Author: Lee Clarke
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226109428
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 236
Book Description
How does the U.S. Post Office plan to deliver mail after atomic Armageddon? How do oil industry executives intend to collect 10 million gallons of oil spilled in the Gulf of Alaska? How do regulators try to convince people that everyone can be evacuated from congested Long Island after a nuclear power plant destroys itself? Lee Clarke enters the world of managers and experts to find out how governments and corporations plan for massive disaster when they have no clue as to how to go about it. He argues that managers create plans that are "fantasy documents," rhetorical tools that are used to convince audiences that experts are in charge and that all is well. Provocative and written for a general audience, Mission Improbable makes the case that society would be safer, smarter, and fairer if organizations would admit their limitations.
Mission Improbable
Author: Lee Clarke
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226109428
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 236
Book Description
How does the U.S. Post Office plan to deliver mail after atomic Armageddon? How do oil industry executives intend to collect 10 million gallons of oil spilled in the Gulf of Alaska? How do regulators try to convince people that everyone can be evacuated from congested Long Island after a nuclear power plant destroys itself? Lee Clarke enters the world of managers and experts to find out how governments and corporations plan for massive disaster when they have no clue as to how to go about it. He argues that managers create plans that are "fantasy documents," rhetorical tools that are used to convince audiences that experts are in charge and that all is well. Provocative and written for a general audience, Mission Improbable makes the case that society would be safer, smarter, and fairer if organizations would admit their limitations.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226109428
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 236
Book Description
How does the U.S. Post Office plan to deliver mail after atomic Armageddon? How do oil industry executives intend to collect 10 million gallons of oil spilled in the Gulf of Alaska? How do regulators try to convince people that everyone can be evacuated from congested Long Island after a nuclear power plant destroys itself? Lee Clarke enters the world of managers and experts to find out how governments and corporations plan for massive disaster when they have no clue as to how to go about it. He argues that managers create plans that are "fantasy documents," rhetorical tools that are used to convince audiences that experts are in charge and that all is well. Provocative and written for a general audience, Mission Improbable makes the case that society would be safer, smarter, and fairer if organizations would admit their limitations.
The Last Stormlord
Author: Glenda Larke
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
ISBN: 0316075906
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first. . . Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous. . . The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die. Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry. . .
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
ISBN: 0316075906
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first. . . Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous. . . The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die. Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry. . .
Tear Tracks
Author: Malka Older
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 0765384590
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 33
Book Description
Flur traveled across the stars to make first contact with the Cyclopes, hoping to forge a peace treaty between humanity and the first sentient aliens they've discovered. She's undergone careful training and study to prepare for this moment. But what if her approach is too human? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 0765384590
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 33
Book Description
Flur traveled across the stars to make first contact with the Cyclopes, hoping to forge a peace treaty between humanity and the first sentient aliens they've discovered. She's undergone careful training and study to prepare for this moment. But what if her approach is too human? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Beetle & the Hollowbones
Author: Aliza Layne
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1534441530
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A Stonewall Honor Book An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall—perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time. In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity. Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust. But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1534441530
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A Stonewall Honor Book An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall—perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time. In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity. Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust. But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.
