General Stanley Mc Chrystal the innovative commander of international & US forces in Afghanistan was living large. Loyal staff liked to call him a 'rock star'. During a spring 2010 trip across Europe to garner additional Allied help for the war effort Mc Chrystal was accompanied by journalist Michael Hastings of ROLLING STONE. For days Hastings looked on as Mc Chrystal & his staff let off steam partying & openly bashing the Obama administration for what they saw as a lack of leadership. When Hastings' piece appeared a few months later it set off a political firestorm: Mc Chrystal was ordered to Washington where he was unceremoniously fired. In THE OPERATORS Hastings gives us a shocking behind-the-scenes portrait of Allied military commanders their high-stakes manoeuvres & often bitter bureaucratic in-fighting. He takes us on patrol missions in the Afghan hinterlands & to hotel bars where spies & expensive hookers participate in nation-building gone awry drawing back the curtain on a hellish complexity & he fears an unwinnable war. ...

Opium & its derivatives morphine & heroin have destroyed corrupted & killed individuals families communities & even whole nations. & yet for most of its long history opium has also been humanitys most effective means of alleviating physical & mental pain. This extraordinary book encompasses the entire history of the worlds most fascinating drug from the first evidence of poppy cultivation by stone-age man to the present-day opium trade in Afghanistan. Dr. Thomas Dormandy tells the story with verve & insight uncovering the strange power of opiates to motivate major conflicts yet also inspire great art & medical breakthroughs to trigger the rise of global criminal networks yet also revolutionize attitudes toward wellbeing. Opium: Realitys Dark Dream" traverses the globe & the centuries exploring opiums role in colonialism the Chinese Opium Wars laudanum-inspired sublime Romantic poetry American " Yellow Peril" fears the rise of the Mafia & the black market 1960s counterculture & more. Dr. Dormandy also recounts exotic or sad stories of individual addiction. Throughout the book the author emphasizes opiums complex valuable relationship with developments in medicine health & disease highlighting the perplexing dual nature of the drug as both the cause & relief of great suffering in widely diverse civilizations." ...

For ages 4-8. Baby Bugs ears are up. Baby Lolas are down. Baby Daffy is neat. Baby Taz is messy. This delightful board book illustrated by Drew Rose stars the whole Baby Looney Tunes gang who act out each pair of opposites. Learning has never been this much fun! ...

People have told me that their lives have changed because of me. I take away from this the sense that Im on the right track." "I believe youre here to live your life with passion. Otherwise youre just traveling through the world blindly-and theres no point to that." " Oprahs on." Its the catchphrase that inspires millions around the world to tune in to one of the most trusted women in the history of television. Almost everyone follows Oprahs every move. One word about a book club selection sends an obscure first novel rocketing to the top of the bestseller list. Oprah Winfrey possesses what is arguably one of the worlds most influential voices. Alive with her unique warmth & insight Oprah Winfrey Speaks reveals the mystique of Oprah in her own words. Drawing on hundreds of sources Janet Lowe provides an evocative personal portrait. Here are Oprahs opinions on everything from childhood & overcoming adversity to dealing with fame & staying real. Oprah Winfrey Speaks highlights Oprahs abiding faith no-nonsense business rules generosity & love as well as her 10 commandments for lifelong success. Oprahs lifetime theme has been personal transformation-shes constantly seeking questioning changing & growing. This uplifting theme echoes throughout Oprah Winfrey Speaks. Here is just a hint of the wisdom youll discover: " Just tell the truth. Itll save you every time." " Dont complain about what you dont have. Use what youve got. To do less than your best is a sin. Every single one of us has the power for greatness because greatness is determined by service-to yourself & to others." "I am a woman in progress. Im just trying like everyone else. I try to take every conflict every experience & learn from it. All I know is that I cant be anybody else. & its taken me a long time to realize that." " If youre angry be angry & deal with it. Dont go eat a bag of Ruffles." " God blesses you better when you pray on your knees." The world listens when Oprah Winfrey Speaks Heres just a hint of the wisdom youll find inside..."I am what I am because of my grandmother. My strength. My sense of reasoning. Everything. All that was set by the time I was six." " Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." "I always feel if you do right right will follow." " You know the old clich- a good man is hard to find? Well its true. & the smarter you get the harder they are to find." This book has not been prepared approved licensed or endorsed by Oprah Winfrey Harpo Productions or by any entity that creates produces or broadcasts THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW." ...

