trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, petroleum-rich Nigeria exports half its daily oil production to the United States. Like many African nations with natural resources coveted by the world's superpowers, the country has been shaped by foreign investment and intervention, conflicts among hundreds of ethnic and religious groups, and greed. Polio has boomed along with petroleum, small villages face off with giant oil companies, and scooter drivers run their own ministates. The oil-rich Niger Delta region at the heart of it all is a trouble spot as hot as the local pepper soup.Blending vivid reportage, history, and investigative journalism, in A Swamp Full of Dollars journalist Michael Peel tells the story of this extraordinary country, which grows ever more wild and lawless by the day as its refined petroleum pumps through our cities. Through a host of colorful characters--from the Area Boy gangsters of Lagos to a corrupt state governor who stashed money in his London penthouse, from the militants in their swamp forest hideouts to oil company executives--Peel makes the connection between Western energy consumption and the breakdown of the Nigerian state, where the corruption of the haves is matched only by the determination and ingenuity of the have-nots. What has happened to Nigeria is a stark warning to the United States and other economic powers as they grow increasingly frantic in their search for new oil sources: unbridled plunder eventually rebounds on those who have done the taking.A Swamp Full of Dollars--shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award--shows that if the Arab world is the precarious eastern battle line in an intensifying world war for crude, then Nigeria has become the tumultuous western front.

    The author approaches Marian's death from the viewpoints of the people that touched her life including her lover, her best friend, and even her enemies.

    Her wit is as sharp as a knife. She is one of my absolute must-read authors.' Victoria Purman, bestselling Australian author A kiss can change your life ...Jemima Kincaid loves her home, her horses and her job as a farrier. Life has not been kind to her, but Jemima is happy in the close-knit rural community of Horseshoe Hill, which rallied around in her hour of need. Even so, she is fiercely independent and will never rely on anyone again.Particularly a man like Finn Blackwood.An infuriatingly attractive geneticist and wild animal vet, Finn threatens not only the serenity of Jemima's present, but that of the future she has so carefully mapped out. But as their paths continue to cross, she finds her attraction to Finn impossible to counter, even as the trauma of her past threatens to undo her. Finn is fascinated by Jemima's solitary nature and unique vulnerabilities but Jemima knows all about loss and how to avoid it. Don't let anyone get close in the first place ...As the past begins to cast long shadows, Jemima and Finn discover that a kiss can bring worlds together-or tear them apart. Will they finally face their fears and find love on Horseshoe Hill?

    It fills up our oceans, endangers our wildlife and never goes away. So it's time to take action, find ways to cut down our plastic use and help protect our environment. Together we can make a difference!As a lifelong supporter of environmental causes and a key player in the campaign to ban microbeads in the UK, Dougie is always on the hunt for ways to reduce and replace plastic. This campaigning book, his first solo authored project, draws on his own experiences in the fight against plastic waste – the problems he's encountered and the solutions he's found. It covers the history of plastic, introduces us to some key campaigners and eco entrepreneurs and is full of top tips and infographics. The clear and easy steps in Plastic Sucks! You can Make a Difference show us how we can all make small changes and become champions for our planet.

    In Bingo Night at the Fire Hall, Holland recounts her adventures and misadventures adjusting to life in a rural community, as her small town adjusts to the inevitable encroachment of suburbia. Whether writing obituaries for the local paper or learning how to handle a chainsaw, Holland shares the triumphs and travails of being a newcomer to an old land with a rich history, a beautiful place sadly losing ground to subdivisions and four-lane highways. Filled with wonderful anecdotes, humor, and insight, Bingo Night at the Fire Hall is a fascinating portrait of a paradisical yet disappearing world.

    A touching short story of love (1500 words) from bestselling author Bronwyn Parry that spans the decades and is set in the small outback town of Dungirri.Included are previews of Bronwyn's four full-length novels, As Darkness Falls, Dark Country, Dead Heat and her new book Darkening Skies.

     In 2012, Gruff Rhys set out on an 'investigative concert tour' in the footsteps of John Evans, with concerts in New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St Louis, North Dakota and more. American Interior is the story of these journeys. It is also an exploration of how wild fantasies interact with hard history and how myth-making can inspire humans to partake in crazy, vain pursuits of glory, including exploration, war and the creative arts. Gruff Rhys is known around the world for his work as a solo artist as well as singer and songwriter with Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon, and for his collaborations with Gorillaz, Dangermouse, Sparklehorse, Mogwai and Simian Mobile Disco amongst others. The latest album by Neon Neon, Praxis Makes Perfect, based on the life of radical Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, was recently performed as an immersive live concert with National Theatre Wales.

