A rich and exuberant group biography of the early geologists, the people who were first to excavate from the layers of the world its buried history.The birth of geology was fostered initially by gentlemen whose wealth supported their interests, but in the nineteenth century, it was advanced by clergymen, academics, and women whose findings expanded the field. Reading the Rocks brings to life this eclectic cast of characters who brought passion, eccentricity, and towering intellect to the discovery of how Earth was formed. Geology opened a window on the planet's ancient past. Contrary to the Book of Genesis, the rocks and fossils dug up showed that Earth was immeasurably old. Moreover, fossil evidence revealed progressive changes in life forms. It is no coincidence that Charles Darwin was a keen geologist.Acclaimed biographer and science writer Brenda Maddox's story goes beyond William Smith, the father of English...

When evil Whiskerface sees the perfect chance to test his plan to take over the world, it's up to the superpets to stop him in this fourth Super Turbo book.You know Turbo as the hamster sidekick from the Captain Awesome books. But ever wonder what actually goes on when the last school bell rings and Turbo is left to his own devices? He's SUPER TURBO and he's here to fight evil in and out of the classroom! Sunnyview Elementary has been buzzing with excitement and smelling like...bratwurst? That's because the students are preparing for "Celebrate the World Day," where each classroom represents a different country. The members of the Superpet Superhero League are helping out behind the scenes. But the evil Whiskerface is working behind the scenes, too. After all, what better time and place to test out his plan to take over the world? Will the superpets be able to stop Whiskerface from ruining the celebration? With easy-to-read language, illustrations, and...

Laura Simcox concludes her fun, flirty Various States of Undress series with a presidential daughter, a hot baseball player, and a tale of love at the ballgame.Forget being the president's daughter—Georgia Fulton is certain that she's on her way to journalistic stardom. Nothing's going to keep her from getting the story of her young career—a feature on sexy ballplayer Brett Knox ... nothing except Brett, that is. Arrogantly charming and hotter than a Memphis summer, he's doing everything he can to distract her. He may be the focus of her assignment, but getting too close to him could cost her everything ... including her heart. Brett Knox, star player for the Memphis Redbirds, is determined to get to the big leagues—which means no distractions. Certainly not in the form of a sexy brunette who won't take no for an answer. As far as Brett's concerned, his life story isn't up for discussion—no matter how fast Georgia makes his heart race. But...

Science Fiction/Romance. 47529 words long. First published in 2007, 2007

From the author of Hello God comes a moving story about the impact of war on ordinary people. Rachel is German and Jewish and living in Leipzig,Germany. Life is good, and revolves around Sabbath meals shared with her happy family.With the outbreak of World War II, their lives are changed. the family are forced to move from their comfortable home into cramped housing, and when the Nazis arrive to finally take the family away they don't know what is to become of them. But Rachel's father gives her instructions that save her life. He also tells her not to speak. Rachel remains quiet for the rest of the war, but what happened to her family? Will Rachel regain her voice now that she really needs it? Ages: 9 - 13

The subtle portrait of a great but difficult man and a legendary island.When friends die, one's own credentials change: one becomes a survivor. Graham Greene has already had biographers, one of whom has served him mightily. Yet I hope that there is room for the remembrance of a friend who knew him-not wisely, perhaps, but fairly well-on an island that was "not his kind of place," but where he came season after season, year after year; and where he, too, will be subsumed into the capacious story.For millennia the cliffs of Capri have sheltered pleasure-seekers and refugees alike, among them the emperors Augustus and Tiberius, Henry James, Rilke, and Lenin, and hosts of artists, eccentrics, and outcasts. Here in the 1960s Graham Greene became friends with Shirley Hazzard and her husband, the writer Francis Steegmuller; their friendship lasted until Greene's death in 1991. In Greene on Capri, Hazzard uses their ever volatile intimacy as a prism through which to...

Catherine Coulter's sensational contemporary suspense novels "The Cove" and "The Maze" were gripping enough to establish Coulter firmly in the genre, hailed "Publishers Weekly". Now, with "The Target", Coulter again lays claim to the territory where romance and terror intersect. Hoping to escape unwanted celebrity in the aftermath of a notorious incident, Ramsey Hunt settles in the Rockies, determined to bury himself in the safety of a solitary existence. But his isolation is shattered when he stumbles upon a small girl unconscious in the high-altitude forest. When strangers pursue Ramsey to his private meadow in an attempt to kill him and the girl, he's mystified that anyone would wish her harm. And the child can't shed any light on the subject: she's mute. Molly Santana, the girl's mother, catches up with Ramsey and her daughter, mistaking her daughter's savior for a kidnapper. But soon Ramsey's real role becomes clear. With the strangers in pursuit, the trio flee to Chicago for sanctuary. Even there, however, the child's enemies prove as relentless as their motives are baffling. With an unexpected assist from FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock (last seen in "The Maze"), Molly and Ramsey begin to unravel the clues, and in the process they make an astonishing discovery as to the true nature of the target.