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This volume provides data and analysis on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Central and West Asia to help policymakers support the development of these businesses. The development of MSMEs remains key to promoting inclusive growth in developing economies in Asia and the Pacific. The Asia Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Monitor (ASM) serves as a resource for evidence-based policy design on MSME development. The ASM 2022 focuses on Central and West Asia. This volume reviews the financial and nonfinancial conditions of MSMEs at country and regional level. It highlights the need for increased lending to MSMEs with better loan assets, enhanced job creation, expanded foreign trade of MSMEs, strengthened digital infrastructure, and greater MSME productivity.
This report explains why strengthening the governance around public investment management is central to cutting inefficiencies and unblocking the climate finance needed to narrow Asia and the Pacific's gaping infrastructure gap. Outlining how adaptation and mitigation should be woven into more inclusive investment planning, it explains why private investment should be combined with public resources to better tackle the climate and investment shortfall. It shows why a stronger understanding of climate data and risk analysis can help drive transparent and accountable climate-responsive investment in order to finance a solid pipeline of resilient infrastructure projects.
This report explores the benefits of Asia and the Pacific's coral reefs, outlines the myriad risks they face from climate change, pollution, and development, and considers how nature-positive investments can finance their protection and restoration. Outlining how over 85% of the region's reefs are under threat, the report looks at the first ever insurance policy taken out on coral reefs in Mexico and considers how parametric insurance can be adopted in the region. Focused on managing degraded and disaster-damaged reefs, it shows how innovative products including catastrophe bonds and blue carbon credit can protect critical ecosystem services and enhance coastal resilience.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit India in three waves between 2020 and 2022 with severe socioeconomic impact, particularly on poor and vulnerable people. The Government of India's response over different phases of the pandemic was comprehensive and graded. As its long-standing partner, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) proactively supported the government's strategic, multisectoral, and well planned intervention. ADB effectively realigned its operational priorities and internal business processes to provide swift, systematic, and concerted support during this period to help India deal with the immediate and long-term pandemic impacts.
This guidance note explains why countries in Asia and the Pacific should use technology, including remote sensing and artificial intelligence, to reform property tax management and help strengthen public finances. Outlining why property tax is a stable revenue source, it shows how technology can be used to roll out computerized mass appraisal systems, automated value modeling, and integrated land information systems. It assesses the complex hurdles and financial constraints facing countries and shows how the Asian Development Bank is helping better integrate land management into wider e-government systems.
This report explores how economic forces are affecting cross-border flows of goods and services and the movement of people in Asia and the Pacific. It looks at the extent to which various challenges are prompting deeper economic links. This year's theme chapter focuses on decarbonizing global value chains, exploring how policymakers can minimize emissions while maximizing the economic advantages of global production networks. It evaluates the impact of initiatives like the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for Asian subregions, suggesting the use of carbon pricing, accounting mechanisms for embedded emissions, increased trade cooperation, upgraded technology, and international cooperation for technology transfer to reduce CO2 emissions.
"Pythonic AI" is a book that teaches you how to build AI models using Python. It also includes practical projects in different domains so you can see how AI is used in the real world. Besides teaching how to build AI models, the book also teaches how to understand and explore the opportunities that AI presents. It includes several hands-on projects that walk you through successful AI applications, explaining concepts like neural networks, computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and generative models. Each project in the book also reiterates and reinforces the important aspects of Python scripting. You'll learn Python coding and how it can be used to build cutting-edge AI applications. The author explains each essential line of Python code in detail, taking into account the importance and difficulty of understanding. By the end of the book, you will learn how to develop a portfolio of AI projects that will help you land your dream job in AI.
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A poignant, personal reflection on basketball, life, and home—from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America “Mesmerizing . . . not only the most original sports book I’ve ever read but one of the most moving books I’ve ever read, period.”—Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.” There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A poignant, personal reflection on basketball, life, and home—from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America “Mesmerizing . . . not only the most original sports book I’ve ever read but one of the most moving books I’ve ever read, period.”—Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.” There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
The remarkable true story of a father who moved heaven and earth to help his wife and son escape Chinese persecution and bring them to safety in Australia. 'An awe-inspiring story of a father who never gave up hope of rescuing his wife and son from a genocidal regime' - Craig Foster AM, former Socceroos captain In a remote area of deserts and mountains where the Silk Road once ran, China has built the world's largest prison. The Uyghur population of Xinjiang is being systematically rounded up, with as many as a million citizens being held in detention. In Australia, Sadam was desperate to keep his wife Nadila and their baby son out of detention, but the clock was ticking. Sadam came to Australia as a political refugee, settling into the community and becoming a citizen. Then he returned to Xinjiang for a visit and met Nadila. Shortly afterwards, China's government began its massive crackdown on the Uyghurs. Nadila was trapped in Xinjiang with their newborn son Lutfi. This is the epic story of Sadam's efforts to reunite his family. For a long time he battled indifference from both Australian and Chinese authorities, but with the assistance of Michael Bradley's legal team the obstacles were eventually cleared. Then came a nail-biting long journey for Nadila and Lutfi. Freeing My Family is an amazing true story with the happiest ending anyone could want. 'Against all odds, Sadam achieved the impossible ... a raw insight' - Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch.
