At the centre of Music for Chameleons" is Handcarved Coffins a 'nonfiction novel' based on the brutal crimes of a real-life murderer. Taking place in a small Midwestern town in America it offers chilling insights into the mind of a killer & the obsession of the man bringing him to justice. Also in this volume are six short stories & seven 'conversational portraits' including a touching one of Marilyn Monroe the 'beautiful child' & a hilarious one of a dope-smoking cleaning lady doing her rounds in New York." ...

December 21 2012. The day the world will end. Will sits on Parliament Hill looking out over London. He has enough time to listen to twenty final songs. As he listens to his apocalyptic playlist he contemplates his 35 years on earth through childhood & his lost loves; the friends he makes along the way & his struggles with alcoholism; his first rock festival & the Camden alternative scene he loves & that provides the soundtrack to it all. Twenty songs. What would you choose? ...

Have you ever been carried away by a piece of classical music? The sad song of a single violin might make us cry but the idea of finding out more about classical music can often be intimidating. In this funny evocative personal book Gareth takes us on a journey of musical discovery that explains & entertains in equal measure. Over the course of three series of the Bafta award-winning The Choir Gareth has unearthed a passion for classical music in schoolchildren reluctant teenage boys & even a whole town. With his infectious enthusiasm & gift for explanation Gareths very personal narrative takes you by the hand & leads you through a world of eccentric composers flamboyant conductors troubled geniuses & all the colourful personalities that make up the story of Classical Music. It will also provide a foundation of classical music understanding & give the reader the tools to appreciate a whole new world of music. So whether you want to expand your horizons spend time with the great composers introduce an almost infinite variety into your iPod playlist or are just curious about what you might be missing out on Music for The People will leave you entertained informed & completely inspired. ...

Paul & Elaine have two boys & a beautiful home yet they find themselves thoroughly inexplicably stuck. Obsessed with 'making things good again' they spin the quiet terrors of family life into a fantastical frenzy that careens well & truly out of control. As A. M. Homes's incendiary novel unfolds the Kodacolor hues of the American good life become nearly hallucinogenic: from a strange & hilarious encounter on the floor of the pantry with a Stepford Wife neighbour to a house-cleaning team in space suits to a hostage situation at the school Homes lays bare the foundations of marriage & family life & creates characters outrageously flawed deeply human & entirely believable. ...

Have you ever been devastated by performance anxiety? Have you struggled with physical problems like tendonitis or nodules on your vocal cords? Are you battling with issues of confidence & self-belief? Music from the Inside Out tackles these thorny issues & others which can profoundly affect musicians & which they may not want to face. Readers are encouraged to look at what lies beneath the surface & guided to unlock what's holding them back. With this book musicians can: * Learn how to transform their own inner critic * Get to grips with their performance nerves * Discover how to play with complete physical freedom * Perform to the peak of their expressive power Music from the Inside Out gives musicians the tools to transform their whole approach to performing music. It is suitable for classical musicians students amateurs & professionals. Because of its universal messages it can cross over into the worlds of jazz pop & rock; even sport acting & any other performance-related professions. Author Charlotte Tomlinson has been inspired by a number of books including The Inner Game of Tennis by W Timothy Gallwey A Soprano on Her Head by Eloise Ristad The Musician's Way by Gerald Klickster & The Art of Practicing by Madeline Bruser. ...

Why have all human cultures
- today & throughout history
- made music? Why does music excite such rich emotion? & how do we

...

Our best-selling Listography" series turns up the volume with this new offering created for music lovers of all stripes. Following the same format as the original " Music Listography"

Includes:: 69 music-related list topics
- including everything from favorite songs from high school & favorite dance party playlist to favorite songs from the 80s & favorite music videos
- & an accompanying illustration for each."



...

