Moto GP is enjoying a period of unprecedented popularity & Ring of Fire" details the acclaim the heroism & the pressures of riding motorbikes at speeds of more than 200mph. This is a world where manufacturers invest millions & the world champion celebrates by staging mock jail breaks & giving pillion rides to a blow-up doll. One rider warms up for major races by singing Hank Marvin songs on his karaoke machine & a rising Italian star sees the world in terms of black & white energy tubes. Another sees nothing strange in racing with two broken ankles. Ring of Fire covers the recent history of Moto GP from American Nicky Hayden spectacularly overturning established champion Valentino Rossi in 2006 through the emergence of wild young Australian Casey Stoner as the new champion in 2007 to the fierce rivalry between them & Spaniards Dani Pedrosa & Jorge Lorenzo in what would prove to be one of the most closely-contested years of racing in 2008. It gives a behind the scenes look at World Superbike Champion James Toselands attempts to break into this elite & looks back at the tradition of reprobates romance & debauchery in the paddock dating back to the 60s & stars like Mike Hailwood & Giacomo Agostino. Rick Broadbent introduces us not just to the stars & the multi-million pound contracts but also to the officals mechanics doctors team owners & fans who make up this white-knuckle ride of a sport. By turns funny sad shocking & uplifting " Ring of Fire" brings us face to face with those who battle to emerge unscathed or who just ignore the pain & ride to win against all odds." ...

Fans of Jonathan Strouds Bartimaeus books will devour this book
- a cracking adventure brimming with magic intrigue & a treasure
...

Fans of Jonathan Strouds Bartimaeus" books will devour this book
- a cracking adventure brimming with magic intrigue & a treasure
...

An unexpected glitch in his plan... Working late is nothing new for tycoon Alex
- & its the perfect excuse to get close to office-cleaner
...

Panina Manina a trapeze artist falls & breaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her he notices an amulet of amber around her neck the same trinket he had given his own lost child who was swept away in a torrent some sixteen years earlier. This tale is narrated by Petter a precocious child & fantasist & perhaps Jostein Gaarders most intriguing character since Sophie. As an adult Petter makes his living selling stories & ideas to professionals suffering from writers block. But as Petter sits spinning his tales he finds himself in a trap of his own making. ...

Piersons puppeteers strange three-legged two-headed aliens have discovered an immense structure in a hitherto unexplored part of the universe. Frightened of meeting the builders of such a structure the puppeteers set about assembling a team consisting of two humans a puppeteer & a kzin an alien not unlike an eight-foot-tall red-furred cat to explore it. The artefact is a vast circular ribbon of matter some 180 million miles across with a sun at its centre
- the Ringworld. But the expedition goes disastrously wrong when the ship crashlands & its motley crew faces a trek across thousands of miles of the Ringworlds surface.
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Rio De Janeiro Stroll barefoot on the world-famous Ipanema & Leblon beaches Reach the top of Pao de Acucar by ropes then take the cable car down Learn to shake it like the locals in a samba school Indulge in feijoada" (pork & black-bean stew) the requisite Saturday feast In This Guide: One expert author + 50 days of in-depth research = our bestselling guide to Rio Dedicated Carnaval chapter gets you to the heart of the festivities More than 150 mouth-watering restaurant reviews for all budgets plus extensive nightlife options" ...

Ideal for business or leisure City Pack Rio de Janeiro is succinct with all the practical information you need for a perfect trip. Presented in a handy compact format the guide also contains a separate fold-out map within a concealed poppered pocket to help you navigate the city. This new edition lists Top 25 sights & experiences in one chapter & features 3 new sections; City Tours section contains self-guided tours that show you the best of the city; More To See sights is ideal if you have extra time on your hands & Focus On helps you get know the city in more depth." ...

When Miss Hazelstone of Jacaranda Park kills her Zulu cook in a sensational crime passionel the gallant members of the South African police force are soon on the scene: Kommandant van Heerden whose secret longing for the heart of an English gentleman leads to the most memorable transplant operation yet recorded; Luitenant Verkramp of the Security Branch ever active in the pursuit of Communist cells; Konstabel Els with his propensity for shooting first & not thinking later
- & also for forcing himself upon African women in a manner legally reserved for male members of their own race. In the course of the strange events which follow we encounter some very esoteric perversions when the Kommandant is held captive in Miss Hazelstone's remarkable rubber room; & some even more amazing perversions of justice when Miss Hazelstone's brother the Bishop of Barotseland is sentenced to be hanged on the ancient gallows in the local prison. Not a 'political' novel in any previously imagined sense Riotous Assembly provided a completely fresh approach to the South African scene
- an approach startling in its deadpan savagery & yet also outrageously funny.

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Rip up this book & unleash your hidden potential Most self-help books encourage you to think differently; to think yourself thin imagine a richer self or to visualize the perfect you. This is difficult time consuming & often doesnt work. Drawing on a dazzling array of scientific evidence psychologist Richard Wiseman presents a radical new insight that turns conventional self-help on its head: simple physical actions represent the quickest easiest & most powerful way to instantly change how you think & feel. So dont just think about changing your life. Do it. * Discover the simple idea that changes everything * Lose weight * Stop smoking * Feel instantly younger ...