Computers perform countless tasks ranging from the business critical to the recreational, but regardless of how differently they may look and behave, they're all amazingly similar in basic function. Once you understand how the microprocessor—or central processing unit (CPU)—works, you'll have a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts at the heart of all modern computing.Inside the Machine, from the co-founder of the highly respected Ars Technica website, explains how microp...

A comprehensive photographic identification guide to all of the native trees and shrubs of Great Britain and Ireland and many of the common non-native speciesTrees of Britain and Ireland is packed with practical information, photos and illustrations that will help you identify trees throughout the year. It covers all of Great Britain and Ireland’s native trees and shrubs as well as a range of ornamental and widely planted trees from other areas of the worl...

'Changes occur all the time. They can be identifiable and dramatic, or they can emerge imperceptibly, creeping up on you until one day you realise your foundations are less solid than you imagined. At this point in your life you need to find a new path.'Coping with transition can be hard at every stage of life, but it presents unique challenges as we come to the time of our lives when we are facing the end of full-on, full-time work.Changing Gear looks at ...

As Humanity faces the uncertainty and conflict of the 7th century in its Galactic Expansion calendar, Pleo awakes on the pleasure planet Lascivia III. With a mind still lost to intoxication he struggles to remember why he's there, only to find a dark truth. Pleo is the last in a line which has waited five generations for the emergence of galactic tycoon Jeremiah Aldrich from cryogenic suspension and now it is time for him to die.

England's future capital, Britannia Prima, is in trouble. Already run by the corporations and plagued by crime, nothing could prepare it for the cataclysm which is unlocked in virtual reality. Join cyber-criminals, Reck and Star, as they become involved with alien technologies. Follow Ronelle, the first lifer in the virtual world of the Circuits, as he struggles to survive a catastrophic system crash. Find questions of consciousness and existence. Horrors of technology and art. A wild, psy...

In the 146th year of the rule of the Machine, Novian Slaver is sentenced to become 'Citizen Class 5'. This final judgement is the result of a brutal life and one which has been served within a void of caring. A life awash with the System's tolerated vices, such as those of recreational drug use and violence. Join the struggle to find humanity within a class system which is devoid of justice. Embedded within the system's hierarchy and rules Novian soon finds himself powerless to e...

'Changes occur all the time. They can be identifiable and dramatic, or they can emerge imperceptibly, creeping up on you until one day you realise your foundations are less solid than you imagined. At this point in your life you need to find a new path.'Coping with transition can be hard at every stage of life, but it presents unique challenges as we come to the time of our lives when we are facing the end of full-on, full-time work.Changing Gear looks at ...

After a blind priest receives a vision from God, Father Spencer embarks upon a comedy of errors as he attempts to promote the arrival of the first new colour since the creation. Facing fashion designers, film producers and more, Father Spencer soon finds himself wondering if God's new colour really is coming soon.

From the collection Dreamin' Dreams; A short humorous story told in 4,000 words.Michael Galvin thinks he's found the bargain of a lifetime - a Christmas holiday in San Francisco.But why is Micky Dunn being so nice to him? What is he really up to ...

From the collection Dreamin' Dreams; A funny short story in 3,300 words.The donkey was mad. We all knew that. You only had to look at the cut of it. It stood to reason, of course, that an animal like that would have an owner who would be every bit as odd. And Bunny Dundee was as odd as you could get.Then Bunny gets a letter ..

Hannah Strong struggles to keep her marriage intact while dealing with her alcoholic father. Her marriage is on the verge of collapse and her father cannot stay sober. Both issues may impact her plan to attend the equestrian competition of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. This short story leads into a full-length novel that will be published in 2014.

Rose Brashear enjoys teaching anthropology as adjunct faculty at a Sacramento university, but when the job announcement lands in her in-box, she knows it’s time to get serious. Between exploring historic mine sites and scrambling to teach undergrad courses, she’s already stretched to the limit, but now she’s got to prove she’s the best candidate. Competition is fierce and Rose discovers the perfect position is hard to find.