The story of the music that accompanies the adventures of Ian Flemings intrepid Agent 007 is one of surprising real-life drama. In The Music of James Bond author Jon Burlingame throws open studio & courtroom doors alike to reveal the full & extraordinary history of the sounds of James Bond including: -- How the James Bond Theme" was written at the last minute for Dr. No & how it became the subject of controversy ending in a libel trial 40 years later in Londons High Court; -- How Bond composer John Barry invented a new kind of action-adventure music for movies & how despite writing immensely popular scores for " Goldfinger" " Thunderball" " You Only Live Twice" & eight other Bond films he never received a single Academy Award nomination for his Bond music; -- How the " Goldfinger" soundtrack battled the Beatles & " Mary Poppins" to the top of the American charts & bested both in 1965; -- How " Thunderball" went through two songs three singers & its own courtroom showdown before it ended up with a title tune; -- How top artists like Shirley Bassey Tom Jones Nancy Sinatra Louis Armstrong Paul Mc Cartney Carly Simon Sheena Easton Duran Duran a-ha the Pretenders Gladys Knight Tina Turner Sheryl Crow & Madonna were convinced to record for Agent 007; -- How changes in the Bond sound reflected what was happening in pop & rock circles from the twangy guitar of the Sean Connery era to a more sedate sound for Roger Moore synthesizers for George Lazenby & Timothy Dalton & a more contemporary approach for Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig; -- How Frank Sinatra planned to sing " Moonraker" but didnt then Johnny Mathis did (with a different lyric) only to be replaced by Shirley Bassey; -- The untold stories of how Eric Clapton played guitar on " Licence to Kill" but saw his work shelved; & how Amy Winehouse very nearly co-wrote & sang the theme for " Quantum of Solace." Each chapter contains the full backstory of the music for one Bond film & concludes with a reader-friendly analysis of the score itself pointing out noteworthy musical sequences from the impact of New Orleans jazz on the " Live & Let Die" score to the trendy disco in " For Your Eyes Only " to the electronica approach that proved disastrous in " Golden Eye." New interviews with many Bond songwriters & composers coupled with extensive research fascinating & previously undiscovered details -- including tales of temperamental artists unexpected hits & surprising convergences of great music with unforgettable images -- make The Music of James Bond must reading for 007 buffs popular music fans & all who are in music & the movies." ...

The paperback of the critically-acclaimed popular science book by a writer who is fast becoming a celebrity mathematician. Prime numbers are the very atoms of arithmetic. They also embody one of the most tantalising enigmas in the pursuit of human knowledge. How can one predict when the next prime number will occur? Is there a formula which could generate primes? These apparently simple questions have confounded mathematicians ever since the Ancient Greeks. In 1859 the brilliant German mathematician Bernard Riemann put forward an idea which finally seemed to reveal a magical harmony at work in the numerical landscape. The promise that these eternal unchanging numbers would finally reveal their secret thrilled mathematicians around the world. Yet Riemann a hypochondriac & a troubled perfectionist never publicly provided a proof for his hypothesis & his housekeeper burnt all his personal papers on his death. Whoever cracks Riemann's hypothesis will go down in history for it has implications far beyond mathematics. In business it is the lynchpin for security & e-commerce. In science it has critical ramifications in Quantum Mechanics Chaos Theory & the future of computing. Pioneers in each of these fields are racing to crack the code & a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner. As yet it remains unsolved. In this breathtaking book mathematician Marcus du Sautoy tells the story of the eccentric & brilliant men who have struggled to solve one of the biggest mysteries in science. It is a story of strange journeys last-minute escapes from death & the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Above all it is a moving & awe-inspiring evocation of the mathematician's world & the beauties & mysteries it contains. ...

The fifth book in Vivian Frenchs comic fantasy series Tales from the Five Kingdoms". In this hilarious new story Gracie & Marcus our much loved hero & heroine are faced with a zombie who is not only horribly evil but an excruciatingly bad musician. Its nearly Cockenzie Rood Day & Prince Albion wants a grand celebration. But his plans are ruined when he is kidnapped by the terrifying zombie Fiddleduster Squint who wants to get into the Five Kingdoms. When Squint is refused entry across the magical border he & his creepy shadow go in search of giants with the intention of tricking them into causing all sorts of mayhem. Its a race against time but Gracie Gillypot Prince Marcus & Gubble the troll manage to get there first & avert disaster. Albion can have his party after all the giants are left in peace & our heroes return just in time to celebrate Queen Bluebells birthday. Whats more as the series nears the end its clear that Gracie & Marcus are headed for a royal romance..." ...