Showing results by author "Ben" in All Categories

History is full of sensational financial frauds and scams. Enron was forced to declare bankruptcy after allegations of massive accounting fraud, wiping out $78 billion in stock market value. Bernie Madoff, the largest individual fraudster in history, built a $65 billion Ponzi scheme that ultimately resulted in his being sentenced to 150 years in prison. People from all walks of life have been scammed out of their money.

When Ben Aitken learnt that his gran had enjoyed a four-night holiday including four three-course dinners, four cooked breakfasts, four games of bingo, a pair of excursions, 16 pints of lager and luxury return coach travel, all for a hundred pounds, he thought, that's the life, and signed himself up. Six times over. Good value aside, what Ben was really after was the company of his elders - those with more chapters under their belt, with the wisdom granted by experience, the candour gifted by time, and the hard-earned ability to live each day like it's nearly their last.

From your morning coffee order, to weaving through passengers on the train, sitting through tense work meetings, riding in a packed elevator, attending a happy hour with colleagues, or relaxing on the couch with family, every day is filled with social interactions that nurture and support your brain's health.

It's the week before deer hunting season, as close to a statewide holiday as you get in Texas, and the locals are getting restless. Game Warden John Marlin has his hands full with poaching complaints coming in faster than he can write out-of-season tickets. Then a call of a different sort comes in. A man dressed up in some sort of deer costume has been shot at the Circle S ranch, and witnesses are reporting a massive wild-eyed buck prancing about the pasture in a lovesick frenzy.

With all of magic at her command, Alydian is born to power. She and the other oracles serve the people, guiding kings and commoners with their ability to know the future. Yet despite Alydian's power she cannot foresee the coming betrayal, for a rogue mage lurks in their midst, and plots an alliance with the mighty guild of Verinai. Under the guise of benevolence the Verinai offer their magic to all, while their expanding reach is noticed by none. Except the Soldier.

Life can get a little wild from time to time for John Marlin, the game warden in Blanco County, Texas - but few incidents compare to the stories flying around town at the start of this new deer season. Hunters are reporting an incredible sight: A six-foot-tall, drop-dead gorgeous blonde is roaming the woods, searching out camouflage-clad men with guns and disarming them with powers of seduction the likes of which none of them have ever come across before. Everyone has a hearty laugh at the expense of a few embarrassed hunters, until one of their own turns up dead in the woods. Now Marlin has a real mystery to deal with.

Discover the fascinating and cutting-edge science behind the greatest question of all: is there life beyond Earth? For millennia, we have looked up at the stars and wondered whether we are alone in the universe. In the last few years, scientists have made huge strides towards answering that question. In The Aliens Are Coming!, comedian and best-selling science writer Ben Miller takes us on a fantastic voyage of discovery, from the beginnings of life on Earth to the very latest search for alien intelligence.

It’s everywhere, from commercials to New York Times best-sellers to college (and even younger) classrooms. In fact, pornography has become such a part of normal life in 21st century America that many teens and twenty-somethings have had no more important influence. They are the porn generation, where life’s expectations come from Mouseketeer pop tarts, Victoria’s Secret, internet titillation, and condom-flogging sex education.

Leningrad, 1951. The shadow of war lingers. Revol Rossel - once a virtuoso violinist with a glittering future - is now a humble state militia cop, forced to investigate desperate crimes in this desperate era. But when five frozen corpses are found neatly arranged between railway lines, Rossel is faced with the most puzzling - and most dangerous - case of his career. His hunt for the truth leads him to the dark heart of Leningrad’s musical establishment, and, ultimately, to the highest levels of the Kremlin itself.

If you are thinking about getting a puppy or simply want to learn how to train your perfect dog in a happy, positive way, then keep reading. This guide uses a fresh approach which puts strong emphasis on the relationship with the individual dog, informed by breed-specific traits. It contains the distilled information of decades of dog training experience in one master guide with clear, sympathetic, intelligent guidelines for successful dog training.

As he fights to survive, Max’s romance with proud, passionate healer Simion grows ever more intense. But magic still ties him to Camron Calzmir, the prince who seduced and betrayed him. While the enchantment lingers, even the slightest touch from Simion could tear Max apart.

Married to a ruthless prince, for years Max had to serve and obey the vicious magical nobles. Now, he is one of them. When the heir to the throne attacks him, Max accidentally responds with a lethal burst of magic. Max is certain he will be executed. But his power is too rare and precious for that....

Relentless in their pursuit of perfection, the rock trolls have waged war for millennia. Legendary warriors, vast armies, and even dragons have fallen before their might. But now their enemy comes from within. Rising to the throne by right, King Sybrik seeks conflict even as his people dwindle and perish. His thirst for blood will see no end. Unless Tryton can stop him.

The world-transforming story of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is all too often surrounded by confusion and misunderstanding, but to live it authentically and share it simply, we must resolve to know the gospel deeply. In The Simple Gospel, Ben Jack draws on years of real-life evangelistic experience and solid theological exploration to help us rediscover the beautiful simplicity at the heart of the Christian message.

Lisa finds her senile old coworker, Saswin, lost in an abandoned mall hallway. He's talking to a circle of mannequins, their limbs twisted and fused in unnatural ways. When Lisa looks away, she swears the mannequins have moved, and that this abandoned hallway has grown longer. After Saswin disappears down the impossible hallway, Lisa goes to find him, but she’s unprepared for the horrors that await her in the mall's forgotten depths.

This groundbreaking book offers extraordinary insight into the greatest mystery in sales: how the very best salespeople consistently and successfully influence change in others, inspiring their customers to say yes.

Engaging Theology: Audio Lectures is an introductory theology series that grounds a treatment of standard systematic topics in the wider context of life and practice and shows the relevance of each doctrine to the church. Lectures treat the essential doctrines of Christian orthodoxy by beginning with a brief and engaging account of the historical situation out of which the doctrine arose or where it played an essential role in the development of the church.

Police Constable Peter Grant ist nicht nur ein relativer Neuling bei der Metropolitan Police, sondern auch der letzte Zauberlehrling Londons. Sollte er aber ernsthaft gedacht haben, dass sein frisch überstandenes Abenteuer in die Kategorie "heftig" fällt, so kann er sich für sein nächstes schon mal eine neue, noch aufregendere Vokabel aussuchen. In "Schwarzer Mond über Soho", Ben Aaronovitchs Fortsetzung der "Flüsse von London", sieht sich Peter Grant fantastischen Kriminalfällen und Gefahren einer völlig neuen Qualität gegenüber, die selbst den hartgesottensten Polizeibeamten in Angst und Schrecken versetzen würden.

Failed conversations can take a heavy toll on our professional and personal lives, threatening to damage relationships, erode trust, and make it impossible to resolve conflicts, reach decisions, or achieve mutual understanding. Conversation Transformation gives you practical guidelines for managing the six most common (and aggravating) conversation killers: yes-buts, mind-reads, negative predictions, leading questions, complaining, and verbal attacks. Each chapter guides you through a three-step process for replacing unconstructive habits with more effective responses.

“Rejoice in the Lord always.” It’s a simple command that holds the key to experiencing deep and abiding joy through every circumstance. Best-selling authors and senior leaders of Bethel Church, Bill and Beni Johnson, are known for their teaching on how to experience heavenly realities in everyday life. In this timely work, they address the often overlooked connection between the experience of joy and the act of rejoicing.