A beautifully written new crime thriller you won't want to miss! In a quiet village, darkness is closing in... A rural paradise... Detective Jake Jackson moved to the countryside for a quieter life. And he finally seems to have his wish – spending his days immersed in nature, and his evenings lazing by the fire. A terrifying secret... But the return of an old case shatters the calm, and pulls him into the shadowy world of a secretive group serving the extravagant whims of the elite. An enemy closes in... As the web around Jake tightens, he must determine who he can really trust in his small community. Or else he will learn just how far the elite will go to protect their secrets. Praise for Death in a Lonely Place 'Loved this. Multiple layers of delight for crime fiction fans' Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher 'Abell is a skilled storyteller and it's easy to fall into the pages of Death in a Lonely Place. Highly recommend' Karin Slaughter, creator of Will Trent 'What a joy to spend time with these characters again! An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series' Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment 'A truly fiendish conspiracy, a heroic ex-police officer with a turbulent love life, multiple references to classic crime writing and utterly beautiful descriptive prose that brings Jake Jackson's world to life: it's hard to think of a more enjoyable combination of elements for crime-fiction lovers' Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series 'A darkly elegant, thrilling, escapist slice of countryside crime. I adore this series' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End 'A wonderful tale, magnificently told' Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man 'Like fine wine, the series gets better and better as it develops. The narrative carries you along like a runaway train. Beautifully written, as ever, and with a twist that truly knocked me sideways' Andrew Taylor, author of The Ashes of London 'Very recommendable' Financial Times.
A beautifully written new crime thriller you won't want to miss! In a quiet village, darkness is closing in... A rural paradise... Detective Jake Jackson moved to the countryside for a quieter life. And he finally seems to have his wish – spending his days immersed in nature, and his evenings lazing by the fire. A terrifying secret... But the return of an old case shatters the calm, and pulls him into the shadowy world of a secretive group serving the extravagant whims of the elite. An enemy closes in... As the web around Jake tightens, he must determine who he can really trust in his small community. Or else he will learn just how far the elite will go to protect their secrets. Praise for Death in a Lonely Place 'Loved this. Multiple layers of delight for crime fiction fans' Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher 'Abell is a skilled storyteller and it's easy to fall into the pages of Death in a Lonely Place. Highly recommend' Karin Slaughter, creator of Will Trent 'What a joy to spend time with these characters again! An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series' Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment 'A truly fiendish conspiracy, a heroic ex-police officer with a turbulent love life, multiple references to classic crime writing and utterly beautiful descriptive prose that brings Jake Jackson's world to life: it's hard to think of a more enjoyable combination of elements for crime-fiction lovers' Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series 'A darkly elegant, thrilling, escapist slice of countryside crime. I adore this series' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End 'A wonderful tale, magnificently told' Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man 'Like fine wine, the series gets better and better as it develops. The narrative carries you along like a runaway train. Beautifully written, as ever, and with a twist that truly knocked me sideways' Andrew Taylor, author of The Ashes of London 'Very recommendable' Financial Times.
Take your machine learning expertise to the next level with this essential guide, utilizing libraries like imbalanced-learn, PyTorch, scikit-learn, pandas, and NumPy to maximize model performance and tackle imbalanced data Key Features Understand how to use modern machine learning frameworks with detailed explanations, illustrations, and code samples Learn cutting-edge deep learning techniques to overcome data imbalance Explore different methods for dealing with skewed data in ML and DL applications Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in the PDF format Book DescriptionAs machine learning practitioners, we often encounter imbalanced datasets in which one class has considerably fewer instances than the other. Many machine learning algorithms assume an equilibrium between majority and minority classes, leading to suboptimal performance on imbalanced data. This comprehensive guide helps you address this class imbalance to significantly improve model performance. Machine Learning for Imbalanced Data begins by introducing you to the challenges posed by imbalanced datasets and the importance of addressing these issues. It then guides you through techniques that enhance the performance of classical machine learning models when using imbalanced data, including various sampling and cost-sensitive learning methods. As you progress, you'll delve into similar and more advanced techniques for deep learning models, employing PyTorch as the primary framework. Throughout the book, hands-on examples will provide working and reproducible code that'll demonstrate the practical implementation of each technique. By the end of this book, you'll be adept at identifying and addressing class imbalances and confidently applying various techniques, including sampling, cost-sensitive techniques, and threshold adjustment, while using traditional machine learning or deep learning models.What you will learn Use imbalanced data in your machine learning models effectively Explore the metrics used when classes are imbalanced Understand how and when to apply various sampling methods such as over-sampling and under-sampling Apply data-based, algorithm-based, and hybrid approaches to deal with class imbalance Combine and choose from various options for data balancing while avoiding common pitfalls Understand the concepts of model calibration and threshold adjustment in the context of dealing with imbalanced datasets Who this book is for This book is for machine learning practitioners who want to effectively address the challenges of imbalanced datasets in their projects. Data scientists, machine learning engineers/scientists, research scientists/engineers, and data scientists/engineers will find this book helpful. Though complete beginners are welcome to read this book, some familiarity with core machine learning concepts will help readers maximize the benefits and insights gained from this comprehensive resource. . ]]>
Dive into the dynamic realm of AI governance with this groundbreaking book. Offering cutting-edge insights, it explores the intricate intersection of artificial intelligence and international law. Readers gain invaluable perspectives on navigating the evolving AI landscape, understanding global legal dynamics, and delving into the nuances of responsible AI governance. Packed with pragmatic approaches, the book is an essential guide for professionals, policymakers, and scholars seeking a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the global legal arena.The book begins by examining the fundamental concepts of AI ethics and its recognition within international law. It then delves into the challenges of governing AI in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, highlighting the need for pragmatic and flexible approaches to AI regulation. Subsequent chapters explore the diverse perspectives on AI classification and recognition, from legal visibility frameworks to the ISAIL Classifications of Artificial Intelligence. The book also examines the far-reaching implications of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and digital colonialism, addressing the ethical dilemmas and potential dangers of these emerging technologies.In conclusion, the book proposes a path toward self-regulation and offers soft law recommendations to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI. It emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and collaboration in addressing the ethical and legal challenges posed by AI, ensuring that AI's transformative power is harnessed for the benefit of all humanity.