Alien Virus Love Disaster
Author: Abbey Mei Otis
Publisher: Small Beer Press
ISBN: 1618731505
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
Philip K. Dick Award finalist Washington Post Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2018 Abbey Mei Otis’s short stories are contemporary fiction at its strongest: taking apart the supposed equality that is clearly just not there, putting humans under an alien microscope, putting humans under government control, putting kids from the moon into a small beach town and then the putting the rest of the town under the microscope as they react in ways we ope they would, and then, of course, in ways we’d hope they don’t. Otis has long been fascinated in using strange situations to explore dynamics of power, oppression, and grief, and the twelve stories collected here are at once a striking indictment of the present and a powerful warning about the future. “After I read this book, I woke up with bumpy, reddish growths along my spine. They burst, releasing marvels: aliens, robots, prefab houses, vinyl, chainlink, styrofoam, star stuff, tales from the edge of eviction, so many new worlds. Alien Virus Love Disaster is a super-intelligent infection. Let Abbey Mei Otis give you some lumps.” — Sofia Samatar, author of Tender
Publisher: Small Beer Press
ISBN: 1618731505
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
Philip K. Dick Award finalist Washington Post Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2018 Abbey Mei Otis’s short stories are contemporary fiction at its strongest: taking apart the supposed equality that is clearly just not there, putting humans under an alien microscope, putting humans under government control, putting kids from the moon into a small beach town and then the putting the rest of the town under the microscope as they react in ways we ope they would, and then, of course, in ways we’d hope they don’t. Otis has long been fascinated in using strange situations to explore dynamics of power, oppression, and grief, and the twelve stories collected here are at once a striking indictment of the present and a powerful warning about the future. “After I read this book, I woke up with bumpy, reddish growths along my spine. They burst, releasing marvels: aliens, robots, prefab houses, vinyl, chainlink, styrofoam, star stuff, tales from the edge of eviction, so many new worlds. Alien Virus Love Disaster is a super-intelligent infection. Let Abbey Mei Otis give you some lumps.” — Sofia Samatar, author of Tender
The Fires of Vengeance
Author: Evan Winter
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 0316489816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 477
Book Description
In this "relentlessly gripping, brilliant" epic fantasy (James Islington), an ousted queen must join forces with a young warrior in order to reclaim her throne and save her people. Tau and his Queen, desperate to delay the impending attack on the capital by the indigenous people of Xidda, craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the Queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the 'true' Queen of the Omehi. If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne, and if she can reunite her people then the Omehi have a chance to survive the onslaught. "This gritty series set in a South African–inspired fantasy world is an intense reading experience, and the second book is just as phenomenal as the first."—BuzzFeed News "The Fires of Vengeance is epic fantasy at its finest."—Winter Is Coming The Books of The Burning Series The Rage of Dragons The Fires of Vengeance The Lord of Demons
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 0316489816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 477
Book Description
In this "relentlessly gripping, brilliant" epic fantasy (James Islington), an ousted queen must join forces with a young warrior in order to reclaim her throne and save her people. Tau and his Queen, desperate to delay the impending attack on the capital by the indigenous people of Xidda, craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the Queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the 'true' Queen of the Omehi. If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne, and if she can reunite her people then the Omehi have a chance to survive the onslaught. "This gritty series set in a South African–inspired fantasy world is an intense reading experience, and the second book is just as phenomenal as the first."—BuzzFeed News "The Fires of Vengeance is epic fantasy at its finest."—Winter Is Coming The Books of The Burning Series The Rage of Dragons The Fires of Vengeance The Lord of Demons
Fear and Fantasy in a Global World
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004306048
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
At a time when the mass media insist on bombarding us with news about natural, political and economic disasters, words, ideas and images associated with such “crises” and “catastrophes” shape to a great extent collective memory and current imagination. Fear and Fantasy in a Global World seeks to stir the debate on the processes and meanings of, as well as on the relations between, fear and fantasy in the globalized world. Collective fears and fantasies are analysed from a number of cross-disciplinary perspectives, promoted by the epistemological underpinnings of comparative literature. In various ways and from different disciplinary angles, the 17 essays here gathered respond to and scrutinize key questions related to the imaginaries of fear and fantasy, as well as their relations to trauma, crisis, anxiety, and representations of both the conscious and the unconscious. Contributors: Alexandra Hills, Ana Filipa Prata, Brecht de Groote, Christin Grunert, Christopher Bollas, Daniela Di Pasquale, David Vichnar, Edith Beltrán, Gero Guttzeit, Hande Gurses, Harriet Hulme, James Rushing Daniel, João Pedro da Costa, Margarita García Candeira, Marija Sruk, Martijn Boven, and Ortwin de Graef.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004306048
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
At a time when the mass media insist on bombarding us with news about natural, political and economic disasters, words, ideas and images associated with such “crises” and “catastrophes” shape to a great extent collective memory and current imagination. Fear and Fantasy in a Global World seeks to stir the debate on the processes and meanings of, as well as on the relations between, fear and fantasy in the globalized world. Collective fears and fantasies are analysed from a number of cross-disciplinary perspectives, promoted by the epistemological underpinnings of comparative literature. In various ways and from different disciplinary angles, the 17 essays here gathered respond to and scrutinize key questions related to the imaginaries of fear and fantasy, as well as their relations to trauma, crisis, anxiety, and representations of both the conscious and the unconscious. Contributors: Alexandra Hills, Ana Filipa Prata, Brecht de Groote, Christin Grunert, Christopher Bollas, Daniela Di Pasquale, David Vichnar, Edith Beltrán, Gero Guttzeit, Hande Gurses, Harriet Hulme, James Rushing Daniel, João Pedro da Costa, Margarita García Candeira, Marija Sruk, Martijn Boven, and Ortwin de Graef.
