In a wood in a small town, there exists an unusual tree. Its trunk is black and its leaves are gold on one side and silver on the other. The animals all gather around it during the night. For some reason, perhaps because of the tree itself, the inhabitants of the town are unable to fight fires. The tree has been there longer than anyone can remember. One day, someone braves up enough to touch it. The universe will never be the same.Sometime in the 3000's a young girl discovers that she is a lost princess from the planet Saturn after her school burns down. Several teens are taken from Earth and begin the journey home to help their parents win a war. Along the way they bicker, uncover secrets, and try to regain lost memories. The series details their various adventures fighting old enemies, dealing with love and lives past, and watching the walls between alternate universes crumble as they try to find a home. Will their world ever make sense? Find out in this fantastic and cuil journey.

Centuries ago, the Seeds of the Black Tree were hidden. They were thought a secret, locked safely away. That was until a sorcerer of great ambition took the remaining Seed for himself. Now it has been planted somewhere deep in the frozen Wastes. Its roots threaten to grow deep into the heart of the world and transform it into a realm of pure shadow. Soon its power will grow and evil with spread throughout the land. When the darkness spreads completely, none shall be able to stand against it.None save perhaps three.Lorn is a seasoned warrior who failed in his duties long ago. He has no desire to truly save the world any longer. He is only motivated by revenge. For that is all he has left. Rayna is a young woman with a rare ability. Soon to take on the position of Healer in her village, she can cure the wounds of others with her own mystical energies. However, Rayna is torn between this task and the desire to pursue something beyond the calling of her people.Thomas is a young magician among the monks of Torbed, but his youth has given him limited experience with the outside world. His time to sharpen his skills is soon upon him. Will he be up to the task? These three may find that their paths cross, but all lead to an encounter at the edge of the world with the Black Tree.

A Best SFF Books of the Month pick by Amazon! What happens when you find a way to save your loved one... but the price might not be worth it—the stunning conclusion to New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow’s The Dead God’s Heart Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother’s life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth—and that she’s been lied to all her young life. The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it’s too late to back out now. Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible choice: Save her mother’s very existence... ...or accept the consequences of her own. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM J. ANTHONY LUKAS BOOK AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 PEN/JOHN KENNETH GALBRAITH AWARD FOR NONFICTION FINALIST FOR THE NELLIE BY CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FOR JOURNALISTIC NON-FICTION A gripping investigation of the billion-dollar timber black market “and a fascinating examination of the deep and troubled relationship between people and forests” (Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts). There's a strong chance that chair you are sitting on was made from stolen lumber. In Tree Thieves, Lyndsie Bourgon takes us deep into the underbelly of the illegal timber market. As she traces three timber poaching cases, she introduces us to tree poachers, law enforcement, forensic wood specialists, the enigmatic residents of former logging communities, environmental activists, international timber cartels, and indigenous communities along the way. Old-growth trees are invaluable and irreplaceable for both humans and wildlife, and are the oldest living things on earth. But the morality of tree poaching is not as simple as we might think: stealing trees is a form of deeply rooted protest, and a side effect of environmental preservation and protection that doesn't include communities that have been uprooted or marginalized when park boundaries are drawn. As Bourgon discovers, failing to include working class and rural communities in the preservation of these awe-inducing ecosystems can lead to catastrophic results. Featuring excellent investigative reporting, fascinating characters, logging history, political analysis, and cutting-edge tree science, Tree Thieves takes readers on a thrilling journey into the intrigue, crime, and incredible complexity sheltered under the forest canopy.

