AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ are the latest in a string of blunders that includes Vietnam and an unintended war with China from 1950 to ’53, those four fiascoes being just the worst moments in nearly a lifetime of false urgencies, intelligence failures, grandiose designs, and stereotyping of enemies and allies alike. America brought down the Soviet empire at the cold war’s most dangerous juncture, but even that victory was surrounded by myths, such as the conviction that we can easily shape the destinies of other people. Magic and Mayhem is a strikingly original, closely informed investigation of two generations of America’s avoidable failures. In a perfectly timed narrative, Derek Leebaert reveals the common threads in these serial letdowns and in the consequences that await. He demonstrates why the most enterprising and innovative nation in history keeps mishandling its gravest politico-military dealings abroad and why well-credentialed men and women, deemed brilliant when they arrive in Washington, consistently end up leading the country into folly. Misjudgments of this scale arise from a pattern of self-deception best described as "magical thinking." When we think magically, we conjure up beliefs that everyone wants to be like us, that America can accomplish anything out of sheer righteousness, and that our own wizardly policymakers will enable gigantic desires like "transforming the Middle East" to happen fast. Mantras of "stability" or "democracy" get substituted for reasoned reflection. Faith is placed in high-tech silver bullets, whether drones over Pakistan or helicopters in Vietnam. Leebaert exposes these magical notions by using new archival material, exclusive interviews, his own insider experiences, and portraits of the men and women who have succumbed: George Kennan, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Presidents Kennedy, Carter, and George W. Bush all appear differently in the light of magic, as do wise men from Harvard, Georgetown, Stanford, and think tanks such as RAND and Brookings, as well as influential players from the media and, occasionally, the military, including General David Petraeus as he personifies the nation’s latest forays into counterinsurgency. Magic and Mayhem offers vital insights as to how Americans imagine, confront, and even invite danger. Only by understanding the power of illusion can we break the spell, and then better apply America’s enduring strengths in a world that will long need them.

Through waves of chaos, can love surface? As Sea Mage of The Nightshade Guild, Serena Moon lives on the line between land and water. But when magic goes awry, mayhem follows. All she thinks she knows comes crumbling apart when Serena can no longer control her shift between human to mermaid form, leaving her stuck in mystical limbo. As king of the sea dragons, Peder wars between the desire to fix everything and the realization there's things he cannot. He craves time with Serena but refuses to use force. With the continuous onslaught of unseen forces trying to destroy them, Serena and Peder learn to rely not on their magic, but themselves...and each other.

FROM AWARD-WINNING ROMANCE AUTHOR JANUARY BAIN Charm McCall, armed with a library full of Agatha Christie stories and her unique witchy gifts, knows how to solve a small-town murder... Charm McCall, the oldest of the McCall triplets by a whole day—or one minute before midnight if one's being picky—is the designated driver for her whole town. Why, if it wasn't for her Snowy Lake would incinerate or fall into Hudson's Bay. Now add her Salem Witch heritage that's gifted her with some unique abilities and she's all set to keep her family and town safe and on its proper course. That is, until a hot Mountie moves into town, a busload of strippers breaks down on Main Street and Mrs. Hurst goes and gets herself murdered with poisoned jam. Jam crafted by Charm's family at the Tea & Tarot cafÉ. Now it's up to her to solve the murders—yes, plural, when another local business owner ends up dead. Charm knows just what to do. What's breaking a few laws if she can sleuth out the culprit? She knows the people of Snowy Lake better than any new lawman possibly could. So why can't he just leave her be to get on with things? And why does he have to be so darn hot?

Magic and Mechanics Clash! Sorcerers and wizards truck with demons while tinkers and engineers build mighty engines of battle in this sourcebook for Dungeons and DragonsR WarcraftR the Roleplaying Game, which translates the hugely successful Warcraft computer game series into an exciting pen-and-paper roleplaying game world based on the popular d20 System rules! Requires the use of the Dungeons and DragonsR Player's Handbook, published by Wizards of the CoastR. This product utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision Designed with extensive input from the creative minds behind the Warcraft computer games, Magic and Mayhem includes: * In depth discussion of magic in the Warcraft setting, including rules for arcane corruption and a new type of magic called rune magic. * The new runemaster core class; 8 new prestige classes, including the warden and the steamwarrior; and several new feats. * New spells, as well as full descriptions of the new rune families and runes used by the runemaster. * A horde of new magic items and technological devices, as well as expanded details on creating technological devices. * Statistics for Warcraft constructs-the ultimate in the merging of magic and technology!

When Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson attend a charity magic performance, they discover an archenemy has a few tricks up his sleeve! The Joker hypnotizes the entire audience, and only Batman is immune to his mesmerizing powers. As the Joker's twists on classic magic tricks become more terrifying, the Dark Knight must stop him before he hurts anyoneÜor saws Robin in half!

Elizabeth McAllistar gave up her magic to stop Lucifer and lock him away. She’s a witch without magic who can’t see it, sense it, or use it. And Elizabeth’s not having a good time of it. Waking up covered in vomit and blood and no idea where you are is terrifying enough, but worse, a video surfaces showing Elizabeth killing men behind a bar she remembers drinking at. None of her friends are available to help and her only help rests with Liam, a mysterious witch who believes she needs help controlling new powers; that is, until Lucifer returns with the promise of restoring her magic to her and stopping the gods and Angels meddling in her life for good. In this final installment in the Angels and Avalon series, Elizabeth must trust Lucifer or risk blacking out and killing again.

A famous fiddler has been kilt. A magic garden's left to wilt. Does Fiona Knox's father hold the guilt? Will florist Fiona's blood be spilt? World-famous fiddle player Barley McFee arrives in blustery Bellewick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, for a grand homecoming concert organized by jeweler Bernice Brennan. Fiona Knox, owner of the Climbing Rose Flower Shop, is starting to regret volunteering to help with the concert. Bernice is an exacting taskmaster, and Fiona has enough tension dealing with her parents, who have traveled from Tennessee to visit Fi and her younger sister, Isla, and to reveal a secret about Fi's birth. But when Barley is found dead in his trailer during the concert's intermission, and his death is shockingly tied to Fiona's father, Fiona discovers there are more secrets surrounding her family than she realized. Much to the chagrin of handsome Neil Craig, Chief Inspector of the County Aberdeen Police, Fiona delves into the case to clear her father's name. To make matters worse, Fiona learns that Duncreigan, the magical garden that she inherited from her godfather, is dying. At some point during the concert, someone broke into the garden and cut the centuries-old climbing rose--the source of the garden's magic--from the standing stone. The stakes are higher than ever and Fiona could lose all that she's grown unless she's able to dispel this terrible curse and dig up the truth--fast.

Enjoy this witty paranormal comedy series-starter by fantasy author Anna McCluskey... Ugh. That moment when your curse gets sort of lifted, but you just know it’s going to come back soon, and now the Council of Matriarchs is after you…. Joan’s had a rough week. When she was six, she and her entire class were placed under a curse by a teacher suffering from a migraine. It faded pretty quickly, but a few days ago it came back with a vengeance. Now she and a few friends have managed to get the symptoms under control, and they’ve befriended a witch who may be able to help them buck it once and for all. But their teacher has chased them down, and she’s pissed. Plus there’s a bunch of catty old witches who just happen to be super powerful and have taken a distinct dislike to Joan. Can Joan, Brandon, and the gang break the curse and finally move on with their lives? Or will they be forever cursed, caught in the tangled web of witchy politics? Magic, Mayhem, & A Martini is the third installment of Anna McCluskey’s hilarious Rhymes with Witch series. Great for readers who love found family, crazy shenanigans, witches, snarky heroines, and characters in their thirties. If you enjoy books by K. F. Breene, Maggie M Lily, Robyn Peterman, Annette Marie, and Helen Harper, you'll love this funny series!

In the Shadow of the Hatman: Murder! Mystery! Magic! Mayhem! It is about the consequences of love and choice. Follow along as a young boy goes from bullied youth to destroyer of the cosmos. This book grew from being a simple collection of short stories into the post-apocalyptic wonder of a novel that it is today. Don't miss out on all the action, adventure, and drama hidden within these pages of the soon-to-be blockbuster film (fingers crossed) In the Shadow of the Hatman: Murder! Mystery! Magic! Mayhem!

Private detective, Adrian Elias, knows what trouble looks like, and ruthless mobster and lion shifter, Sage Tamir, was just that with a capital T. On top of smelling like heaven, the man has the face of an angel, with a body made for unbridled sin. A combination Adrian finds very hard to resist. Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill Sage and they're using magic to do it. Sage usually takes these types of matters into his own hands, but this time, he's out of his league. He believes the only person who can help him is the down-on-his-luck detective. Problem is, Adrian doesn't want to take his case because he feels it may be too dangerous. Never mind the volcanic-level attraction they seem to share for each other raising the stakes. Magic and mayhem awaits.Reader Advisory: 18 and older. Strong adult situations and language. A sarcastic PI and a no-nonsense mobster will keep you turning the pages way past your bedtime. Best order that pizza, because once you start this book, you won't want to stop.