Cheats. Liars. Fakes. Friends? A breathtaking contemporary YA thriller – serious questions and hot romance in an irresistible twisty mystery. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, We Were Liars and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Jo used to be the perfect high-school girl – class president, popular, bright and successful. But when nude photos of her were leaked to the entire school, her grades plummeted, her friends fell away and now she's a reckless, difficult social outcast. The girl who 'deserved' it. Then her former best friend Maddie disappears. Everyone else assumes Maddie has just run away but that doesn't add up to Jo. To discover the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the group of classmates who have shut her out: the boys who betrayed her and the clique of girls who whisper behind her back. And she has to make it look as if she wants to be there. The only way back in is through Hudson. An old fling with his own reasons for finding Maddie, he persuades Jo to fake date him. And it works. But as the truth about Maddie's disappearance comes to light, so do long-hidden secrets from Jo's past. Who is Jo really trying to find-Maddie, or the girl she herself used to be? 'Both a twisty mystery and a compelling, heartbreaking exploration of what it's like to be a teen girl. I absolutely loved this.' Ravena Guron, author of This Book Kills 'Edgy and authentic, this [is a] stunning punch of a novel' Publishers Weekly 'Compulsively readable, this is a must-read for lovers of YA mysteries' Booklist.
This beginner-oriented book will help you understand and perform anomaly detection by learning cutting-edge machine learning and deep learning techniques. This updated second edition focuses on supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised approaches to anomaly detection. Over the course of the book, you will learn how to use Keras and PyTorch in practical applications. It also introduces new chapters on GANs and transformers to reflect the latest trends in deep learning. Beginning Anomaly Detection Using Python-Based Deep Learning begins with an introduction to anomaly detection, its importance, and its applications. It then covers core data science and machine learning modeling concepts before delving into traditional machine learning algorithms such as OC-SVM and Isolation Forest for anomaly detection using scikit-learn. Following this, the authors explain the essentials of machine learning and deep learning, and how to implement multilayer perceptrons for supervised anomaly detection in both Keras and PyTorch. From here, the focus shifts to the applications of deep learning models for anomaly detection, including various types of autoencoders, recurrent neural networks (via LSTM), temporal convolutional networks, and transformers, with the latter three architectures applied to time-series anomaly detection. This edition has a new chapter on GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), as well as new material covering transformer architecture in the context of time-series anomaly detection. After completing this book, you will have a thorough understanding of anomaly detection as well as an assortment of methods to approach it in various contexts, including time-series data. Additionally, you will have gained an introduction to scikit-learn, GANs, transformers, Keras, and PyTorch, empowering you to create your own machine learning- or deep learning-based anomaly detectors. What You Will Learn Understand what anomaly detection is, why it it is important, and how it is applied Grasp the core concepts of machine learning. Master traditional machine learning approaches to anomaly detection using scikit-kearn. Understand deep learning in Python using Keras and PyTorch Process data through pandas and evaluate your model's performance using metrics like F1-score, precision, and recall Apply deep learning to supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised anomaly detection tasks for tabular datasets and time series applications Who This Book Is For Data scientists and machine learning engineers of all levels of experience interested in learning the basics of deep learning applications in anomaly detection.
Brought to you by Penguin. A major new history of Britain that will transform our understanding of this country's past Despite the best efforts of researchers and campaigners, there remains today a steadfast tendency to reduce the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain to a simple story: it is one that begins in 1948 with the arrival of a single ship, the Empire Windrush, and continues mostly apart from a distinct British history, overlapping only on occasion amid grotesque injustice or pioneering protest. Yet, as acclaimed historian Hakim Adi demonstrates, from the very beginning, from the moment humans first stood on this rainy isle, there have been African and Caribbean men and women set at Britain's heart. Libyan legionaries patrolled Hadrian's Wall while Rome's first 'African Emperor' died in York. In Elizabethan England, 'Black Tudors' served in the land's most eminent households while intrepid African explorers helped Sir Francis Drake to circumnavigate the globe. And, as Britain became a major colonial and commercial power, it was African and Caribbean people who led the radical struggle for freedom - a struggle which raged throughout the twentieth century and continues today in Black Lives Matter campaigns. Charting a course through British history with an unobscured view of the actions of African and Caribbean people, Adi reveals how much our greatest collective achievements - universal suffrage, our victory over fascism, the forging of the NHS - owe to these men and women, and how, in understanding our history in these terms, we are more able to fully understand our present moment. © Hakim Adi 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE A major new history of Britain that transforms our understanding of this country's past ' I've waited so long so read a comprehensively researched book about Black history on this island. This is it: a journey of discovery and a truly exciting and important work' Zainab Abbas Despite the best efforts of researchers and campaigners, there remains today a steadfast tendency to reduce the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain to a simple story: it is one that begins in 1948 with the arrival of a single ship, the Empire Windrush, and continues mostly apart from a distinct British history, overlapping only on occasion amid grotesque injustice or pioneering protest. Yet, as acclaimed historian Hakim Adi demonstrates, from the very beginning, from the moment humans first stood on this rainy isle, there have been African and Caribbean men and women set at Britain's heart. Libyan legionaries patrolled Hadrian's Wall while Rome's first 'African Emperor' died in York. In Elizabethan England, 'Black Tudors' served in the land's most eminent households while intrepid African explorers helped Sir Francis Drake to circumnavigate the globe. And, as Britain became a major colonial and commercial power, it was African and Caribbean people who led the radical struggle for freedom - a struggle which raged throughout the twentieth century and continues today in Black Lives Matter campaigns. Charting a course through British history with an unobscured view of the actions of African and Caribbean people, Adi reveals how much our greatest collective achievements - universal suffrage, our victory over fascism, the forging of the NHS - owe to these men and women, and how, in understanding our history in these terms, we are more able to fully understand our present moment.
