Following a near fatal overdose of painkillers, Daniel Fletcher is resuscitated in a Los Angeles trauma centre and detained for psychiatric evaluation. However, what the psychiatrist doesn't know is that 'Daniel Fletcher' is actually John Dolan Vincent, a young forger who continually reinvents himself to evade capture. Originally published: London.

When five-year-old Joshua Christopher disappears off the street as he walks to a friend's birthday party, his family if forced to confront the unimaginable. What happened? Why? Who took him? The convicted sex offender caught lurking near the search? Why won't police leave his family, his parents, alone? In his second novel, his first in twenty years, Robert H. Van Wagoner explores a family in extremis tottering at the edge of faith: in God and church, in family, and in marriage, in the institutions that promise safety and meaning. Both lyrical and explosive, The Contortionists unfolds as a page-turning mystery. Van Wagoner's wrenching narrative propels the reader forward, toward the novel's harrowing climax, while deftly unpacking its major themes--mental illness, sexuality, and substance abuse in a culture that would rather not confront them. Does the truth ever set anyone ultimately free? The stakes for Joshua and his family could not be greater.

Ever watch the circus and wonder, "how do they do that?" Find the answers in this book! Readers will learn about some of the most mind-bending circus acts, from contortionists to human pyramids, and the science that makes them possible. Short, simple activities help demonstrate the science for readers.

At age seven, Otgo first fell in love with the beautiful art form that is contortion; and since then, she has never changed her mind. Throughout her life, her goal of being one of the top contortionists has not been a smooth journey. From the grasp of a socialist country, she escaped a morose childhood and transformed herself into a world famous performer. This is the story of Otgo reaching for the rare treat of success that seemed almost impossible as any challenge could have overtaken her. Since she was armed with intense devotion to her success, contortion saved her life and gifted Otgo with many opportunities.

Ten years ago, Dr. Gerd Heuschmann rocked the equestrian world with his international bestseller Tug of war, a searing indictment of modern training and riding techniques that are sometimes used to the detriment of the horse. Now Dr. Heuschmann returns with this new book: a critical examination of two conceptsflexion and bendthat are necessary to understand in absolute terms when the goal is to achieve collection on horseback. Citing the many masters of classical dressage who wrote essays and even entire books about flexion at the horse's poll and longitudinal bend of the horse's body, Dr. Heuschmann strives to conflate the often complex classic literature with the results of his own studies as an expert in equine anatomy and biomechanics, supporting his explanations with precise illustrations and numerous photographs. The outcome is a book that finally makes the concepts of flexion and bendand ultimately, collectioneasy to understand, promising more correct, conscientious riding, better results in training and competition, and happier, healthier horses in the long run.

Sosina Wogayehu learnt to do flips and splits at the age of six, sitting on the floor of her parents' lounge room in Addis Ababa, watching a German variety show on the only television channel in the land. She sold cigarettes on the streets at the age of eight, and played table soccer with her friends who made money from washing cars, barefoot in the dust. She dreamed of being a circus performer. Twenty-five years later, Sosina has conjured herself a new life in a far-off country: Australia. She has rescued one brother and lost another. She has travelled the world as a professional contortionist. She can bounce-juggle eight balls on a block of marble. Sosina is able to juggle worlds and stories, too, and by luck - which is something Sosina is not short of - she has a friend, David Carlin, who is a writer. Following his acclaimed memoir Our Father Who Wasn't There, David brings us his 'not-me' book, travelling to Addis Ababa where he discovers ways of living so different to his own and confronts his Western fantasies and fears. Through Sosina's story he shows us that, with risk and enough momentum, life - whom we befriend, where we end up, how we come to see ourselves - is never predictable.

As a veteran in the art of circus with more than 50 years of experience in training, performing, and instructing Mongolian contortion, this book will prove itself important for many contortion coaches and a handy manual for students. In this book, the author has shared her extensive background, providing detailed warm-ups, step-by-step stretch exercises, and key techniques that are required for executing complex movements. The book also imparts guidance for injury prevention and encourages everyone with simple exercises to remind us, at all ages, to practice contortion to maintain a healthy level of flexibility. Not only does the book feature scientific research and discussion of body mobility pertinent to contortionists, it is also an excellent historical account of the Mongolian national circus and fascinating aspects of success that led contortion to where it is today.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in the spellbinding novel that captured the world's imagination. • "Part love story, part fable ... defies both genres and expectations." —The Boston Globe The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

With a billion-dollar industry centred in Montreal, the province of Quebec has established itself as a major hub for contemporary circus. Cirque du Soleil has a global presence, and troupes such as Cirque Éloize and 7 doigts de la main are state-of-the-art innovators. The National Circus School of Montreal - the only state-funded elite training facility in North America - is an influential leader in artistry and technique. Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde supports arts for social change on many continents and is renowned for its social-circus training and research. Cirque Global is the first book-length study of this new variety of circus and its international impact. The contributors offer critical perspectives on this rapidly developing art form and its aesthetics, ethics, business practices, pedagogical implications, and discursive significations. Essays explore creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural forces that are shaping Quebec’s dynamic nouveau cirque. Lavishly illustrated with photographs from circus performances, the volume showcases Quebec circus’s hybrid forms, which have merged the ethos and aesthetics of European circuses with American commercial and industrial creativity. Cirque Global is the definitive study of the phenomenon of Quebec circus and is an important model for future research on contemporary circus.