Novel They call me Peacock. Why? The tattoo. I wear it on my shoulder. I had it done in my teens, in admiration of the bird. I still admire the bird today. I admire the way it looks. I admire the way it struts. I admire the way it preens. And did it hurt? Did it fuck. Come and meet Peacock Johnson, and ride with him on the craziest journey of your life as you travel across America in search of his ultimate fantasy: the hit record, the fame, the fortune. It's so close he can almost smell it. But a word of warning, don't fuck with Glasgow's own Rhinestone Cowboy, because nothing is going to stand in his way. Not the nagging of his mad missus, Bev, nor the weird antics of his Yanky side-kick, Evil Bob, not even you. As Peacock careers from one crisis to another, always clutching his masterpiece demo tape close by his side, his aspirations and plans spiral out of control in a frenzy of hilarity, disaster, sadness and dejection. Yet, he always grasps onto that glimmer of hope - after all, this is America, the land of dreams, where anything is possible... or is it? The Peacock Manifesto is probably the best black-comedy you'll read this year, a superbly realised follow-up to the critic

For over twenty-five years, leadership legend and personal-mastery path-blazer Robin Sharma has mentored billionaires, business titans, professional-sports superstars and entertainment royalty via a revolutionary methodology that led them to accomplish rare-air results. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Sharma makes his transformational system available to anyone who is ready for undefeatable positivity, monumental productivity, deep spiritual freedom and a life of helping others. In The Everyday Hero Manifesto you will discover: · The hidden habits used by many of the world’s most creative and successful people to realize their visionary ambitions · Original techniques to turn fear into fuel, problems into power and past troubles into triumphs · A breakthrough blueprint to battle-proof yourself against distraction and procrastination so that you produce magic that dominates your domain · Pioneering insights on adopting world-class routines that will lead you to achieve superhuman fitness and become the most disciplined person you know · Unusual wisdom to operate with far more simplicity, beauty and peace Part memoir of a life richly lived, part instruction manual for virtuoso-grade performance, and part handbook for spiritual freedom in an age of high-velocity change, The Everyday Hero Manifesto will completely transform your life. Forever. ROBIN SHARMA is a humanitarian who has devoted his life to helping people express their highest natural gifts. He is widely regarded as one of the top leadership and personal-mastery experts in the world. His clients include NASA, Microsoft, NIKE, Unilever, GE, FedEx, HP, Starbucks, Oracle, Yale University, PwC, IBM Watson and the Young Presidents’ Organization. His #1 international bestsellers, such as The 5 AM Club, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, The Greatness Guide and Who Will Cry When You Die?, have sold millions of copies in over ninety-two languages, making him one of the most widely read authors on the planet.

This book is the story of a young girl obsessed by a childhood prophecy of disaster. The author builds up an atmosphere of tension and oppression, in the middle of an Indian summer.

Novel writing is a popular hobby and this book will provide the would-be and starter novelist with all the tools needed to get started. This title includes a thorough grounding in essential fiction writing skills and clear guidance on how to get published from top industry names. It provides a complete glossary of terms and listing of all publishing contacts needed by an author, from book publishers and agents to festivals and online links. It includes tremendous resource of instruction and information that will prove invaluable to the armies of would-be and practising novel writers.

How did we let teacher burn-out happen, and what can we do about it – before it's too late? This brave and disruptive book accurately defines the problems of low teacher morale and offers systemic, future-proof and realistic solutions to bringing hope, energy and joy back to the profession. The simple answer is staring us in the face: increase teacher agency. Our rallying cry: our profession needs a return to values of humanity, pride, and professionalism. From research literacy to a collective voice, better CPD to smarter accountability, contributors to this book demonstrate the huge scope for increased teacher influence at every level of the education sector. Education voices including Sam Twiselton, Alison Peacock, David Weston and Andy Hargreaves, supported by a broad range of academics and policy makers, vouch for increased teacher agency and stronger, more powerful networks as a means of improving practice, combatting teacher disillusionment, and radically improving UK education. This text offers an exciting and hopeful perspective on education; urging teachers to work together to ‘flip the system’ and challenging policy makers to help... or get out of the way. Chapters have been contributed by Tom Bennett, Peter Ford, Jonathan Firth, David Weston, David Williams, Zeba Clarke, Julie Smith, Dr Robert Loe, Jeremy Pattle, Debra Kidd, Steven Watson, Ross Morrison McGill, George Gilchrist, Howard Stevenson, Professor Dame Alison Peacock, d’Reen Struthers, Phil Wood, Rae Snape, Simon Gibbs, Ross Hall, Jackie Ward, Simon Knight, David Frost, Sheila Ball, Sarah Lightfoot, Andy Hargreaves, Darren Macey, Gary Farrell, Julian Critchley, Tony Gallagher, Gareth Alcott, Sam Twiselton, Jelmer Evers, Alma Harris, Michelle Jones, Natalie Scott, Deborah M. Netolicky, Jon Andrews, Cameron Paterson, Per Kornhall, Joe Hallgarten, Tom Beresford and Sara Hjelm.

