For two years before and after the 1948 Communist Revolution, David Kidd lived in Peking, where he married the daughter of an aristocratic Chinese family. "I used to hope," he writes, "that some bright young scholar on a research grant would write about us and our Chinese friends before it was too late and we were all dead and gone, folding into the darkness the wonder that had been our lives." Here Kidd himself brings that wonder to life.

In the hyperscale age, compliance and resilience aren't checkboxes—they're design principles.This book shows how to embed governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) directly into the architecture of modern data centers.Bridging engineering and regulation, Kidd translates complex standards like ISO 27001, NIST CSF, DORA, and NIS 2 into practical, auditable design requirements. Readers will learn how to architect systems that are not only secure, but continuously verif...

In 1949, soon after the arrival of communism, David Kidd's Chinese fiancée, the daughter of an ancient Mandarin family, telephoned to say that her father was dying and that they must marry immediately. At first the couple were able to continue their privileged lifestyle, a remnant of an old and exquisite culture. But the new proletariat was rapidly suppressing the ancient traditions. Spies watched them from the roof, then confiscated their sets of mahjong; an aunt was sent on a mission to ...

The book of Revelation can present us with many questions: How will we know when the end is coming upon us? Is the United States mentioned in prophecy? What is the order of events that will unfold? Will Christians be on earth during the rise of the Antichrist? And what will happen if I’m alive during his reign? But if God wanted us to study the book of Revelation to find answers, why is it so hard to understand? Maybe it is easier than it first appears.In A Chronological Revelation...

Promoting K-12 Civic Learning and Engagement Through Assessment is a comprehensive guide to the assessment of civic learning in primary and secondary education contexts. Today’s schools have a responsibility to teach learners how to critically evaluate information, understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and engage with people whose perspectives and experiences differ from their own. This book provides a vision for testing, measurement, and assessment efforts th...

Africa, the cradle of humanity, is a continent brimming with potential.From its vast natural resources and swathes of arable land to its vibrant youthful population, Africa is ready to usher in a new age of prosperity and claim its place on the global stage. But the continent will not flourish without visionary leadership, careful planning, thoughtful innovation, and openness to change.After three decades of technical and managerial experience as well as en...

A young New Yorker grieving his mother's death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this “extraordinary” and beloved novel that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review), named a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century.Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a weal...

A haunting, evocative and highly unusual romantic debut and now a Netflix Mandarin original drama. Perfect for fans of Memoirs of a GeishaSeventeen-year-old Li Lan lives in 1890s Malaya with her quietly-ruined father, who returns one evening with a proposition - the fabulously wealthy Lim family want Li Lan to marry their son. The only problem is, he's dead. After a fateful visit to the Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly woul...

OVER 13M COPIES SOLD – THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING PHENOMENON – NUMBER 8 ON SUNDAY TIMES BEST OF THE BESTSELLER LISTFew books have had such an impact as Wild Swans: a popular bestseller which has sold more than 13 million copies and a critically acclaimed history of China; a tragic tale of nightmarish cruelty and an uplifting story of bravery and survival.Through the story of three generations of women in her own family – the grandmother given ...

A Nobel laureate’s gripping historical novel about the Japanese invasion of NankingFarmer Liang Tan knows only a quiet, traditional life in his remote Chinese farming community. When news filters in that Japanese forces are invading the country, he and his fellow villagers believe that if they behave decently to the Japanese soldiers, the civilians might remain undisturbed. They’re in for a shock, as the attackers lay waste to the country and install a puppet gover...

Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace PrizeA Washington Post Best Book of the YearWinner of the 2009 Borders Original Voices AwardIn early-twentieth-century Korea, Najin Han, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, longs to choose her own destiny. But her country is in tumult under Japan's harsh occupation, and her family's traditions, entitlements, and wealth crumble. Narrowly escaping an arranged marriag...

The acclaimed memoir from the bestselling author of Empress Orchid**'**Historically remarkable ... intensely moving' SUNDAY TIMES'The book sings. It is a small masterpiece' VOGUEBorn into a devoutly Maoist family in 1950s Shanghai and forced to work on a communal farm from the age of seventeen, Anchee Min found herself in an alienating and hostile political climate, where her only friendshi...