The missing piece of the internationally bestselling Kurt Wallander mystery series: the story of Wallander's beginnings, told in five gripping short mysteries. What happened to Wallander before the series began? Several years ago, right when I was done with the fifth book, Sidetracked, I realized that I had started to write stories in my head that took place long before the start of the series — from Henning Mankell's foreword. At last, a key addition to the Kurt Wallander mystery series: the book of short mysteries that takes us back to the beginning. Here we meet Wallander the twenty-one-year-old patrolman on his first criminal investigation, Wallander the young father facing an unexpected danger on Christmas Eve, Wallander on the brink of middle age solving a case of poisoning, the newly separated Wallander investigating the murder of a local photographer, and Wallander the veteran detective discovering unexpected connections between a downed mystery plane and the assassination of a pair of spinster sisters. Over the course of these five mysteries, he comes into his own as a murder detective, defined by his simultaneously methodical and instinctive work, and is increasingly haunted from witnessing the worst aspects of an atomized society. Written from the unique perspective of an author looking back upon his own creation to discover his origins, these mysteries are vintage Mankell. Essential reading for all Wallander fans, The Pyramid is also a wonderful showcase for Mankell's powers as a writer whose works transcend their chosen genre to become thrilling and moral literature (Michael Ondaatje).

From the founding editor of Everyman's Library comes this enthralling illustrated collection of 33 fairy tales. Favorite English characters such as Dick Whittington, Jack the Giant Killer, and King Arthur appear alongside Tom Thumb, Jack and the Bean-Stalk, and other figures from the wider world of folklore. This work includes a variety of full-colour plates.

Here is another brilliantly original novel from the cult author of Snowcrash and Cryptonomicon. Since childhood, Raz has lived behind the walls of a 3,400-year-old monastery, a sanctuary for scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians. There, he and his cohorts are sealed off from the illiterate, irrational, unpredictable saecular world, an endless landscape of casinos and megastores that is plagued by recurring cycles of booms and busts, dark ages and renaissances, world wars and climate change. Until the day that a higher power, driven by fear, decides it is only these cloistered scholars who have the abilities to avert an impending catastrophe. And, one by one, Raz and his friends, mentors, and teachers are summoned forth without warning into the unknown.

Photographs from the Internet phenomenon Stuffonmycat.com clearly demonstrate the alphabet from A-Z by identifying all the stuff that is on the cat! This is the first Stuff on My Cat book for children!

Woolf's first distinctly modernist novel follows an aloof yet beloved young man from his childhood through his student days to his too-early death during World War I. Annotated and with an introduction by Vara Neverow.

Julian Trent, you have been found guilty by this court of perpetrating a violent and unprovoked attack on an innocent family including a charge of attempted murder. You have shown little or no remorse for your actions and I consider you a danger to society. When defense lawyer Geoffrey Mason hears the judgeas ruling at Londonas Old Bailey, he quietly hopes that a substantial sentence will be handed down to his arrogant young client. That Julian Trent only receives eight years seems all too lenient. Little does Mason realize that heall be looking Trent in the eyes again much sooner than that. Setting aside his barristeras gown and wig, Mason heads to Sandown racetrack to don his colorful racing silks. As an amateur jockey, he fulfills his true passion by pounding the turf in the heat of a steeplechase. Yet when a fellow rider is brutally murderedaa pitchfork driven through his chestaMasonas racing hobby soon becomes too close to his work. The prime suspect is one of their brethren, champion jockey Steve Mitchell, and the evidence against him seems overwhelming. Mason is reluctant to heed Mitchellas plea for legal helpabut he soon finds himself at the center of a sinister web of violence, threats and intimidation. Mason is left fighting a battle of right and wrong, and more immediately, a battle of life and death his own.

The unique and notable work being done by contemporary architects is generously presented in this illustrated volume. Their designs can be understood as homes intended to be interpretations of life and the environment. Each of the forty examples included.

«When it comes to love, there are a million theories to explain it», notes the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Middlesex in his introduction to this collection of love stories from literature. «But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler. A love story can never be about full possession. Love stories depend on disappointment, on unequal births and feuding families, on matrimonial boredom and at least one cold heart. Love stories, nearly without exception, give love a bad name.» Here then are 27 such cures for lovesickness and antidotes to adultery — by Harold Brodkey, Grace Paley, William Faulkner, James Joyce, Milan Kundera, and Vladimir Nabokov.»