Ian Rankin is considered by many to be Scotland's greatest living crime fiction author. Most well known for his Inspector Rebus series--which has earned critical acclaim as well as scores of fans worldwide--Rankin is a prolific author whose other works include spy thrillers, nonfiction books and articles, short stories, novels, graphic novels, audio recordings, television/film, and plays. This companion--the first to provide a complete look at all of his writings--includes alphabetized entries on Rankin's works, characters, and themes; a biography; a chronology; maps of Rebus' Edinburgh; and an annotated bibliography. A champion of both Edinburgh and Scotland, Rankin continues to combine engaging entertainment with socio-political commentary showing Edinburgh as a microcosm of Scotland, and Scotland as a microcosm of the world. His writing investigates questions of Scottish identity, British history, masculinity, and contemporary culture while providing mystery readers with complex, suspenseful plots, realistic character development, and a unique mix of American hard-boiled and procedural styles with Scottish dialects and sensibilities.

Most people call me The Jackdaw. If they don't, I tell them they probably should. Meet fifteen-year-old Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawson, a young man with a serious plan. Daydreaming in class one day, Jack is hit over the head with an idea so blinding, so extraordinarily visionary and so downright fantastic he knows it can't fail. It's his ticket out of school - an app that will stop you from getting into trouble for daydreaming in class (ahem...) Fame, glory and tons of money seem just around the corner - but then Jack runs into a few problems. First of all, his warring parents are determined to push him into a career of their choosing (mum says office, dad says factory) without much thought as to what Jack might actually want. Secondly (and quite importantly) Jack doesn't know the first thing about making apps, and the only person who does wants nothing at all to do with Jack. That is, unless he does her a favour... which leads to someone else needing another favour, then another and another - until Jack finds himself sat upon a very precarious pile of promises to a whole bunch of random people. Can the Jackdaw complete his scheme, or is this too much for even his superior brain to cope with?

Listen to a short interview with Giles SladeHost: Chris Gondek | Producer: Heron & Crane If you've replaced a computer lately--or a cell phone, a camera, a television--chances are, the old one still worked. And chances are even greater that the latest model won't last as long as the one it replaced. Welcome to the world of planned obsolescence--a business model, a way of life, and a uniquely American invention that this eye-opening book explores from its beginnings to its perilous implications for the very near future. Made to Break is a history of twentieth-century technology as seen through the prism of obsolescence. America invented everything that is now disposable, Giles Slade tells us, and he explains how disposability was in fact a necessary condition for America's rejection of tradition and our acceptance of change and impermanence. His book shows us the ideas behind obsolescence at work in such American milestones as the inventions of branding, packaging, and advertising; the contest for market dominance between GM and Ford; the struggle for a national communications network, the development of electronic technologies--and with it the avalanche of electronic consumer waste that will overwhelm America's landfills and poison its water within the coming decade. History reserves a privileged place for those societies that built things to last--forever, if possible. What place will it hold for a society addicted to consumption--a whole culture made to break? This book gives us a detailed and harrowing picture of how, by choosing to support ever-shorter product lives we may well be shortening the future of our way of life as well.

THE MOST TRUSTED GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED Written by writers for writers and backed by 89 years of authority, Writer's Market is the #1 resource for helping writers sell their work. Used by both seasoned professionals and writers new to the publishing world, Writer's Market has helped countless writers transform their love of writing from a hobby into a career. Nowhere else but in the 2010 Writer's Market will you find the most comprehensive and reliable information you need. This new edition includes: Complete, up-to-date contact information and submission guidelines for more than 3,500 market listings, including literary agents, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, production companies, theaters, greeting card companies, and more. Informative interviews, helpful tips and instructional articles on the business of writing. The "How Much Should I Charge?" pay rate charts for professional freelancers. Sample good and bad queries in the "Query Letter Clinic." Easy-to-use format and tabbed pages so you can quickly locate the information you need!