"The perfect alchemy of romance, humor and quirky originality."— Sophie Cousens , New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year and The Good Part "A sincere and sincerely funny romance."—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes . Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best (read: wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she'd like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if "cleansing" the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who's she to say no? Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn't the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with Everett: the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that's had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s. Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen's strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she's beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her life: being fully, genuinely herself. “Sarah Adler nails the ultimate rom-com alchemy.”—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake.
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 A Most Anticipated Summer Read by Today ∙ Barnes & Noble ∙ BookRiot ∙ GoodReads ∙ Culturess ∙ and more! A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love. Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process. She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion. After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone. But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.
"The perfect alchemy of romance, humor and quirky originality."— Sophie Cousens , New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year and The Good Part "A sincere and sincerely funny romance."—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes . Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best (read: wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she'd like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if "cleansing" the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who's she to say no? Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn't the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with Everett: the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that's had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s. Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen's strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she's beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her life: being fully, genuinely herself. “Sarah Adler nails the ultimate rom-com alchemy.”—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake.
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 A Most Anticipated Summer Read by Today ∙ Barnes & Noble ∙ BookRiot ∙ GoodReads ∙ Culturess ∙ and more! A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love. Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process. She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion. After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone. But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.
Agememnon is the first part of the Aeschylus's Orestian trilogy in which the leader of the Greek army returns from the Trojan war to be murdered by his treacherous wife Clytemnestra. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex the king sets out to uncover the cause of the plague that has struck his city, only to disover the devastating truth about his relationship with his mother and his father. Medea is the terrible story of a woman's bloody revenge on her adulterous husband through the murder of her own children.
Funny, thought-provoking and bursting with curiosity, Wise Up! Wise Down! is a lively conversation between two internationally renowned poets, illustrated by treasured artist Satoshi Kitamura. How can laughter be more powerful than a sword? Why do days have names but not weeks? And do pigeons ever get a craving for cake? Two friends, internationally acclaimed poets John Agard and JonArno Lawson, take us on an inspiring, hilarious and wondrous journey through poetry, asking questions and attempting answers as they discover that life really is a forever and ever adventure. Praise for Wise Up! Wise Down! "Curious minds will love the poems... Poetry at its most creative and versatile is what readers will discover in this most wonderous journey through words, ideas and pictures ~ on the page and in the mind." Armadillo Magazine "A fun collection of poetry." Left on the Shelf "Three awesome creative people from children's literature have collaborated on what is sure to become a favourite poetry book for many readers ... A terrific book." Red Reading Hub.
Founder of MissMalini Have you ever been trolled on social media? Received comments that have upset you? Ever been body-shamed? Founder of the popular lifestyle blog MissMalini, Malini Aggarwal has experienced the Internet at its best and worst. As a pioneering content creator, she has seen tremendous success and also made mistakes on the medium - and she's learnt vital lessons from it all. In Under the Influence: How to Survive and Thrive Online, Malini deep dives into the psychology of rampant online hate culture, explaining why it exists and provides practical tools to tackle it. With insight and empathy, she guides today's users on how to deal with trolls and cancel culture, respond to hate and provocation, and combat negativity with positive action and mindfulness. Complete with interviews with prominent influencers and psychologists, personality self-assessment tests and interactive quizzes, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone navigating the complex battlefield that is social media today.
Socially desirable responding (SDR) is an often-reported source of bias in survey interviews. It describes the tendency of a respondent to answer in a way that is socially desirable rather than to answer truthfully. This response bias also threatens the reliability and validity of survey-based environmental valuation techniques such as the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Therefore, the study deals with the assessment of the conditions for the occurrence of SDR in CVM interviews. A behavioral model is devised to take into account a set of factors triggering SDR responses. The impact of these factors of SDR on willingness to pay (WTP) responses is tested. The results reveal that the relevant factors do not affect WTP statements simultaneously but rather influence them in an independent manner. These findings can improve future CVM studies by identifying respondents who are prone to be influenced by SDR.
Increase your positive energy at work—and help your team do the same In The Energy of Success , award-winning energy expert Rebecca Ahmed reveals precisely how to shift your physical, emotional, and mental potential through proven, easy-to-use strategies you can start using today. When you learn to shift your own and your team's energy (even if you are not in charge!), you will immediately increase their joy and enthusiasm, transform your workplace, and infuse positivity into your workplace...for everyone. In the book, you'll find five energetic success principles and practical steps you can take immediately to improve your life and the positive influence you can have on the people around you. You'll also discover: Key takeaways to empower others and prepare and control your own personal energy levels at work Critical insights into how you can shift your employees' focus from dwelling on challenges to innovating and communicating solutions Ways to control your responses and reactions to external factors at work, at home, and everywhere else Perfect for employees of all levels, The Energy of Success is a must-read resource for professionals everywhere who hope to change and improve their energy to unlock new levels of success and happiness.
This is the remarkable memoir of Michael Ainslie, a man who has always embraced the adventures and misadventures of business and life. In A Nose for Trouble , he describes his personal experience with several high profile events, including the 2008 bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers: He was one of ten people in the Lehman boardroom on the evening of September 14, 2008 who saw firsthand the events that led to the largest bankruptcy filing in US history. And he offers readers an insider's view of the situations surrounding the price-fixing scandal between Sotheby's and Christie's, a scandal that rocked the art world and sent the ex-chair of Sotheby's to prison. Ainslie also shares about his early beginnings in life; his career as president, CEO, and board member across numerous companies and institutions; and his work to transform kids' lives through the Posse Foundation. Whether he's being carried out of his high school graduation on a stretcher, escaping a riot in Vietnam, facing death threats in NYC, battling a worldwide oil embargo, meeting with First Lady Nancy Reagan on the day her husband was shot, or revamping the USTA, Ainslie's memoir shows that sometimes, the greatest lessons in life are a direct result of the adversities we face. A Nose for Trouble is about accepting a challenge, redefining misfortune, and rising above. In this fascinating life story of leadership and change, Michael Ainslie teaches readers that the best parts of ourselves often come out of our hardest moments.
