Cosmos, the widely acclaimed book and television series by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, was about where we are in the vastness of space and time. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is an exploration of who we are. How were we shaped by life's adventure on this planet, by a mysterious past that we are only just beginning to piece together? "We humans are like a newborn baby left on a doorstep, " they write, "with no note explaining who it is, where it came from, what hereditary cargo of attributes and disabilities it might be carrying, or who its antecedents might be." This book is one version of the orphan's file. Sagan and Druyan take us back to the birth of the Sun and its planets and the first stirrings of life; to the origins of traits central to our current predicament: sex and violence, love and altruism, hierarchy, consciousness, language, technology, and morality. Many thoughtful people fear that our problems have become too big for us, that we are for reasons at the heart of human nature unable to deal with them, that we have lost our way. How did we get into this mess? How can we get out? Why are we so quick to mistrust those different from ourselves, so given to unquestioning obedience to authority? What is male and female? Why are we so anxious to distance ourselves from the other animals? What obligations, if any, do we owe to them? Is there something within us that condemns us to selfishness and violence? When Sagan and Druyan first undertook this exploration it was "almost with a sense of dread. We found instead reason for hope." This book presents important ideas with the clarity for which the authors are famous. Daring, passionate, with a breathtaking sweep. Shadows is a quest for a new perspective - one that integrates the insights of science into a vision of where we came from, who we are, and what our fate might be.

A man contemplates his deep connection to a house. The unfathomable idea of threshing wheat points to a life lost. And a writer ponders the creation of his narrator. Three Stories—‘His Man and He’, written as Coetzee’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for Literature, ‘A House in Spain’ and ‘Nietverloren’—is the work of a master at his peak. These are stories that embody the essence of our existence.J.M. Coetzee was the first author to win the Booker Prize twice and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003. His work includes Waiting for the Barbarians, Life and Times of Michael K, The Master of Petersburg, Disgrace, Diary of a Bad Year and most recently, The Childhood of Jesus. He lives in Adelaide.‘All [the stories are] impeccably crafted and a joy to read, with the book itself beautifully presented in duck egg blue and inlaid gold too.’ New Daily‘For all the sharpness and sorrow...

Can two people whose dreams have been cast aside find a new passion...together? No one ever expected straight-A student Lauren Taylor to make waves. But that was the old Lauren, before she went to college and became an online stripper to make ends meet. Now, Lauren is on the run with a secret and a bag of cash, fleeing landlocked Arizona for the beaches of California. Will Gabaldon was one of the hottest surfers on the circuit, but fate had something else in mind. When a surfing accident shattered his budding career, Will was forced into a life of tending bar and doing odd jobs just to survive. A swim instructor with secrets like Will is the last thing Lauren wants. A distraction like Lauren is the last thing Will needs. But soon, both discover there’s one thing more dangerous than the wave that ended Will's career: Love.

Three-time New York Times bestselling author Dan Ariely teams up with legendary The New Yorker cartoonist William Haefeli to present an expanded, illustrated collection of his immensely popularWall Street Journal advice column, “Ask Ariely”. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely revolutionized the way we think about ourselves, our minds, and our actions in his books Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, and The Honest Truth about Dishonesty. Ariely applies this scientific analysis of the human condition in his “Ask Ariely” Q & A column in the Wall Street Journal, in which he responds to readers who write in with personal conundrums ranging from the serious to the curious:  What can you do to stay calm when you’re playing the volatile stock market?  What’s the best way to get someone to stop smoking?  How can you maximize the return on your investment at an all-you-can-eat buffet?  Is it possible to put a price on the human soul?  Can you ever rationally justify spending thousands of dollars on a Rolex? In Ask Ariely, a broad variety of economic, ethical, and emotional dilemmas are explored and addressed through text and images. Using their trademark insight and wit, Ariely and Haefeli help us reflect on how we can reason our way through external and internal challenges.  Readers will laugh, learn, and most importantly gain a new perspective on how to deal with the inevitable problems that plague our daily life.

Ah, the London debutante season: giggles and tea-dances, white dresses and inappropriate romances. And much too much champagne. And, apparently, a blackmailer, which is where Inspector Roderick Alleyn comes in. The social whirl is decidedly not Alleyn's environment, so he brings in an assistant in the form of Lord "Bunchy" Gospell, everybody's favorite uncle. Bunchy is more than loveable; he's also got some serious sleuthing skills. But before he can unmask the blackmailer, a murder is announced. And everyone very suddenly stops giggling.

Roderick Alleyn is back in this unique crime novel begun by Ngaio Marsh during the Second World War and now completed by Stella Duffy. Mr Glossop is on his regular run delivering wages to the hospitals scattered across New Zealand's Canterbury plains. When his car breaks down, he is forced to stay the night at Mount Gold Hospital, twenty miles from the nearest town, where soldiers recovering from scarlet fever are giving the nursing staff a hard time. When Mr Glossop's payroll disappears from a locked safe and the hospital's death toll starts to rise faster than normal, can the appearance of an English detective working in counterespionage be just a lucky coincidence or an indication that something more sinister is afoot? Renowned with Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham as one of the four Golden Age 'Crime Queens', Ngaio Marsh published 32 novels featuring Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982. In 1945 she put aside a new...

