Zainab, a name which aptly reflects the beauty of this tale's protagonist is also the title of the first modern Egyptian novel written in native vernacular. Crafted in 1910 by a privileged member of society and a student at the time living in Paris, Mohammed Hussein Haikal later rose through the ranks of Egyptian politics and media. The writer, journalist and politician also holds a number of written works to his name, including?The House of Revelation?(1939) and?Thus was I Created?(1955). Haikal?successfully humanises and contextualises Egypt's societal issues without too reproachful a voice. As the great poet, Ahmed Fouad Negm said, 'it is better to wake your child up through laughter, rather than shouting at him'. Haikal?expresses his sympathies with the fellah of Egypt, who despite the apparent reverence with which they are looked upon by society are still obliged to bear extreme difficulties, which they do so with great dignity. Their suffering remains unchallenged as they are routinely exploited by their employers, the state, 'religious leaders' and cheated out of education which results in the demise of their mental and physical wellbeing. Illnesses may be treated as a metaphysical phenomenon, rather than with a trip to the doctor, whilst depression is treated as a headache. Zainab, a hardworking farmer girl, is to be married to a son of the landowner despite her love for another named Ibrahim. Haikal?is highly critical of this traditional marriage practice, where young men and women are picked off by families and pushed together into marriage to suit the requirements of the parents over the needs of the young couple. This message is clear throughout the book but appears most starkly in an open letter from Haikal?to the public, guised as a note written by the character Hamid to his own father. Hamid states, 'To this day I consider the institution of marriage defective, on account of the conditions that are attached to it. Indeed I believe a marriage which is not based on love and does not progress with love to be contemptible.' As Haikal?wrote in his room in Paris he was undoubtedly influenced by his nostalgia, describing scenes in Egypt in a way that only an Egyptian could. He is a man who has succeeded in writing for the woman, and his critiques of society are logical and empathetic. Few are painted as evil in Zainab but the writer warns that as with most of society's ills, our failures are the consequence of apathy, silence and the desire to fulfil what is expected of us through convention, culture and our own ignorance.

This exciting adventure story follows a family of slaves in the USA in 1860 as they escape from a cotton plantation via the legendary Underground Railroad. An enthralling story of courage and resilience, centring on 10-year-old Tommy, it will fascinate children who might not know much about this secret escape route into Canada that was used by as many as 100,000 people. Ten-year-old Tommy roams the cotton fields of Alabama owned by the notorious Captain Archer. Intimidating guards with fierce dogs protect the land to prevent any slaves from leaving. That is until a supernatural spirit visits Tommy offering a way out. With his banjo slung over his shoulder, Peg Leg Joe guides Tommy, his family and other slaves out of Southern USA, and into Canada through the legendary Underground Railroads. Stretched for miles across the country's vastness, the network famously facilitated more than 100,000 slaves to a new life. For Tommy and his family, the escape is far from an easy ride. The young boy is forced to mature through this testing period and allow his strong will to guide himself and others to safety under the guidance of Peg Leg Joe. Set in the 19th century, D'Adamo's well-constructed novel tells a story distant in time, remains grounded in a reality that still exists today. Millions of people across the globe continue to be enslaved, including children.

Set in the inter-war period, between the late 1920s, when Italy began solidifying its power in its new Libyan colony, and the end of World War II, when control of the country passed into British hands. Spina's chief subjects in these stories are Italian military officers who idle their time away at their club or exploring the strange lands where they have been posted, always at odds between the jingoistic education they received at home and the lessons they've learned during their time in Libya. These short stories map the transformation of the Libyan city of Benghazi from a sleepy Ottoman backwater in the 1910s to the second capital of an oil-rich kingdom in the 1960s. Employing a cosmopolitan array of characters, ranging from Ottoman functionaries, to Sanussi aristocrats and Italian officers, Spina chronicles Italy's colonial experience from the euphoria of conquest - giving us a front row seat to the rise and subsequent fall of Fascism in the aftermath of World War II - to the country's independence in the 1950s. Spina continues his narrative with the discovery of Libya's vast oil and gas reserves, which triggered the tumultuous changes that led to Muammar Gaddafi's forty-two-year dictatorship.