This book presents select research writings from researchers and professionals around the globe on the application, potential, and limitations of AI in different domains. The topics covered include AI in product design, AI in architecture design, AI in textile design, AI in interaction design, and AI for society in general. The book also discusses various cross-applications of AI in other industrial sectors like urban planning and design, AI for inclusive future, etc. The book is a valuable reference for designers in multidisciplinary areas. This book is of interest for anyone who is a beginner, researcher, and professional interested in artificial intelligence and allied fields.
A mysterious cursed spirit with a grudge against Maki flies into Sakurajima Colony. It evolves with incredible speed from cursed womb to adult form and threatens to overwhelm Maki and Noritoshi. Just then, two more combatants join the battle......Rated:T+
This essential audiobook is a rallying cry for women to recognize and reject the ways social media is being weaponized against us — and instead wield it to empower ourselves. In Over the Influence , communication professor and CNN Opinion contributor Kara Alaimo reveals how social media is affecting every aspect of the lives of women and girls—from our relationships and our parenting to our physical and mental well-being. Over the Influence is an audiobook about what it means to live in the world social media has wrought—whether you’re constantly connected or have deleted your accounts forever. Alaimo shows why you’re likely to get fewer followers if you’re a woman. She explains how fake news is crafted to prey on women’s vulnerabilities. She reveals why so much of the content we find in our feeds is specifically designed to hold us back. And she explains how social media has made the offline world an uglier place for women. But we can change this. Alaimo offers up brilliant advice for how to get over the influence—how to handle our daughters’ use of social media, use dating apps to find the partners we’re looking for, use social networks to bolster our careers, and protect ourselves from sextortionists, catfishers, and trolls. She also explains what we need to demand from lawmakers and tech companies. Over the Influence calls on women to recognize and call out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) sexism and misogyny we find online, reject misinformation that is targeted to us because of our gender, and use our platforms to empower ourselves and other women.
A perilous and fantastical satire of banned books, secret archives, and the looming eye of an all-powerful government. The new book censor hasn't slept soundly in weeks. By day he combs through manuscripts at a government office, looking for anything that would make a book unfit to publish—allusions to queerness, unapproved religions, any mention of life before the Revolution. By night the characters of literary classics crowd his dreams, and pilfered novels pile up in the house he shares with his wife and daughter. As the siren song of forbidden reading continues to beckon, he descends into a netherworld of resistance fighters, undercover booksellers, and outlaw librarians trying to save their history and culture. Reckoning with the global threat to free speech and the bleak future it all but guarantees, Bothayna Al-Essa marries the steely dystopia of Orwell's 1984 with the madcap absurdity of Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, resulting in a dreadful twist worthy of Kafka. The Book Censor's Library is a warning call and a love letter to stories and the delicious act of losing oneself in them.
In the Black Mountains of Pakistan, the discovery of an unconscious, unknown man is the first snowball in an avalanche of chaos. The head of the village is beset with problems – including the injured stranger – and failing to find his way out. His daughter receives a love letter and incurs her father's wrath. A lame boy foretells disaster, but nobody is listening. Trapped in terrible danger, a wolf-dog is battling ice and death to save a soldier's life. Beaten by her addict husband for bearing him only daughters, a woman is pregnant again – but can this child save her? All the while, the spirits of the mountains keep a baleful eye on the doings of the humans. In a land woven with myth, chained with tradition and afflicted by ongoing conflict and the march of progress, can the villagers find a way to co-exist with nature that doesn't destroy either of them?.
A leading advocate for social justice excavates the history of forced migration in the twelve American towns she’s called home, revealing how White supremacy has fundamentally shaped the nation. “At a time when many would rather ban or bury the truth, Ali-Khan bravely faces it in this bracing and necessary book.”—Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Homeland Elegies Sofia Ali-Khan’s parents emigrated from Pakistan to America, believing it would be a good country . With a nerdy interest in American folk history and a devotion to the rule of law, Ali-Khan would pursue a career in social justice, serving some of America’s most vulnerable communities. By the time she had children of her own—having lived, worked, and worshipped in twelve different towns across the nation—Ali-Khan felt deeply American, maybe even a little extra American for having seen so much of the country. But in the wake of 9/11, and on the cusp of the 2016 election, Ali-Khan’s dream of a good life felt under constant threat. As the vitriolic attacks on Islam and Muslims intensified, she wondered if the American dream had ever applied to families like her own, and if she had gravely misunderstood her home. In A Good Country , Ali-Khan revisits the color lines in each of her twelve towns, unearthing the half-buried histories of forced migration that still shape every state, town, and reservation in America today. From the surprising origins of America’s Chinatowns, the expulsion of Maroon and Seminole people during the conquest of Florida, to Virginia’s stake in breeding humans for sale, Ali-Khan reveals how America’s settler colonial origins have defined the law and landscape to maintain a White America. She braids this historical exploration with her own story, providing an intimate perspective on the modern racialization of American Muslims and why she chose to leave the United States. Equal parts memoir, history, and current events, A Good Country presents a vital portrait of our nation, its people, and the pathway to a better future.
Louise gets a frantic call to take in a damaged and destructive young girl. Separated from her siblings, Sparkle is hostile and angry. A short while after settling in, Sparkle begins to identify as pansexual. A revolution is underway in the Allen household, with Sparkle's transition motivating all of the young people to explore what becoming an adult means for them. But it's Sparkle's escalating behaviour that causes concern. Discovering a dark fact about Sparkle's birth and the shocking events that the children in her house were part of, Louise is desperate for more help – and not just for the child in her care. As Sparkle's erratic and violent behaviour increases, Louise finds herself and her homelife under serious threat.
