Did the human race almost go extinct? Can genetics explain a cat ladys love for felines? How does DNA lead to people with no fingerprints or humans born with tails? & how did the right combination of genes create the exceptionally flexible thumbs & fingers of a truly singular violinist? Unravelling the genetic code hasnt always been easy
- from its earliest days genetics has been rife with infighting backstabbing & controversial theories
- but scientists can now finally read the astounding stories inscribed in our DNA. As we make advances into DNA mapping & modification genetics will continue to be the hottest topic in science shaping the very make-up of our bodies & the world around us. With the same masterful combination of science history & culture he brought to The Disappearing Spoon" Sam Kean untangles the secrets of our genetic code explaining how genetics has shaped our past & how DNA will determine humankinds future."

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On an Aegean island one summer an English traveller meets an enigmatic elderly Frenchwoman. He is captivated by a painting she owns of a busy Caribbean port overlooked by a volcano & in time she shares the story of her youth there in the early twentieth century. Set in the tropical luxury of the island of Saint-Jacques hers is a tale of romantic intrigue & decadence amongst the descendents of slaves & a fading French aristocracy. But on the night of the annual Mardi Gras ball catastrophe overwhelms the island & the world she knew came to an abrupt & haunting end. The Violins of Saint-Jacques captures the unforeseen drama of forces beyond human control. Originally published in 1953 it was immediately hailed as a rare & exotic sweep of colour across the drab monochrome of the post-war years & it has lost nothing of its original flavour. ...

A legendary goalscorer & Busby Babe Dennis Viollets career took in tragedy & triumph in equal measure. As a player he thrilled thousands as an outstanding teenage footballer with Manchester Uniteds all-conquering Babes developing an almost telepathic understanding with fellow striker Tommy Taylor. Later after surviving the Munich air disaster Viollet broke Manchester Uniteds record for goals in a season -- a mark he still holds despite the attempts of Van Nistlerooy Law Cantona Hughes & Cole. Along with Wilf Mc Guinness Dennis campaigned for the abolition of the maximum wage which saw Uniteds greatest ever goal-poacher on wages of GBP20 per week. But by 1961 Dennis was mysteriously transferred from Old Trafford without a word from Matt Busby the club or a good luck farewell from fans -- United even denied the goalscoring legend a testimonial. Rather than dwell on his misfortune however Dennis began a second career at Stoke City alongside Sir Stanley Matthews. There he helped the Potters win promotion back to Division One & once he hung his boots up in 1967 received the testimonial he should have received in Manchester. In the second half of his life Dennis became Coach Viollet a respected member of the British coaching establishment in the United States. But in 1998 Dennis fell ill & died after a painful illness in his adopted home of Florida in March 1999. A gentleman footballer from a bygone age Dennis was a loveable rogue a charmer in turn of both the opposite sex & opposing defences: Dennis didnt so much bludgeon opposing defenders as pick their pockets. In this respect he was ahead of his time a Manchester lad with the brains style & skills of a continental forward. ...

The evil wizard Malvel has stolen the golden armour & a fearsome new Beast guards each piece of it. To defeat Malvel & save the kingdom Tom needs to collect all the pieces. Join Tom as he journeys into the deadly heat of the desert where he must do battle with Vipero the Snake Man... Don't miss: ZEPHA THE MONSTER SQUID CLAW THE GIANT MONKEY SOLTRA THE STONE CHARMER ARACHNID THE KING OF SPIDERS TRILLION THE THREE-HEADED LION ...

Fourteen-year-old Tory Brennan is as fascinated by bones & dead bodies as her famous aunt acclaimed forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan. However living on a secluded island off Charleston in South Carolina there is not much opportunity to put her knowledge to the test. Until her & her ragbag group of technophile friends stumble across a shallow grave containing the remains of a girl who has been missing for over thirty years. The question is did whoever was responsible for the girl's death have anything to do with the sick puppy they rescued from a secret laboratory on the same island? With the cold-case murder suddenly hot Tory realises that they are involved in something fatally dangerous. But events take a turn for the bizarre when they escape some would-be attackers by using physical powers more akin to a dog than a human... Could the puppy hold the key not only to the murder but also the strange changes that are taking place in their bodies? ...

Perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine Kate Morton & Sarah Waters this is historical fiction at its very best. The compelling story of two women born four centuries apart & the ancestral legacy that binds them. Ella Turner does her best to fit in to the small close-knit community of Lisle-sur-Tarn. She even changes her name back to Tournier & knocks the rust off her high school French. But it is all in vain. Isolated & lonely she is drawn to investigate her Tournier ancestry which leads to her encounter with the towns wolfish librarian. Isabelle du Moulin known as Le Rousse due to her fiery red hair is tormented & shunned in the village
- suspected of witchcraft & reviled for her association with the Virgin Mary. Falling pregnant she is forced to marry into the ruling family: the Tourniers. Tormentor becomes husband & a shocking fate awaits her. Plagued by the colour blue Ella is haunted by parallels with the past & by her recurring dream. Then one morning she wakes up to discover that her hair is turning inexplicably red...
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The Virgin Book of Baby Names" takes as its starting point the fact that choosing a name for your baby should be fun. Rather than a dry list of every name under the sun Emily Wood has organised names into interesting themed categories
- from literature to pop music biblical to astrological names celebrity baby names to names to avoid! With names for every day of the year as well as a comprehensive A-Z of girls & boys names " The Virgin Book of Baby Names" is an enjoyable alternative to the traditional baby names book."
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From Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band to Zoom by ELO this indispensable innovatively designed book celebrates fifty years of British album charts telling you everything you could possibly want to know about every album to reach the Top 100. With new feature material covering a huge range of areas bands & history its an essential part of any serious music fans collection. The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums covers everything from the classics (Sgt Pepper Nevermind The Dark Side of the Moon) to the dodgy (Spiceworld Seriously Orchestra) & the downright bizarre (Smurfs Go Pop! Seventies Dinner Party). Where else are you going to find out that: Bridge over Troubled Water spent 307 weeks in the charts: Pavarotti has topped the album charts twice: Lily Allen went triple-platinum in 2006 with Alright Still: Oasis sold 356 000 copies of Be Here Now in one day alone: Both Gary Glitter & Mariah Carey released an album called Glitter. ...

The second in this new series The Virgin Book of Hit Singles" is the most-up-to-date & comprehensive record of the music charts available today & a perfect collectable complement to " The Virgin Book of Hit Albums" & " The Virgin Book of Top 75 Charts." Now enhanced & fine-tuned & drawn from the Official Charts Company Data since 1952 " The Virgin Book of Hit Singles" features the most comprehensive easy to read & accessible music chart data & information. It's all here
- expanded artist biographies side notes of interest label & catalogue numbers peak positions number of weeks on chart & weeks at number one. Also

Includes:: EP charts. " The Virgin Book of Hit Singles" is essential reading & reference for any music lover."


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The charts are the evening news of the music industry. Collected here they show the rapid rise or demise of each single as it enters the charts either winning over a large audience or just making music for its own smaller group of fans. Top 40 Charts" is required reading for every music buff & for anyone else whod like to know what song was number one on their birthday or any other memorable day. With every Top 40 singles chart from 1960 to the present day this is the definitive chart book. It

Includes:: the song title act record label & total number of weeks on chart for every single as well as a detailed history of the pre-1960s charts published using data from the Official Charts Company."

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