The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity


David Graeber - 2021
    Civilization, we are told, could be achieved only by sacrificing those original freedoms or, alternatively, by taming our baser instincts. David Graeber and David Wengrow show how such theories first emerged in the eighteenth century as a conservative reaction to powerful critiques of European society posed by Indigenous observers and intellectuals. Revisiting this encounter has startling implications for how we make sense of human history today, including the origins of farming, property, cities, democracy, slavery, and civilization itself.Drawing on pathbreaking research in archaeology and anthropology, the authors show how history becomes a far more interesting place once we learn to throw off our conceptual shackles and perceive what's really there. If humans did not spend 95 percent of their evolutionary past in tiny bands of hunter-gatherers, what were they doing all that time? If agriculture, and cities, did not mean a plunge into hierarchy and domination, then what kinds of social and economic organization did they lead to? The answers are often unexpected, and suggest that the course of human history may be less set in stone, and more full of playful, hopeful possibilities, than we tend to assume.The Dawn of Everything fundamentally transforms our understanding of the human past and offers a path toward imagining new forms of freedom, new ways of organizing society. This is a monumental book of formidable intellectual range, animated by curiosity, moral vision, and a faith in the power of direct action.

Lisa: A Chess Novel


Jesse Kraai - 2013
    They knew what they wanted too. It wasn’t like school, where kids pretended they were masters of the teachers’ game. The adults didn’t know anything anyway. The real world was a big push to nothing. But Lisa escaped from all that. She found Igor Ivanov. He taught her how to play.

Falconer's Law


Jason Manning - 1996
    Setting out across the harsh desert in order to forge a new path to 1837 California, daring mountain man Hugh Falconer leads his band of roughnecks and outcasts through the dangerous land against menacing odds.

THIS is Africa


Mat Dry - 2012
    THIS is Africa is a compilation of stories that defines the maxim "Truth is sometimes stranger, and more wondrous than fiction." From a place known for its continent-wide diversity, notorious for its dramatic turbulence, and beloved for its animals and untamed wildness, Mat Dry, brings his incredible true tales of living and working in Africa as a Safari Guide.

Memoirs of a Daring Duchess


Emma Linfield - 2019
    When a terrible accident disturbs the peace of the household, things start to fall apart, one by one... An Unusual Lady for the Tormented Duke The dazzling Honora is forced to live with the notorious Duke of Blessington who is involved in the town's greatest scandal, creating peril and war... The Redemption of the Scared Duchess Juliana's unexpected engagement to the dazzling Duke of Brandon leads to a war that makes the heroes realize how quickly everything can fall apart. Exhilarating stories of devotion and wonder, that will change your perception of love! Regency romances full of unexpected turns, nefarious villains, and happily ever after that will inspire you! *These are clean, stand-alone romances. Each book in the series is approximately 90.000 words (around 450 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after. Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!

Amrapali


Adurthi Subba Rao
    Amrapali craved peace; Upagupta’s bearing exuded contentment. Amrapali depended on the adulation of her audience; Upagupta spurned the attentions of the rich and famous. Their stories were different, but the Buddha’s wise teachings linked their lives – and the lessons to be learned from them.

Final Exams: True Crime Cases from Cyril Wecht


Cyril H. Wecht - 2013
    Wecht, M.D., J.D., one of America’s most respected forensic pathologists. Coauthored by crime writer Dawna Kaufmann, Final Exams explores both the technical and the human side of murder. From the heartbreaking case of abducted child, Jessica Lunsford, held captive within shouting distance of her loved ones, to the peculiar story of a murder for hire with a most unlikely victim, Final Exams takes the reader behind the scenes. Secrets about the private lives of both predators and victims are revealed as the authors detail the events that turned rage to tragedy. Fans of CSI will appreciate how Wecht and Kaufmann share the real life process of solving crimes with clues left with the victim.

