Birdwatchingwatching

Author: Alex Horne
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0753519283
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
Alex Horne is not a birdwatcher. But his dad is, so with the prospect of fatherhood looming on his own horizon, Alex decided there was no better time to really get to know both his father and his father's favourite hobby. So he challenged his dad to a Big Year: from 1 January to 31 December they would each try to spot as many birds as possible; the one who spied the most species would be the victor. Along the way Alex would find out what makes his dad tick, pick up a bit of fatherly wisdom and perhaps even 'get into' birdwatching himself. Join Alex as he journeys from Barnes to Bahrain in this charming tale of obsession, manliness, fathers and sons, and the highly amusing twists and turns of a year-long bird race.

Bird Watching

Author: Larry Bird
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446930431
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Book Description
Larry Bird captured the imagination and admiration of basketball fans throughout his thirteen-year career with the Boston Celtics with his trademark style of creative, intelligent, exciting, and hard-nosed play. And then, last year in his rookie season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, he infused the team with these same qualities -- and the results were remarkable. He turned around a slumping franchise and led the Pacers to the conference finals. To finish off a great season, Bird was named the NBA's "Coach of the Year" -- quite an accolade for Bird, who had never coached before and surprised many fans with his unusual and unorthodox coaching methods. This book is a look into one of the greatest minds to have ever stepped on a hardwood court. Larry Bird shares his inner thoughts on basketball that to date only his Celtic teammates and Pacers players have been privy. From dissecting offensive and defensive strategies to assessing the talent of NBA players; from sharing the genesis of his coaching philosophies to how he deals with today's overpriced and temperamental players, it's all there. This book is Larry Bird's basketball playbook, and it's the one book every basketball fan will want to read. Cover design by Tom Tafuri Cover photograph by Glenn James/NBA Photos

Wordwatching

Author: Alex Horne
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0753520443
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
Alex Horne loves words. He loves them so much, in fact, that he's decided to invent his own ... and get them into the dictionary. But, as Alex discovers, gaining entry into the official lexicon takes more than just a gentle word in the ear of the editor. Evidence is required - Alex needs proof that his words are being spoken by more people than just him and his mum. He needs what the dictionary authorities call a 'corpus' of examples, hard data showing that his new words are in widespread and long-term usage. So a corpus he resolves to create, no matter what obstacles he might meet on the way. This is the epic and ridiculous story of one man's struggle to break into the dictionary. From covert word-dropping on Countdown to wilfully misinforming schoolchildren, Alex tries it all in his quest for dictionary-based immortality. Does he succeed? Are you already using one of Alex's words without realising it? You won't regret spending your hard-earned honk on this hugely entertaining book.

A Wolf Called Romeo

Author: Nick Jans
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0547858191
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 291

Book Description
A Wolf Called Romeo is the remarkable story of a wolf who returned again and again to interact with the people and dogs of Juneau, living on the edges of their community, engaging in an improbable, awe-inspiring interspecies dance and bringing the wild into sharp focus. At first the people of Juneau were guarded, torn between shoot first, ask questions later instincts and curiosity. But as Romeo began to tag along with cross-country skiers on their daily jaunts, play fetch with local dogs, or simply lie near Nick and nap under the sun, they came to accept Romeo, and he them. For Nick it was about trying to understand Romeo, then it was about winning his trust, and ultimately it was about watching over him, for as long as he or anyone could.

Water

Author: Julian Caldecott
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0753517353
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 291

Book Description
All known forms of life depend on water. Covering 71 per cent of the Earth's surface, water seems to be plentiful. But there are 1.2 billion people who currently live without a safe water supply, the amount of available drinking water is shrinking and the need for it is increasing relentlessly. While some regions are receiving too much rain, others are receiving too little. We are approaching a global water emergency. Julian Caldecott examines the vital role this fascinating substance plays on our planet and explores the historical, scientific, political and economic reasons behind the looming water crisis. He reveals where the water we use comes from, and at what social and environmental cost. This is an intriguing and sometimes unsettling portrait of the future of water in our changing world and what we can all do to make a difference.

