All Creatures Weird and Dangerous describes the author's experiences as a veterinarian drawn by chance to care for a variety of cryptozoological creatures. As a practicing veterinarian, the author is called upon, as if by strange forces, to care for a Chupacabra, Sasquatch, Lake Erie's monster Bessie, mermaids and fairies in Newfoundland, and eventually a unicorn in the Highlands of Scotland. Drawing on his experiences as a wildlife rehabilitator and exotic-animal veterinarian, the author cares for these odd creatures, describing his work in accurate medical detail and touching on the importance of compassion and the need to respect all creatures on our planet. An homage to James Herriott's All Creatures Great and Small, while touching on stories equally appropriate for an episode of the X-Files.

Do right, fear nothing. Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs, Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble. But one day, Sam sees these friends harassing an eccentric schoolmate named Jennifer. Finding the courage to face the bullies down, Sam loses a bad set of friends and acquires a very strange new one. Jennifer is not just eccentric. To Sam, she seems downright crazy. She has terrifying hallucinations involving demons, the devil, and death. And here’s the really crazy part: Sam is beginning to suspect that these visions may actually be prophecies—prophecies of something terrible that’s going to happen very soon. Unless he can stop it. With no one to believe him, with no one to help him, Sam is all alone in a race against time. Finding the truth before disaster strikes is going to be both crazy and very, very dangerous. Thrilling young adult read Stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 75K words Includes discussion questions for book reports

Ice swimming sounds uncomfortable. Bog snorkeling seems gross. Log rolling looks dangerous. Yet many people dive into these water sports! Readers are introduced to some strange ways to enjoy the water, such as the cardboard raft race held at Cambridge University in England each year. Fact boxes and sidebars tell the true tales of participants, and colorful photographs show them in action. Through detailed descriptions of each new sport, readers can imagine riding and diving in the waves with the adventurous spirit of kite surfers and Jet Ski freestylers.

A genetic discovery unearths a devastating secret in the New York Times–bestselling author’s medical thriller “worthy of Michael Crichton” (Publishers Weekly). When Rick Hayden’s brother Keith disappears, he turns to medical examiner Laura Fanning to help find him. An NYU zoologist, Keith had been researching the so-called “God Gene” that played a key role in human evolution—specifically in the development of brain power and creativity. But after an exciting discovery in East Africa, Keith destroyed his results and vanished. Rick and Laura’s search takes them to an uncharted island in the Mozambique Channel, where they come up against a world-shattering secret—and powerful enemies who have their own devious plans for it. In The God Gene, F. Paul Wilson continues his mind-bending ICE trilogy that began with Panacea.

The kids in this book must put up with scheming classmates, a physical education teacher who plays favorites, a football coach and pastor who is willing to cheat to win, and people who spread misinformation on and about the Internet. Small town life is tougher than it seems!

With hundreds of books dedicated to conventional sports and activities, this encyclopedia on the weirdest and wackiest games offers a fresh and entertaining read for any audience. Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing focuses on what many would consider abnormal activities from across the globe. Spanning subjects that include individual games, team sports, games for men and women, and contests involving animal competitors, there is something for every reader. Whether researching a particular country or region's traditions or wanting an interesting read for pleasure, this book offers an array of uses and benefits. Though the book focuses on games and sporting activities, the examination of these topics gives readers insight into unfamiliar places and peoples through their recreation—an essential part of the human experience that occurs in all cultures. Such activities are not only embedded in everyday life but also indelibly interconnected with social customs, war, politics, commerce, education, and national identity, making the whimsical topic of the book an appealing gateway to insightful, highly relevant information.

*Detailed indexes by star, director, genre, country of origin, and theme *Lavishly illustrated with over 450 photos *Comprehensive selection of international cinema from over 50 countries *Over 9,000 films reviewed *Up-to-date information on video availability and pricing *Appendices with award listings, TLA Bests, and recommended films

How do reality television programs shape our view of the world and what we perceive as real and normal? This book explores the bizarre and highly controversial world of reality television, including its early history, wide variety of subject matter, and social implications. In recent decades, reality television shows ranging from Keeping up with the Kardashians to Duck Dynasty have become increasingly popular. Why are these "unscripted" programs irresistible to millions of viewers? And what does the nearly universal success of reality shows say about American culture? This book covers more than 100 major and influential reality programs past and present, discussing the origins and past of reality programming, the contemporary social and economic conditions that led to the rise of reality shows, and the ways in which the most successful shows achieve popularity with both male and female demographics or appeal to specific, targeted niche audiences. The text addresses reality TV within five, easy-to-identify content categories: competition shows, relationship/love-interest shows, real people or alternative lifestyle and culture shows, transformation shows, and international programming. By examining modern reality television, a topic of great interest for a wide variety of readers, this book also discusses cultural and social norms in the United States, including materialism, unrealistic beauty ideals, gender roles and stereotypes in society, dynamics of personal relationships, teenage lifestyles and issues, and the branding of people for financial gain and wider viewership.