Squaddie: A Soldier's Story


Steven McLaughlin - 2006
    It exposes the grim reality of everyday soldiering for the 'grunts on the ground'. After the tragic death of his brother, and in the dark days following 9/11, McLaughlin felt compelled to fulfil his lifelong ambition to serve in the army. He followed his late brother into the elite Royal Green Jackets and passed the arduous Combat Infantryman's Course at the age of 31. Thereafter, McLaughlin found himself submerged in a world of casual violence. Squaddie is a snapshot of infantry soldiering in the twenty-first century. It takes us into the heart of an ancient institution that is struggling to retain its tough traditions in a rapidly changing world. All of the fears and anxieties that the modern soldier carries as his burden are laid bare, as well as the occasional joys and triumphs that can make him feel like he is doing the best job in the world. This is an account of army life by someone who has been there and done it.

Secrets, Fireworks, and her Billionaire Boyfriend


Chelsea Hale - 2019
    A billionaire with a PR nightmare, and the summer party that could change everything. Welcome to The Cove With heavy iron gates, two security stations, and a groundskeeper's cottage, The Cove has everything a billionaire could ask for in a home. Dubbed Billionaire Bachelor Cove because of the resident's single status and income portfolios, The Cove is the perfect place to hide away from the world. But, as the residents soon find out, they can't hide from love. Secrets, Fireworks, and her Billionaire Boyfriend Sayler Davenport lives to work. When her boss, Liam Summers, goes on his honeymoon and forces Sayler to take a six-week vacation, she finds herself out of her element trying to relax. Changing course, she visits her brother in The Cove, determined to be productive during time off by decorating her brother’s mansion. She never expected she’d need to defend the property from a thief. Billionaire Brooks Morgan is a resident in The Cove, and most definitely not a thief, but he has secrets that can’t be shared with anyone; especially not while his company has received worldwide negative attention. He wants to make a good impression by throwing the biggest party The Cove has seen to date. In danger of losing his company and his heart, he sets out to win Sayler over and to improve his PR situation. When doubt creeps in and secrets threaten to tear all that has been built apart, will sparks fly or will the only fireworks be in the sky? Read all of the romance novels by bestselling author, Chelsea Hale! All of the romances in this series can be read in any order. Each book is a sweet/clean contemporary billionaire romance and has a guaranteed happily ever after. A Falling for You Clean Billionaire Romance Series: The Undercover Resort Billionaire Her Fake Christmas Eve Billionaire Boyfriend Snowed in with the Movie Star Billionaire Her British Billionaire Best Friend Hart to Heart with the Billionaire A Rich and Famous Romance Series: Mr. Write Love in Focus The Companion Perfect Catch

A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome


Alberto Angela - 2007
    A crowd of onlookers gathered around a slave driver. The wondrous plenty of banquets where flamingos are roasted whole and wine flows like rivers. The silence of the baths and the boisterous taverns . . . Many books have dealt with the history of ancient Rome, but none has been able to bring its readers so near to daily life in the Imperial capital. This extraordinary voyage of exploration, guided by Alberto Angela with the charm of a born story- teller, lasts twenty- four hours, beginning at dawn on an ordinary day in the year 115 A.D., with Imperial Rome at the height of its power. The reader wakes in a rich patrician home and discovers frescoes, opulent furnishings and richly appointed boudoirs. Strolling though the splendors of the Roman Forum, one overhears both erudite opinions from learned orators and local ribaldry floating out from the public latrines. One meets the intense gazes of Roman matriarchs strolling the streets, looks on as a banquet is prepared, and is afforded a peek into the sexual habits and fetishes of Roman patricians and plebs. For all those who have ever dreamed of traveling back in time, Alberto Angela's narrative style will come as a welcome change to dry historical tomes. Rich in atmosphere and historical information, A Day in Ancient Rome is a voyage into a world both distant to us in time and surprisingly near in its habits, mores, and passions.

Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe


Norman Davies - 2011
    We habitually think of the European past as the history of countries which exist today - France, Germany, Britain, Russia and so on - but often this actually obstructs our view of the past, and blunts our sensitivity to the ever-changing political landscape. Europe's history is littered with kingdoms, duchies, empires and republics which have now disappeared but which were once fixtures on the map of their age - 'the Empire of Aragon' which once dominated the western Mediterranean; the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, for a time the largest country in Europe; the successive kingdoms (and one duchy) of Prussia, much of whose history is now half-remembered at best. This book shows the reader how to peer through the cracks of mainstream history writing and listen to the echoes of lost realms across the centuries.

