A homage to the late, great scholar of war, exploring his considerable legacy and engaging with questions of conflict and strategy in the same spirit.From the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ‘end of history’ to the rise of Islamist terrorism and the onset of the ‘war on terror’, and now finally a return to great power politics—the last thirty years have been some of the most unsettled in a generation or two. Through it all, Professor Christopher Coker’s thinking on war and str...

Upon his death, nineteen year-old Aikata finds himself in an afterlife to which he does not belong, one reserved for a legendary order of Heroes fighting an endless war against Demonic invaders.Unable to leave, and unwelcome by the Heroes who dwell there, the self-proclaimed 'otaku-loser' learns his very presence may summon even more Demonic hordes to that already beleaguered realm.As talks of Aikata's imprisonment – or execution – ensue, a simple request from the world's c...

Agi is happy to get back to school, and away from the Redshield family. She has spent most of her life in boarding school, and is glad to be back with her friends. Agi doesn't consider herself to be a pretty girl, but when two of the most popular boys in school start fighting over who gets to dance with her, she starts to wonder. Her best friend warns her about what happens to girls who get too popular at The Melton Conservatory, but Agi ignores her. Agi didn't know anything about the syst...

From Spiritual Uncertainty to Joyful Divine AttachmentWhat do you do when the gap between what you believe and what you experience feels insurmountable? Where do you turn when trauma leaves you feeling lost, ashamed, and exhausted, spinning in spiritual uncertainty but still longing for relationship with God?Michael John Cusick, a psychotherapist and spiritual director, voices the questions and contradictions that are inherently part of living an a...

This poetry collection, like a cerebral train, travels through the varied landscapes of my thoughts, opinions, and life experiences. Words collide with syllables, erupting into vivid imagery that reaches the far recesses of the imagination. These poems are my literary children: sometimes impulsive, but always carrying a message. I hope this collection touches you like the warmth of the sun's rays on a somber October afternoon.

For many years, the beautiful kingdom of Zallanda has been torn apart by conflict. The hordes of terrified Zallan creatures live in fear under the tyranny of the malevolent ruling Growls, and their plight is worsened by Sartok, the depraved Warlock who holds ultimate power. But hope is not lost. Help arrives in an unexpected form: two "brave knights." DAT, a spirited Tibetan terrier, and his loyal friend DEXY, a clever brown Labrador, are magically transported to Zallanda. Unknowingly, the...

Words flow fluently through a poetic stream where the muse paddles in both directions, where he deems most rewarding. His intention is to capture an audience full of dreams where the author can captivate his own. There are many turns and bends in the water, but somehow the shore beckons him on solid ground. Mike invites his audience to open up the pages and become familiar with the author's visions of friends, family and experiences in life.

"Crosseyed Puzzle" is 30 optical illusions that I invented over the years. It all started when I put a circle on a transparency and focused my eyes through the transparency paper until I saw two circles. This led me to the next step of drawing a face around the now two circles, which gave me the face of a bison. Then came the next step of coming up with a non-abstract picture, which looked to me like a Viking hat. Then I noticed that I didn't have to focus my eyes through the picture to co...

In an age of rapid technological advancement and global interconnectivity, the world has never appeared more progressive—yet beneath the surface lies a troubling truth. The Illusion of Progress unveils how the very systems meant to liberate and empower us have become tools of centralization, control, and surveillance. From education and healthcare to media, law, finance, and governance, power is consolidating in the hands of global institutions and technocratic elites, eroding the foundati...

Just two days after his birth, Matthew Jewel's life takes a tragic turn when he becomes an orphan, following the assassination of his mother by a Russian agent. In a twist of fate, he is swiftly rescued and adopted by an aristocratic military family, who embrace him as a long-lost son. Matthew's journey leads him from public school to Persham House, Britain's exclusive and top-secret spy academy. His training there paves the way for his induction into British Military Intelligence, where h...

Been a photographer is like trying to meet certain expectations in your life, you'll always try to make sure everything is in place, and create a perfect image of someone else, People's fantasy is like a photo, they want their life to be as perfect as a photo but like all fantasy, it doesn't come true.My name is Benjamin but you can call me Ben, I'm a photographer and a painter, I started my career after my grad, there was no work available so I did what I was good at which was ...

Learn to extract actionable insights from your big data in real time using a range of Microsoft Azure featuresKey FeaturesUpdated with the latest features and new additions to Microsoft AzureMaster the fundamentals of cloud analytics using AzureLearn to use Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly known as Azure SQL Data Warehouse) to derive real-time customer insightsBook DescriptionCloud Analytics with Microsoft Azure serves as a ...