Memoir of an artist and his revolutionary discoveries that led to solving the mysteries to Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting along with those of many other Renaissance works of art. With COLORED ILLUSTRATIONS.

Whether it’s the loveless marriage, family frustrations, the dead-end job, or all the other stressors that result in a health issue that won’t go away, most people have some prototypical problem that has caused them to get stuck in a rut and feel lost and confused. . . . And in just about every city or town, you can find a psychic advisor who will offer to advise you about these topics . . . often for a hefty sum of money. But these types of "fortune tellers" give you only limited advice—more like a weather report. They tell you if things will get better or get worse, whether the boyfriend or girlfriend you just broke up with come back, whether that check you’ve been waiting for will be in the mail, or whether your loved one’s health will improve. All that’s left is for you to go home and wait for things to happen. Well, there must be a better way to learn how to deal with issues that affect your health . . . and there is! In this enlightening book, Mona Lisa Schulz, M.D., Ph.D., shows you how to combine intuition with intelligence to solve your most pressing health problems. But she’s not your run-of-the-mill intuitive. Described as a psychic doctor with humor, solutions, and credentials, Dr. Mona Lisa gives you no-nonsense, grounded, practical, in-your-face solutions on how to fix the relationship, or job/family/physical/emotional problem. She also explains how to deal with many ailments that affect your well-being, including fatigue, allergies, skin problems, weight, digestion, depression, anxiety, and much more. By mastering the "7 Rules for Intuitive Health," you can learn to intuitively conquer pain and suffering and create a life filled with health and happiness.

A very funny middle-grade adventure by renowned author-illustrator Pat Hutchins. Class 3 of Hampstead Primary School are off on a school trip to Paris! Morgan is the first to spot the bearded man in the black Citroen car, cruising behind their school bus, and feels sure he is following them. The plot thickens when a second mysterious bearded man appears on the ferry boat, Soon Class 3 find themselves entangled with a group of art thieves intent upon stealing the Mona Lisa...!

What happens when you mix a Parisian street orphan, a hot-tempered Spanish forger, a beautiful American pickpocket, an unloved wife, and one priceless painting? Charming Eduardo de Valfierno leads a comfortable life in Argentina, skillfully duping the nouveau riche with his unique brand of fraud. He offers them theft of priceless art, delivering instead impeccable forgeries. When an unexpected encounter with the enchanting Mrs. Hart pushes him into unfamiliar territory, he returns to the city he once loved but had to abandon–Paris. There, he must assemble his team for their greatest and most audacious heist yet: the Mona Lisa. This riveting narrative takes you deep into the heart of early 20th century Paris, its art world, and the legendary Louvre Museum. As the plot thickens with a team member disappearing and Mr. Hart's shadow looming in Paris, the crew must navigate unforeseen challenges and their own vulnerabilities to stay ahead. Inspired by the real-life theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911, Stealing Mona Lisa captures the imagination with a blend of historical truth, mystery, and heart-stopping suspense that will leave you guessing till the very end.

William Gibson, author of the extraordinary multiaward-winning novel Neuromancer, has written his most brilliant and thrilling work to date . . .The Mona Lisa Overdrive. Enter Gibson's unique world—lyric and mechanical, sensual and violent, sobering and exciting—where multinational corporations and high tech outlaws vie for power, traveling into the computer-generated universe known as cyberspace. Into this world comes Mona, a young girl with a murky past and an uncertain future whose life is on a collision course with internationally famous Sense/Net star Angie Mitchell. Since childhood, Angie has been able to tap into cyberspace without a computer. Now, from inside cyberspace, a kidnapping plot is masterminded by a phantom entity who has plans for Mona, Angie, and all humanity, plans that cannot be controlled . . . or even known. And behind the intrigue lurks the shadowy Yazuka, the powerful Japanese underworld, whose leaders ruthlessly manipulate people and events to suit their own purposes . . . or so they think.

"Reams have been written about the Mona Lisa, as the painting is called by the British and Americans, and the Gioconda, as it is known to the Italians and French. But less known are the events, affections and social relations that took place in the life of Leonardo's presumed model for the painting. She was a young woman from Florence, already the mother of several children, generous and "noble in spirit" according to her husband." "For centuries, as the Florentine art historian Giorgio Vasari claimed, the Mona Lisa was considered the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, but the theft of the painting from the Louvre in 1911 and the press campaign that followed ended by bringing the identity of the woman into question, fueling a debate that is still ongoing." "The accounts and documents referred to in this book clarify the question, as a result of which it is difficult not to side with Vasari's supporters that the lady in question was actually Mona Lisa Gherardini." "The main characters in this story are Lisa, her husband Francesco and Leonardo da Vinci. The setting is Renaissance Florence, a city still rich and home to cultural and artistic movements of international renown." "The book is in two parts: the first tells the political and cultural history of Florence: the second is a small fresco of life in the city, in which the lives of Lisa Gherardini and Francesco del Giocondo cross with those of other famous Florentines."--BOOK JACKET.

Historical fiction - Mystery & Suspense Thriller In this elaborately plotted, fast-paced thriller, Phil Philips takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the streets of Paris and to the Jura mountains of Switzerland, to uncover a secret hidden for thousands of years ... Fans of the da Vinci code will love Mona Lisa's Secret.

The Rubik's" is a book that delves into the fascinating world of the Rubik's Cube, a puzzle invented by Hungarian Erno Rubik in 1974. The cube has captured the hearts of millions globally since the 1980s, growing rapidly in popularity. Despite over 350 million Rubik's Cubes being sold, only a mere one percent of the world's population can solve the cube. The book explores the history of the cube, its rise to fame, and the challenges faced by those seeking to conquer it. In the 1980s, learning to solve the Rubik's Cube was a challenge, with limited resources such as books and no internet access. However, in the present day, numerous books and online platforms provide ample opportunities for enthusiasts to master the cube. The author recommends the "Long Layer" method for beginners and highlights the evolution of solving methods, emphasizing the need for advanced methods as one seeks to solve the cube more quickly. The book introduces the concept of "Speedcubers," individuals who can consistently solve the cube within 30 seconds or less. These speedcubers often participate in global competitions, with the first world champion being Minh Thai in 1982. The world record, achieved by Yusheng Du, currently stands at an astonishing 3.47 seconds. The book discusses the techniques behind such fast solving times, emphasizing minimal moves and efficient finger pushes. Beyond solving methods, the book covers various aspects of the Rubik's Cube world, including move notation, the cube's composition, and other learning methods. It explores speedcubing competitions, profiling top speedcubers and detailing their achievements. The author provides information on speedcubing world records and highlights the experiences of about 30 individuals who have broken these records, becoming renowned speed cubing personalities. To cater to the reader's curiosity, the book offers insights into Rubik's Cube forums and websites, encouraging enthusiasts to engage in discussions, ask questions, and seek advice. The author aims to entertain readers by presenting the most crucial information in an engaging manner, making the book a comprehensive guide for Rubik's Cube lovers. "The Rubik's" is a rich resource for both beginners and seasoned enthusiasts, offering a journey through the cube's history, solving methods, speedcubing competitions, and the vibrant online community that surrounds this iconic puzzle.

This book focuses on solving optimization problems with MATLAB. Descriptions and solutions of nonlinear equations of any form are studied first. Focuses are made on the solutions of various types of optimization problems, including unconstrained and constrained optimizations, mixed integer, multiobjective and dynamic programming problems. Comparative studies and conclusions on intelligent global solvers are also provided.