Amidst the recent flourishing of Sixties scholarship, Imagine Nation is the first collection to focus solely on the counterculture. Its fourteen provocative essays seek to unearth the complexity and rediscover the society-changing power of significant movements and figures.

Amidst the recent flourishing of Sixties scholarship, Imagine Nation is the first collection to focus solely on the counterculture. Its fourteen provocative essays seek to unearth the complexity and rediscover the society-changing power of significant movements and figures.

Fans of Brandon Mull and James Riley will love this middle grade fantasy trilogy about a regular kid who discovers that the truth about his past could be the answer to saving the future. All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks more and more into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests project him as spending a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate—including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability—one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they’ve ever faced.

Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson's brilliant book on nationalism, forged a new field of study when it first appeared in 1983. Since then it has sold over a quarter of a million copies and is widely considered the most important book on the subject. In this greatly anticipated revised edition, Anderson updates and elaborates on the core question- what makes people live, die and kill in the name of nations? He shows how an originary nationalism born in the Americas was adopted by popular movements in Europe, by imperialist powers, and by the anti-imperialist resistances in Asia and Africa, and explores the way communities were created by the growth of the nation-state, the interaction between capitalism and printing, and the birth of vernacular languages-of-state. Anderson revisits these fundamental ideas, showing how their relevance has been tested by the events of the past two decades. ' S parkling, readable, densely packed.' Peter Worsley, The Guardian ' A brilliant little book.' Neal Ascherson, The Observer

"Ever since Jack Blank learned that he came from the amazing country of the Imagine Nation, he's known that his fate could go down two very different paths--he could either be the greatest hero the world has ever known, or its greatest villain. Now the final battle is here, and it's time for Jack to discover the direction of his destiny."--

After the accident, I became a strict believer in the Almighty, believing the accident happened for a reason to change the sights I had for a useful life instead of being an architect that I went to school for and now forgotten. I would now have to look into some new direction. I had some writing experience to look at. I was going to Bible study groups once or twice a week, reading and working on what we read about, with some writing to sum up what was taught. In this writing, I started recreational work as to poetry. Some of this work was of thought "given," religious poems that had good themes. The time and place, I don't know what it means. There, a thought given is usually written, Reasoning for life is usually explained; thought for actions is then remained. As one to another time is a fence, actions portrayed some of defense, The mind was one that was given, the thought within is retained from living. A purpose has reason for a maker to see, sometimes your action is reason to be. Other times a purpose is that not in sight, making the choice not being right. Then again, age is a factor for how you choose, more in sight to win or to lose. Reasoning is many times unexplained, but a good thought was unrefrained. A thought in practice becomes a choice made; a mistake made is one to invade. Life is like a gamble then you die. Don't rock any cradle; don't make 'em cry. Live trying to give back to life; don't let it show. Love the beast; don't let it know. Have peace "for life" killing is banned. See the other side; I hear it's grand! Death is the last step we take; I hope you make it for both of our sakes. All of his instructions were given; your part is in the living. Amen. Earth is our onetime school; to learn God's love, obey his rule. All for our gain to love and learn, graduate in death prepared for our turn! Exclaimed with the happiness to see and rejoice, spirit lives have a voice. Heard for eternity, his promise fulfilled, that with action thought prewilled. You lived for a reason instead of gain in pleasing "yourself." The End of Book 1 Seeing The Real Nation Book 2 is further in-depth, More of a mind being prepped, For the soul to be swept Up, for God knows you cared.

Refer a critical discussion of the content in this book by Martin Ravallon in 'Economic and Political Weekly'. Vol. 37, 46, 2002. pp. 4638-4645.

Fans of Brandon Mull and James Riley will love this action-packed, accessible fantasy series opener about one kid’s journey to discover magic as he’s caught up in an epic battle between two powerful ancient orders. Twelve-year-old daydreamer Joey Kopecky’s life has been turned upside down. After acing a series of tests, he’s declared a genius and awarded a full scholarship at a special (year-round!) school. He’s understandably devastated, until he takes one last test, and the room around him disappears, replaced by the interior of an old theater. There, Joey meets the washed-up magician, Redondo the Magnificent, and makes a shocking discovery…magic is real, but sadly, there isn’t much left in the world. It may be too late to save what little remains, but for the first time in his life Joey wants to try—really try—to do something big. Soon he’s swept up into a centuries-old conflict between two rival societies of magicians—the Order of the Majestic, that fights to keep magic alive and free for all, and the dark magicians of the Invisible Hand, who hoard magic for their own evil ends. The endless battle for control of magic itself has reached a tipping point. For Redondo and the Order to survive, Joey must inherit the lost legacy of Harry Houdini. Will he prove himself worthy, or will the Invisible Hand strike him down? The answer will depend on Joey’s ability to believe, not just in magic, but in himself.

Sequel to: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation.

The first step on the road to change is to imagine possibility. Imagine A Country offers visions of a new future from an astonishing array of Scottish voices, from comedians to economists, writers to musicians. Edited, curated and introduced by bestselling author Val McDermid and geographer Jo Sharp, it is a collection of ideas, dreams and ambitions, aiming to inspire change, hope and imagination. Featuring: Ali Smith, Phill Jupitus, A.L. Kennedy, Alan Cumming, Kerry Hudson, Greg Hemphill, Carol Ann Duffy, Chris Brookmyre, Alison Watt, Alasdair Gray, Leila Aboulela, Ian Rankin, Selina Hales, Sanjeev Kohli, Jackie Kay, Damian Barr, Elaine C. Smith, Abir Mukherjee, Anne Glover, Alan Bissett, Louise Welsh, Jo Clifford, Ricky Ross, Trishna Singh, Cameron McNeish, Alexander McCall Smith, Carla Jenkins, Don Paterson, and many more . . .