Charles Dickens’ timeless story is brought to life in this vibrant new version by the award-winning playwright Neil Duffield. Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Well, it is for everyone except the miserable Scrooge. He prefers to spend Christmas all alone in his large house, instead of celebrating with mistletoe and merriment. Bah, humbug! But one cold, dark Christmas Eve Scrooge is surprised by the ghost of Marley, his former business partner. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be called upon by three spirits – each will take him on a mysterious and magical journey to show him the error of his ways… Can Scrooge discover the true wonder and meaning of Christmas before it’s too late?

Within the genre of financial self-help, ‘Trusts A Practical Guide’ is an invaluable and rare resource for financial experts and members of the public alike who need a reference work on a subject that is, on the face of it, complex but which undeniably affects many people’s lives at one point or another. Whatever your occupation or background, you are almost certain at some time to need some understanding of this subject, whether in your own financial planning or in advising those around you – and this guide is particularly helpful when dealing with a relative’s probate or the complex issues arising from an inheritance. After thirty-five years at the top of his profession, FSA member Terry O'Halloran writes passionately and informatively, not only about his subject but also about the importance of spreading the word to others. He has seen many times first hand the benefits of well-organized and implemented financial planning on people’s lives. More poignantly, he has seen what can happen when such matters are left to chance. Using famous historical characters, placing them in recognizable situations and using real life case histories, he explains the organization and procedure of Trusts simply and easily bringing his subject alive by putting it in a perspective that is easily assimilated by the layman. Terry O'Halloran clearly explains the intricacies of Trusts and confronts their realities with real-life examples such as a family case involving a number of ex-wives, a business partnership that goes very expensively wrong and even the attempted murder of a director and removal of the would-be assassin (as a Trustee). Building the full picture from simple steps, the author explains the merits or otherwise of trusts and their uses with life assurance and pension products. “Trusts are the most important adjunct to life assurance, business protection, estate planning and pension provision. A basic understanding is essential,” he insists. After searching in vain for a book for his own use, the need for a reference book on this subject was clear. “I needed a reference book that I could refer to during the working day but which would also be simple enough for any of my clients to understand. So I wrote one – in fact I had to write it because there was simply nothing suitable in existence. Moreover, I use it all the time. My own copies are dog-eared from use. “I believe,’ Trusts’ is a practical tool for the professional’s everyday use and a good guide for the layman.” "

It is the year 1852, and the origin of species remains a mystery. In a primitive hut in the remote Amazonian jungle, Alfred Wallace, a brilliant young collector of scientific specimens, lies wasted by tropical illness. He does not expect to survive. Healed by a village shaman, Wallace continues his pioneering fieldwork in the Malay archipelago, crystalising his ideas about evolutionary theory, which Charles Darwin had also secretly formulated but was reluctant to publish. In this new novel based on the scientist's extraordinary life, what unfolds is a dramatic tale of money, class, faith and discrimination.

“Humanity built its monolithic spires of hopes and dreams and tried to believe that the whole sordid mess actually meant something.” Terapolis is an urban sprawl of global proportions. The vast city state has smothered whole nations, liberated humanity from the tides of history; the place is ripe with secrets... Here, billions of people live only to give themselves to The Gestalt. An esoteric technology, said to unlock the secrets of creation, it offers humanity the chance to realise its most-cherished and forbidden desires. For Silas Morlock, enigmatic Master of MorTek, The Gestalt is his greatest achievement, but little time remains to fulfil his purpose and save Mankind from itself; death gathers, an ancient struggle between good and evil nears its peak. On the other side, the Incunabula ; bibliophiles who refuse to stop peddling the items most poisonous to the hold The Gestalt has on human minds. And then there’s Adam, the misfit dreamer pulled into a conflict beyond his understanding. His own desire will take him on a terrifying journey into the heart of darkness. Poor Adam, he will learn the secrets of Terapolis; if they don’t shatter his mind, he’ll become the unlikely saviour for good… or ill. It’s a struggle played out in the shadows, where the lines are blurred, and nothing is quite as it seems. For the lost souls embroiled, the stakes are the very highest. But secrets are for keeping, in the dark places…

