Biological diversity, the variety of living organisms on Earth, is traditionally viewed as the diversity of taxa, and species in particular. However, other facets of diversity also need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes. This novel book demonstrates the advantages of adopting a functional approach to diversity in order to improve our understanding of the functioning of ecological systems and their components. The focus is on plants,...

Shakespeare’s finest verse play is also his first portrait of the psychology of power.The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England, but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard’s right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he ...

An “amazing” (NYT bestselling author of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn) high-concept thriller in which a couple’s romantic weekend-getaway is not what is seems.**Named a Most Anticipated Book by BookishHe’s not who he says he is.Then again, neither is she.**Steven Harding is a handsome, well-respected professor. Ellie Masterson is a wide-eyed grad student.Together, they are driving south from New York for their first vacat...

This haunting drama of vengeance and forgiveness crowns the group of tragicomic romances that Shakespeare composed at the end of his career. Sometimes read as his farewell to the stage, the play contains some of Shakespeare's most lyrical verse.Prospero, wise Duke of Milan, has been deposed by Antonio, his wicked brother, and exiled with his daughter Miranda to a mysterious island. But Prospero possesses supernatural powers. Aided by the spirit Ariel, Prospero uses his magical art ...

**"I loved this profound, practical, and generous book." —Oliver BurkemanA transformative guide to rethinking our approach to goals, creativity, and life itself from a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, and the creator of the popular Ness Labs newsletter**Life isn’t linear, and yet we constantly try to mold it around linear goals: four-year college degrees, ten-year career plans, thirty-year mortgages. What if instead we approached life as a giant playground for experimentati...

Life is hard enough for Shay Tafford, growing up without her father, but it's made more difficult due to the fact that she speaks to the dead; and they speak to her. She is in the dark as to why she has had this talent since her father's disappearance and now her only comfort Jeremy, a child ghost, has also been taken from her. Everything changes when Shay meets Hugh, a boy she has had a crush on for weeks, and she finds she can confide in him as he shares her gift.  Her dreams of li...

This controversial play follows the declining fortunes of a man of extravagant contradictions.The fabulously rich Timon believes all his friends to be as open-hearted and generous as himself. When his wealth suddenly evaporates, however, he discovers the truth and his altruism turns to a bitter hatred of mankind. Stirred up by the cynical Apemantus, Timon retreats to the woods where he plots the destruction of Athens, the city that had formerly seemed to embody everything pleasurab...

The life of an outside cat is hard. Cars, wild animals, and disease are just a few of the dangers faced by outside cats every day.Spencer's New Home is the true story of a kitten, born to be an outside cat, finding a new family and loving home after losing his mother.Spencer's story has a sad beginning, but it moves along quickly as Spencer is helped by caring people and eventually finds a family of his own.

A long year of pain and solitude has passed since Abby’s husband Marcus died from leukemia. It has been a whole year since her perfect life was ripped away from her hands, leaving her in pain and solitude. Encouraged by her friends and family, after a hard year of grief, Abby has finally decided to do more than surviving and move on with her life. The first step in doing so is to get rid of her late husband belongings, packed into seventeen cardboard boxes. With a heavy heart, she distribu...

Sinister supernatural forces are at work in this fast-paced tragedy of guilt and retribution, in which the power of human beings to control their own destiny is called into question.The brave warrior Macbeth allows himself to be persuaded by Lady Macbeth, his wife, to slay good King Duncan and seize the throne of Scotland for himself. Macbeth achieves his ambition, but one murder proves not to be enough as he desperately attempts to eliminate all who might threaten his ill-gotten p...

Sometimes Dallas gets drunk and doesn’t remember what she did last night. Sometimes she loses friends. Sometimes her mom’s boyfriend beats her until she can’t walk. Sometimes her life sucks, but sometimes it’s beautiful. When Dallas dances her world is her own and she can escape her otherwise horrible life. Dallas now must overcome her past to give herself a future at the Allenwood Academy of Dance in Cape Haven, CT. When her feet are bleeding and her heart is b...

Think you know what rural America is like? Discover a plurality of perspectives in this enlightening anthology of stories that turns preconceptions on their head.Gracie sees a chance of fitting in at her South Carolina private school, until a “white trash”–themed Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel’s Tejano family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now he’s ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican t...