Buster

Author: Will Barrow
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1466887869
Category : Pets
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
"With some dogs you share a boil in the bag breakfast and maybe a blanket on a cold desert floor. Some you wouldn't leave in charge of your Grandma unless you wanted to find out just how fast the old girl could run. But, if you're very, very lucky there will be the one dog you would lay down your life for – and for me that dog is Buster." Buster, an English springer spaniel who has served his comrades and his country with unstinting devotion, has saved thousands of lives. This is the story of his partnership with RAF Police Sergeant Will Barrow, told by Will himself, describing how each came to save the other's life. It is a relationship that produced some heroic feats—including sniffing out explosive vests that led to the arrests of two suicide bombers—in the dust and desert heat of Afghanistan and beyond. Buster, uniquely, has served five tours of duty in three theatres of war (Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan)—more than any other military dog. He also won the prestigious Crufts Friends for Life Award in 2012, and has gone on to become the official lifetime mascot of the RAF Police, the only dog in history to have been honored in that manner. A best friend in dog's clothing, an RAF dog with his mossy feet firmly on the ground, Buster is truly a dog in a million.

The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook

Author: David de Rothschild
Publisher: Rodale Books
ISBN: 9781594867811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Book Description
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook is the official companion volume to Live Earth concerts, 24 hours of nonstop concerts broadcast from around the world on July 7, 2007. The book presents 77 essential skills for stopping climate change—and for living through it. It is a fun, compelling, and sly deconstruction of a survival guide, think Boy Scout Handbook crossed with WorldChanging atop the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, that offers equal parts tongue-in-cheek suggestions, practical advice, factual information, and bluesky dreaming of ways to save the world. Each skill is presented on a spread featuring a bright, full-color instructional illustration, a brief introduction to the skill and its core ideas, a set of instructions, spin-off ideas, and scientific and environmental facts. The book also includes a resource guide that provides useful resources for the ecoconscious reader.

Unconditional Love

Author: Jane Isay
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062427172
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 185

Book Description
A beautiful meditation on the joys of being a grandparent and a practical guide to help you and your adult children make the most of your relationship with a grandchild. For many grandparents, a grandchild offers a second chance to become the parent they didn’t have the time or the energy to be when raising their own children. Being a grandparent, family relationships expert Jane Isay argues, is the opportunity to turn missed opportunities into delight. Drawing on her personal experience, dozens of interviews, and the latest findings in psychology, Isay shows how a grandparent can use his or her unique perspective and experience to create a deep and lasting bond that will echo throughout a grandchild’s life. She explores the realities of today’s multigenerational families, identifying problems and offering solutions to enhance love, trust, and understanding between grandparents, parents, and grandchildren. She also offers a wealth of practical advice, from when to get involved, when to stay away, and how to foster a strong relationship when you’re separated by long distance. Unconditional Love advocates for honest conversation, thinking in the long run and healing breaches in order to be together, understanding that most of us try to do our best and need to be forgiven if we fail. Isay argues that secrets and surprises may tilt the boat but won’t necessarily sink it and that grandparents and their grown children are happier when they give each other the benefit of the doubt. Most importantly, she writes, the advent of grandchildren offers families the opportunity for healing and redemption—if we seize the moment. In lovely prose and through delightful stories, Isay shows us how we can. A great gift for grandparents-to-be and a wonderful resource for all, Unconditional Love is a beautiful and psychologically astute look at what it means to be an engaged grandparent.

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray Mcbride

Author: Joe Siple
Publisher: Union Square Press
ISBN: 9781454961123
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Murray McBride--a lonely 100-year-old who's outlived just about everyone he's ever loved--is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a spirited 10-year-old boy with a terminal heart defect and a list of five things he wants to do before he dies. Murray is determined to help Jason fulfill his dreams. Together, they race against the limited time each has left, ticking off Jason's wishes one by one as Murray remembers what it's like to be young, and Jason fights for the chance to grow old. But when tragedy strikes, their worlds are turned upside-down, and an unexpected gift is the only thing that can make Jason's final wish come true.

Bring Me The Head Of The Taskmaster

Author: Alex Horne
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473532639
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
Fastest wins. Your adventure starts now ... This is a race. It is not a race against the clock, because that would be a far easier race. Clocks can be fast, but clocks never win races. It's nearly always humans, sometimes horses, and occasionally dogs. This is a race against your fellow Taskmaster players. You are competing against everyone else who is reading this book. All you've got to do is find The Taskmaster's Head first. This is a race with many twists and turns, that requires very little running, much sideways thinking and quite a lot of patience. Thankfully, there will be a shedload of tasks along the way to distract you. There are tasks to do on your own, tasks to do with your family and friends, and tasks for bigger groups too. Some of these distractions may slow you down, but some may help you get where you need to go. As always, enjoy them, do your best, make good choices. So get going. Take on the tasks. All the information you need is in the book... Alex Horne, Taskmaster's Assistant