From Tony Hillerman Prize-winning author Samantha Jayne Allen comes Next of Kin, a mesmerizing novel set in a hardscrabble Texas town, where the past is never far away. At a gathering for her cousin's wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question: what really makes us who we are, nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents, and that question is on his mind. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change. When Annie discovers her client's father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried. As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think.
Feedback keeps learning moving forward. You have the power to improve everything about teaching and learning—through excellent feedback. Make it precise. Timely. Actionable. Feedback is absolutely necessary for learning, and is the one ingredient that, if missing, will hinder the learning process. In this Playbook, you will not only learn how to give effective feedback—but have abundant opportunities to practice this skill (and get feedback) as you learn. Bestselling authors John Almarode, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey brilliantly organize this resource into 16 modules on the 4 C's of Feedback: Care — create a culture in which teachers, students and leaders embrace feedback as a continuous loop of giving, receiving, and integrating suggestions Credibility — know how to stoke relatability, dynamism, and trust—and avoid the three most common barriers to students' acting on feedback Clarity — align your learning goals, success criteria, and strategies so you gain the most useful evidence during learning from which to generate feedback. Communication — give feedback with intention, by speaking to the task; or to the learner's process, or to the learner's ability to monitor their own progress. Feedback is futile unless it motivates students to change their approach the next time, and still love learning. With the How Feedback Works: A Playbook you have the essential guide to ensuring students go-get their highest potential.
Harness the power of AI with innovative, real-world applications, and unprecedented productivity boosts, powered by the latest advancements in AI technology like ChatGPT and OpenAI Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Key Features Explore the theory behind generative AI models and the road to GPT3 and GPT4 Become familiar with ChatGPT's applications to boost everyday productivity Learn to embed OpenAI models into applications using lightweight frameworks like LangChain Book DescriptionGenerative AI models and AI language models are becoming increasingly popular due to their unparalleled capabilities. This book will provide you with insights into the inner workings of the LLMs and guide you through creating your own language models. You'll start with an introduction to the field of generative AI, helping you understand how these models are trained to generate new data. Next, you'll explore use cases where ChatGPT can boost productivity and enhance creativity. You'll learn how to get the best from your ChatGPT interactions by improving your prompt design and leveraging zero, one, and few-shots learning capabilities. The use cases are divided into clusters of marketers, researchers, and developers, which will help you apply what you learn in this book to your own challenges faster. You'll also discover enterprise-level scenarios that leverage OpenAI models' APIs available on Azure infrastructure; both generative models like GPT-3 and embedding models like Ada. For each scenario, you'll find an end-to-end implementation with Python, using Streamlit as the frontend and the LangChain SDK to facilitate models' integration into your applications. By the end of this book, you'll be well equipped to use the generative AI field and start using ChatGPT and OpenAI models' APIs in your own projects.What you will learn Understand generative AI concepts from basic to intermediate level Focus on the GPT architecture for generative AI models Maximize ChatGPT's value with an effective prompt design Explore applications and use cases of ChatGPT Use OpenAI models and features via API calls Build and deploy generative AI systems with Python Leverage Azure infrastructure for enterprise-level use cases Ensure responsible AI and ethics in generative AI systems Who this book is for This book is for individuals interested in boosting their daily productivity; businesspersons looking to dive deeper into real-world applications to empower their organizations; data scientists and developers trying to identify ways to boost ML models and code; marketers and researchers seeking to leverage use cases in their domain – all by using Chat GPT and OpenAI Models. A basic understanding of Python is required; however, the book provides theoretical descriptions alongside sections with code so that the reader can learn the concrete use case application without running the scripts. . ]]>
"Authentic, Practical Advice for the Biggest Struggles You Face There's never been a more complex and confusing time to navigate adulthood than right now, but what if it didn't have to be confusing for you? It's possible to live the happy and healthy life that God has for you, and this step-by-step guide helps you get there. In her debut book, Christian YouTuber, podcaster, and Bible teacher Jeanine Amapola shows you how. Jeanine shares stories she's never shared before about her journey to find freedom from her secret struggles, poor choices, and toxic relationships. Tackling everything from dating and friendship to body image, faith, and career choices, Jeanine offers authentic, biblical advice to help you · make wise decisions to set you up for success in every aspect of life · learn better habits to become more disciplined and healthier · break free from your struggles and hang-ups · challenge yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to become all God has called you to be Living happy and healthy isn't complicated. You, too, can overcome any challenge you face—and live the full, fruitful, and free life you were created for. ""Jeanine is a bright light in her generation who brings insight and truth in this stunning debut. It's the book I wish I had when I was starting out. Gift this book to all the young women in your life.""—LYSA TERKEURST, #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries"
This book will teach you the underlying concepts of large language models (LLMs), as well as the technologies associated with them. The book starts with an introduction to the rise of conversational AIs such as ChatGPT, and how they are related to the broader spectrum of large language models. From there, you will learn about natural language processing (NLP), its core concepts, and how it has led to the rise of LLMs. Next, you will gain insight into transformers and how their characteristics, such as self-attention, enhance the capabilities of language modeling, along with the unique capabilities of LLMs. The book concludes with an exploration of the architectures of various LLMs and the opportunities presented by their ever-increasing capabilities—as well as the dangers of their misuse. After completing this book, you will have a thorough understanding of LLMs and will be ready to take your first steps in implementing them into your own projects. What You Will Learn Grasp the underlying concepts of LLMs Gain insight into how the concepts and approaches of NLP have evolved over the years Understand transformer models and attention mechanisms Explore different types of LLMs and their applications Understand the architectures of popular LLMs Delve into misconceptions and concerns about LLMs, as well as how to best utilize them Who This Book Is For Anyone interested in learning the foundational concepts of NLP, LLMs, and recent advancements of deep learning.
