Showing results by narrator "Tristan Morris" in All Categories

In The Pursuit of Dominance, Christopher J. Fettweis examines the grand strategy of previous superpowers to see how they maintained, or failed to maintain, their status. Over the course of six cases, from Ancient Rome to the British Empire, he seeks guidance from the past for present US policymakers. Like the United States, the examples Fettweis uses were the world's strongest powers at particularly moments in time, and they were hoping to stay that way. Rather than focusing on those powers' rise or how they ruled, however, Fettweis looks at how they sought to maintain their power.

A year has passed since the Chaos War threatened Krynn. In the east, on the Dairly Plains, the hard-won peace is shattered by a new threat: the red dragon Malystryx. The kender Kronn-alin Thistleknot travels to Abasasinia with his older sister, Catt. Together they seek heroes to stop the dragon from destroying Kendermore. Riverwind, aging chieftain of the Que-Shu, answers the call. Accompanied by his beloved daughter Brightdawn, Riverwind sets out in his final quest to save the kender from Malys's wrath...and to find sense in a world abandoned by the gods.

When the UN invaded the Freehold of Grainne, the intent was simple: Force a noncompliant star nation back into the collective. What the politicians hadn't accounted for was that the Freehold had spent 200 years as the haven for every independent, rebellious, self-reliant adventurer in human space. Its military are scattered remnants, its bases smoking ruins, its cities occupied. But Grainne and its space habitats have resources beyond measure.

We are living in an age of conspiracy theories, whether it's an enduring, widely held belief such as government involvement in the Kennedy assassination, fears of a powerful infiltrating group, or modern fringe movements of varying popularity such as birtherism and trutherism. What is it in American culture that makes conspiracy theories proliferate? Who is targeted, and why? Are we in the heyday of the conspiracy theory, or is it in decline? American Conspiracy Theories is the first to use broad, long-term empirical data to analyze this popular American tendency.

Long ago, Queen Mirantha vanished. King Karolje claimed she was assassinated by a neighboring ruler, but her people knew the truth: The king had disappeared her himself. Now the queen’s disappearance is hardly a memory - merely one among many horrors the king’s reign has wrought. But when Anza, a young student impassioned by her father’s unjust execution, finds the missing queen’s diary, she is inspired by Mirantha’s words - she joins the resistance group to overthrow the king.

Civil war rages in the City of the Dead. The lowest castes have taken up arms in revolt. Blood runs thick on the golden streets of Shalandra. Amidst the uproar, Evren hunts down the leaderless, scattered brutes of the Ybrazhe Syndicate to put an end to their depredations and dispel the riots. Issa and her elite warriors battle rampaging mobs in a desperate fight to restore order.

In pursuit of Chernobog's followers, Niki Baird, Ryan Fortner, and their allies venture into the Otherworld—a treacherous realm of mythical creatures and mysterious curses. Each discovery spurs more questions, but one truth comes to light: Chernobog seeks Koschei's Needle, a powerful artifact an undying sorcerer hid in Niki's world.

Written by Shingo Prize winner Jacob Stoller, Productivity Reimagined shows how most companies are constrained by deeply engrained myths that prevent employees from reaching their full productive potential, causing frustration, poor decisions, and disappointing results. Evidence is drawn from Toyota and dozens of other companies that have countered these myths to build strong collaborative cultures and achieve sustainable growth.

Nestled in the shadowy embrace of ancient oaks, the Idlewood Plantation whispers with secrets of the past. Carrie Jo and Ashland, bound by fate and mysteries untold, find themselves once again at Idlewood's enigmatic threshold. A fortuitous stroke of luck grants them a chance to complete their unfinished work, but the plantation's eerie corridors are not done with them yet.

In the eerie shadows of Idlewood, a sinister presence lurks—the Shadow Man. As the final touches are put on the restoration of the enigmatic Idlewood, Rachel finds herself the target of this malevolent spirit's wrath. The haunting intensifies, plunging her and Angus into a fight for survival against the unseen forces.

Idlewood Plantation has been a paranormal enthusiast's dream, but for historian Carrie Jo, it's anything but pleasant. Another Ferguson child calls out to her from beyond the grave, and this time a local legend is involved. The discovery of the Ouroborus Grimoire heightens the supernatural activity, and the ghosts of Idlewood aren't happy about it.

Less than a year after turning her world upside down, Ryan Fortner reappears in Niki's life. Crypto Division isn't done with her, and neither is the supernatural. Their investigation of a stolen sword leads to a deadly discovery. A rift between worlds has unleashed Tugarin Zmei, a mythical warlord sworn to destroy Niki's bloodline. It's bad enough that her ancestral magic is barely under control—now Tugarin wants her head.

As Carrie Jo embarks on her newest project at Idlewood, she is not alone. The restoration team quickly realizes that this is no ordinary refurbishment. Idlewood harbors secrets beyond crumbling walls and faded photographs. The story takes a sinister turn when the spirits of the long-deceased Ferguson children reveal themselves, trapped in a time loop, unaware of their ghostly state. The mystery deepens with the discovery of an enigmatic clock and a menacing fog that seems to have a life of its own. But nothing is as chilling as the elusive Shadow Man.

War presents the most degraded moral environment humanity creates. Individuality is subsumed in collective violence, and humanity is obscured as a faceless, merciless enemy. A barbaric logic has guided the conduct of war throughout history. Yet as Cathal Nolan reveals in this powerful book, even as war can obliterate hope and decency at the grand level it simultaneously produces conditions that permit astonishing exceptions of mercy and shared dignity. Pulling the trigger is usually both the expedient thing and required by war's grim and remorseless calculus.

Whatever the level of contact, the American judicial system affects peoples' lives. What courts and judges do matters. This book provides a very short, but complete introduction to the institutions and people, the rules and processes, that make up the American judicial system. This Very Short Introduction explains the "where," "when," and "who" of American courts. It also makes clear the "how" and "why" behind the law as it affects everyday people. It is, in a word, a starting place to understanding the third branch of American government at both the state and federal levels.

The rebellion has been utterly crushed. Lord Anakreon and his crew are fleeing for their lives. Now, as the handful of survivors are hunted throughout the Empire, he conceives of one last, desperate plan. Winning is impossible. Survival is unlikely. But he will have his revenge. For his apprentice, Tristan, time is running out. His entire life has been leading up to this point: he must step through the ancient alien Portal that killed his father. What lies beyond it, no one knows, because no one has ever survived the journey. But he has to try.

One world at a time, the entities known as Black Ships are wiping out all sentient life. There is no way to stop them. No way to find them, even...because no one has ever survived an encounter. And yet, the hologram of a long-dead Warden points towards a glimmer of hope; an ancient Oracle hidden deep in enemy territory. Could this be the key to unravelling the mystery?

Every organization needs a strong security program. One recent study estimated that a hacker attack occurs somewhere every 37 seconds. Since security programs are only as effective as a team's willingness to follow their rules and protocols, it's increasingly necessary to have not just a widely accessible gold standard of security, but also a practical plan for rolling it out and getting others on board with following it. Security Awareness for Dummies gives you the blueprint for implementing this sort of holistic and hyper-secure program in your organization.

Lord Anakreon, Warden of the First Circle, has lost a weapon. Not just any weapon; the Planet Forge is an ancient alien artefact with the power to create worlds…or to end them.

It’s more than just a career - it’s a sacred calling…but it comes with a very short life expectancy. Lord Kreon, Warden of the First Circle, has a problem: he’s been forced to kill another apprentice, and he’s rapidly running out of candidates. In fact, there is precisely one left….