Scotland is Susan's passion and obsession—and the opportunity to join a Highland dig is a dream come true for the young archaeology student. But then a sinister stranger slips Susan a cryptic message and is later found viciously slain. A mysterious peril has emerged from the mists to haunt Susan, sending her running for her life in the company of handsome, unconventional laird Jamie Erskine. For she has an unseen enemy hiding in the shadows—someone who, for some unknown reason, is going to great lengths to frame her for murder . . . and to bury Susan, if necessary, in this land she loves.

150 Best Terrace and Balcony Ideas is the ultimate resource for innovative terrace, roof garden, patio, and balcony design ideas for outdoor spaces of all shapes and sizes. Featured inside this lavish guidebook are 150 never-before-shared tips and techniques provided by internationally renowned architects and designers, along with full-color photographs and diagrams of sixty-five uniquely beautiful projects from around the world. The design ideas reveal how to create exterior spaces that are clean, modern, and comfortable, as well as how to use cutting-edge materials that are practical, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Best of all, the design ideas featured inside are easy to follow and can be tailored to the unique tastes and needs of individual homeowners.

Written to be read aloud by two voices sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous--here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise. In this remarkable volume of poetry for two voices, Paul Fleischman verbally re-creates the "Booming/boisterious/joyful noise" of insects. The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. Eric Beddows′s vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way. Paul Fleischman has created not only a clear and fascinating guide to the insect world from chrysalid butterflies to whirligig beetles but an exultant celebration of life. Supports Common Core State Standards

Spencer thought the house might be haunted. Mitch knew it wasn't. And he knew why. The whole time Spencer and Mitch hung out together at Bird Lake that summer, there were secrets keeping them apart. And maybe a secret knowledge keeping them together, too together like members of the same tribe. Like friends.

Olive Barstow was dead. She‘d been hit by a car on Monroe Street while riding her bicycle weeks ago. That was about all Martha knew. Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow could have been friends. But they weren't -- and now all that is left are eerie connections between two girls who were in the same grade at school and who both kept the same secret without knowing it. Now Martha can't stop thinking about Olive. A family summer on Cape Cod should help banish those thoughts; instead, they seep in everywhere. And this year Martha routine at her beloved grandmother beachside house is complicated by the Manning boys. Jimmy, Tate, Todd, Luke, and Leo. But especially Jimmy. What if, what if, what if, what ifThe world can change in a minute.

It had been only two months since Spoon Gilmore grandmother died, but already he was worried that he would forget her. That why he needed something of Gram - something special that had belonged to her, something to remember her by. Spoon wasn't quite sure what the something was, though he knew he would know it when he saw it. But Spoon little sister, Joanie, did not leave him much time to look. She was always following him, demanding attention. Spoon didn't have the time he needed to think , or perhaps he wouldn't have done what he did. 02 Nutmeg State Children Book Award Masterlist and 00-01 Young Reader Choice Award Program Masterlist

"Did Mama sing every day?" Caleb asks his sister Anna. "Every-single-day," she answers. "Papa sang, too." This Newbery Medal winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family. Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be niceWill she singWill she stayThis children's literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love. Supports the Common Core State Standards

Anna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. In one, with a black cover, she reviews the African experience of her earlier years. In a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine relives part of her own experience. And in a blue one she keeps a personal diary. Finally, in love with an American writer and threatened with insanity, Anna resolves to bring the threads of all four books together in a golden notebook. Doris Lessing best-known and most influential novel, The Golden Noteboo k retains its extraordinary power and relevance decades after its initial publication.

"Alas, Babylon." Those fateful words heralded the end. When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness.

A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a senior tempter in the service of Our Father Below. At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C. S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation and triumph over it ever written. Now, for the first time, The Screwtape Letters is presented with its full text alongside helpful annotations provided by Lewis enthusiast and dramatist Paul McCusker. The notes include literary, theological, and biographical information to enhance Lewis core themes and demystify complex ideas. McCusker also guides readers to concepts and references from the beloved author other treasured volumes to deepen and enrich this timeless classic. The annotated edition is the ultimate guide for understanding the heavenly truths buried in these epistles from below.