An incisive look into the early Buddhist teachings on emptiness, and a manual for bringing those teachings into our everyday lives. Before the growth of the Mahayana and the Perfection of Wisdom, the Buddha gave his own teachings, to his attendant Ananda, on the importance of emptiness (Pali sunnata , Sanskrit sunyata ) in formal meditation and everyday practice. In this volume, renowned scholar-monk Bhikkhu Analayo explores these teachings and shows us how to integrate them into our lives. Bhikkhu Analayo draws from instructions found in the Greater and the Smaller Discourses on Emptiness (the Mahasunnatasutta and the Culasunnatasutta ). In each chapter, he provides a translation of a pertinent excerpt from the discourses, follows this with clear and precise explanations of the text, and concludes by offering instructions for practice. Step by step, beginning with daily life and concluding with Nirvana, Bhikkhu Analayo unpacks the Buddha's teachings on the foundational teaching of emptiness.
A project team is critical to project success which in turn leads to success of an organization. Projects are routinely conceived and executed to operationalize strategic objectives of organizations. Managing a project is challenging, as project managers and project team deal with both internal and external challenges. Complicating it further, developing, managing, and leading teams for traditional and agile projects are quite different. Furthermore, virtual teams present additional challenges for managing global projects. Additional challenges arise when many generations from Baby Boomers to Generation Y work together in the workplace today. A systematic structuring and developing project teams is critical for successful project performance and for a strong collaborative team effort. This book details: Team development Team process Team performance Social and behavioral skills Project Teams addresses all these topics in detail and offers a practical approach to managing projects successfully in the current business environment by including concepts, processes, techniques, and tools to manage and enhance performance of project teams and projects. This book is for project management professionals and management in the corporate world and will also be a useful resource for academic institutions in teaching management and project management disciplines.
From the award-winning author of Five Points and City of Dreams , a breathtaking new history of the Irish immigrants who arrived in the United States during the Great Potato Famine, showing how their strivings in and beyond New York exemplify the astonishing tenacity and improbable triumph of Irish America. In 1845, a fungus began to destroy Ireland's potato crop, triggering a famine that would kill one million Irish men, women, and children—and drive over one million more to flee for America. Ten years later, the United States had been transformed by this stupendous migration, nowhere more than New York: by 1855, roughly a third of all adults living in Manhattan were immigrants who had escaped the hunger in Ireland. These so-called "Famine Irish" were the forebears of four U.S. presidents (including Joe Biden) yet when they arrived in America they were consigned to the lowest-paying jobs and subjected to discrimination and ridicule by their new countrymen. Even today, the popular perception of these immigrants is one of destitution and despair. But when we let the Famine Irish narrate their own stories, they paint a far different picture. In this magisterial work of storytelling and scholarship, acclaimed historian Tyler Anbinder presents for the first time the Famine generation's individual and collective tales of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Drawing on newly available records and a ten-year research initiative, Anbinder reclaims the narratives of the refugees who settled in New York City and helped reshape the entire nation. Plentiful Country is a tour de force—a book that rescues the Famine immigrants from the margins of history and restores them to their rightful place at the center of the American story.
Riding the Crypto Memecoins Wave: Welcome to the first installment of the "Riding the Crypto Memecoins Wave" series, where we explore the latest and most exciting trends in the cryptocurrency universe. In this edition, we delve into the vibrant and often unpredictable world of meme coins – a phenomenon that has taken the crypto market by storm. "Meme coins" – digital currencies inspired by internet jokes, pop culture references, and viral trends – have evolved from being niche tokens to influential players in the financial market. This book provides an in-depth exploration of the rise and role of many more emerging memecoins in the crypto sky. We unravel the unique attributes that define meme coins, their community-driven nature, and their speculative market behavior. Through comprehensive analysis, we offer insights into the market performance of top meme coins and spotlight emerging coins in 2024 that show potential for significant growth. This edition is more than just a study of digital currencies; it's a journey through the socio-cultural impact of these coins, examining how they've captured the imagination of investors and the public alike. The book also navigates through the risks and rewards associated with investing in these volatile yet fascinating assets. "Riding the Crypto Memecoins Wave: The Unstoppable Surge of Meme Coins in Crypto Trends" is an essential guide for anyone looking to understand the intricacies of this dynamic segment of the crypto market. Whether you're a seasoned investor, a curious observer, or a newcomer to the crypto world, this book offers valuable perspectives and insights into the meme coin craze. Prepare to ride the wave of information and discover the forces driving the meme coin phenomenon in the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrencies.
Learn how a young girl who lived on a Christmas tree farm grew up to become one of the most celebrated musical artists of the twenty-first century in this addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Taylor Swift always knew she wanted to be a country music artist, so at age thirteen, she convinced her parents to move their family out of Pennsylvania to Nashville. As a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Taylor wrote songs about teenage heartbreak and fitting in with her peers, and she performed these and other tunes at open mic nights and karaoke events. Breaking into the music industry took longer than she expected because record executives thought there was no place in country music for her songs. But Taylor was fearless and proved them wrong. Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2006, Taylor Swift has dominated the music charts, reinvented her sound, won numerous awards, shaken off public criticism, and spoken up for herself and others. Whether you're a lifelong Swiftie or someone who just loves learning about musicians, this enchanting book will teach you all about the experiences that helped Taylor Swift become the successful superstar many kids and adults looks up to.
Learn how a young girl who lived on a Christmas tree farm grew up to become one of the most celebrated musical artists of the twenty-first century in this addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Taylor Swift always knew she wanted to be a country music artist, so at age thirteen, she convinced her parents to move their family out of Pennsylvania to Nashville. As a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Taylor wrote songs about teenage heartbreak and fitting in with her peers, and she performed these and other tunes at open mic nights and karaoke events. Breaking into the music industry took longer than she expected because record executives thought there was no place in country music for her songs. But Taylor was fearless and proved them wrong. Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2006, Taylor Swift has dominated the music charts, reinvented her sound, won numerous awards, shaken off public criticism, and spoken up for herself and others. Whether you're a lifelong Swiftie or someone who just loves learning about musicians, this enchanting book will teach you all about the experiences that helped Taylor Swift become the successful superstar many kids and adults looks up to.
