Showing results by author "James Gardner" in All Categories

Under the benevolent leadership of the League of Peoples, there is no war, little crime, and life is sacred...unless you're an Explorer. The ugly, the flawed, the misfit, the deformed, they are the unwanted, flung to the farthest corners of the galaxy to investigate hostile planets and strange, vicious creatures. Out there, there are a thousand different - and terrible - ways to die.

Only days have passed since a freak accident granted four college students superhuman powers. Now Jools and her friends (who haven’t even picked out a name for their superhero team yet) get caught up in the hunt for a Mad Genius’ misplaced super-weapon. But when Jools falls in with a modern-day Robin Hood and his band of superpowered Merry Men, she finds it hard to sort out the Good Guys from the Bad Guys - and to figure out which side she truly belongs on. Especially since nobody knows exactly what the Gun does....

Kim Lam is an ordinary college student until a freak scientific accident (what else?) transforms Kim and three housemates into Sparks - and drafts them into the never-ending war between the Light and Dark. They struggle to master their new abilities - and (of course) to design cool costumes and come up with great hero-names. Turns out that "accident" was just the first salvo in a Mad Genius's latest diabolical scheme. Now it's up to four newbie heroes to save the day, before they even have a chance to figure out what their team's name should be!

The fascinating and little-known story of the Louvre, from its inception as a humble fortress to its transformation into the palatial residence of the kings of France and then into the world's greatest art museum.

Bring together the inner happiness brought by meditation and the external pleasure of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). We specify that the interpretation of this title is intentionally whispered, to correspond to the principles of the ASMR. This album of meditation and relaxation techniques is read by Katie Haigh in a soft whisper that will ensure to trigger the frisson of ASMR and its healing properties, so that you feel perfectly relaxed, brain-thrillingly good, and finally let go of stress and anxieties.

"The Twelve Labours of Hercules" are a series of feats ordered by the gods carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as Hercules. The legend was first written whole, as a fixed cycle of twelve labours, in an epic Greek poem now lost, in about 600BC; as they survive in the original source, the labours are not all recounted in a single place, but must be reassembled from many sources. This short story is a retelling of Hercules' legend with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Life under the thumb of the Spark Lords - the League's Earthly representatives - is dull but comfortable for Philemon Abu Dhubhai and the other teachers at a third-rate private school for second-rate rich kids. But all that changes when a female student is found murdered by an unknown alien organism, and her boyfriend, the prime suspect, goes missing. Suddenly an unofficial homicide investigation has snared Philemon and five other "misfits", trapping them all in a web of terrifying conspiracy.

Have you ever been to a King Lear performance with the impression of not having understood everything? It's normal. Shakespeare's plays are the most beautiful of the theatrical repertoire, but you cannot go to a Shakespeare play if you do not have a minimum prepared this show: understand the issues, characters, context, cultural or historical references is indispensable. The same is true if you intend to read a play by William Shakespeare: our summaries will help you better understand what you have read.

For the children of Admiral Alexader York, perfection wasn't just expected, it was guaranteed - written into their DNA before they were born. But while Samantha grew into the physical and mental marvel their father had bought and paid for, her twin brother Edward proved a disappointment. Genetic tinkering had raised Sam above the common herd, but Edward's faultless body housed a faulty brain.

Oar is the last of her kind - a resident of the so-called "planet of no return", once the Admiralty's dumping ground for undesirables and those who had become expendable. Oar's transparent body is indestructible. Yet the mind it houses grows weary and will soon surrender to the catatonic torpor that has already claimed the others of her genetically altered human race. But Oar cannot sleep, not yet. There are powerful forces seeking her destruction for reasons unknown.

Martin Gardner wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and published more than seventy books on topics as diverse as magic, philosophy, religion, pseudoscience, and Alice in Wonderland.

More than half of all Americans suffer from one or more phobias at some time during their lives. This audiobook draws upon the extraordinary wealth of current scientific and clinical research on phobias, including Dr. Gardner's own experiences with patients, to answer six pressing questions for anyone who suffers from phobias and for friends and relatives of such sufferers.

Learn about the ghosts of San Francisco. In the misty hills and foggy streets of San Francisco lie tales of spirits lingering from times long past, haunting the city's landmarks and neighborhoods. From the indigenous peoples who first inhabited the land to the gold miners who rushed in seeking fortune, from the devastation of the 1906 earthquake to the modern complexities of urban life, the ghosts of San Francisco traverse time and space, leaving their spectral imprint on the city's fabric. These ghosts of San Francisco are a diverse array of souls from different eras and backgrounds. They ...

BY PASSION OBSESSED Women called him Captain Firebrand because he fought and loved with a hot-headed passion. His real name was Michele di Cadogna, a loyal friend of Casanova and casual seducer of countless women. He swore that sensation-seeking Countess Margarita would be his last mistress when her husband used her to bait a trap that nearly cost Michele his life. But innocent and seductive Princess Tea proved just as deadly a snare. For, when Michele carried her off into the wild mountains of Italy, her wantonness not only maddened his senses but plunged him into the savage War of the ...

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the ultimate tragic love story. It is perhaps one of the most famous Greek myths, and the greatest artists have composed masterpieces to honour these two great lovers who lost their chance at reunion. The earliest account comes from Ibycus (circa 530 BC), a Greek lyric poet. This short story is a mixture of the various existing versions, presenting the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in all its details, all the way to Orpheus' death at the hands of the Bacchantes.

America had 70 women who served as First Lady in the White House even though there were only 45 men who held the position of President. Many of these women have been forgotten, but this book puts together, for the first time, all 70 women who served.

In the shadow of their father's legacy, Del, Sharon, Elizabeth, and Vivian Kyle find themselves standing at a crossroads, facing the most heart-wrenching decisions life could ever bestow upon them. Their bonds, once unbreakable, are strained as they are compelled to make choices that demand the ultimate sacrifices. Yet, their destinies are inextricably linked to the very survival of the Magical Communities, and they carry the weight of that responsibility upon their shoulders.

Ten mythological heroes and stories from Greek mythology, for a delightful overview of the fundamentals of our culture. This is a selection of the most touching and inspiring stories from Ancient Greece; they have all inspired countless works of art through the centuries, often come from even more ancient myths, and are here retold in a detailed and lively manner.

The New York Times Best-selling fantasy author Anne Bishop makes her U.S. debut in science fiction with this engaging futuristic novella. The Restorers travel the universe fulfilling a purpose handed down through the generations. They live and die aboard city-ships, never knowing the worlds they create and save. What begins as a disastrous training exercise in creating and balancing ecosystems becomes an unexpected fight for survival. The only hope may be the secret project of an untried Restorer.

"King Lear" is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, depicting the gradual descent into madness of the title character after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is derived from the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king; after the English Restoration, it was often revised with a happy ending for audiences who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the nineteenth century, Shakespeare's original version has been regarded as one of his supreme achievements.