The Great Buddha Heist By: Robert Allison Johnson It was nearly two decades ago when my wife Suzanne and I enjoyed a post-retirement trip to the Far East as tourists. Hong Kong and Singapore proved to be very interesting and definitely worth a visit. Our final stop however, was Thailand, whose charming people and culture proved to be the high point. On our final day in Bangkok we happened to visit a Buddhist Temple whose feature attraction for us was a five ton solid gold statue of a seated Buddha. I had never seen that much gold in one place before. A quick mental calculation of the value of its gold content produced a figure in excess of 150 million dollars. With that in mind, I could not resist the temptation to imagine how it could be stolen by an irreverent and unscrupulous gang of thieves. This work of fiction is the result. One of our daughters who reviewed an early draft of this book quipped that it revealed that her father possessed a latent criminal mind! Fortunately, (if this is so) the tendency has continued to be latent and has found its sole expression in the pages of The Great Buddha Heist. This criminal plot to steal the Buddha is, to my mind, so plausible and feasible that I plan to send the first copy of this book to the Chief of Police in Bangkok so that he or she may take appropriate measures to protect this national religious treasure from people whose criminal intent is more forceful than mine.
The Great Buddha Heist By: Robert Allison Johnson It was nearly two decades ago when my wife Suzanne and I enjoyed a post-retirement trip to the Far East as tourists. Hong Kong and Singapore proved to be very interesting and definitely worth a visit. Our final stop however, was Thailand, whose charming people and culture proved to be the high point. On our final day in Bangkok we happened to visit a Buddhist Temple whose feature attraction for us was a five ton solid gold statue of a seated Buddha. I had never seen that much gold in one place before. A quick mental calculation of the value of its gold content produced a figure in excess of 150 million dollars. With that in mind, I could not resist the temptation to imagine how it could be stolen by an irreverent and unscrupulous gang of thieves. This work of fiction is the result. One of our daughters who reviewed an early draft of this book quipped that it revealed that her father possessed a latent criminal mind! Fortunately, (if this is so) the tendency has continued to be latent and has found its sole expression in the pages of The Great Buddha Heist. This criminal plot to steal the Buddha is, to my mind, so plausible and feasible that I plan to send the first copy of this book to the Chief of Police in Bangkok so that he or she may take appropriate measures to protect this national religious treasure from people whose criminal intent is more forceful than mine.
Using a multi-national and multi-archival approach to this diplomatic history study, the author examines comprehensively and in great detail for the first time the origins of the so-called Okinawa Problem. Also inlcludes four maps.
“Who knows? It might just topple Donald Trump from the best-seller list.”—Forbes From one of the most respected names in the investment community, this revised edition of The Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Guide to Personal Investing is the authoritative guide to increasing the earning power of financial resources. Robert Gardiner, former chairman and CEO of Dean Witter, offers advice on a range of topics for short- and long-term investors—from brokers, mutual funds, 401(k)s, and online strategies to stocks, bonds, bank certificates, real estate, and insurance. This completely revised and updated edition answers the most important investment questions and will give readers the confidence to be in control of their financial future.
Twentieth-century Canada fostered a range of great minds, but the country's diversity and wide range of academic fields have led to their ideas being portrayed as the work of isolated thinkers. Canadian Idealism and the Philosophy of Freedom contests this assumption by linking the works of C.B. Macpherson, George Grant, and Charles Taylor to demonstrate the presence of a Canadian intellectual tradition.
Volume II of The Viola da Gamba Society Index of Manuscripts Containing Consort Music includes manuscripts associated with John Browne (Clerk of the Parliaments), Philip Falle (prebendary at Durham), Sir Gabriel Roberts, John St Barbe of Broadlands, the Withy family of Worcester and Oxford and an anonymous late-seventeenth century scribe. As well as a detailed inventory of every manuscript (with anonymous works identified where possible), the descriptions include information on date, size, binding, paper, rastra, watermarks, collations, scripts, inscriptions and provenance, together with bibliographical references. Brief notes on the owners and copyists are provided. Of particular importance is the inclusion of facsimiles of all hands.