Drawing on the little-known true story of one tragic night at an Ozarks dance hall in 1928, this beautifully written novel, told through interwoven narratives generations apart, is a page-turning tale of love, loss, and reinvention ... At birth, Violet and Rose Flowers were identical, save for a tiny bluish-purple mark gracing Violet's slender neck. By nineteen, their temperaments distinguish them, as different as the flowers their mother named them for—Violet, wild and outgoing, and Rose, solitary and reserved. Still, they are each other's world. Then, on a sweltering, terrible August night in 1928, an explosion rocks Lamb's Dance Hall in Possum Flats, Missouri, engulfing it in flames, leaving one twin among the dozens dead, and her sister's life forever changed. Fifty years later, Daisy Flowers is dumped on her grandmother Rose's doorstep for the summer. A bright, inquisitive fifteen-year-old, Daisy bargains her way into an internship at the local newspaper—where she learns of the mysterious long-ago tragedy and its connection to her family. Rose, now the local funeral home director, grows increasingly alarmed as her impulsive granddaughter delves into Possum Flats' history, determined to uncover the horrors and heroes of the fiery blast. For a small town, Possum Flats holds a multitude of big secrets, some guarded by the living, some kept by the dead. And through Rose, Daisy, Dash—a preacherwho found his calling that fateful night—and others, those ghosts gradually come into the light, forcing a reckoning at last. This audiobook is narrated by Jim Frangione, Andrea Gallo, L.J. Ganser, Laura Knight Keating, Christina Moore, and Graham Winton.
Drawing on the little-known true story of one tragic night at an Ozarks dance hall in the author's Missouri hometown, this beautifully written, endearingly nostalgic novel picks up 50 years later for a folksy, character-driven portrayal of small-town life, split second decisions, and the ways family secrets reverberate through generations. From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention for readers of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Donna Everhart, Sue Monk Kidd, Jeannette Walls, and Rita Mae Brown... "Anderson weaves a rich and poignant tale of a small Ozarks town's factual tragedy, its generational secrets and the juxtapose of searching and belonging. Vivid and evocative, this is a debut to savor." —Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series on The Flowers Sisters Daisy Flowers is fifteen in 1978 when her free-spirited mother dumps her in Possum Flats, Missouri. It's a town that sounds like roadkill and, in Daisy's eyes, is every bit as dead. Sentenced to spend the summer living with her grandmother, the wry and irreverent town mortician, Daisy draws the line at working for the family business, Flowers Funeral Home. Instead, she maneuvers her way into an internship at the local newspaper where, sorting through the basement archives, she learns of a mysterious tragedy from fifty years earlier... On a sweltering, terrible night in 1928, an explosion at the local dance hall left dozens of young people dead, shocking and scarring a town that still doesn't know how or why it happened. Listed among the victims is a name that's surprisingly familiar to Daisy, revealing an irresistible family connection to this long-ago accident. Obsessed with investigating the horrors and heroes of that night, Daisy soon discovers Possum Flats holds a multitude of secrets for a small town. And hardly anyone who remembers the tragedy is happy to have some teenaged hippie asking questions about it – not the fire-and-brimstone preacher who found his calling that tragic night; not the fed-up police chief; not the mayor's widow or his mistress; not even Daisy's own grandmother, a woman who's never been afraid to raise eyebrows in the past, whether it's for something she's worn, sworn, or done for a living. Some secrets are guarded by the living, while others are kept by the dead, but as buried truths gradually come into the light, they'll force a reckoning at last. "A vivid blend of sensorial writing, historical detail, and memorable characters await in this compelling, surprising, insightful story of the weight of long-held secrets and the resulting hunger for truth." – Susan Meissner , USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful Inspired by the true story of the Bond Dance Hall explosion, a tragedy that took place in the author's hometown of West Plains, Missouri on April 13, 1928. The cause of the blast has never been determined.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A vibrant celebration of the shared flavors and traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean Since Chef José Andrés opened the doors to his restaurant Zaytinya twenty years ago, food lovers have savored his creative adaptations of the classic dishes of Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. Zaytinya's menu has always showcased the region's extraordinary food traditions while innovating in José's signature style: delicious, surprising, and made for sharing. From crispy fried vegetables and perfectly spiced seafood to tender grilled kebabs and warm, fluffy pita, these recipes are simply irresistible as well as accessible to the home cook. The smooth dips and delectable roasts will happily feed a family on a weeknight or friends over for weekend dinner. Zaytinya—which draws its name from the Turkish word for olive oil—brings to life the ingredients, techniques, dishes, and histories that are central to the way many of us love to eat today.
Offering a beguiling view of the history of walking, Wanderers guides us through the different ways of seeing—of being—articulated by ten pathfinding women writers. "A wild portrayal of the passion and spirit of female walkers and the deep sense of 'knowing' that they found along the path."—Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path "I opened this book and instantly found that I was part of a conversation I didn't want to leave. A dazzling, inspirational history."—Helen Mort, author of No Map Could Show Them This is a book about ten women over the past three hundred years who have found walking essential to their sense of themselves, as people and as writers. Wanderers traces their footsteps, from eighteenth-century parson's daughter Elizabeth Carter—who desired nothing more than to be taken for a vagabond in the wilds of southern England—to modern walker-writers such as Nan Shepherd and Cheryl Strayed. For each, walking was integral, whether it was rambling for miles across the Highlands, like Sarah Stoddart Hazlitt, or pacing novels into being, as Virginia Woolf did around Bloomsbury. Offering a beguiling view of the history of walking, Wanderers guides us through the different ways of seeing—of being—articulated by these ten pathfinding women.