It discusses how individual values are shaped in society and the role of institutions in fostering and maintaining a common set of values for strengthening social cohesion.    The book differs from books on the philosophy of science in many respects, e.g. by considering knowledge in its multiple facets and degrees of validity and truthfulness. It follows the dualist tradition of logicians, emphasizing the importance of logic and language and considering an abstract concept of information very different from the one used in the physical sciences. From this perspective, it levels some hopefully well-founded criticism at approaches that consider information and knowledge as nothing more than the emergent properties of physical phenomena.    The book strikes a balance between popular books that sidestep fundamental issues and focus on sensationalism, and scientific or philosophical books that are not accessible to non-experts. As such, it is intended for a broad audience interested in the role of knowledge as a driver for change and development, and as a common good whose production and application could shape the future of humanity.

Understanding and Changing the World

Variant: Understanding and changing the world

It is an unconditional reality that the tourism industry in Asia is becoming exposed to innovative technologies more than ever before. This book reports the latest research in the application of innovative technology to the tourism industry, covering the perspectives, innovativeness, theories, issues, complexities, opportunities and challenges affecting tourism in Asia. A blend of comprehensive and extensive efforts by the contributors and editors, it is designed especially to cover technology applications in tourism fairs, festivals and events in Asia.   The application and practice of technologies in tourism, including the relevant niches of fairs, festivals and events are also covered, with a focus on the importance of technology in tourism. This book highlights, in a comprehensive manner, technologies that are impacting the tourism industry in Asia, as well as the constraints it is facing. It deals with distinct topics, such as tourism promotion, technology-driven sustainable tourism development, social media, accessibility and so on to cover fairs, festivals and events.   This book is a significant contribution towards the very limited knowledge in this identified research area, with examples from selected Asian countries. This book is designed to accommodate both qualitative and quantitative research linking theory and practice. This book has a clear focus on outlining the research issues. Each chapter of the book highlights a methodology that was used, with rationale for its use. This book addresses a number of revisions that unify the theme or framework to integrate the chapters.

Technology Application in Tourism Fairs, Festivals and Event

Variant: Technology application in tourism fairs, festivals and event

This book provides a compendium of material properties, demonstrates several successful examples of bio-based materials' application in building facades, and offers ideas for new designs and novel solutions. It features a state-of-the-art review, addresses the latest trends in material selection, assembling systems, and innovative functions of facades in detail. Selected case studies on buildings from diverse locations are subsequently presented to demonstrate the successful implementation of various biomaterial solutions, which defines unique architectural styles and building functions. The structures, morphologies and aesthetic impressions related to bio-based building facades are discussed from the perspective of art and innovation; essential factors influencing the performance of materials with respect to functionality and safety are also presented. Special emphasis is placed on assessing the performance of a given facade throughout the service life of a building, and after its end.  The book not only provides an excellent source of technical and scientific information, but also contributes to public awareness by demonstrating the benefits to be gained from the proper use of bio-based materials in facades. As such, it will appeal to a broad audience including architects, engineers, designers and building contractors.

Bio-Based Building Skin

Variant: Bio-based Building Skin

This book delves into the limitations of Singapore's authoritarian governance model. In doing so, the relevance of the Singapore governance model for other industrialising economies is systematically examined. Research in this book examines the challenges for an integrated governance model that has proven durable over four to five decades. The editors argue that established socio-political and economic formulae are now facing unprecedented challenges. Structural pressures associated with Singapore's particular locus within globalised capitalism have fostered heightened social and material inequalities, compounded by the ruling party's ideological resistance to substantive redistribution. As 'growth with equity' becomes more elusive, the rationale for power by a ruling party dominated by technocratic elite and state institutions crafted and controlled by the ruling party  and its bureaucratic allies is open to more critical scrutiny.

The Limits of Authoritarian Governance in Singapore's Develo

Variant: The limits of authoritarian governance in Singapore's develo

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Variant: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Encampment Wyoming - Selections From The Lora Webb Nichols A

Variant: Encampment Wyoming - Selections From The Lora Webb Nichols A

Exploring different, interrelated roles for the architect and researcher The practice of architecture manifests in myriad forms and engagements. Overcoming false divides, this volume frames the fertile relationship between the cultural and scholarly production of academia and the process of designing and building in the material world. It proposes the concept of the hybrid practitioner, who bridges the gap between academia and practice by considering how different aspects of architectural practice, theory, and history intersect, opening up a fascinating array of possibilities for an active engagement with the present. The book explores different, interrelated roles for practicing architects and researchers, from the reproductive activities of teaching, consulting and publishing, through the reflective activities of drawing and writing, to the practice of building. The notion of the hybrid practitioner will appeal strongly to students, teachers and architectural practitioners as part of a multifaceted professional environment. By connecting academic interests with those of the professional realm, The Hybrid Practitioner addresses a wider readership embracing landscape design, art theory and aesthetics, European history, and the history and sociology of professions. Contributors: Joseph Bedford, Luis Burriel Bielza, Philip Christou, Elke Couchez, Thomas Coward, Jana Culek, Irina Davidovici, Rosamund Diamond, Christoph Grafe, Simon Henley, Julia Jamrozik, Sepideh Karami, Pauline Lefebvre, Birgitte Louise Hansen, Patrick Lynch, Sereh Mandias, Louis Mayes, Carlo Menon, Marjan Michels, Cathelijne Nuijsink, Paulo Providência, Sophia Psarra, Helen Thomas, Steven Schenk, Eireen Schreurs, Eva Storgaard, Caroline Voet, Wilfried Wang. Ebook available in Open Access. This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

The Hybrid Practitioner

Variant: The hybrid practitioner

Not every solution is an answer to a problem. A new volume of witty, absurd, and at times hilarious hands-on solutions for our everyday environment. The Brussels-based artist David Helbich started collecting Belgian Solutions in 2006: he made photos of the peculiar and sometimes hilarious, no-nonsense solutions that he spotted in his daily surroundings. Once he started to share his photos online on social network platforms in 2009 the project grew rapidly, with contributions posted by Belgian Solution spotters from around the world. In 2013 he published his first collection of photos, a sequel followed in 2015 and now he brings us a third volume of absurd and hilarious 'solutions', bound in a beautiful linen softcover.   Also available: Belgian Solutions, ISBN 9789460581571; Belgian Solutions - volume 2, ISBN 9789460581991.