The mesmerizing bestseller that combines the storytelling gifts of Donna Tartt and the suspense of Alfred Hitchcock—A New York Times Ten Best Book of the Year Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit. At the center of the novel is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway School, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with visual aids drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.
Sudden, extreme deaths have always fascinated us-- and now more than ever as athletes and travelers rise to the challenges of high-risk sports and journeys on the edge. In this spellbinding book, veteran travel and outdoor sports writer Peter Stark reenacts the dramas of what happens inside our bodies, our minds, and our souls when we push ourselves to the absolute limits of human endurance. Combining the adrenaline high of extreme sports with the startling facts of physiological reality, Stark narrates a series of outdoor adventure stories in which thrill can cross the line to mortal peril. Each death or brush with death is at once a suspense story, a cautionary tale, and a medical thriller. Stark describes in unforgettable detail exactly what goes through the mind of a cross-country skier as his body temperature plummets-- apathy at ninety-one degrees, stupor at ninety. He puts us inside the body of a doomed kayaker tumbling helplessly underwater for two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. He conjures up the physiology of a snowboarder frantically trying not to panic as he consumes the tiny pocket of air trapped around his face under thousands of pounds of snow. These are among the dire situations that Stark transforms into harrowing accounts of how our bodies react to trauma, how reflexes and instinct compel us to fight back, and how, why, and when we let go of our will to live. In an increasingly tamed and homogenized world, risk is not only a means of escape but a path to spirituality. As Peter Stark writes, "You must try to understand death intimately and prepare yourself for death in order to live a full and satisfying life." In this fascinating, informative book, Stark reveals exactly what we’re getting ourselves into when we choose to live-- and die-- at the extremes of endurance.
Never before has the quest to balance the needs of people, the environment, and the economy been so important. While sustainability has been widely taken up by governments and business, the world has continued to move in increasingly unsustainable directions, from continued dependence on fossil energy to rising greenhouse gas emissions, and erosion
Mack looks at five ways the universe could end, and the lessons each scenario reveals about the most important concepts in cosmology. --From publisher description.
Accused of a murder he did not commit, put on the CIA's most-wanted list, Claymore Striker must come to terms with his violent past and confront the powerful forces that want him dead.
"This work includes a look at cosmologists and physicists who have revised their theories on humanity's legacy when our world meets a fateful end, proposing a means by which mankind's achievements might survive indefinitely, transporting from one universe to another without violating the known laws of physics."--BOOK JACKET.
The scientific evidence for life after death • Explains why near-death experiences (NDEs) offer evidence of an afterlife and discredits the psychological and physiological explanations for them • Challenges materialist arguments against consciousness surviving death • Examines ancient and modern accounts of NDEs from around the world, including China, India, and many from tribal societies such as the Native American and the Maori Predating all organized religion, the belief in an afterlife is fundamental to the human experience and dates back at least to the Neanderthals. By the mid-19th century, however, spurred by the progress of science, many people began to question the existence of an afterlife, and the doctrine of materialism--which believes that consciousness is a creation of the brain--began to spread. Now, using scientific evidence, Chris Carter challenges materialist arguments against consciousness surviving death and shows how near-death experiences (NDEs) may truly provide a glimpse of an awaiting afterlife. Using evidence from scientific studies, quantum mechanics, and consciousness research, Carter reveals how consciousness does not depend on the brain and may, in fact, survive the death of our bodies. Examining ancient and modern accounts of NDEs from around the world, including China, India, and tribal societies such as the Native American and the Maori, he explains how NDEs provide evidence of consciousness surviving the death of our bodies. He looks at the many psychological and physiological explanations for NDEs raised by skeptics--such as stress, birth memories, or oxygen starvation--and clearly shows why each of them fails to truly explain the NDE. Exploring the similarities between NDEs and visions experienced during actual death and the intersection of physics and consciousness, Carter uncovers the truth about mind, matter, and life after death.
Vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker is on the run, with a price on his head. When his lover, Rania, goes missing, he begins a terrifying search with unimaginable consequences... 'Hardisty doesn't put a foot wrong in this forceful, evocative thriller... the author's deep knowledge of the settings never slows down the non-stop action, with distant echoes of a more-moral minded Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne' Maxim Jakubowski 'Remarkably well-written and sophisticated' Literary Review 'A fast-paced action thriller, beautifully written' Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography ____________________ Claymore Straker is a fugitive with a price on his head. Wanted by the CIA for acts of terrorism he did not commit, his best friend has just been murdered and Rania, the woman he loves, has disappeared. Betrayed by those closest to him, he must flee the sanctuary of his safe house in Cornwall and track her down. As his pursuers close in, Clay follows Rania to Istanbul and then to Cyprus, where he is drawn into a violent struggle between the Russian mafia, Greek Cypriot extremists, and Turkish developers cashing in on the tourism boom. As the island of love descends into chaos, and the horrific truth is unveiled, Clay must call on every ounce of skill and endurance to save Rania and put an end to the unimaginable destruction being wrought in the name of profit. Gripping, exhilarating, and above all, frighteningly realistic, The Evolution of Fear is a startling, eye-opening read that demands the question: how much is truth, and how much is fiction? ____________________ Praise for Paul E. Hardisty 'A stormer of a thriller – vividly written, utterly topical, totally gripping' Peter James 'Just occasionally, a book comes along to restore your faith in a genre and Paul Hardisty's The Abrupt Physics of Dying does this in spades' The Times 'Trenchant and engaging' Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald 'A solid, meaty thriller – Hardisty is a fine writer and Straker is a great lead character' Lee Child 'Laces the thrills and spills with enough moral indignation to give the book heft ... excellent' Jake Kerridge, Telegraph 'Fast-paced and cleverly written, this novel has bestseller written all over it' West Australian 'Exceptional ... beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heart-stoppingly tense and unusually moving. Definite award material' Paul Johnston 'A forceful novel by a writer not afraid of weighty issues' Maxim Jakubowski 'Searing ... at times achieves the level of genuine poetry' Publishers Weekly STARRED review 'A page-turning adventure that grabs you from the first page and won't let go' Edward Wilson
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The renowned theoretical physicist and national bestselling author of The God Equation details the developments in computer technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, space travel, and more, that are poised to happen over the next century. “Mind-bending…. [An] alternately fascinating and frightening book.” —San Francisco Chronicle Space elevators. Internet-enabled contact lenses. Cars that fly by floating on magnetic fields. This is the stuff of science fiction—it’s also daily life in the year 2100. Renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku considers how these inventions will affect the world economy, addressing the key questions: Who will have jobs? Which nations will prosper? Kaku interviews three hundred of the world’s top scientists—working in their labs on astonishing prototypes. He also takes into account the rigorous scientific principles that regulate how quickly, how safely, and how far technologies can advance. In Physics of the Future, Kaku forecasts a century of earthshaking advances in technology that could make even the last centuries’ leaps and bounds seem insignificant.
Get all four books in the nerve-shredding, exhilarating, high-octane Claymore Straker series, in one GREAT-VALUE Box Set. Claymore Straker escapes his violent past to become a vigilante with a powerful social conscience, seeking justice in a succession of perilous encounters, life-threatening battles and challenging journeys. An action-packed, tense and unrelenting series of political/environmental thrillers by one of the world's most renowned environmental scientists. &‘A stormer of a thriller &– vividly written, utterly tropical, totally gripping' Peter James &‘Hardisty is a fine writer and Straker is a great lead character' Lee Child &‘A fast-paced action thriller, beautifully written' Tim Marshall The Abrupt Physics of Dying (Book One) When he is hijacked by Islamic terrorists, an oil company engineer is forced to investigate a mysterious illness afflicting a small Yemen village ... with shocking results. A stunning debut thriller and first in the addictive, eye-opening Claymore Straker series. The Evolution of Fear (Book Two) Vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker is on the run, with a price on his head. Wanted by the CIA for acts of terrorism he did not commit, his best friend has just been murdered and Rania, the woman he loves, has disappeared. He begins a terrifying search that will have unimaginable consequences... Reconciliation for the Dead (Book Three) Vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker returns to South Africa to testify to Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recounting the horrifying events that led to his exile, years earlier. The explosive, thought-provoking, searingly emotive third instalment in the critically acclaimed Claymore Straker series... Absolution (Book Four) When vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker is witness to the murders of a family he has befriended, and his lover's husband and son disappear, his investigations take him to the darkest places he could ever have imagined. The stunning final instalment in the gripping, frighteningly realistic Claymore Straker series. Praise for the Claymore Straker series **Shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger** **Telegraph and Guardian BOOK of the YEAR** &‘A page-turning adventure that grabs you from the first page and won't let go' Edward Wilson 'A forceful novel by a writer not afraid of weighty issues' Maxim Jakubowski &‘Beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heart-stoppingly tense and unusually moving' Paul Johnston 'Just occasionally, a book comes along to restore your faith in a genre and Paul Hardisty's The Abrupt Physics of Dying does this in spades' The Times &‘Laces the thrills and spills with enough moral indignation to give the book heft ... excellent' Telegraph &‘This is a remarkably well-written, sophisticated novel in which the people and places, as well as frequent scenes of violent action, all come alive on the page...' Literary Review &‘Searing ... at times achieves the level of genuine poetry' Publishers Weekly STARRED review &‘A trenchant and engaging thriller that unravels this mysterious land in cool, precise sentences' Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald &‘Gripping and exciting ... the quality of Hardisty's writing and the underlying truth of his plots sets this above many other thrillers' West Australian
