Alf the Bear is a timely retelling of the story of the Prodigal Son, written as a tale to be read by adults to children of all ages. Poignant, humorous, incisive and exciting, with simple illustrations designed to be copied or coloured in, this little book brings the timeless message of a classic parable to life in a novel and interesting way as unchanging themes are introduced in very modern ways. Alf is impatient to receive his inheritance and leave his home town for the bright lights of the big city. Having pestered his father to give in to his wishes, Alf sets off on his adventures, using his money to make a name for himself and become the celebrity he has always wanted to be. That is, until the money runs out and Alf’s star fades rapidly away. Alone, rejected and hungry, he thinks of all that he left behind at home and resolves to return there, where a surprise welcome awaits him. Whilst the Prodigal Son remains rooted in Christian teaching, those of other or no faith will enjoy this tale as much as anyone else. For Christian parents or carers, Alf’s story provides an accessible route into the lessons that Jesus’s parable teaches us about numerous topics, not least of which is the underlying message of God, our Father’s, Love for us all.

There was once born a very little pony. Being quite so little, he was rejected by his herd, and the future looked bleak. A few fields over, a young girl was coming to terms with the fact that she would never be able to ride again. Unknowingly, they were about to change each other's lives . . . The pony was Little Alf, a Shetland pony with dwarfism, and the girl, Hannah, who rescued him aged sixteen. From charity work and building a business together, they became constant companions, though there have been a few casualties along the way - mainly garden ornaments and the neighbours' vegetables. Little Alf is the story of their life together - the adventures and the mischievous behaviour of the most adorable little pony.

ALF enjoys a day out at the fair.

This is a comedic novel that follows the misadventures of Alf Higgins, a simple-minded soldier during World War I. The story revolves around a magical button that Alf finds, which grants him three wishes. However, Alf's innocent and naive nature leads him into hilarious and sometimes dangerous situations as he tries to use his wishes to help those around him. The novel also features a cast of memorable characters, including the bumbling Eustace and the conniving Mrs. Grant.

Sport annually mobilizes millions of people across Europe: as practitioners in a wide variety of competitive, educational, or recreational contexts, and as spectators, who are physically present or following events through the mass media. This book presents original research into modern sport funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Its aim is to examine the distinctive contribution made by this complex phenomenon to the construction of European identities. Attention is focused on sport's social significance, as a set of mass-mediated practices and spectacles giving rise to a network of images, symbols, and discourses. The book seeks to explore, and ultimately to explain, the processes of representation and mediation involved in the sporting construction, and subsequent renegotiation, of local, national, and, increasingly, global identities. It offers a survey of key developments in sporting Europe - from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, and from the Atlantic to the Urals - presenting findings by acknowledged international experts and emerging scholars at the level of individuals, communities, regions, nation-states, and Europe as a whole, in both its geographical and political incarnations. Its focus on representation offers a broadly conceived, and consciously inclusive, approach to issues of 'Europeanness' in modern and contemporary sport.

Beginning in the William Morris mail room in 1955, Bernie Brillstein wanted only three things: “to walk into a restaurant and have people know who I am…to be the guy who gets the phone calls and doesn’t have to make them…to represent the one performer people must have.” Throughout his long career at the top of the entertainment industry––as TV and movie producer, agent and brilliant personal manager––Brillstein has accomplished it all. Where Did I Go Right? is Brillstein’s street-smart, funny, and thoroughly human story of a life in show business. With his trademark wit and candor, he speaks out for the first time about his feud with Mike Ovitz, and how it felt to pass the leadership of his company to his partner, Brad Grey, and “no longer be the king.” He describes his close relationship with John Belushi and what it was like being alone with Belushi’s body as it lay “stretched out across two cramped seats in a tiny jet, wrapped up in a body bag” on the way to his funeral. He shares stories about Jim Hensen and Gilda Radner, about Lorne Michaels and the early days of Saturday Night Live. He takes us behind the scenes at such hits as The Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters, and The Muppet Show. Brillstein also reveals his secrets about how to survive and prosper in Hollywood, the real meaning of “the art of the deal,” the difference between “hot” and “good,” and why instinct is so crucial to the future of the entertainment industry. “Becoming successful is the most fun of all. I’m not talking about being successful or staying successful. I mean the getting there, the instant you arrive, and for the first time you think, ‘Where did I go right?’” After eight years, Phoenix Books is re-releasing this bestseller, with an updated epilogue from Bernie Brillstein entitled, “Still going right.”