A World From Dust describes how a set of chemical rules combined with the principles of evolution in order to create an environment in which life as we know it could unfold. Beginning with simple mathematics, these predictable rules led to the advent of the planet itself, as well as cells, organs and organelles, ecosystems, and increasingly complex life forms. McFarland provides an accessible discussion of a geological history as well, describing how the inorganic matter on Earth underwent chemical reactions with air and water, allowing for life to emerge from the world's first rocks. He traces the history of life all the way to modern neuroscience, and shows how the bioelectric signals that make up the human brain were formed. Most popular science books on the topic present either the physics of how the universe formed, or the biology of how complex life came about; this book's approach would be novel in that it condenses in an engaging way the chemistry that links the two fields. This book is an accessible and multidisciplinary look at how life on our planet came to be, and how it continues to develop and change even today. This book includes 40 illustrations by Gala Bent, print artist and studio faculty member at Cornish College of the Arts, and Mary Anderson, medical illustrator.
Raise a pint to the WORLD’S BEST BEERS! This extensive exploration of the 1,000 tastiest brews on earth is not your average guidebook—it’s a complete look into the history, production, and flavor of every beer worth drinking. “Brewery Profiles” take you country-by-country to the finest breweries in places like Argentina, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Britain, and New Zealand, and provide fun facts, stats, and anecdotes. There’s even an explanation of which beers go with which foods. Next time you eat shellfish, try it with a Pilsner. Having a hearty stout? It pairs perfectly with some vanilla ice cream. So drink up!
A Collection of Dark and Daring Adventures for 5th Edition What happens when adventurers become the owners of a brothel? When a roguish associate asks them to attend an oligarch's masquerade in his place? What lurks in the Cartways besides kobolds? And what will you say when another thief tells you the only way to find a treasure is to become hunted by the Praetors? Dark dealings, my boys, and a knife in the guts might be the price. Whose guts? Might be yours if you cross the wrong one of the Nine. This 112-page supplement and adventure anthology is set in the seedy underbelly of Zobeck, and on its mean streets you will find: Seven adventures dealing with underhanded themes, shady locations, and double-crossing deals gone wrong Six locales including the Cartways Market Gallery or the Old Stross Municipal Baths. A dirty dozen NPCs: kobold gearsmiths, failed Arcane Collegium students, barge captains, fey and undead ambassadors to use as rivals, patrons, peers and foes A sampling of new clockworks, street magics and odd enchantments that make Zobeck the distinctive jewel of the River Argent! You probably shouldn't bring the paladin along on this one... This official Midgard adventure anthology is designed for use with the world's first roleplaying game, and is easily portable to any setting. Designed by Ben McFarland, Chris Harris, Matthew Stinson, Christina Stiles, Mike Franke, and Richard Pett.
The Times Best Food Books of the Year 2021 'Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham bring a much-needed lightness of touch to what can perversely be a very dry subject.' The Times No matter what day of the year it is and regardless of the occasion, there is always a very good reason to enjoy a drink. Responsibly of course. Aimed at discerning drinkers keen to broaden their booze horizons and those looking to become more adventurous in their elbow-bending, this enlightening and alternative almanac celebrates every day of the year with an appropriate alcoholic drink - featuring everything from Absinthe and Zinfandel to Martinis and Monastic beers. It's a cocktail of cultural history, eccentric events, unlikely anniversaries, recipes and recommendations infused with all manner of 'interestingness', several dashes of drinking did you knows, fascinating facts, famous folk, unsung heroes, lesser-known legends from all walks of life and major weird, wonderful and well-known moments from our past.
Inspired by its successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Thinking Drinkers Guide to Alcohol presents a dryly humorous cultural history of liquor for those who long to drink less—but drink better. Written by two of the UKs top drinks journalists, it celebrates alcohols influence on life, love, literature, and learning. The amusing alternative and intellectual guide spans the ages from Ancient Egypt to the gin-drenched debauchery of eighteenth-century London to absinthe-induced French impressionist art and beyond. Here you will learn how drink has oiled the wheels of civilization and invigorated the minds of historys greatest figures.
‘A glass in one hand and a pen in the other, Ben’s writing deftly captures the passion, humour and insight from the front line of the global craft brewing revolution.’ Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, Mikkeller Boutique Beers captures the people, the places and the passion that have inspired a worldwide craft brewing revolution. More than just another compendium of the globe’s greatest brews, this book ventures off the well-trodden drinking path and takes the adventurous beer connoisseur deeper into the world of today’s most compelling craft brewers. Celebrating both the characters at the cutting edge of the contemporary craft beer scene and the pioneers of the past that inspired them, Ben McFarland’s imbibing adventure stretches from Amsterdam’s Red Light District to the far reaches of the Faroe Islands via ale-making iconoclasts of Oregon, Danish gypsy brewers, some monks (obviously) and law-bending, lederhosen wearing Bavarians. There’s even a guy who makes beer from his beard. The award-winning writer talks of the tales and the tastes of more than five hundred beers ranging from legendary lambics and heinously hopped India Pale Ales to sublime session brews, sexy stouts, cellar-dwelling Barley wines, funky farmhouse beers, collaboration ales, cult classics, sours and saisons, beers made with wild yeast, barrel-aged beers and more. Amusing, enlightening and absorbing, Boutique Beers belongs on the bookshelf of discerning drinkers everywhere and ensures that you'll never look at your beer in the same way again.
