It's Christmas in Madison, Wisconsin. The Iraq War has started, conjuring up memories for a bread man raised by a Vietnam Vet.That, and the fact that his boss at the Bread Depot is an ex-Mastery Gunnery Marine Drill Sergeant who's on the outside due to his new boss wanting to shake things up. But on Christmas Eve, his father calls to tell him he has cancer.Depressed and suffering from insomnia, can he come to grips with his past, and heal the wounds that haunt him?

They were a platoon of misfits—and proud of it. Soldiers like Rodney Orange, Myron Wadsworth Folsom, Tex Whaley, Vic Svagdis, Ace Meyer, and Bruiser Neerman, rebellious young men who bristled at military authority, who had a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. Among them were a Chicago cop, a Los Angeles milkman, a Pennsylvania coal miner—and a budding reporter, John Justin Smith, who joined them in a handpicked U.S. Army Intelligence & Reconnaissance Platoon that acted as their...

Discover a fresh approach to enhancing productivity with "The Productivity Paradox." This insightful eBook highlights the value of purposeful rest and delves into the scientific reasoning behind this unconventional concept. By incorporating strategic breaks, downtime, and mindfulness, you can stimulate creativity, improve concentration, and achieve remarkable success.

As economic crises, growing inequality and climate change prompt a global debate on the meaning and trajectory of development, increasing attention is focusing on 'social and solidarity economy' as a distinctive approach to sustainable and rights-based development.While we are beginning to understand what social and solidarity economy is, what it promises and how it differs from 'business as usual', we know far less about whether it can really move beyond its fringe status in many ...

Dwarves, elves, goblins, trolls, dragons and wizards - these are the ingredients of J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful fantasy, the prelude to The Lord of The Rings, now the subject of a major feature film series. The hero of the tale is Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving unambitious hobbit who is suddenly thrust into what turns out to be the biggest adventure of his life. Guided by Gandalf the wizard, Bilbo and a company of dwarves set out to destroy Smaug the Magnificent, a ferocious dragon w...

The forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion tells the earlier history of Middle-earth, recounting the events of the First and Second Ages, and introducing some of the key characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil and the Dark Lord, Sauron.The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the je...

Discover or return to the dystopian series that's captured the hearts of millions of teen and adult readers! This first in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent series of books is the novel the inspired the major motion picture starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet.Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner series, Divergent and its sequels, Insurgent and ...

Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.The thrillingly dark sequel to No. 1 New York Times bestseller, DIVERGENT.I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth...

**WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE • The phenomenal international bestseller and modern classic of adventure, survival • Now an Oscar-winning motion and award-winning Broadway play.One boy. One boat. One tiger.**After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orangutan—and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The ...

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent series of books reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that captivated millions of readers and film fans in Divergent and Insurgent**.**One choice will define you. What if your whole world was a lie? What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything? ...

The second instalment of Tolkien's epic tale, adapted from the original BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. Having fled the Shire in their escape from Sauron's Dark Riders, Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring have journeyed to Rivendell and beyond. Their mission is to reach the Mountain of Fire in Mordor, where the Ruling Ring can be destroyed, but already their campaign is in jeopardy. Gandalf has fallen into an abyss, and Boromir has fatally succumbed to the power of the Ring. The othe...

Brought to you by Puffin.The SECOND title in this number one, bestselling spin-off series from Percy Jackson creator, Rick Riordan.This crazy messed up world of gods and monsters is Percy Jackson's reality, which pretty much sucks for him.Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, has woken from a very deep sleep and come face to face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die.But they're the least ...