In Imagining America, historian Alan M. Ball explores American influence in two newborn Russian states: the young Soviet Union and the modern Russian Republic. Ball deftly illustrates how in each era Russians have approached the United States with a conflicting mix of ideas-as a land to admire from afar, to shun at all costs, to emulate as quickly as possible, or to surpass on the way to a superior society. Drawing on a wide variety of sources including contemporary journals, news...

It is a special footballer who wins the World Cup as a 21-year-old and ends a two-decade career as one of the most revered players in the history of four clubs. Former England captain Alan Ball was such a man: prodigy at Blackpool, youngest hero of 1966, Championship winner at Everton, British-record signing for the second time at Arsenal and veteran schemer for Southampton - not to mention footwear trend-setter. And all after being told he was too small to succeed in the game.Yet ...

Alan Ball: Conversations features interviews that span Alan Ball's entire career and include detailed observations and insights into his Academy Award-winning film American Beauty and Emmy Award-winning television shows Six Feet Under and True Blood. Ball began his career as a playwright in New York, and his work soon caught the attention of Hollywood television producers. After writing for the sitcoms Grace Under Fire and Cybill, Ball ...

Alan Ball: Conversations features interviews that span Alan Ball's entire career and include detailed observations and insights into his Academy Award-winning film American Beauty and Emmy Award-winning television shows Six Feet Under and True Blood. Ball began his career as a playwright in New York, and his work soon caught the attention of Hollywood television producers. After writing for the sitcoms Grace Under Fire and Cybill, Ball ...

Thought the science of the future was all hoverboards and space travel? Think again.Every day, scientists come up with the ingenious solutions and surprising discoveries that will define our future. So here, Jim Al-Khalili and his crack team of experts bin the crystal ball and use cutting-edge science to get a glimpse of what's in store.From whether teleportation is really possible (spoiler: it is), to what we'll do if artificial intelligence takes over, What's Next?

For the ravenous fanbase of HBO's smash hit series, True Blood Drinks and Bites presents 45 quick and easy recipes for themed gatherings and weekly watch parties, all inspired by the series' most notorious vampires and victims. From the creator of True Blood and his writing team, these are deliciously "in-world" appetizers, cocktails, and nonalcoholic drinks to enjoy as the drama goes down in Bon Temps. Think Scorn Fritters and Hot Dates, washed down with an ice-cold Spir...

Blood, Bilge and Iron Balls is a set of wargame rules for naval battles in the age of sail. With them you can recreate the triumphs of Nelson or Hawke or tackle pirates on the Spanish Main. The rules themselves are very simple and easy to learn. Each player can easily command a single ship or several, the rules working equally well for a single frigate chasing down a privateer, or a large-scale fleet action with multiple players on each side. The basic rules have been written with the emph...

A "hilarious and utterly irreverent tale" (Irvine Welsh) of a year in the life of an abrasive pee-wee soccer coachGrowing up in Scotland, Alan Black learned that soccer was no mere game; it was a matter of life or death. In this harshly hilarious tale, Black, a Glasglow transplant living in suburban California, coaches the Dragons, a peewee team that proves an embarrassment to his beloved sport. They're pampered. They're soft. They've been told by their overprotect...

A journey through the history of this railway that brought passengers to the English seaside for fifty years. Includes maps and photos.The Southwold Railway was a delightful example of one of East Anglia's minor railways: A 3ft gauge railway, single track, just over eight miles long from Halesworth (connections to London) across the heathland and marshes of East Suffolk to the seaside resort and harbor of Southwold.This book collates the research and memori...

Radiology professor Ken Miles takes a detailed look at what happens inside the brains and bodies of churchgoers when they are worshiping. Rather than concluding that the words and actions performed during a church service are tricks which help to transmit false beliefs, he found that his appreciation of Christian worship was increased, and his faith strengthened. Using scientific principles, Ken refutes the notion that science is incompatible with faith and undermines common criticisms of ...

Have you ever agreed to purchase a car or a software subscription at a fantastic price, only to discover a mountain of mandatory hidden fees at the final checkout? Surprisingly, instead of walking away in disgust, most people proceed with the transaction. This is the psychological dark art known as the Low-Ball Technique. Rooted in the principle of commitment and consistency, this deceptive sales strategy exploits a fundamental glitch in human cognition. Once a consumer makes the initial p...

Iggy discovers a young member of the Henna tribe lost in the jungle (Henna, so-named for their fiery red hair and penchant for covering their faces in mud). The girl is wearing some rare and precious firestones, which mesmerise the Urks, especially Borg, who devises a new and devious plot to become Chief Urk. Iggy must embark on a dangerous journey to return the Henna girl safely to her tribe in the Cloud Mountains. But when he gets there, the welcome is not exactly what he had in mind.