"Inspired by the spectacular discoveries of the past two decades from the Age of Reptiles in China, Riddle of the Feathered Dragons explores how these miraculous fossils have transformed the contentious arena of bird and dinosaur evolution. Aside from being the most comprehensive discussion of these avian and associated discoveries, the author delves into the world of investigative journalism to expose the darker side of the world of fossil birds and dinosaurs. The book exposes the massive unfounded speculation that has characterized the field of vertebrate paleontology and published extensively in the world's most prestigious journals, including everything from supposed dinosaur protein to so-called feathered dinosaurs. The book questions the validity of the foundational tenets of the now "unquestionable orthodoxy" of bird and dinosaur evolution, including bird origins, feathered dinosaurs, flight origin from the ground-up and hot-blooded dinosaurs and their proteins. It exposes how speculation has gone far beyond the ability of the currently available evidence to yield answers. The author concludes that birds are best defined by a more traditional definition of the possession of feathers and avian flight architecture, that the so-called "feathered dinosaurs" are most likely derived avians, and that flight clearly originated from the trees-down, from ancestors that antedated the dinosaurs, rather than a direct linear descent"--
A FORBIDDEN HALFBREED In a world where Dragons can take human form, mixing bloodlines can have disastrous consequences. Escaping the tomb her parents left her in, Wren must now live in hiding, fearing her predicted powers will one day emerge and wreak the evil her parents foresaw. When a storm brings a wounded warrior to her door, she is forced to leave her haven to aid him in his mission. Keeran, wielder of Blood Sense magic. As the kingdom’s spymaster, he will stop at nothing to complete his mission and unearth the truth. Who is behind the attacks on the Temples? Why are the kingdom’s children disappearing, and why are the few found nothing more than mindless, drooling shells? When a devastating event reveals that Wren’s powers are finally emerging, she must fight her destiny to retain her sanity and her soul. Only together will they save the children and the kingdom. If they don’t kill each other first. Dragon’s Riddle introduces fantasy fans to a world filled with peril, magic, and intrigue in this first installment of the Eldrake Chronicles. Adult fantasy with a light amount of enemies-to-lovers romance. No graphic sex or violence, suitable for older YA and NA audiences as well.
JeromeASF, the YouTube sensation, debuts his Bacca character on the printed page with this action-packed Minecraft adventure for all ages. Bacca has it all. The most celebrated (and furry) star in the Overworld, he’s the person others look to for help building their dungeons, mazes, and castles. He has a girlfriend, LadyBacc, and his most prized possession of all—a diamond axe called Betty. One day, Bacca is approached by a mysterious dragon . . . made entirely of diamonds! The dragon is from a new biome—a secret land few have ever seen—where a special object has been stolen. A seemingly impossible set of riddles and challenges stands in the way of getting it back, but if Bacca can help, the dragon promises he’ll receive a new weapon even better than Betty. Is he willing to risk everything and push his crafting skills to their very limits? As his millions of YouTube fans already know . . . of course he is! He’s Bacca! Perfect for Minecraft fans of all ages, Bacca and the Riddle of the Diamond Dragon showcases the YouTube Minecraft star that fans around the world have come to love: funny, creative, and just a little bit crazy! Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. In particular, this adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs. evil, magical academies like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, and games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Pokemon GO. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
A veteran piano tuner presents a literary, minimally technical view of the quixotic tuning systems used on keyboard instruments for hundreds of years. The work explains temperament strategies accessibly and reflects on the technical process of piano tuning in both practical and philosophical terms. When Anita Sullivan started a second career as a piano tuner 25 years ago, she was immediately puzzled by the piano's complicated tuning system. Surprised to learn that her new profession was not only technically complex, but in fact required artistic judgements she set herself to describing the tuning system in a way that would make sense to ordinary listeners, rather than piano technicians alone. Her exceptional book was the result, now updated for a new generation of readers [Publisher description].
Presents an introduction to dragonology that includes spells for catching dragons, their natural history, and descriptions of legendary dragons and dragonslayers.
A kingdom stands on the precipice of devastation, endangered by a foe no one saw coming. Its last beacon of hope? Five unsuspecting children, thrust into an adventure beyond their wildest imaginations. Embark with them on an epic quest across uncharted territories of their realm, seeking the legacy of an age-old alliance: the dragons, legendary guardians who once stood side by side with humans to defend their land. But as they encounter the first of these mythical beasts, they quickly realize that allying with the dragons might be a greater challenge than facing the enemy itself...
