![]() ![]() ![]() These themes could never be truer than the characters, scenes and plots he settled on when composing his Japanese steampunk sequel, The Lotus War. Most importantly, family and the vice of betrayal take special positions in Kristoff’s writings. ![]() He is more inclined to steampunk writing that he embraces with a passion for romanticizing the past while incorporating the in-fighting of culture and society. He may not be trailing such popular Australian authors as David Unaipon, but certainly, his reverberation in the scene adds fame onto the special spot Australian writers have achieved over the years. Jay Kristoff is a relative newcomer to the scene of Australian writers who has ventured in literature with high spirit. After college, he chose to go the career way as a creative advertisement personnel in television, a job that he held in the period before deciding to ignite his new career in writing. His literary career never quite manifested until eleven years later with a zealous entry hallmarked by steampunk writing. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from college. Dungeons and Dragons is one example that took the best of his younger years. ![]() He grew with up with an enthusiastic personality from his childhood that he spent playing lots of tabletops games. Born in 1973 in Perth, Australia, Jay Kristoff, has since moved to the southwest of Melbourne where he lives with his wife and his Russel Terrier he dubbed Samwise. ![]()
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![]() ![]() Why do many of these women uphold some of the most regressive values a politician can hold within the Democratic Party? Tanden, with her record of defending corporations and attacking social security is contentious. Neera Tanden is a prime example of the problematic nature of candidates. Kamala Harris fits right in line with the whole host of neoliberal politicians now lining Biden’s Administration, many of them women. Harris is pro-cop and anti-trans rights as well as a host of other poor political positions that make her seem more like a rubber stamp than the champion of women and people of color everywhere. His presidency will be as unexceptional as the rest of his political career, but for now, I’d rather focus on his vice president, Kamala Harris.Īs the first woman and first woman of color to hold the second highest office in the land, Harris’ win is historic, yet bittersweet. ![]() ![]() This result is, in some sense, completely unremarkable as Trump was a historically unpopular president and Biden is the living embodiment of a political insider having worked in Washington since he was 30 years old. ![]() Biden will be our next president in 2021 after “raising” 1.69 billion dollars to defeat incumbent Donald Trump’s haul of 1.96 billion dollars. Before I review this book, I want to talk about where we are in the world at this moment. ![]() ![]() Not all of the plot threads are well resolved- for example, it's never clear why Vanessa is sometimes able to hear her dead sister speaking to her. Why does Vanessa get searing headaches when Zara is near? And what do strange weather patterns have to do with the string of deaths that follow Justine's? Part romance, part mystery, Rayburn's (the Maggie Bean series) tale is a solid supernatural thriller, but it doesn't coalesce into anything more than the sum of its parts. At every turn, however, a vicious girl named Zara obstructs their path. Teenage Caleb, who was with Justine that night, is missing, so Vanessa joins forces with his older brother, Simon, to find him as well as answers to the mystery. ![]() After fearless and beautiful 18-year-old Justine Sands dies after jumping off an ocean cliff at her family's Maine summer home, her grieving younger sister, Vanessa, is certain it was neither suicide nor an accident. ![]() ![]() ![]() (One of the key reasons I began to write out comments on books I read was much less for others than for myself. I opened a file for “Singer” and was surprised to find that I had read and commented on his novel The Penitent just two years ago. Whenever that is, the issue I have to then figure out is: with whom am I in disagreement? The main character, the author or both? I was still undecided about this when I sat down to at least start some notes. Not in the writing itself it is a very well-told and gripping story. ![]() Isaac Bashevis Singer: THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLIN THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLINĪfter finishing this novel and thinking about it a few days as I took my daily bike rides, I realized I had certain discomforts with it. ![]() ![]() ![]() Thus ‘go to local store and buy something for lunch’ is not the kind of procedure that is in mind. It seems to me that much of the discussion would apply to any definite method in the sense of Turing, where the key characteristic is that each step is intended to be relatively objective, not requiring any external judgement. ![]() The only significance for mathematics that I can see is that it amply demonstrates that – contrary to what some people seem to think – being a mathematician does not commit you to a particular view of the uses (and abuses) of mathematics, and is entirely compatible with being human and sensible.