A sparkling collection of three new plays by distinguished children’s playwright Charles Way. They have been successfully produced by professional theatre companies for children in the UK, the US and Germany. These plays work equally well for use in schools, colleges or youth theatres. With contemporary themes and challenging roles, this is a collection that offers enjoyable theatre for young people of all ages to perform. MISSING – a modern take on Hansel and Gretel, about the nature of poverty. This play won the German Children’s Theatre Prize 2010 and has had eight productions in Germany alone. NIVELLI’S WAR – about a six-year-old German Evacuee and his journey home at the end of WW2. PIRATES! – about a boy at sea, this was nominated both for the Writer’s Guild Best Children’s Play award and a Helen Hayes Award in America for ‘Outstanding New Play’. Winner of the the American Alliance for Theatre and Education ‘Distinguished Play’ Award 2012.

Petronella moves to Charis Cottage hidden in the thick dark woods at the bottom of a track on the outskirts of Fort Willow. Everything is perfect. Except for one thing. Since she moved an enormous black tree has appeared in her back garden in the shape of a giant with a big black circle on the ground under it. Petronella finds out it is a deep pit and is terrified to go near its ridge. But one night... How is the tree linked to: The creepy night-time visits by the Hooded Horseman? The boy ghost, Percy, Petronella finds in her bed one night? The invasion of ghosts of the ancient Strincas population all over Fort Willow? Reviews: "Kids will like this. Girls will like it for romance and boys will like it for the scare factor." "Full of ghosts and ghoulies, this is an imaginative tale."

MURDER. SPIES. EXPLOSIONS. REVENGE. THIS BOOK FOR TEENS HAS IT ALL Peregrine Harker is about to learn you’re never too young to die. London 1908: A secret society stalks the murky streets, a deadly assassin lurks in the shadows and a series of unexplained deaths are linked by a mystery symbol… When boy-detective Peregrine Harker stumbles across a gruesome murder he sparks a chain of events that drag him on a rip-roaring journey through a world of spluttering gas lamps, thick fog, deadly secrets and dastardly villains. Every step of Peregrine’s white-knuckle adventure brings him closer to the vile heart of a terrifying mystery – the true story behind the Brotherhood of the Black Death. Reviews: "One hell of a lot of fun! Readers of all ages will gobble up this non-stop rip roaring adventure – don’t miss this one!" – Bill Baker, Educator, USA "I completely enjoyed Peregrine Harker. This novel is a welcome addition to current offerings in children's literature, particularly those aimed at boys." – Drennan Spitzer, Educator, USA

It's the 5th of November and a firework in the wrong hands spells trouble for Carla and changes her life for ever. Read this inspirational story of one girl's fight to overcome the stigma of disfiguration and how a few kind words from an unexpected source, turned thoughts of revenge into a passion to help others, who's lives have also been rudely and dramatically changed. 2nd Edition with new content.

The History of World War I series recounts the battles and campaigns that took place during the 'Great War'. From the Falkland Islands to the lakes of Africa, across the Eastern and Western Fronts, to the former German colonies in the Pacific, the series provides a six-volume history of the battles and campaigns on land, at sea and in the air. The assassination in Sarajevo of the Austro-Hungarian heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand lit an explosive mixture of ethnic tensions, nationalism, political opportunism, and the quest for power within the Balkans to plunge Europe into a conflict that would cost millions of lives. Austro-Hungary faced both Serbia and Russia during the opening phase of the war, but Bulgaria's decision to join the Central Powers in October 1915 led to the opening of the Salonika front in Greece, where 150,0000 British and French troops saw little fighting until the disastrous 1918 Doiran campaign. At the war's outbreak, the British authorities in Africa were totally unprepared, with few forces available to attack the German colonies, who themselves were effectively left isolated from help. The German commander in East Africa, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, launched a brilliant guerrilla campaign with scant resources, conducting lightning attacks on Allied targets, particularly the Uganda Railway. He was opposed by the South African General Jan Smuts and his mixture of Boer, British, Rhodesian, Indian, African, Belgian and Portuguese soldiers: fighting continued until November 1918. Italy entered the war against the Central Powers in April 1915. For two years, Austro-Hungarian forces were kept at bay on Italy's northern borders, until a combined German and Austro-Hungarian defeated?the Italian forces at the Battle of Caporetto in October 1917. Revenge came with the Allied victory at Vittorio Veneto in November 1918, which led to Austro-Hungary's collapse. With the aid of over 300 photographs, complemented by full-colour maps, The Balkans, Italy & Africa provides a detailed guide to the background and conduct of the war in the Balkan, Italian and African theatres from the assassination in Sarajevo to the surrender of the Central Powers.

