Showing results by narrator "Eva Wilhelm" in All Categories

What is wrong with today's banking system? The past few years have shown that risks in banking can impose significant costs on the economy. Many claim, however, that a safer banking system would require sacrificing lending and economic growth. The Bankers' New Clothes examines this claim and the narratives used by bankers, politicians, and regulators to rationalize the lack of reform, exposing them as invalid.

More than 1,500 years after his disappearance into the mists of Avalon, King Arthur has returned. This time, he's prepared to rule the Camelot of a new millennium: New York City. Handsome, charismatic Arthur Penn is running for mayor on a platform of common sense, humor, and knightly virtues. His advisors include a gifted 10-year-old named Merlin; Percival, an immortal accountant; and Gwen, a lovely young woman with no end of problems.

For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose - men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat - and emerge victorious.

Samantha Quinn: Baseball lover. Plant mama. Eternal friend zone dweller. I know exactly three things: 1) My heart will forever belong to my best friend, Carter. 2) Carter's heart will never belong to me. 3) I will therefore die alone, surrounded by my houseplants, probably old and grouchy like my eighty-two-year-old landlady, Winifred. But now Carter's cousin wants my help planning her wedding, while Carter wants my help stopping it.

The armies of Alesso di’Marente and Valedan kai di’Leonne are massing in the Terrean of Averda for the battle that will at last determine the rule of the Dominion. The Sun Sword is about to be delivered by Serra Diora to its “rightful” holder, Valedan, last surviving heir of the clan Leonne. But whether Valedan will be able to wield the sword, or—like the form kai el’Sol—will be consumed by its magic, remains to be seen.The demon kin are gathering as well, and a dread spell is being worked which will finally open the way for the Lord of Night.

In Prague researching the legend of the Golem, a fantastical "living" creature made of clay, archaeologist Annja Creed is faced with an even bigger mystery on her hands when someone begins murdering the homeless. And every day there's a fresh corpse. As the suspicion that Golem is behind the deaths circulates quietly on the streets of the city, Annja cannot resist unraveling the thread that binds science to superstition. According to Czech history, these aren't new attacks.

Jewel ATerafin has never wanted to be a power, but to protect what she built, to protect what she values above all else, she has accepted that power is necessary. But with power comes responsibility. Jewel has forced herself to do what would have once been unthinkable: She has surrendered her den-kin, Carver, to the wilderness, because she must if she is to have any hope of saving the rest of her family, and the city in which they dwell. But she cannot leave him with nothing. Into his hands, she has placed the single, blue leaf that came from the wilderness and the dreaming combined.

When a freak accident leaves Katie Chandler with magical powers, it seems like a wish come true for the former magical immune. But it also means she's vulnerable to magic, just when the dangerous Elf Lord is cooking up another scheme in his bid for power. Anyone who gets in his way disappears--including Katie and her wizard boyfriend, Owen Palmer. Now Katie's under a spell that obscures her true identity, living a life right out of a romantic comedy movie in a Hollywood set version of New York.

The kingdom of Breodanir is in turmoil. Even the merchant roads in the heart of Breodanir can become wild, unknown places between one step and the next; some have walked those roads, never to return. Now, more than ever, Breodanir has need of Hunter Lords as symbols of strength and stability. Stephen of Maubreche and his huntbrother Nenyane have been summoned in disgrace to the King’s City. They, and other hunters who have rejected Hunter oaths, are to be schooled in the necessity of the oaths they’ve rejected.

To-do: Stop the bad guys. Rescue the wizard. Find the perfect outfit for New Year's Eve. At last, Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get Katie Chandler under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. But just when it looks like Katie has found her prince, in pops her inept fairy godmother, Ethelinda, to throw a wand into the works. Ethelinda's timing couldn’t be worse. A plot hatched by MSI's rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threatens to expose the company's secrets - and the very existence of magic itself.

In the Dominion, those allied with the demons of the Shining Court feared the bargain they'd made. For to the kialli, betrayal was a way of life, and every action was a means to gain greater power. And as the Festival of the Moon approached, the demon kin began to prey upon those in the Tor Leonne. But more frightening than their presence was their "gift" for the Festival, masks created not by human craftsmen, but by the kialli. Even the magic and knowledge of the greatest of the Dominion's Widan had been unable to discern what trap the masks contained.

Stephen has never left the kingdom of his birth. But the possible cure for his huntbrother’s shattered memories cannot be found in Breodanir. It might be found in the distant South. If Nenyane’s road leads to the South, Stephen will follow. The lord of the golden fox wishes to speak with Stephen before he travels South. She dwells in the heart of the empire, home to Meralonne APhaniel and Kallandras of Senniel, and it is through Averalaan that safe passage to the Dominion of Annagar can be found.

I've just met Nina Davenport, my newest consultant, and to say she needs my help is an understatement. For starters, it turns out she's got one hell of a gnarly curse covering her. I have no idea what this curse is meant to do, but whatever it is, it's not good. To make matters worse, Nina is on the run with a nasty ex on her tail who is determined to take her daughter from her. For the icing on the cake, this isn't something that we have lots of time to figure out. According to Florry, the magical clock is ticking on this one.

Two weeks ago, I logged my first failure as an Oracle. Two days ago, I learned that magic is a fickle thing. Two hours ago, I unleashed a posse of the undead. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. Not only did I need to figure out how to free Nina, I had a new consultant. Double booked is an understatement. Now, I must discover why Hazel Dane, one of the most stressed out—and most impolite—consultants I've ever had is cursed. Or enchanted. Or something. She doesn't know.

As a girl in New York City in the 1940s, Mildred "Millie" Dresselhaus was taught that there were only three career options open to women: secretary, nurse, or teacher. In Carbon Queen, science writer Maia Weinstock describes how, with curiosity and drive, Dresselhaus defied expectations and forged a career as a pioneering scientist and engineer. Dresselhaus made highly influential discoveries about the properties of carbon and other materials and helped reshape our world in countless ways—from electronics to aviation to medicine to energy.

Wade Malone has returned to the harsh poverty of his Indiana home of Taylorville to hide out from his recent past deeds, and within one day he places his daughter, Mattie, on display in a most humiliating public way. This is not the first abuse 17-year-old Emma Connor has witnessed, and this violence triggers her and her best friend Jolene to seek revenge on Wade. Fortunately for Emma, she lives under the care of her Grandma Rose, who teaches her the ways of being a healer--things that Grandma learned from a Mayan shaman years ago.

Military legacy Ari Alexander has survived alien spies, WWIV, and a changing world order. But when the new leader of Earth uses Jackson—the only boy she's ever let herself care about—to get to her, Ari has no choice but to surrender. To free Jackson, she agrees to travel to the national bases to train others to fight. What she discovers is a land riddled with dying people. Ari has the power to heal by turning the fighters into aliens—half-breeds like her. If she succeeds, together, they have a chance at overthrowing the alien leader, Zeus.

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan. Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems....

In the future, only one rule will matter: Don't. Ever. Peek. Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed—arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

We're bombarded by messages about how dangerous the world is—from both real and fake news. Yet when we hunker down and try to live in a bubble of safety, we can cut ourselves off from the joy life has to offer. In Worth the Risk, Dr. Kristen Lee shows us that by "microdosing" small acts of bravery and connection, we can regain the self-confidence and resilience we need to live full and meaningful lives. Risks are a part of life—and "playing it safe" can end up diminishing the very qualities that allow us to adapt, create, and serve our purpose in life.