Ī step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer. The book is not ‘about’ mathematics as such and nor does it apply mathematics to its subject. As a mathematician, though, what comes across is the author’s humanity rather than any application of mathematics. This is a popular mathematician’s take on the potential and actual impact of the rising use of algorithms on our current and possible future worlds. ![]() Hannah Fry Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine Penguin 2018 ![]() ![]() ![]() The latter two books cover the wars in general, but choose Verdun in 1916 and Dunkirk in 1940 as the apex of the French experience. It is in fact part of a trilogy of books by Horne focusing on the long rivalry between France and Germany – the Franco-Prussian War, and the 45 Wars. ![]() The title is perhaps slightly misleading, in that the book focuses much more on the general conduct of the Great War than it might suggest. Yet Verdun is almost completely overshadowed by the Somme and Ypres in the British understanding of the First World War. In fact, the Somme Offensive – another byword for attrition – was launched early in an attempt to relieve the pressure on Verdun. There was no other aim than to lure the French into losing so many men that they could not carry on the war. In an attempt to bleed the French Army dry, the Germans launched an offensive on the strategic fortress of Verdun. The Battle of Verdun has long been regarded as perhaps the sharpest Schwerpunkt of the Great War. Macmillan, 1962, first edition, good condition with dustwrapper ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The more we identify ourselves with others, the more we are influenced by these others. He found that influence is based on six key principles: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity. It was based on three "undercover" years applying for and training at used car dealerships, fund-raising organizations, and telemarketing firms to observe real-life situations of persuasion. He is best known for his 1984 book on persuasion and marketing, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Currently, Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University. He has held visiting scholar appointments at Ohio State University, the University of California, the Annenberg School of Communications, and the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University. He then went on to Graduate studies in Social Psychology at the University of North Carolina and earned his PhD in June 1970 and received Postgraduate training in social psychology at Columbia University. Education Ĭialdini received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in June 1967. He is the Regents' Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and was a visiting professor of marketing, business and psychology at Stanford University. Robert Beno Cialdini (born April 27, 1945) is an American psychologist and academic. ![]() ![]() ![]() Elizabeth Spearing's translation preserves Julian's directness of expression and the rich complexity of her thought. This edition of the Revelations contains both the short text, which is mainly an account of the 'showings' themselves and Julian's initial interpretation of their meaning, and the long text, completed some twenty years later, which moves from vision to a daringly speculative theology. Written in a vigorous English vernacular, the Revelations are one of the most original works of medieval mysticism and have had a lasting influence on Christian thought. Through these 'showings', Christ's sufferings were revealed to her with extraordinary intensity, but she also received assurance of God's unwavering love for man and his infinite capacity for forgiveness. ![]() Spearing.Īfter fervently praying for a greater understanding of Christ's passion, Julian of Norwich, a fourteenth-century anchorite and mystic, experienced a series of divine revelations. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from Middle English by Elizabeth Spearing, with an introduction and notes by A.C. One of the first woman authors, Julian of Norwich produced in Revelations of Divine Love a remarkable work of revelatory insight, that stands alongside The Cloud of Unknowing and Piers Plowman as a classic of Medieval religious literature. ![]() ![]() Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans. We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him-from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. A rich and utterly absorbing novel about the life of King David, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of People of the Book and March ![]() ![]() Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova is a heartbreakingly beautiful picture book biography perfect for aspiring ballerinas of all ages. I think that this is an excellent book for any ballet/dance lover just as much as children. One night, young Annas mother takes her to the ballet, and everything is changed. The thing about a book illustrated by Julie Morstad is that you’ve just got to buy it, because Julie Morstad books are an occasion, the occasions not at all diminished by the fact that she’s been very prolific lately and her books coming out every few months now. Anna Pavlova life in ballet is told with few words, working with those wonderful images.Īt the end of the book there is a two page Author’s note which gives you a more details biography of Anna Pavlova than Swan tells on its own, so I do recommend reading this afterwards. Swan, by Laurel Snyder and Julie Morstad. I loved how it captured the movement of the dance, particularly the swan picture. Review: Swan is a beautiful and will certainly remain one of my favourite picture books. How did I get the book? Christmas Present ![]() ![]() So begins the journey of a girl who will one day grow up to be the most famous prima ballerina of all time, inspiring legions of dancers after her: the brave, the generous, the transcendently gifted Anna Pavlova. Anna finds a beauty inside herself that she cannot contain. One night, her mother takes her to the ballet, and everything is changed. ![]() |