Two people with death sentences hanging over them, one due to illness, the other due to injustice, meet through the medium of letters. They build an unlikely alliance each coming to depend on these letters and each other. But one day the inevitable will happen and the letters will stop and what then?

Leap of Faith is the second novel from Matthew Munson, following the adventures of characters we first met in Fall From Grace – human and angel alike. The lives of Paul and Joseph have changed over the past two years; Paul is on Earth, living a new life with his girlfriend, while Joseph is in heaven, living as an angel and still mourning the loss of his sister, Lauren. But war is once again on the horizon of the two worlds. Barriers between the realms are breaking down, and humans, angels and spirits have set their sights on a catastrophic course of events that will result in the destruction of everything around them. That is, unless Paul and Joseph - with some divine intervention – can stop a war between an angelic army and countless spirits.

Escaping the workhouse was only the beginning of Alan Shaw’s adventures. For an orphan growing up on the streets of Victorian London, staying alive is a daily battle filled with choices a child should never have to make. Then Alan is offered more money than he can imagine; enough to take him to the new world and a new life. He only has to do one thing first - something that could bring the British Empire to a grinding halt. In a series of adventures that take him from sea to sky, from Brighton to Bombay, Alan grows up in a steam-driven era where Automatons walk the streets of London and dirigibles master the air. Pitted against mad alchemists, tentacled submersibles, bomb-wielding saboteurs and the apocalyptic cult of the Ordo Fenris, Alan has his work cut out for him. With a past as dark as his, who knows what Alan might grow up to be? The Adventures of Alan Shaw is an epic Steampunk adventure spanning five incredible tales, from the author of Gothic Steampunk fable Greaveburn .

A collection of dark tales to tingle your spine and goose your bumps, Filled with tentacle pods, bogeymen, dark gods; vamps, zombies, werewolves, and Things with no name. Barricade your door. Say goodbye to your loved ones. Check behind the curtains and in the wardrobe. Not Before Bed is a not just? a title; its a warning.

“One of my dreams was to write a book about my life. Most people stop dreaming when they become adults. We become stern, busy, cynical and we forget to dream. Without my dreams, I wouldn't have made it through life. This book was written as a reminder of the importance of dreams. It is the realization of my own dream, perhaps my biggest one so far. I wrote this book in hopes that someone would gain strength through my story. If my ordeal empowers even just a single reader, then it will have been worthwhile. Had I given up on my dreams, life might have given up on me.” Panagiotis Michael, a professional gymnast, delivers an “aerobics” lesson on finding our inner strength and getting through hard times. After a health ordeal which left him paralyzed as an adolescent and battling cancer as an adult, he shares his experience with us through his empirical writing. He gives us an important lesson on empowering our body through exercise, feeding our soul with laughter, drawing strength from our dreams and never letting go of our hope. Because when you stop dreaming, you stop living! 70% of the sales' net income will be donated to BE STRONG Charitable Organization which supports people with cancer from Greece, in order to create the 1st Cancer Survivors Wellness Centre in Greece.

Ποι?ματα αγ?πη?, ποι?ματα λατρε?α?, ποι?ματα φιλ?α?, ποι?ματα που εμπν?ουν, ποι?ματα απ? τη ζω?, για τη ζω? και την προσπ?θεια να κρατηθε?? ζωνταν??, να δημιουργε??, να ξυπν?? κ?θε μ?ρα λ?γοντα? "Καλημ?ρα, σ? αγαπ?ω εαυτ? μου, σ? αγαπ?ω ζω?, σ?μερα ε?ναι μια καινο?ρια μ?ρα και μαζ? τη? ξαναγεννι?μαι κι εγ?!". Η πρ?τη συγγραφικ? δουλει? τη? Ε?η? Γιακουμ? στα ελληνικ?, που υμνε? τη ζω? και γιορτ?ζει τον ?νθρωπο αυτ?ν τον επ?μονο, που ακ?μα προσπαθε? να αλλ?ξει τον κ?σμο. Που αψηφ? εμπ?δια, που δεν βρ?σκει π?ντα αυτ? που θ?λει, που γε?εται τον ?ρωτα και δε διστ?ζει να τα ανατρ?ψει ?λα, ?τσι ξαφνικ?, ?τοιμο? να ξαναρχ?σει π?λι απ? την αρχ? και να ξανακ?νει τα ?δια λ?θη, σα να μην ?μαθε ποτ?.