NOW A BLOCKBUSTER MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY CLINT EASTWOOD NOMINATED FOR SIX ACADEMY AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE A celebration of the remarkable life and legacy of fallen American hero Chris Kyle This commemorative memorial edition of Kyle bestselling memoir features the full text of American Sniper , plus more than eighty pages of remembrances by those whose lives he touched personally including his wife, Taya; his parents, brother, and children; Marcus Luttrell and other fellow Navy SEALs; veterans and wounded warriors; lifelong friends; and many others. He was the top American sniper of all time, called the legend by his Navy SEAL brothers, and a hero by those he served on the home front . . . From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the greatest war memoirs of all time. A native Texan who learned to shoot on childhood hunting trips with his father, Kyle was a champion saddle-bronc rider prior to joining the Navy. After 9/11, he was thrust onto the front lines of the War on Terror, and soon found his calling as a world-class sniper who performed best under fire. He recorded a personal-record 2,100-yard kill shot outside Baghdad; in Fallujah, Kyle braved heavy fire to rescue a group of Marines trapped on a street; in Ramadi, he stared down insurgents with his pistol in close combat. Kyle talks honestly about the pain of war of twice being shot, and experiencing the tragic deaths of two close friends. American Sniper also honors Kyle fellow warriors, who raised hell on and off the battlefield. And in moving first-person accounts throughout, Kyle wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their marriage and children, as well as on Chris. Adrenaline-charged and deeply personal, American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness account of service and sacrifice that only one man could tell.

In the fall of 1930, David Packard left his hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, to enroll at Stanford University, where he befriended another freshman, Bill Hewlett. After graduation, Hewlett and Packard decided to throw their lots in together. They tossed a coin to decide whose name should go first on the notice of incorporation, then cast about in search of products to sell. Today, the one-car garage in Palo Alto that housed their first workshop is a California historic landmark: the birthplace of Silicon Valley. And Hewlett-Packard has produced thousands of innovative products for millions of customers throughout the world. Their little company employs 98,400 people and boasts constantly increasing sales that reached $25 billion in 1994. While there are many successful companies, there is only one Hewlett-Packard, because from the very beginning, Hewlett and Packard had a way of doing things that was contrary to the prevailing management strategies. In defining the objectives for their company, Packard and Hewlett wanted more than profits, revenue growth and a constant stream of new, happy customers. Hewlett-Packard success owes a great deal to many factors, including openness to change, an unrelenting will to win, the virtue of sustained hard work and a company-wide commitment to community involvement. As a result, HP now is universally acclaimed as the world most admired technology company; its wildly successful approach to business has been immortalized as The HP Way . In this book, David Packard tells the simple yet extraordinary story of his life work and of the truly exceptional company that he and Bill Hewlett started in a garage 55 years ago.

This collection gathers together every short story featuring one of Agatha Christie most famous creations: Miss Marple. Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as “the typical old maid of fiction,” Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St. Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature and used it to devastating effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex- Commissioner of Scotland Yard, has been heard to say: “She just the finest detective God ever made” and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.

In June 2011, Susan Spencer-Wendel learned she had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Lou Gehrig disease an irreversible condition that systematically destroys the nerves that power the muscles. She was forty-four years old, with a devoted husband and three young children, and she had only one year of health remaining. Susan decided to live that year with joy. She quit her job as a journalist and spent time with her family. She built an outdoor meeting space for friends in her backyard. And she took seven trips with the seven most important people in her life. As her health declined, Susan journeyed to the Yukon, Hungary, the Bahamas, and Cyprus. She took her sons to swim with dolphins, and her teenage daughter, Marina, to Kleinfeld bridal shop in New York City to see her for the first and last time in a wedding dress. She also wrote this book. No longer able to walk or even to lift her arms, she tapped it out letter by letter on her iPhone using only her right thumb, the last finger still working. However, Until I Say Good-Bye is not angry or bitter. It is sad in parts how could it not bebut it is filled with Susan optimism, joie de vivre, and sense of humor. It is a book about life, not death. One that, like Susan, will make everyone smile. From the Burger King parking lot where she cried after her diagnosis to a snowy hot spring near the Arctic Circle, from a hilarious family Christmas disaster to the decrepit monastery in eastern Cyprus where she rediscovered her heritage, Until I Say Good-Bye is not only Susan Spencer-Wendel unforgettable gift to her loved ones a heartfelt record of their final experiences together but an offering to all of us: a reminder that every day is better when it is lived with joy.

A delightful, witty, spirited collection of short pieces and essays by the inimitable E. B. White.