    Let Lonely Planet help you celebrate travel and create your ultimate travel wish list. Our FREE ebook 'Travel Resolutions: 52 New Ways to Experience Planet Earth' features some of the most inspiring travel experiences from the travel experts at Lonely Planet. Paraglide in South Africa; rock climb in China; sleep in a tree-house on Canada's Vancouver Island; take a cooking course in Jordan or a flower-arranging course in Kyoto; go clubbing in Berlin; and much more. The 52 experiences introduced in this planning ebook will whet your travel appetite and help you to decide which promises to make - and inspire you to keep them all. Begin your journey now! Inside Travel Resolutions: 52 New Ways to Experience Planet Earth: Get inspired - highlights, expert suggestions, and gorgeous photos help you choose your ideal trip Insider insights - hidden gems that most guidebooks miss will lead you to a richer and more rewarding travel experience Discover more - actively engage with the world via a wide variety of suggested activities, including swimming around the Greek Islands, practicing yoga in India, learning Spanish in Argentina, rafting or kayaking in New Zealand, detoxing in Brazil, studying Tibetan culture in China, witnessing the Northern Lights in Alaska, scuba diving in Belize, falling in love all over again in Venice, and hunting Dracula in Transylvania Also includes highlights from Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2014 - The Best Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for 2014 The Perfect Guide for Your Perfect Trip: Lonely Planet's Country, Multicountry, Regional, and City guides are our most comprehensive products, and are perfect for those planning to explore both the top sights and the road less travelled. Looking for just the highlights of your chosen destination? Check out Lonely Planet's Discover guides, our photo-rich guides to the destination's most popular attractions. Looking for a guide focused on the main highlights of one city? Lonely Planet's Pocket guides are handy-sized guides that focus on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher, with guidebooks to every destination on the planet as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveler community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travelers to experience the world and get to the heart of the place. TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' -New York Times

    He loved a challenge. He pushed himself, and worked hard to help others realise their potential.In June 2009, Jim was diagnosed with cancer and given nine months to live. The diagnosis caught him by surprise - he was 43, healthy and fit - and he didn't have time for illness. He was a busy father, husband, brother, mentor, businessman and president of Melbourne Football Club.Knowing his odds weren't good, Jim gave his all to trying to beat the disease. He embraced life, and made his journey public. His ability to use mind over matter, to never give in, to overcome pain, to believe in himself and his will to succeed gave him two extra years on the prognosis. He defied expectations time and time again.Unflinching in its honesty, this is an extraordinary insight into a man who lived fearlessly, with a vision for how to achieve the best life possible. Jim Stynes' legacy is an inspiring story about getting the most out of every single day, whatever you do.

    But after a freak skiing accident leaves her with serious injuries, a broken heart and a job she can no longer do, moving back to Australia to recuperate at her brother Mark’s winery in the Shingle Valley seems like the only option.Meanwhile, Mark is preoccupied with a catastrophic threat to the future of the valley and his partner, Rose, is juggling the demands of her burgeoning restaurant and being a stepmother, all the while secretly longing for a child of her own.As Mattie’s injuries heal, she begins to wonder where her future might lie, especially when she finds herself struggling with her growing feelings for winemaker Charlie Drummond – who happens to be engaged to someone.Featuring the cherished cast of characters from Rose’s Vintage, this new tale of life and love in the spectacular Shingle Valley is set to charm and delight.

    When a big-time producer threatens to ruin her career—and possibly the rest of her life—she flees to her remote hometown in the Snowy Mountains and opens a Little Theatre to put on her comedy whodunnit Who Shot the Producer.Childhood friend and ex-Commando Ryan Munroe has returned to Swallow’s Fall to see if there’s a future for him and Edie after their disastrous but unforgettable first and only kiss three years ago. She’s still dazzling, still in love with her career and still out of his reach. He’s about to leave town when he learns that Edie might have trouble on her heels.Struggling with her growing attraction to Ryan, and torn between her career and a rekindled love for her hometown, Edie focuses on generating her cast and crew from the 182 Swallow’s Fall residents, and producing her play. But when elements from the play start happening for real, the comedy turns dangerous.Edie is suddenly centre stage in the biggest role of her life.Can she pull it off? And can Ryan ensure everyone survives to make it to the curtain call?

    A stressed-out New York men's magazine editor gets posted to the UK and realises happiness is more easily achieved by adopting the British attitude to life - expecting the worst and going to the pub.

    At the age of 13 Sidney Kidman ran away from home with only five shillings in his pocket. He went on to become a horse dealer, drover, cattle buyer and bush jockey and he also ran a coach business. Above all, Kidman created a mighty cattle empire of more than a hundred stations, fighting droughts, bushfires, floods and plagues of vermin to do so. His enterprise and courage won him a huge fortune and made him a legend.

    It began as a series of reports from the civic drama of the 2014 elections. But beyond the municipal circus, writer and commentator Shawn Micallef discovered the much bigger story of a city emerging into greatness. He walked and talked with candidates from all over Greater Toronto, and observed how they energized their communities, never shying away from the problems that exist within them -- poverty, violence, racism, and drugs -- but advocating solutions that bring people together. Shawn Micallef introduces us to those fighting for a more inclusive vision of Toronto and reveals the promise and potential for a city that has been suffering through a severe identity crisis but is now on a steep upturn. Toronto, he says, is set fair to be a new urban model for cities all over the world. Micallef reveals Toronto in all its rich variety. It is hard, he says, to grasp the vast size and scope of Toronto until you spend a few hours walking through unfamiliar neighbourhoods. Each reveals another adjacent to it, and then another, and another. The city goes on and on, into unheralded ravines and oblique views of the downtown skyline. Hiding in all that geography is not only great beauty, but a force for change that's been building for decades as people arrived here from every corner of the globe. Frontier City is a revelatory view of the Toronto of today and an inspiring vision of the Toronto of the near future.From the Hardcover edition.

    By combining ArcGIS tutorials with self-study exercises intended to gradually build upon basic skills, the GIS Tutorial 1 is fully adaptable to individual needs, as well as the classroom setting. The tutorial demonstrates a range of GIS functionality, from creating maps and collecting data to using geoprocessing tools and models as well as ArcGIS 3D Analyst and ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extensions for further analysis. GIS Tutorial 1 includes a data CD for working through the exercises and fully functioning 180-day trial DVD of ArcGIS Desktop10 software, making it the smart choice for GIS beginners.