Στα παν?κριβα "σαλ?" το Ελβετικ?ν ?λπεων τα μυθικ? π?ρτυ των ολιγ?ριθμων μεγιστ?νων του χ?ρου δεν ε?ναι κ?τι σπ?νιο, ?μω? π?ντα αποτελο?ν μια πρ?τη? τ?ξεω? ευκαιρ?α για επ?λυση διαφορ?ν και υπογραφ?? ν?ων συμφωνι?ν. Ο ?σσο? ?ξερε οτι οι ημ?γυμνε? καλλον?? που περιφ?ρονται στολισμ?νε? με τα εκθαμβωτικ? πετρ?δια και η σαμπ?νια που ρ?ει ω? το πρω? βοηθο?ν σημαντικ? σε αυτ?. Παρ' ?τι ε?χε αποσυρθε? απο καιρ?, γν?ριζε καλ? την απαστρ?πτουσα βιτρ?να του σιναφιο?, ακ?μη καλ?τερα ?μω? την αθ?ατη, σκοτειν? πλευρ? τη? και σ?γουρα δεν σκ?πευε να επιστρ?ψει. Η αναπ?ντεχη δολοφον?α του Ιταλο? φ?λου του και τα τρομοκρατημ?να μ?τια τη? ορφαν?? κ?ρη? του, αν?τρεψαν ?λα τα δεδομ?να. ?ταν στοχοποι?θηκε και ο ?διο?, το θ?μα ?γινε προσωπικ?. ?πρεπε να βρει το δολοφ?νο, αλλ? πρ?τα απ? ?λα ?πρεπε να ανακαλ?ψει τα ?χνη τη? χαμ?νη? 'Ανατολ??'...

The 2008 financial crisis was a reminder to people both inside and outside the Actuarial Profession of just how complex the Financial Services industry has become, and just how tied the World economy presently is to its fortunes. This wide-ranging, non-technical book examines our present economic model, the industry’s present function and the appropriateness of the Actuarial Profession’s present strategy and direction in the aftermath of that crisis, and in the context of the challenges that lie ahead. The book’s central premise is that, far from being a one-off, the 2008 crash is merely a portent of things to come, and that the Profession, the industry it serves, and even the political and economic models under which both presently operate are in need of fundamental reform if they are to equip our society to withstand the challenges that are going to be visited upon it. This book seeks to explore the reasons why, and to open the debate about what shape that reform ought to take. As such it should be of interest not just to actuaries, but to anyone who has an interest in our collective future.

ταν ο κσμο εναι παντο φωτειν, λαμπρ, γεμτο αγπη και ευτυχα, παρδεισο και αλθεια, κποιοι διαλγουν να κρυφτον στο σκοτδι, να κυλιστον στο βορκο, να γνουν τρατα που θα τρομζουν το φω και θα καταβροχθζουν αδναμε συνειδσει. Κποιοι επιλγουν να βρουν το μνο σκοτειν μρο τη ψυχ του και να κατοικσουν εκε για πντα, μαζ με τη ματωμνη του συγγνμη, που ποτ και σε κανναν δε χρισαν. Επιλγουν το Ξσκοτο. ΑΠΑΓΟΡΕΥΕΤΑΙ ΑΥΣΤΗΡΑ η ανγνωση αυτο του βιβλου απ τομα με καρδιαγγειακ ψυχιατρικ παθσει, σθμα, λκο εγκου γυνακε, και γενικ, απ τομα με ευαισθησα. Αν αισθανθετε αδιαθεσα, τρμουλο, ταχυκαρδα, πνο στο στθο, ναυτα, ντονο πνο στο κεφλι και στα μτια, τσει προ λιποθυμα διαπιστστε αιμορραγα, σημανει πω εστε σε καλ δρμο!