New Historical Novel from 7-Time Christy Award Winner!In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives when they return to their Virginia plantation. But the bitter realities of life after the war cannot be denied: their home and land are but shells of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. The privileged childhood Josephine enjoyed now seems like a long-ago dream. And the God who failed to answer any of her prayers during the war is lost to her as well.Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak...but a bitter hatred fuels her.With skill and emotion, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of the Reconstruction era by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale.From the Inside Flap"What in the world were you doing? We have not yet sunk so low that you are forced to work outside in the hot sun like a field hand. What will people think of us? Do you want your skin to turn brown and your hands to get all blistered like a slave's?""I'm bored, Mother. There's nothing else to do and I thought I should learn how to put food on our table in case Lizzie decides to leave, too.""There has never been a Weatherly who had to work like a Negro, and so help me God, there never will be."But that's just it, Jo wanted to say. God isn't helping us."Did you know that Otis is Lizzie's husband?" Jo asked. Mother looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "And Roselle is Lizzie's daughter. They have two other children, too.""What in the world is wrong with you? As if it isn't bad enough that you're working with slaves, now you've decided to converse with them, too? Really, Josephine!""They aren't our slaves anymore. They're people. We shouldn't treat them like slaves.""I believe the hot sun has addled your brain. Go splash some cold water on your face and tidy your hair." Mother turned and strode away. Jo followed her down the hall and into the foyer."But we have to change the way we do things, Mother. Nothing is the same as it used to be.""Well, so help me God, I'm going to change everything back." From the Back CoverThe war is over. The South has lost.Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied: her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream.Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak...but a bitter hatred fuels her. Can hope--and a battered faith in God--survive amid the devastation?In her bestselling tradition, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of Reconstruction by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale."Seven-time Christy winner Austin (Wonderland Creek) deftly weaves this story about the Reconstruction era. Strong heroines with depth make this a sure bet not only for CF fans, but mainstream fiction readers as well. Recommend it to readers of Lynn Morris and Sandra Byrd." --*Library Journal"The Reconstruction-era South is realistically recreated." --Publishers Weekly*

From New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo comes a sinfully sexy and suspenseful new four-part serial. Rebecca hasn’t seen or heard from her mob boss father in four years, but she’s about to receive a message from him that will throw her life into chaos. Rebecca thought she left the crime family behind when she went into law enforcement. She never expected to be abducted by a sexy stranger. But this stranger makes an offer too tempting to refuse and soon Rebecca is pulled into one of the most ruthless vendettas of the century. Knox Savage is the sexy billionaire CEO of Knox Security and a notorious playboy. What most don’t know about Knox is that a large portion of his wealth is made helping high-profile criminals escape justice. He makes no judgments about guilt or innocence. And he doesn’t do it for sentimental reasons. But he’s about to take on a case that’s is going to get very personal.

"Cunning and ruthless... Knox is the definition of alpha male." The Knox Series has been completely re-edited and re-released in this second edition to be even better and hotter than ever. Available in Kindle Unlimited for a limited time. Rebecca hasn't seen or heard from her mob boss father in four years, but she's about to receive a message from him that will throw her life into chaos. She thought she left the crime family, and the painful memories, behind when she went into law enforcement. She never expected to be abducted by a smoking hot stranger. But when this stranger makes Rebecca an offer too tempting to refuse, she finds herself dragged into one of the most ruthless vendettas of the century. Knox Savage is well known as the infuriatingly sexy CEO of Knox Security and a notorious bad boy. What most don't know about Knox is that he loves helping high-profile criminals escape justice. He makes no judgments about guilt or innocence. And he doesn't do it for sentimental reasons. But he's about to take on a case that's going to get very personal. WARNING: Due to strong language, graphic violence, and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. BONUS CONTENT: Included with this boxed set is Unmasked: Volume One, the first novel in the Unmasked series. Enjoy!**

At Shadyside High, cheerleading can be a scream!For the first time since the original series, R.L. Stine brings back his most beloved characters—the cheerleaders of Shadyside High.The cheerleading squad at Shadyside has always been strong, but now there are rumors that lack of funds may mean the end of cheerleading at Shadyside. That would be a shame for Heather Wyatt, who has just transferred from her old school, where she was a star, and is eager to join the squad. There's only one other girl who stands in her way—rich, spoiled Devra Dalby, who is also trying out for the one open slot. The competition to join the squad is anything but friendly—and it ends in murder. Will Heather make the squad—if there's even a squad anymore—or will she end up dead?Packed with screams and guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine, this is a terrifying installment in Stine's bestselling Fear Street series.

When an author as successful as Rankin has been with his tough and idiomatic Scottish thrillers, a problem sets in after several books: how to keep the formula fresh. Rankin has delivered a powerful series of books featuring his beleaguered Detective Inspector John Rebus, and while never less than gripping, a certain tiredness seemed to be setting in. Thankfully, Dead Souls is a resounding return to form, with a plot as enjoyably labyrinthine as any Rankin enthusiast could wish for, and pithy dialogue that fairly leaps off the page. Stalking the streets of Edinburgh on the trail of a poisoner, Rebus hits upon a freed pedophile and his subsequent outing of the man leaves him with very mixed feelings. But another problem develops for Rebus: a convicted murderer has him in his sights for some lethal games. And the tabloid press lionizing of Rebus won't help him in this situation. As always, Rankin is perfectly ready to tackle contentious issues--precisely the thing that gives his books their powerful sense of veracity. And Rebus, no longer in danger of having a soap opera-like accumulation of personal problems, seems as fresh and well-observed a character as in those first exhilarating books. Rankin has caught his form again, with even more assurance. 

Best friends don't lie.Best friends don't ditch you for a guy.Best friends don't post your deepest darkest secret online.Bailey's falling head-over-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she's never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn't trust smooth-talking Ryder. He's just a picture-less profile.When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it's time to prove Ryder's a phony.But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question: Who is Ryder West?Praise for Send:"Blount's debut novel combines an authentic voice with compelling moral dilemmas." —VOYA"A dark, captivating, and powerful story!" —Crazy Bookworm