Dazzling DragonsIn this delightful collection of imaginative stories, follow the mischievous dragons Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire, along with their charming critter companions, as they dive into a series of hilarious escapades that will tickle the funny bones of both kids and grown-ups alike. Join these whimsical characters as they navigate a world brimming with enchantment and wonder, from attempting to cook with fiery breath to donning unconventional outfits that leave everyone in stitches. Watch as they make waves while learning to swim, and giggle as they take a hilarious turn at baking, crafting, gardening, and even babysitting! But the merriment doesn't stop there! Each chapter presents a new and uproarious challenge for our dragon friends, from creating a symphony of funny noises to engaging in a riddle contest that will have readers pondering the zaniest of answers. The giggles continue as the baby dragons embark on a wild egg chase, causing delightful chaos all around. As the adventures unfold in the magical clearing near the babbling brook, young readers will be captivated by the vibrant imagery and relatable characters that inhabit the pages of this whimsical book. Perfectly tailored for children aged 6 to 8, these engaging stories are designed to stimulate imagination, inspire creativity, and encourage a love for reading. Parents, educators, and caregivers will also appreciate the positive themes of friendship, teamwork, and the power of imagination that are seamlessly woven into each chapter. Whether read aloud or enjoyed independently, "Whimsical Tales of Dragonwood" promises a delightful reading experience that will leave kids eagerly anticipating each new escapade. Get ready for a riot of laughter and a world of enchantment in "Whimsical Tales of Dragonwood." With its endearing characters, uproarious adventures, and a touch of magic, this book is the perfect addition to any young reader's collection. Order your copy today and let the giggles
The story of a pioneering microcomputer: its beginnings as part of a national Computer Literary Project, its innovative hardware, and its creative uses. In 1982, the British Broadcasting Corporation launched its Computer Literacy Project, intended “to introduce interested adults to the world of computers and computing.” The BBC accompanied this initiative with television programs, courses, books, and software—an early experiment in multi-platform education. The BBC, along with Acorn Computers, also introduced the BBC Microcomputer, which would be at the forefront of the campaign. The BBC Micro was designed to meet the needs of users in homes and schools, to demystify computing, and to counter the general pessimism among the media in Britain about technology. In this book, Alison Gazzard looks at the BBC Micro, examining the early capabilities of multi-platform content generation and consumption and the multiple literacies this approach enabled—not only in programming and software creation, but also in accessing information across a range of media, and in “do-it-yourself” computing. She links many of these early developments to current new-media practices. Gazzard looks at games developed for the BBC Micro, including Granny's Garden, an educational game for primary schools, and Elite, the seminal space-trading game. She considers the shift in focus from hardware to peripherals, describing the Teletext Adapter as an early model for software distribution and the Domesday Project (which combined texts, video, and still photographs) as a hypermedia-like experience. Gazzard's account shows the BBC Micro not only as a vehicle for various literacies but also as a user-oriented machine that pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved in order to produce something completely new.
Birds and dinosaurs have dominated human interest for decades. In this well-supported revolutionary view of the field, critical questions are explored with credible evidence and biological thought. Are birds derived directly from advanced dinosaurs, or are they closely related dinosaur cousins? Did flight originate via the natural "gravity-assisted" trees-down model, or from the improbable “gravity-resisted” ground-up model? Were the earliest birds ground-predators or trunk-climbing gliders? Were dinosaurs hot-blooded with insulating protofeathers, or highly active, cold-blooded reptiles? These are among the questions addressed in this path-breaking book. Current consensus suggests that early birds were earth-bound and flight began on the ground. Reversing that logic, since birds are hot-blooded, by inference so too were dinosaurs, and extraordinarily complex feathers, flight brain and inner ear, evolved before flight in dinosaurs. The iconic early bird Archaeopteryx, despite innumerable flight and arboreal features, is now displayed as an earth-bound predator that could not fly. In reality, we have yet to provide satisfactory explanations for much of the biological origin and early evolution of birds. Among the questions addressed is whether truly feathered dinosaurs are in reality lost or "hidden birds?" The architectural complexity of feathers leads the author to the conclusion that if an animal has evolved extraordinarily complex, aerodynamically-designed feathers, an avian flight hand, flight membranes, and a flight brain, it's a bird. Birds and dinosaurs captivate and enchant the human imagination. These intriguing animals have dominated the field of paleontology and evolution for the past half century, engendering heated debate on avian ancestry, the origin of flight and feathers, and the biology of their fossils. Are birds living dinosaurs? In this series of entertainingly contentious and captivating essays evolutionary biologist Alan Feduccia writes with verve and humor to expose major problems in the field and advocate liberation from the shackles of consensus thinking about birds and dinosaurs. He maintains that the euphoria of paleontologists claiming to have solved the major problems of bird evolution is premature, largely generated by the adoption of a rigid, cult-like methodology, heavily blended with ideology, and excluding many biological and geological principles. He adroitly exposes and elucidates major mistakes in the field and their aftermath. Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs is a lucid revelation of clarity and synthesis, a fascinating unveiling of the underlying science that has produced the good, but also often appalling fossil research and wild speculation in bird and dinosaur evolution. A must read for anyone interested in this rapidly evolving field, the short, concise and incisive essays provide the reader with access to this complex topic. REVIEWS and WORDS OF PRAISE In this strikingly unconventional and brilliant book, Professor Alan Feduccia presents the current status of the recent controversy about the origin of birds with clarity and vigor. A thought-provoking personal exploration of what the bird fossils represent. ---Sankar Chatterjee, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Geosciences and Curator of Paleontology, Texas Tech University. Feduccia's book eloquently reminds us that consensus science is to be shied away from especially when it is used to plead special cases against basic scientific principles. The concept of “lost birds” is particularly intriguing as it defines what birds are and how special science obfuscates the simplicity of evolution. ---David A. Burnham, Associate Researcher, University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. Based on a thorough understanding of the empirical evidence, Feduccia presents a convincing account of avian origins from their putative ancestors. ---Walter J. Bock, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Columbia University and Research Associate, American Museum of Natural History. With candor, clear thinking, humor, and abundant evidence, Alan Feduccia’s Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs should be mandatory reading for the countless millions who are intrigued by dinosaurs and their relatives, the birds. Feduccia points out the many empirical and logical shortcomings in the stubborn majority view that birds evolved from dinosaurs, an idea now solidly entrenched as dogma in education and popular culture. This new book will be as interesting to those who study human behavior and scientific methods as it will to students of vertebrate evolution. ---David W. Steadman, Curator of Ornithology, Professor of Biology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida.