Of the 125 000 men who volunteered for operations with Bomber Command during the Second World War 55 573 were killed the slaughter being at an almost unprecedented level. Total fatalities between 1939-45 were 452 000. Thus Approx. 13 per cent of all British & Commonwealth deaths during the Second World War were among bomber crews. These very ordinary men were asked to take on an almost suicidal task & they generally volunteered for the job; a phenomenon that continued until the cessation of hostilities. But after the fighting was over no campaign medal was ever struck for the air & ground crews of Bomber Command who had fought a six-year offensive which was instrumental in the destruction of the Third Reich. Air Marshal Arthur Harris the Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command never forgave the government for this. Such was his disgust at the lack of official recognition of the effort of his men that when he was awarded the CGB in 1946 it caused him great distress & embarrassment & he refused to accept a peerage. Harris felt particularly strongly for his ground crews who had to work at all hours in often abominable conditions to keep his vitally needed aircraft flying. This book reveals the human side of the bomber crews experience. Based upon many interviews correspondence & archival sources Andrew Simpson the son of a Lancaster pilot has compiled a compelling informative & absorbing documentary record of what the men of Bomber Command went through
- from initial training & crew formation to descriptions of life on squadron & their extremely dangerous & draining operations to the numbing effect of morale breakdown. The result of years of work the book contains many personal accounts from air crew
- from those who survived & those who did not
- the heroism the tragedy & the humour. The author also examines the technology of bombing & how this terrifying form of aerial warfare evolved in terms of aircraft design navigation & tactics & as deployed by the Hampden Whitley & Wellington medium bombers & the Stirling Halifax & Lancaster heavies which equipped the squadrons of Bomber Comm&. A view of & from the German side is included as are the harrowing experiences of being shot down over enemy territory & evasion both on land & by sea. The story of the prison camp experience is also recounted examining in particular Stalag Luft III & the escapes that were made from it including the notorious Great Escape of March 1944. Running as a poignant thread through the book is the story of the authors father who piloted Lancasters on an Australian bomber squadron & whose personal accounts form the backbone of this highly researched & often very moving book. For anyone with a desire to learn more about Britains aircrews at war or for those seeking to understand more about the operations of Bomber Command this book offers a unique & extraordinary insight into a momentous period of history.


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Be warned: everything is not as it seems. From moving pictures to spectacular pop-ups & a 3D sculpture that follows you around the room; get ready to open to doors of perception with Optical Illusions". 50 incredible optical illusions are found within covering impossible objects distortions ambiguities illusions of brightness & much more. Even the cover will make your mind boggle as it defies you NOT to open this amazing book. Each flap or tab takes you to another level of illusion allowing you to reveal the solution yourself. There are more tricks up its sleeve too
- interactive elements on every page & explanations of the latest theories as to how illusions fool us all."
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This is one curious mans journey to find out whats next? Mark Stevenson has been to the future a few years ahead of the rest of us
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Optimum nutrition is a revolution in health care
- it means giving your body the best possible intake of nutrients to allow you
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OPTIMUM NUTRITION FOR THE MIND is the classic guide to improving your mood boosting your memory sharpening your mind & solving mental health problems through nutrition. The book outlines breakthrough discoveries on how specific essential fats vitamins & minerals can improve depression & anxiety; discusses the effects of stress alcohol & exercise on mental health; gives details of new discoveries in the treatment of autism & schizophrenia; & provides concrete & well-researched guidance for those with mental health difficulties. With a questionnaire-based method to work out your own nutritional programme for improving your mood mind & memory this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to stay in top mental health throughout life free from depression memory decline & other common mental health problems. ...

Optimum nutrition is a revolution in health care. It means giving yourself the best possible intake of nutrients to allow your body to be as healthy as it possibly can. In the bestselling NEW OPTIMUM NUTRITION BIBLE Patrick Holford revealed precisely how to achieve optimum nutrition. In OPTIMUM NUTRITION MADE EASY Patrick Holford explains the basics of optimum nutrition including what to eat what to avoid information on supplements & superfoods useful questionnaires advice on meal planning & delicious recipes. With an A-Z of common ailments & their optimum nutrition remedies & a comprehensive nutrition fact file OPTIMUM NUTRTION MADE EASY will help you determine what your body is telling you & develop a personalised nutrition programme. ...