During an 1865 raid through North Carolina, Major General George Stoneman missed capturing the fleeing Jefferson Davis only by a matter of hours, timing somewhat typical of Stoneman's life and career. This biography provides an in-depth look at the life and military career of Major General George Stoneman, beginning with his participation in the 2,000-mile march of the Mormon Battalion and other western expeditions. The main body of the work focuses on his Civil War service, during which he directed the progress of the Union cavalry and led several pivotal raids on Confederate forces. In spite of Stoneman's postwar career as military governor of Virginia and governor of California, his life was marked by his inability to reach ultimate success in war or politics, necessitating a discussion of his weaknesses as well as his achievements as a commander and a politician. Period photographs are included.
The region known as the Brilliant East is an immense and ancient land encompassing vast empires, wild unsettled plains, unsurpassed civilizations, and the ravaged battlefields of gods. Amazing sights greet travelers, from the impenetrable Wind Wall protecting Cathay against nomadic raiders, to the great flying cities of Sikkim, to the eerie purple sky above the shunned Plateau of Leng. Dreadful forces threaten the region. The worst of them are the ancient god Yig, who dwells with his serpentine followers among the flooded ruins of the Sunken Lands, and the Void-maddened denizens of otherworldly Leng. Celestial dragons soar through the clouds and advise emperors, while irrepressible Monkey works his mischief among kings and commoners alike.
Darkness, discovery, and death in the Underworld An encampment of the drow defending an Underworld entrance. A cathedral lit by the eerie green glow of thousands of candles. A powerful lich inhabiting the corpse of a giant petrified worm. Inside, you'll find these and more! More than a dozen standalone, single-map adventures for characters of levels 3 to 14 will challenge players with derro and darakhul encounters, fantastical locations like the Skullcap Forest and an outpost of the Ghoul Imperium, and powerful opposition like a clan of cave giants known as the Sunseeker tribe. Use these as a stop along your campaign or in a single, standalone session. Whether a party of heroes or characters of flexible moral fiber, they will enjoy the struggle and triumph of these Underworld Lairs. That is, unless the cave dragon adds them to the foundation of his ziggurat of bones! For the 5th Edition of the world's first roleplaying game.
Southlands includes everything you need to run a thrilling Pathfinder roleplaying game campaign of high adventure in a pulp fantasy setting"--Page 4 of cover.
Hava (Eva) Bromberg and Ephraim Sokal were Jewish teenagers in Poland when the Nazis invaded in 1939. Hiding in plain sight, Bromberg lived among the non-Jewish Polish population, always in danger of discovery or betrayal. Sokal and his family were deported as "enemies of the people" when the Russians occupied eastern Poland--a calamity that saved their lives. Liberated by the 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Sokal fought the Germans, serving with the Polish Navy and British armed forces. Bromberg and Sokal met in 1947, both facing the challenges of surviving in a postwar world they were unprepared for. This combined memoir tells their story of resilience.
Midgard tales collects 13 adventures that reach out to remake classic themes, such as a demon-haunted mountain, a tribe of orcs and their hideous goddess, and the lost library of House Stross."--Page 4 of cover.
A scintillating saunter through global beer culture that will inform, educate and entertain. It will quench the thirst of beer drinkers whether they be globe-trotting enthusiasts or armchair aficionados. Ale seekers, beer buffs and novices alike will gain a fascinating insight into the world of beer, from bitters to stouts and sour ales to pale ales and saisons. Each country section will have a new and completely updated introduction to provide an overview of key developments in the beer world. France and the Netherlands will each have a new feature on a key brewery and expanded sections include UK, USA, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Australia. The craft brewery revolution in the United States has thrown up hundreds of fascinating and tasty ales, some created and sold in tiny brewpubs, others made in small and medium-sized breweries, from Portland to Denver, Boston to San Diego. ? Meanwhile, a beer and food revolution is underway, with beer becoming a valid accompaniment to fine food. Lovers of quality ale are championing their tipple as a credible alternative to a glass of wine with dinner. This new and revised edition of a much-loved title provides insightful resumes of all that is happening in the constantly changing world of beer.
This tale of counterfeiting is a treat for everyone...a delightful history lesson...Admirable and altogether charming." -The Washington Post As Ben Tarnoff reminds us in this entertaining narrative history, get-rich-quick schemes are as old as America itself. Indeed, the speculative ethos that pervades Wall Street today, Tarnoff suggests, has its origins in the counterfeiters who first took advantage of America's turbulent economy. In A Counterfeiter's Paradise, Tarnoff chronicles the lives of three colorful counterfeiters who flourished in early America, from the colonial period to the Civil War. Driven by desire for fortune and fame, each counterfeiter cunningly manipulated the political and economic realities of his day. Through the tales of these three memorable hustlers, Tarnoff tells the larger tale of America's financial coming-of-age, from a patchwork of colonies to a powerful nation with a single currency.
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