On a rainy afternoon, a mother's life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street.

Eighteen-year-old Kit is weird: big, strange, odd, socially disabled, on a spectrum that stretches from "highly gifted" at one end, to "nutter" at the other. At least Kit knows who his father is; he and Guy live together in a decaying country house on the unstable brink of a vast quarry. His mother's identity is another matter. Now, though, his father's dying, and old friends are gathering for one last time. "Uncle" Paul's a media lawyer now; Rob and Ali are upwardly mobile corporate bunnies; pretty, hopeful Pris is a single mother; Haze is still living up to his drug-inspired name twenty years on; and fierce, protective Hol is a gifted if acerbic critic. As young film students they lived at Willoughtree House with Guy, and they've all come back because they want something. Kit, too, has his own ulterior motives. Before his father dies he wants to know who his mother is, and what's on the mysterious tape they're all looking for. But most of all he wants to stop time and keep his father alive. Fast-paced, gripping and savagely funny, The Quarry is a virtuoso performance whose soaring riffs on the inexhaustible marvel of human perception and rage against the dying of the light will stand among Iain Banks' greatest work.

In the late Middle Ages the philosopher and mystic Meister Eckhart preached that to know the truth you must be the truth. But how to be the truth? Eckhart's answer comes in the form of an imperative: release yourself, let be. Only then will you be able to understand that the deepest meaning of being is releasement and become who you truly are. This book interprets Eckhart's Latin and Middle High German writings under the banner of an imperative of releasement, and then shows how the twentieth-century thinker Martin Heidegger creatively appropriates this idea at several stages of his career. Heidegger had a lifelong fascination with Eckhart, referring to him as "the old master of letters and life." Drawing on archival material and Heidegger's marginalia in his personal copies of Eckhart's writings, Moore argues that Eckhart was one of the most important figures in Heidegger's philosophy. This book also contains previously unpublished documents by Heidegger on Eckhart, as well as the first English translation of Nishitani Keiji's essay "Nietzsche's Zarathustra and Meister Eckhart," which he initially gave as a presentation in one of Heidegger's classes in 1938.

Stephanie Harris is running from her own past while helping teenagers get on the right track. When her boss suggests she add a survival camp to her program, Steph is none too pleased. In her mind, the military-style boot camp spells "torture" rather than "teamwork. " Nathan Moses loves his job. What could be better than helping young people discover their true value in the midst of God's creation? When Stephanie doesn't share his enthusiasm - in fact, when she shows actual antagonism - Nathan wonders if there's a deeper reason than her dislike of the surroundings and his personal style. . In time, Nate helps Stephanie to see her need for the Lord. But when he's accused of serious wrongdoing, will the tender shoot of her faith be scorched in the desert?

Think for yourself before someone does it for you. The first in a new series by and for people who know how important it is to think for yourself. Written by Independent Thinking founder Ian Gilbert, this book is an invaluable collection of reflections, ideas and insights on the nature of learning, thinking, creativity and, drawing on Ian s experience in three continents, the role education has in changing not only people s lives but also entire societies. Combining articles published in the UK, Middle East and South America plus examples of his controversial online postings and Tweets with new observations and insights and at least 100 Twittered Thunks or Twunks this book is the informed ramblings of a passionate educationalist who has made a significant difference to classrooms for over 20 years and has earned the right to speak his mind.

Your mind should be your safe zone, not the noisiest place in the world. Restore your inner peace. If you are always on edge and unable to relax, this book is for you. Choose the pace that you want to live life at - you DO have a choice. Control your thoughts; control your life; control your happiness. The Art of Letting Go is all about organizing the mess in your mind. It's about how to stop focusing on the past that is over, or the future that may never occur, and being present in the situations that you can actually have agency in. It's about how to rewire the anxious connections in your brain, and switch your mental programming and beliefs. It's about understanding that our brains are made for 10,000 BC, and that you can afford to let your guard down. It's about trusting that things will be okay. How to control your self-talk and transform your internal worldview. Nick Trenton grew up in rural Illinois and is quite literally a farm boy. His best friend growing up was his trusty companion Leonard the dachshund. RIP Leonard. Eventually, he made it off the farm and obtained a BS in Economics, followed by an MA in Behavioral Psychology. Psychologically-proven tips to get out of your mind and into your life. -Practicing nonjudgment and observation over your emotions -Untangling the toxic beliefs of urgency and danger in your brain -How to use brain dumping in the most calming way possible -Exercises for self-distancing and externalization: powerful psychological techniques -Defeating your drive for perfection; finding a drive for excellent-ism