An International Bestseller Over 3 Million Copies Sold! With translations in more than thirty languages, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is the definitive relationship guide for women. Steve Harvey can't count the number of impressive women he met over the years the many incredible women who can run a business, have three kids, maintain a household in tiptop shape, and chair a church group all at the same time. So, when it comes to relationships, why can't these same women figure out what makes men commitAccording to Steve, it because they're asking other women for advice when they should be going directly to the source. In this expanded edition, Steve includes an added section of all new advice, with tips on dealing with your partner exes, spicing up your relationship, ensuring you're ready for that walk down the aisle, and much more. Sometimes funny, often unflinchingly direct, but always truthful, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is a book you must read if you want to understand how men think when it comes to relationships, intimacy, and love.

Have you ever . . . Invested time in something that, in hindsight, just wasn't worth itPaid too much in an eBay auctionContinued to do something you knew was bad for youSold stocks too late, or too earlyTaken credit for success, but blamed failure on external circumstancesBacked the wrong horseThese are examples of what the author calls cognitive biases, simple errors all of us make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices: whether in dealing with personal problems or business negotiations, trying to save money or earn profits, or merely working out what we really want in life and strategizing the best way to get it. Already an international bestseller, The Art of Thinking Clearly distills cutting-edge research from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience into a clever, practical guide for anyone who ever wanted to be wiser and make better decisions. A novelist, thinker, and entrepreneur, Rolf Dobelli deftly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic hyperactivity all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this indispensable book will change the way you think and transform your decision making at work, at home, every day. From why you shouldn't accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.

MeteorJS makes full-stack JavaScript Application Development simple – Learn how to build better modern web apps with MeteorJS, and become an expert in the innovative JavaScript framework About This Book Get your dream project up and running by building exceptional MeteorJS applications in a matter of days Learn how to integrate other JavaScript frameworks into your MeteorJS project and become an expert in full-stack development Go beyond coding and learn how to make modern design decisions – from mobile design to SEO – that drive great user experiences Who This Book Is For If you’ve already had some experience with MeteorJS but want to learn how to build even better modern web application, this book has been created for you. It provides you with a comprehensive look at one of those most important frameworks being used for the modern web today.What You Will Learn Get to grips with the basics and learn how to build a complete real-time application with MeteorJS Find out how Meteor makes full-stack development simple – become a better developer, fast. Use some of the most effective testing tools in modern web development to troubleshoot, debug and optimize your app Find out how to write custom packages for applications – so you can build your project exactly how you want Integrate React and Angular into your project Design and develop high quality animations that will give your UI the edge Build MeteorJS to serve as REST-based application and reactive system Learn how to host a MeteorJS application and then scale it for data Find out how MeteorJS can help you build for mobile Learn how to make sure you implement an effective SEO strategy in your MeteorJS application In Detail The web is dead – applications now rule our online experiences. But how are you going to build themWell, if you’ve been paying attention, you might already have tried your hand with MeteorJS, the JavaScript framework that helps you build complete full-stack web applications that are responsive and fast with ease. Mastering MeteorJS Application Development shows you how to do even more with MeteorJS – if you’re ready to try a comprehensive course through one of the most exciting frameworks in web development today, this is the book you need. Designed to take you through the entire process of building an advanced multipage application with Meteor, you’ll be able to bring your web development ideas with surprising ease. You’ll not only learn how Meteor makes web development easier, but also how you can make using Meteor easier, by automating and simplifying tasks so you can be confident you have full control of everything in your workflow – especially everything that could go wrong. From automated testing to integrating other useful frameworks such as Angular and D3, each chapter covers a crucial element in the Meteor development process. Discover how to integrate animations using Meteor’s Blaze, to give your UI designs the edge, and explore reactive programming to effectively harness RESTful systems in your projects. You will also learn how to deploy and scale your application, two crucial aspects of modern development and vital in a changing digital environment with users expecting a product and experience that delivers. With further insights on developing for mobile – and how Meteor can help you tackle the challenges of the trend – and details on incorporating SEO strategies into your application, this book isn’t just a code tutorial – it’s about creating a product that users love. Style and approach This book is a practical guide that teaches you different ways to create custom packages, efficient client and server code, and more using Meteor. This book is packed with perfect examples and explanations to help you understand the concepts. With the perfect mix of theory and practical experience, it will equip you to become a professional MeteorJS developer.