2062: The World that AI Made


Toby Walsh - 2018
    But what will this future look like? In 2062, world-leading researcher Toby Walsh considers the impact AI will have on work, war, economics, politics, everyday life and even death. Will automation take away most jobs? Will robots become conscious and take over? Will we become immortal machines ourselves, uploading our brains to the cloud? How will politics adjust to the post-truth, post-privacy digitised world? When we have succeeded in building intelligent machines, how will life on this planet unfold?Based on a deep understanding of technology, 2062 describes the choices we need to make today to ensure that the future remains bright.‘Clarity and sanity in a world full of fog and uncertainty – a timely book about the race to remain human.’—RICHARD WATSON, author of Digital Vs. Human and futurist-in-residence at Imperial College, London‘One of the deepest questions facing humanity, pondered by a mind well and truly up to the task.’—ADAM SPENCER, broadcaster

Allowing Divine Intervention


Richard Dotts - 2014
    It does not help that ancient religious texts have portrayed “miracles” as extraordinary events beyond the comprehension of the average person.In his latest book Allowing Divine Intervention, Richard Dotts explains how miracles and divine interventions are not reserved for the select few, but can instead be experienced by anyone willing to change their current perceptions of reality. Instead of writing another book filled with stories of other people’s miracles and tales of divine intervention which may make good bedtime reading but be of little practical help, Dotts shares the simple steps one needs to follow to experience miracles in their own lives. Miracles are deeply personal affairs that can occur on a regular basis for anyone. The Universe is so ready to intervene on our behalf that when such interventions occur, their meanings will be instantly made known and clear to us at a very deep level. Therefore, Dotts teaches that we should never use what other people’s experiences to set expectations of our own. Trying to “replicate” someone else’s “miracles” is thus a recipe for disappointment. Perhaps the most practice-oriented book ever written by Richard Dotts, Allowing Divine Intervention draws on Dotts’ own experiences, including his own struggles with depression and conflicts, and the lessons he has learnt from them. Dotts uses everyday anecdotes to explain: * How to deal with pressing problems in your life as they occur in a spiritual way* The 3-step approach to asking for divine intervention, no matter the outer circumstances or the issue* How to allow the Universe to “get through” to you with creative insights, solutions and ideas that the greatest thinkers and artists in our generation often speak of* Is it alright to ask the Universe to fulfill your “small” requests?* One kind of requests you should never ask the Universe for* What are synchronicities (a concept coined by Carl Jung), and how to allow more meaningful synchronicities in your life* The Quantum Physics “observer” effect, and how it relates to a key principle with regards to creating miracles in your life* Why you should "dial" 955 whenever you need a divine intervention, and not 911! (Understanding the 95-5 code is the fastest way to allow divine interventions into your life)And more…

El Infierno: Drugs, Gangs, Riots and Murder: My time inside Ecuador’s toughest prisons


Pieter Tritton - 2017
    I hurled myself through the doorway and into the room. I didn’t look back.”Caught in an Ecuador hotel room with 8kg of cocaine, Pieter Tritton was no mule or dupe. He had planned and organised everything. The consequence: a 12-year sentence inside one of the world’s deadliest prison systems, where gun fights, executions and riots are a part of everyday life. As a Brit banged up abroad, Pieter had to learn how to survive – and fast – because one wrong move would mean death.This is the insider account of what it’s like to live in a place worse than hell and come out a changed man on the other side.

Goddess Getaway: A Black Diamond/Uncut Series Annex


D. Camille - 2016
    A tropical getaway includes fun, family, sisterhood, love, and of course...SECRETS! The Goddess Getaway is the BRIDGE book between Her Shield and Her Guardian in the Uncut Series. **This is NOT Trent and Callie's story***