The inspiring story of activist and poet Ian Manuel, who at the age of fourteen was sentenced to life in prison. He survived eighteen years in solitary confinement—through his own determination and dedication to art—until he was freed as part of an incredible crusade by the Equal Justice Initiative. “Ian is magic. His story is difficult and heartbreaking, but he takes us places we need to go to understand why we must do better. He survives by relying on a poetic spirit, an unrelenting desire to succeed, to recover, and to love. Ian’s story says something hopeful about our future.” —Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy The United States is the only country in the world that sentences thirteen- and fourteen-year-old offenders, mostly youth of color, to life in prison without parole. In 1991, Ian Manuel, then fourteen, was sentenced to life without parole for a non-homicide crime. In a botched mugging attempt with some older boys, he shot a young white mother of two in the face. But as Bryan Stevenson, attorney and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has insisted, none of us should be judged by only the worst thing we have ever done. Capturing the fullness of his humanity, here is Manuel’s powerful testimony of growing up homeless in a neighborhood riddled with poverty, gang violence, and drug abuse—and of his efforts to rise above his circumstances, only to find himself, partly through his own actions, imprisoned for two-thirds of his life, eighteen years of which were spent in solitary confinement. Here is the story of how he endured the savagery of the United States prison system, and how his victim, an extraordinary woman, forgave him and bravely advocated for his freedom, which was achieved by an Equal Justice Initiative push to address the barbarism of our judicial system and bring about “just mercy.” Full of unexpected twists and turns as it describes a struggle for redemption, My Time Will Come is a paean to the capacity of the human will to transcend adversity through determination and art—in Ian Manuel’s case, through his dedication to writing poetry.

Discover how to transform stress and other unwanted states into resilience, clarity, and improved wellbeing with this insightful new book Resilience By Design: How to Survive and Thrive in a Complex and Turbulent World delivers the world’s most detailed and research-backed how-to manual to integrate advances from neuroscience and complexity theory with real world expertise, providing practical techniques that you'll want to use every day. Alongside well explained scientific theory, each chapter contains dramatic, real-life stories of people from frontline services, elite sports, and everyday survivors who learned to thrive in high pressure, demanding, and often deadly situations. You'll discover how resilience isn’t just the ability to tough it out; it's dependent upon an interconnected set of skills, techniques, creative processes, and new understandings of how we think, act, and interact with our environments and each other. If you or someone you care about experiences unwanted stress, anxiety, decision fatigue, overwhelm, or burnout, by applying the step-by-step techniques in this book, you'll learn to develop resilience, clarity, improved energy, wellbeing, and overall performance. You'll also learn: There's no such thing as an inherently stressful situation, workplace, or event. How to appreciate and benefit from the hidden information in your unconscious signals and intuitions How to adapt your decision making to meet the challenges of uncertainty, from the complicated and complex, to the outright chaotic When to define your limits and 'line in the sand' so that you never expose yourself to unmanageable risk or potential burnout What is it to, 'Know Thyself', through techniques that change perspective and bring clarity even in uncertain, turbulent times Techniques that can be easily taught to people you care about Lifelong resilience and being at your best is available to each of us, no matter what life throws at you. Resilience By Design was derived from the experiences of hundreds of people on the frontline of emergency services, defense, Olympic level sports, business, art, science, and many other areas of expertise—from firefighters and paramedics to social workers and athletes. This book is written for students and teachers, parents and children, caregivers and patients, athletes and coaches, managers and employees, entrepreneurs, and fortune 500 CEOs, and anyone who wishes to know how to survive and thrive in an ever more complex and turbulent world.

Just one gorgeous weekend away from reality. Then they can go on like it never happened... Riley Fisher doesn't have time to chase after men. As a single mother working two jobs, she barely has time to eat or sleep. But a girl has needs. So when handsome veteran Sam Brooks asks her out, she decides she deserves some R&R. She doesn’t expect anything else from him—after all, he’s hardly the type to get serious. Sam came back from Afghanistan lucky to be alive, despite PTSD that hits whenever he lets down his guard. His therapist told him to forget about relationships. When he meets Riley, he’s not planning on breaking the rules. She’s cute, petite, and a total smartass—not even his type. But she’s hard to forget. Especially once he runs into Riley and her toddler on a rustic mountain getaway and sees what he’s missing. Her kid makes him laugh all day. And Riley makes him burn all night. Too bad a relationship is impossible. But they can enjoy the attraction. It’s not like they’re going to fall in love...