In certain uncanny ways this wonderful, compelling novel prefigures Suite Francaise and rehearses some of the themes of her big unfinished sequence of novels. Nemirovsky must have down put her pen in 1940 and picked it straight up again to embark on Suite Francaise...This novel, though is finished, and exquisitely so — first published in France in 1947. It tells the story of two intertwined but warring French families through two world wars from 1911 to 1940, and its themes are war, love and money. This is Balzac or The Forsyte Saga on a smaller, more intimate scale, with the bourgeoisie observed close-up, with Nemirovsky's characteristically clear-eyed compassion and sly humour. Full of moving, vivid observation of the devastating effects of the two wars on a small Normandy town and an industrial family, whose patriarch is a monstrous David Golder character (as French as they come and not in the least Jewish). The exodus and flow of refugee humanity through the town in both wars pre-figures Suite Francaise, but differently again, because this is Normandy and near the Somme, and the town itself is twice razed. Evocative and unputdownable the novel brings home with heartbreaking detail and clarity how close were those two wars, how history repeated itself, unbelievably. It opens in the Edwardian era (on a fashionable Normandy beach) and ends with a changed world, under Nazi occupation. Nemirovsky has an astonishing ability to give you the most blinkered, small-minded of characters (in this case Mme Hardelot, mother of one of the central characters) and bring tears to your eyes — when Mme H realises that her son is leaving for the front in minutes rather than days... It's a gripping story of family life and starcrossed love, of money and feuds, against the backdrop of two terrible wars.

Mr. Pusskins is back And this time he's got company... Mr. Pusskins was perfectly happy. That is, until Emily decided to bring home a surprise. A surprise named Little Whiskers. Mr. Pusskins does not want a kitten around. He does not want to play lovely games with that kitten. But, little does Mr. Pusskins know, this pesky pussycat doesn't want to play lovely games either...

An exhilarating exploration of how the world's languages are likely to transform and be transformed by their speakers Mark Abley, author of Spoken Here, takes the reader on a global journey like no other — from Singapore to Tokyo, from Oxford to Los Angeles, through the Internet and back in time. As much a travel book as a tour of words at play, The Prodigal Tongue goes beyond grammar and vocabulary to discover how language is irrevocably changing the people of the world in far-reaching ways.On his travels, Abley encounters bloggers, translators, novelists, therapists, dictionary makers, hip-hop performers, and Web-savvy teens. He talks to a married couple who corresponded passionately online before they met in meatspace. And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Everywhere he goes, he asks what the future is likely to hold for the ways we communicate. Abley balances a traditional concern for honesty and accuracy in language with a less traditional delight in the sheer creative energy of new words and expressions. Provocative, perceptive, and often hilarious, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use.

Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur held court with his gallant Knights of the Round Table. Poor Givret, who is easily the shortest man at court, bears the brunt of their jokes. But what he lacks in stature, Givret makes up for in brains — and before he knows it, his quick thinking has landed him a place at the famous Round Table And so beginneth the exciting and funny adventures of Sir Givret the Short, Brilliant, and Marvelous.

«From one of America's most beloved and bestselling authors, a wonderfully useful and readable guide to the problems of the English language most commonly encountered by editors and writers. What is the difference between «immanent» and «imminent?» What is the singular form of graffiti? What is the difference between «acute» and «chronic?» What is the former name of «Moldova?» What is the difference between a cardinal number and an ordinal number? One of the English language's most skilled writers answers these and many other questions and guides us all toward precise, mistake-free usage. Covering spelling, capitalization, plurals, hyphens, abbreviations, and foreign names and phrases, Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors will be an indispensable companion for all who care enough about our language not to maul, misuse, or contort it. This dictionary is an essential guide to the wonderfully disordered thing that is the English language. As Bill Bryson notes, it will provide you with «the answers to all those points of written usage that you kind of know or ought to know but can't quite remember».»