The Disasters
Author: M. K. England
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062657690
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this YA sci-fi adventure by debut author M. K. England. Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats. On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth. Because they may not be “Academy material,” and they may not even get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight. Full of high-stakes action, subversive humor, and underdogs becoming heroes, this YA sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Illuminae, Heart of Iron, or the cult classic TV show Firefly and is also a page-turning thrill ride that anyone—not just space nerds—can enjoy.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062657690
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this YA sci-fi adventure by debut author M. K. England. Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats. On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth. Because they may not be “Academy material,” and they may not even get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight. Full of high-stakes action, subversive humor, and underdogs becoming heroes, this YA sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Illuminae, Heart of Iron, or the cult classic TV show Firefly and is also a page-turning thrill ride that anyone—not just space nerds—can enjoy.
Incredible Stories of the Fantasy World
Author: Amrahs Hseham
Publisher: Mahesh Dutt Sharma
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
The book kicks off with "Ant's Army," a tale set against the Austrian backdrop. Antara, an industrious ant, transforms her colony into a formidable army to protect her homeland. The narrative unfolds a harmonious blend of fantasy and environmental consciousness, showcasing the strength that unity holds in the face of adversity. The journey continues with "Chess of Death," returning to the Austrian environment. The narrative introduces a high-stakes, magical chess game that entangles the lives of its players, weaving a gripping tale of strategy, consequences, and the pursuit of victory in the face of peril. "Barbed Whip" unfolds against the mystical ambiance of the Czech Republic. Valeria, a skilled warrior, wields a magical whip in her pursuit of justice against a malevolent force threatening her homeland. The story is infused with Czech cultural elements, providing a vivid and immersive experience. Moving on to "Crying River," the book explores a haunting tale set in the Czech landscape. A river with mystical properties reflects the emotions of those who traverse its waters, creating a poignant narrative that delves into the interconnectedness of nature and human emotions.
Publisher: Mahesh Dutt Sharma
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
The book kicks off with "Ant's Army," a tale set against the Austrian backdrop. Antara, an industrious ant, transforms her colony into a formidable army to protect her homeland. The narrative unfolds a harmonious blend of fantasy and environmental consciousness, showcasing the strength that unity holds in the face of adversity. The journey continues with "Chess of Death," returning to the Austrian environment. The narrative introduces a high-stakes, magical chess game that entangles the lives of its players, weaving a gripping tale of strategy, consequences, and the pursuit of victory in the face of peril. "Barbed Whip" unfolds against the mystical ambiance of the Czech Republic. Valeria, a skilled warrior, wields a magical whip in her pursuit of justice against a malevolent force threatening her homeland. The story is infused with Czech cultural elements, providing a vivid and immersive experience. Moving on to "Crying River," the book explores a haunting tale set in the Czech landscape. A river with mystical properties reflects the emotions of those who traverse its waters, creating a poignant narrative that delves into the interconnectedness of nature and human emotions.
Leave the World Behind
Author: Rumaan Alam
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062667653
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
Now a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon. Written for the Screen and Directed by Sam Esmail. Executive Producers Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, Nick Krishnamurthy, Rumaan Alam A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in Fiction One of Barack Obama's Summer Reads A Best Book of the Year From: The Washington Post * Time * NPR * Elle * Esquire * Kirkus * Library Journal * The Chicago Public Library * The New York Public Library * BookPage * The Globe and Mail * EW.com * The LA Times * USA Today * InStyle * The New Yorker * AARP * Publisher's Lunch * LitHub * Book Marks * Electric Literature * Brooklyn Based * The Boston Globe A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong. From the bestselling author of Rich and Pretty comes a suspenseful and provocative novel keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis. Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062667653
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 253
Book Description
Now a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon. Written for the Screen and Directed by Sam Esmail. Executive Producers Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, Nick Krishnamurthy, Rumaan Alam A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in Fiction One of Barack Obama's Summer Reads A Best Book of the Year From: The Washington Post * Time * NPR * Elle * Esquire * Kirkus * Library Journal * The Chicago Public Library * The New York Public Library * BookPage * The Globe and Mail * EW.com * The LA Times * USA Today * InStyle * The New Yorker * AARP * Publisher's Lunch * LitHub * Book Marks * Electric Literature * Brooklyn Based * The Boston Globe A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong. From the bestselling author of Rich and Pretty comes a suspenseful and provocative novel keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis. Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?