Over 60 recipes to help you create professional and exquisite UIs to make your games more immersive About This Book Design and develop interactive and professional user interfaces (UIs) for games in Unity Discover how to implement and deal with various in-game UI elements that will impress your players This practical recipe guide will help you to efficiently create powerful and remarkable UIs using C# code Who This Book Is For If you are a game developer with some experience in Unity and C# and want to create the best interactive experience fast and intuitively, then this book is for you. If you are an intermediate game developer or an expert, these recipes will help you bring out the power of the new UI Unity system. What You Will Learn Implement different kinds of counters and healthbars Deal with timers and find out how to format them Animate and vivify UI elements Handle runtime customizations Add complex Head-up displays (HUDs) Design and implement 3D UIs Integrate minimaps in the UI In Detail With the increasing interest in game development, it's essential to design and implement a UI that reflects the game settings and shows the right information to the player. The Unity system is used to create complex and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces in order to give a professional look and feel to a game. Although the new Unity UI system is powerful and quite easy to use, by integrating it with C# *s, it's possible to realize the potential of this system and bring an impressive UI to games.This guide is an invaluable collection of recipes if you are planning to use Unity to develop a game. Starting with the basic concepts of the UI components, we’ll take you all the way through to creating complex interfaces by including animations and dynamics elements. Based on real-world problems, these recipes will start by showing you how to make common UI elements such as counters and healthbars. You will then get a walkthrough of how to manage time using timers, and will learn how to format them. You will move on to decorating and animating the UI elements to vivify them and give them a professional touch. Furthermore, you will be guided into the 3D UI world and into HUD *ing. Finally, you will discover how to implement complex minimaps in the interface.Style and approach Interactive, easy-to-follow recipes will help you create and implement UIs that make gaming an exhilarating experience.

Make applications cross-communicate using Apache Thrift! About This Book Leverage Apache Thrift to enable applications written in different programming languages (Java, C++, Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on) to cross-communicate. Learn to make your services ready for real-world applications by using stepwise examples and modifying code from Industry giants. Be a crackerjack at solving Apache Thrift-related issues. Who This Book Is For If you have some experience of developing applications in one or more languages supported by Apache Thrift (C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and others) and want to broaden your knowledge and skills in building cross-platform, scalable applications, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn Understand the need for cross-language services and the basics of Apache Thrift. Learn how Apache Thrift works and what problems it solves. Determine when to use Apache Thrift instead of other methods (REST API), and when not to use it. Create and run an example application using Apache Thrift. Use Apache Thrift in your applications written in different languages supported by Apache Thrift (PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, and C++). Handle exceptions and deal with errors. Modify code in different languages.< Use Apache Thrift in the production environments of big applications. In Detail With modern software systems being increasingly complex, providing a scalable communication architecture for applications in different languages is tedious. The Apache Thrift framework is the solution to this problem! It helps build efficient and easy-to-maintain services and offers a plethora of options matching your application type by supporting several popular programming languages, including C++, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Erlang, Perl, Haskell, C#, Cocoa, JavaScript, Node.js, Smalltalk, OCaml, and Delphi. This book will help you set aside the basics of service-oriented systems through your first Apache Thrift-powered app. Then, progressing to more complex examples, it will provide you with tips for running large-scale applications in production environments. You will learn how to assess when Apache Thrift is the best tool to be used. To start with, you will run a simple example application, learning the framework's structure along the way; you will quickly advance to more complex systems that will help you solve various real-life problems. Moreover, you will be able to add a communication layer to every application written in one of the popular programming languages, with support for various data types and error handling. Further, you will learn how pre-eminent companies use Apache Thrift in their popular applications. This book is a great starting point if you want to use one of the best tools available to develop cross-language applications in service-oriented architectures. Style and approach A stepwise guide to learning Apache Thrift, with ready-to-run examples explained comprehensively. Advanced topics supply the inspiration for further work.

Enter the magical land of Story in this sequel to Storybound, perfect for fans of Inkheart, The School for Good and Evil, and classic fantasy tales like Ella Enchanted and The Neverending Story. Kids who love fairy tales, dragons, magic, and more will be enchanted by Una Fairchild's unforgettable adventure in Story's End.Story is a land of dashing Heroes, dastardly Villains, and epic quests—and once upon a time, a noble King. But the King vanished so long ago that even the memory of him is lost. Now a cruel Enemy plots to rewrite Story's future, and an ordinary girl named Una Fairchild may be the only one who can stop him. As Una and her friends Peter and Indy race to defeat the Enemy, their quest will take them deep into the secrets of Story's past . . . and Una's own mysterious ties to this fairy-tale kingdom and its long-forgotten King.Discover the richly imagined world, spirited cast of storybook characters, and timeless appeal of Story's End, which closes the book on Una's adventure "with an all-out bang" (ALA Booklist).