The world's most curious monkey investigates new words in this lively picture dictionary for young children. Curious George's Dictionary is an engaging picture dictionary specially designed for children from preschool through first grade. Both entertaining and educationally sound, it features charming illustrations and reflects recent research in early childhood literacy, setting it apart from other picture dictionaries. The main part of the dictionary is an A-Z section containing approximately six hundred words, six words to a page. Each word is illustrated with a full-color drawing, most of which have been created for this book by the popular illustrator Mary O'Keefe Young. More than half the illustrations include a sample sentence that puts the word in a familiar context. A four-page illustrated story at the front of the book shows George learning how to look up words in his dictionary, drawing children in while introducing them to dictionary skills. At the end of the book, seven one-to two-page illustrations present groups of words related by simple themes such as colors, shapes, and numbers. Developed in collaboration with educational consultants, the word list includes not only concrete objects but many more abstract concepts, like discover and enough, than do other picture dictionaries. Such words are essential for vocabulary development, and Curious George's antics bring them alive, making them easy and fun for children to learn.

Unmatched in its romantic resonance, Scotland's remote landscape offers tales of courage and savagery, of loyalty and treachery — legends set against a panorama of wild beauty. This illustrated celebration of the history of the Scottish Highlands and clans is also ties into a PBS documentary narrated by Sean Connery. Illustrations, 30 in color.

Parsnip is a gentle bedtime story of a little lamb born on a cold and snowy night and how she meets her first friends and gets her new name. It is a reassuring story for the youngest children, and sweet lift-the-flaps provide interactive fun. Sue Porter was born in London and now lives in France. She is married with two children. Her hobbies are painting, the French language, and playing the violin. She has been a full-time illustrator for many years and has illustrated more than fifty children's books.

More than three decades have passed since the events described in John Updike's The Witches of Eastwick, The three divorcees — Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie — have left town, remarried, and become widows. They cope with their grief and solitude as widows do: they travel the world, to such foreign lands as Canada, Egypt, and China, and renew old acquaintance. Why not, Sukie and Jane ask Alexandra, go back to Eastwick for the summer? The old Rhode Island seaside town, where they indulged in wicked mischief under the influence of the diabolical Darryl Van Horne, is still magical for them. Now Darryl is gone, and their lovers of the time have aged or died, but enchantment remains in the familiar streets and scenery of the village, where they enjoyed their lusty primes as free and empowered women. And, among the local citizenry, there are still those who remember them, and wish them ill. How they cope with the lingering traces of their evil deeds, the shocks of a mysterious counterspell, and the advancing inroads of old age, form the burden on Updike's delightful, ominous sequel.

Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who's afraid of monsters, and Googily, who is a — well, who is a very good friend, indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth. Here is a universal story of friendship and fear of the unknown told with wit and charm by the fantastic team who created the irresistible Meet Wild Boars,

In this new history of England, Tom Beaumont James uses archaeology to present a fresh view of the events that have shaped the country. Both accessible and comprehensive, The Story of England guides us from prehistory to Cool Britannia, through invasions, wars, disease and empire-building, peopled by monarchs, rebels, politicians, and others who have left an indelible mark on England's development.

In this unprecedented collection, photojournalist Kevin Rivoli proves that the idealistic, all-American views found in Norman Rockwell's classic illustrations are, in fact, accurate and timeless portrayals of a nation that truly does exist. Some critics argue that Norman Rockwell's images are overly sentimental, old-fashioned, and contrived. Yet it was always photojournalist Kevin Rivoli's belief that the themes that make Rockwell's illustrations so poignant — patriotism, faith, family, and sports — are also what make our country so great. Determined to dispel the critics' claims against Rockwell's prolific body of work, Rivoli set out with his camera to visit small towns and capture spontaneous Rockwell moments that celebrate the glory of ordinary, everyday life. In Search of Norman Rockwell's America pairs Rivoli's photographs side by side with Norman Rockwell's iconic paintings, demonstrating how Rockwell's scenes were not just imagined on a canvas since they continue to sensitively reflect the American experience today. Each page of In Search of Norman Rockwell's America is filled with inspiring quotes and anecdotes from those who have been touched by Rockwell, including Arnold Palmer, Dick Clark, Beau Bridges, Dolly Parton, former president Jimmy Carter, and even the original subjects of Rockwell's artwork. A must-have for photographers, artists, Rockwell enthusiasts, and those desiring to slow down and focus on what's really important in life — embracing those special Rockwell moments.