Other books that might interest you

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  What the Bears Know - How I...

  Steve Searles, Chris Erskine

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  In the late 1990s, the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, hired Steve Searles as a hunter to cull half its troublesome bear population. But as he began to prepare for the grim task, the bears soon won him over, and Searles realized there had to be a better way. He soon developed nonlethal tactics to control their behavior and overpopulation that heralded a landmark moment in the care and handling of the American black bear. But change was not without its challenges. To some, his success was dismissed due to his lack of formal academic training. Yet Searles never wavered in his commitment, and eventually became not just local folk hero but a nationally recognized expert. This high school dropout saved not just the bears, but, in many ways, his community. 
   
   
   
  In a tradition that runs from John Muir to Bear Grylls, Searles finds a fellowship with nature and a deeper meaning in the world of bears. Do bears understand things we don't? Are they dialed in to some greater natural force? Unlike us, bears waste little time on unreasonable fears. Bears are fully in the moment. They have an inner peace that seems to offset their power and strength. That may explain why no other animal on the planet is as revered as the bear. As Searles shares his remarkable knowledge and we become immersed in the ursine world, you'll never look at bears or nature the same way again.

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  Oliver Twist

  Charles Dickens

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  Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress, Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. After escaping, Oliver travels to London, where he meets the "Artful Dodger", a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin.

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  Matisse at War

  Christopher C. Gorham

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  In 1940, with the Nazis sweeping through France, Henri Matisse found himself at a personal and artistic crossroads. His marriage had ended, he was gravely ill, and after decades at the forefront of modern art, he was beset by doubt. As scores of famous figures escaped the country, Matisse took refuge in Nice, with his companion, Lydia. By defiantly remaining, Matisse was a source of inspiration for his nation. 
   
   
   
  While enemy agents and Resistance fighters played cat-and-mouse in the alleyways of Nice, Matisse's son, Jean, engaged in sabotage efforts with the Allies. In Paris, under the swastika, Matisse's estranged wife worked for the Communist underground. His daughter, Marguerite, active in the French Resistance, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, sentenced to Ravensbruck concentration camp—and miraculously escaped when her train was halted by Allied bombs. His younger son, Pierre helped Jewish artists escape to New York; even his grandson risked his life by defying the Germans and their Vichy collaborators. Amidst this chaos, Matisse responded to the dark days of war by inventing a dazzling new paper technique that led to some of his most iconic pieces, including The Fall of Icarus, his profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and his groundbreaking cut-out book, Jazz. His wartime works were acts of resistance, subtly patriotic, and daringly new.

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - The...

  F Scott itzgerald, Damon Runyon,...

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  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  The plains of the American Mid-West are home to some very fine exponents of the literary craft.  Throughout this vast landscape stories seem to be everywhere offering their experiences as works just awaiting the final touches and flourishes of these famed authors.  They deliver in very talented ways. 
   
  1 - The Top 10 - US Authors of the Mid-West - An Introduction 
  2 - Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F Scott Fitzgerald 
  3 - The Defense of Strikerville by Damon Runyon 
  4 - Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin 
  5 - Speed by Sinclair Lewis 
  6 - A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell 
  7 - The Scapegoat by Paul Laurence Dunbar 
  8 - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce 
  9 - White Bread by Zona Gale 
  10 - Hands by Sherwood Anderson 
  11 - Ariel's Triumph by Booth Tarkington

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  My Mother's War - The Incredible...

  Eva Taylor

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  The extraordinary story of Sabine Zuur, a beautiful, young Dutch resistance fighter who spent over two years in three concentration camps during World War Two, told by her daughter using an astonishing archive of personal lettersAfter her mother’s death, Eva Taylor discovered an astounding collection of documents, photos and letters from her time as a resistance fighter in Nazi-occupied Holland. Using the letters, she reconstructed her mother's experience in the underground resistance movement and then as a prisoner in the Amersfoort, Ravensbruck and Mauthausen concentration camps. The letters reveal an amazing story of life during wartime, including declarations of love from her fiancé before his tragic death as a Spitfire pilot, prison notes smuggled out in her laundry, and passionate but sometimes terrifying messages from a German professional criminal who ultimately would save Sabine’s life. A one-of-a-kind story of survival, My Mother’s War captures a remarkable life in the words of the young woman who lived it.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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  The Street Clinic - 10 Young...

  Dorcas Gwata

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  'Fascinating . . . While the rest of us are worrying about it, Dorcas Gwata is doing something about it' - Wendy Joseph, author of Unlawful KillingsThrough the live of ten young people an award-winning nurse reveals the impact of gang culture on mental health. Dorcas Gwata is an award-winning nurse specialising in mental health. She has worked closely with vulnerable young people exposed to the knife crime, sexual exploitation, drug use and poor mental health associated with gangs. In The Street Clinic, we accompany her in her work as she meets and cares for young people on the street and on their terms.We meet Fuz, who is on trial for aggravated assault. There's Abdul, who’s exploring his sexuality and has been humiliated online. Louise's promising future is compromised by her controlling boyfriend. And there’s Zane, whose parents’ divorce opens up an emotional hole in his life that’s plugged by an ill-chosen new friendship.Drawing on her own experiences of loss and social injustice, and twenty-five years on the NHS frontline, Dorcas offers a bird’s-eye view of London: its multicultural population, wealth inequalities, tireless healthcare professionals, and an NHS that doesn’t always work for everyone. And she asks the big questions: What lies behind London’s youth violence crisis? What is its impact on the mental health of its victims? How are the families of our young people and the wider community affected?Exposing some uncomfortable truths about British society, The Street Clinic is also a powerful story of resilience, strength and, ultimately, hope.

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