When we look at the world today, we see that black people seem to be last or minorities in everything. Moreover, blacks are having more problem with the law, the police, being killed by police, more than any other races of people. There are other races of people who are planning and are happy to exploit and take advantage of blacks or black countries all the time... One for example is today in this twenty-first century in 2018. Chinese are taking over a radio station and the police department of the country of Zambia in Africa. What a shame... The big question is, why? Mr. Fridolin Yaovi Avouglan since his arrival in San Diego, California, USA, in 1970 to today, has decided to answer the big question of “why?” And inform all the people of the world and especially the other races such as the white, the Chinese and Asian, the Indian, the Latinos North and South, the Arabs who never suffered the ordeal of the black African and the black American including all the blacks in the Caribbean Islands that it is time for them to be inform about the black people’s journey from AD 1500 to today in 2018. In the book Black Tree, White Tree: Why the Difference, Mr. Fridolin tries to inform other races of the world about black people’s ordeals, and at the same time, he tries to call the black people of the world to be aware of where we were in the past, where we are today, and how we need to build a new tomorrow for ourselves and our generation and the generation of our generation. As all other races of people are continuing to build on what they already have, we also need to begin to rebuild our family and lives that were destroyed. We cannot wait for anyone to do it for us, and we should know that none will do it for us; it is our responsibility to rebuild our destroyed lives and families. Black people in African countries are still under the control of the white European race who knowingly places dictators to lead those countries after they had managed to assassinate all the earlier African leader who desired to liberate their countries. They have done so to enable them to continue to ravage the resources of those countries depriving the citizens of rule of law, justice, and freedom necessary ingredient for development of any country. No wonder why conflict is so prevalent in Africa countries. The author urge African Americans to begin to come to the rescue of African countries after they have rebuild their own lives so that one day we can all truly be free at last. I believe that the 70 percent of other races who are good human being will come to support every effort of the black people to rebuilt their lives. Many white had march side by side with black people before for black people causes. We are all human beings created in the image of God. But for those whites who hate black people and considered themselves to be superior to the blacks, I urge black people to forgive them when anyone asks for forgiveness and let God Almighty to be the judge of man’s action. Let Jesus Christ be your guide...

Discover the amazing world of trees in this incredible inventive board book with see-through acetate pages. How do trees grow, and why do they change throughout the seasons? Children will love delving into the inner workings of a tree to discover the answers with this incredible interactive book. With labeled acetate diagrams, this is a fantastic first look at nature for curious children everywhere.

The classic easy-reference field guide with more than 1500 photographs: “An almost foolproof practical reference book.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This useful book for botanists, horticulturists, and nature lovers is made up of two parts: Pictorial Keys and Master Pages. The Keys are designed for easy visual comparison of details that look alike, narrowing the identification of a tree to one of a small group—the family or genus. Then, in the Master Pages, the species of the tree is determined, with similar details placed together to highlight differences within the family group, thus eliminating all other possibilities. All of the more than 1500 photographs were made specifically for use in this book and were taken either in the field or of carefully collected specimens. Where possible, details such as leaves, fruit, etc., appear in actual size, or in the same scale.

A landmark in the conversation about race and religion in America. "They put him to death by hanging him on a tree." Acts 10:39 The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and "black death," the cross symbolizes divine power and "black life" God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus, hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the lynching era. In a work that spans social history, theology, and cultural studies, Cone explores the message of the spirituals and the power of the blues; the passion and of Emmet Till and the engaged vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he invokes the spirits of Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ida B. Well, and the witness of black artists, writers, preachers, and fighters for justice. And he remembers the victims, especially the 5,000 who perished during the lynching period. Through their witness he contemplates the greatest challenge of any Christian theology to explain how life can be made meaningful in the face of death and injustice.

Increase your productivity by implementing data structures About This Book Gain a complete understanding of data structures using a simple approach Analyze algorithms and learn when you should apply each solution Explore the true potential of functional data structures Who This Book Is For This book is for those who want to learn data structures and algorithms with PHP for better control over application-solution, efficiency, and optimization. A basic understanding of PHP data types, control structures, and other basic features is required What You Will Learn Gain a better understanding of PHP arrays as a basic data structure and their hidden power Grasp how to analyze algorithms and the Big O Notation Implement linked lists, double linked lists, stack, queues, and priority queues using PHP Work with sorting, searching, and recursive algorithms Make use of greedy, dynamic, and pattern matching algorithms Implement tree, heaps, and graph algorithms Apply PHP functional data structures and built-in data structures and algorithms In Detail PHP has always been the the go-to language for web based application development, but there are materials and resources you can refer to to see how it works. Data structures and algorithms help you to code and execute them effectively, cutting down on processing time significantly. If you want to explore data structures and algorithms in a practical way with real-life projects, then this book is for you. The book begins by introducing you to data structures and algorithms and how to solve a problem from beginning to end using them. Once you are well aware of the basics, it covers the core aspects like arrays, listed lists, stacks and queues. It will take you through several methods of finding efficient algorithms and show you which ones you should implement in each scenario. In addition to this, you will explore the possibilities of functional data structures using PHP and go through advanced algorithms and graphs as well as dynamic programming. By the end, you will be confident enough to tackle both basic and advanced data structures, understand how they work, and know when to use them in your day-to-day work Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide full of examples of implementation of data structures and real world examples to solve the problems faced. Each topic is first explained in general terms and then implemented using step by step explanation so that developers can understand each part of the discussion without any problem.

An extensively revised edition of a mathematically rigorous yet accessible introduction to algorithms.