Winner of the American Bridge Teachers' Association 2007 Book of the Year award in its original self-published edition, this book has an entirely new approach to teaching the game. It is intended to be a short first course on bridge for people who have never played the game before. No prior experience with any card game is necessary, and the ideas are developed in short, easy steps. Praise for the original edition: "Gary has a refreshing, assume-no-knowledge approach that is sure to entice...

Now in its second edition, this expanded work catalogs every person, animal, ship and cannon mentioned by name in the 21 books of Patrick O'Brian's series on the maritime adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. The novels, renowned for their "far-ranging web of wit and allusion," teem with thousands of characters and ships, both imaginary and historical. From Master and Commander to 21: The Unfinished Voyage, this book distinguishes the fictional from the factual, making a useful se...

A World of His Own highlights the extreme differences between the world God created and the world as it is today.Exemplifying how the problems of American society result from minimizing the most crucial body of knowledge known to man, this insightful resource examines the role of public education in shaping what our society has become, the suffering that results from excluding God, and the ensuing failure to acknowledge the power of change that we possess....

Construction defect claims cover a wide spectrum of issues and can involve multiple parties responsible for both construction and design errors.Florida Construction Defect Litigation covers a variety of topics and issues, including the legal frame-work within which construction defect claims are addressed, typical claims and defenses, contractual considerations, standards of care for contractors and design professionals, the applicability of insurance and surety bonds, the role of ...

Invisible JusticeTwo doctors swore to do no harm.But what if justice demands revenge?Mix Robin Cook with Patricia Cornwell for a chilling medical thriller with a dark twist: Dexter with doctors.A group of doctors decides to exact revenge on evildoers who have escaped justice after killing and maiming innocent people. They incapacitate sociopaths and predators in the same ways these monstrous villains harmed their victims-brilliantly...

Written by the lead writer of the games, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, Mac Walters, Mass Effect: Foundation features the franchise's most beloved characters in their most exciting, never-before-seen adventures, set during the events of BioWare's ultra hit science fiction trilogy! Follow Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor as they chase Commander Shepard to the lawless and dangerous Terminus Systems, where no training can prepare them for what they'll find! Then, j...

The bears of the world—from the polar bears of the Arctic to the Andean bears of South America—are among the most studied and loved of all wild creatures. In this revised and updated edition, Gary Brown collects what is known about the world’s bears, capturing in words and images a complete factual compendium of bear knowledge for the amateur naturalist and the bear specialist alike.The Bear Almanac is for anyone who has ever paused to wonder at both the might—and the mind...

Delve into the fascinating realm of Artificial Intelligence and explore its various facets. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, AI has emerged as one of the most transformative fields, captivating the attention of people from all walks of life. Whether you are a seasoned professional or simply a curious mind over 30, this book, "AI Mastery: A Guide for the Curious 30+ Mind" will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of AI and its applications.

For fifty years prison inmates in Texas were leased out to railroads, coal mines, farm plantations, and sawmill crews with terrible incidences of brutality, cruelty, injury, and death to the prisoners.They were forced to produce daily work quotas of seven tons of coal, three hundred pounds of cotton, or one and one-half cords of wood. They were fed spoiled hog meat and slept on mattresses filled with bugs and filthy from sweat, blood, and dirt. They were punished by brutal whippings...

James Walker Fannin. Illegitimate son. Southern gentleman. Failed businessman. Devoted family man. Illegal slave trader. Courageous martyr. Tarnished hero of the revolution. But what is the rest of the story?Author Gary Brown brings to life a thorough and insightful analysis of this controversial and sometimes misunderstood historical figure, whom most remember as the commander who lost twice as many men as were killed at the Alamo and San Jacinto combined. Now the story can be com...

The New Orleans Greys were a group of young men, out for the adventure and money to be gained from war. This book details the importance of their participation in the Battle of the Alamo, as well as several other battles in the rebellion of 1835. Historian Brown has taken some little known history and created a fascinating and well-crafted story for the mainstream reader.

Texas convicts and inmates have made the Texas prison system the most colorful in the world over the past 150 years. T