Friendly Monster was the code name for the B-29 bomber in the pacific area during World War II. The author is John W. Cox, the commander of a remarkable flight crew and their tour of duty during the war. It starts with their training period and introduction to the state-of-the-art airplane. The crew participated in the first bombing attack on Tokyo since the Doolittle raid in 1942, then on to the end of the war. Highlighted are descriptions of the bombing,strafing and air combat the crew e...

Building and maintaining an opening repertoire can be a demanding task -- for a start there are an enormous number of different lines to choose from. There's a strong temptation amongst beginners and improving players to opt solely for tricky lines in order to snare unsuspecting opponents, but this approach has only short-term value. As players improve and their opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly they back to square one w...

The Strategic Positioning of Academic Libraries explores the influence exerted by trends in higher education and the wider world on the position of academic libraries, alongside an analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It provides an essential foundation for effective library strategy formulation and positioning in a highly dynamic and competitive environment.Examining a complex mix of global volatility, campus uncertainty, societal change and...

How can we describe, how can an artist paint, the aurora borealis? We of temperate climates are not strangers to the phenomena; we know something of the arcs and radiating streaks of various-colored light which frequently adorn our northern skies; and we are occasionally permitted to witness exhibitions in which the whole heavens shine with their marvelous glow. Yet travelers from the far North say that we can have no conception of the wonderful splendor of the phenomena as witnessed withi...

This book fills an enormous void in chess literature. There are a countless number of players who are very happy to defend the black side of the Queen's Gambit or play the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, Bogo-Indian, or Benoni. However, more often than not they have been forced to muddle their way through a whole variety of annoying sidelines White has at his or her disposal, including the dreaded Trompowsky, the tricky Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and the tiresome Colle Variation. Now finally, he...

A history and anthropological analysis of one of Papua New Guinea's worst Ponzi schemes in the late 1990s.In the late 1990s and early 2000s a wave of Ponzi schemes swept through Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. The most notorious scheme, U-Vistract, attracted many thousands of investors, enticing them with promises of one percent interest to be paid monthly. Its founder, Noah Musingku, was a charismatic leader who promoted the scheme as a form o...

Coming of Age: 1939-1946 by John Cox: Experience the transformative years of World War II through the personal stories of individuals, capturing the challenges, resilience, and growth of a generation amidst global conflict.Key points:Immersive narrative offering a vivid portrayal of the human experience during World War II.Intimate accounts of individuals navigating the challenges of war, depicting their coming of age amidst adversity...

In the late 1990s and early 2000s a wave of Ponzi schemes swept through Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. The most notorious scheme, U-Vistract, attracted many thousands of investors, enticing them with promises of 100 percent interest to be paid monthly. Its founder, Noah Musingku, was a charismatic leader who promoted the scheme as a form of Christian mission and as the basis for establishing an independent kingdom.Fast Money Schemes uses in-depth int...

Explore the transformative years of youth and resilience in "Coming of Age: 1939-1946" by John Cox. This evocative memoir delves into a pivotal period marked by global conflict, personal growth, and the forging of identity amidst the challenges of war.As you journey through Cox’s narrative, you’ll witness the profound impact of historical events on the lives of young people. With each page, the author shares poignant reflections on coming of age during a ti...

" Now that the Second World War is some 60 years past this would seem to be a good time to collate all the various chapters that I’ve written over the last few years and present them as an entity. No war can really be described as a ‘good’ war especially by the families of those who didn’t return or by those who returned maimed but in the sense that I went through it from the start until the finish and emerged unscratched I suppose that mine could be called a ‘good’ war. Though I spent jus...

Jack's life is broken, his marriage estranged. After his failed suicide attempt and rescue by a compassionate stranger, he is forced to face up to the man he has become--a far cry from the man he wants to be. As he grapples with his own big questions, his son's life hangs in the balance. His wife Brenda, angry and grieving, struggles to open her heart to the man who has betrayed her more times than she can count. As Jack and Brenda's story unfolds, five trainee guardian angels discover the...

99 Musings is for men and women who desire to know God and follow Jesus with authenticity and integrity. The first disciples were far from perfect, and yet God called them, loved them, equipped them, picked them up when they struggled, and blessed them. As was true for them so it is possible for us today. The Musings seek to inspire, encourage, sometimes challenge, and, most importantly, remind the reader of God's faithfulness, even when circumstance don't make sense. Written in contempora...