This revised and updated definitive blues bibliography now includes 6,000-7,000 entries to cover the last decade’s writings and new figures to have emerged on the Country and modern blues to the R&B scene.
What were the first cars Richard Petty drove? Was his number always 43? When did he start painting the cars Petty Blue? How did Petty Enterprises end up with Pontiac? The list goes on and on. The more the authors researched, the more they realized that large portions of the King's career are obscure, a mystery to the legions of stock car racing fans and modelers who have discovered the sport in recent years. All this information and more is included for the die-hard race fan or modeler.
“A book that should be required reading for everyone who considers themselves to be a NASCAR fan” from the author of Full Throttle (SB Nation). NASCAR Legends traces the story of stock car racing through the courageous, record-breaking drivers who made it the number one spectator sport in America. NASCAR’s sixty-year history is rich with varied lore about heroic racers, incredible races, and love of family. There are profiles of true NASCAR stars: Bill France; Bobby and Davey Allison; Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; Tony Stewart; Richard, Kyle, and Adam Petty, among other legends of the speedway. TV Guide motorsports reporter Robert Edelstein’s painstaking journalistic work, combined with his encyclopedic knowledge and love of the sport, make NASCAR Legends an essential book for anyone drawn to the roaring magic of the track. “A true delight to read, and the writing in each chapter is pitch-perfect. Not only did it educate me, but it entertained me. It will stay on my bookshelf as a handy source of reference or a refresher on history, too.” —SB Nation
In the new edition of this essential guide, Wall Street figure Robert M. Gardiner offers investors at all levels the tools to easily navigate through the complex world of 401Ks, IRAs, REITs, mutual funds, life insurance, and other options. "Wonderfully sound advice for the young man or woman who earns money but never manages to save any of it".--Andrew Tobias.
This indispensable Civil War reference profiles some 2,300 staff officers in Robert E. Lee's famous Army of Northern Virginia. These men--ordnance officers, engineers, aides-de-camp, and quartermasters, among others--worked at the side of many of the Confederacy's greatest figures, helping to feed and clothe the army, maintain its discipline, and operate its military machinery. A typical entry includes the officer's full name, the date and place of his birth and death, details of his education and occupation, and a synopsis of his military record. An introduction discusses the role of staff officers in the Confederate army, describes the evolution and importance of individual staff positions, and makes some broad generalizations about the officers' common characteristics. Two appendixes provide a list of more than 3,000 staff officers who served in other armies of the Confederacy and complete rosters of known staff officers of each general in the Army of Northern Virginia. Synthesizing the contents of thousands of unpublished official documents, Staff Officers in Gray will be of interest to anyone studying the battles, personnel, and organization of the Army of Northern Virginia.
In this astonishing book, the author's purpose is to help transform individuals by fostering a spirit of holy listening that enriches faith and opens seekers to the fullness of God's presence and of the neighbor's need. The intent is to help the reader develop a faith that seeks understanding and makes real meaning in a world of chatter. In each chapter, a prominent work of art is interpreted, which serves as a focal point for demonstrating how the eyes and heart are integrally involved in hearing the Spirit of God. The book explores why holy listening is so difficult by examining key hermeneutical issues within the biblical text and by considering the nature of God, the journey of faith, and human limits. This illuminating book also examines the spiritual need for holy listening and analyzes critical questions of faith that lead to a greater awareness of self and the church in the mutual calling to be the incarnation of Jesus Christ in a postmodern world. Essential in the task of holy listening is an awareness of the importance of spiritual rest and the role of the Sabbath plays in providing an opportunity to participate in the redeeming work of God. In this regard, the book underscores the need for faith this is both a linear journey toward wholeness and an ability to make home and community along life's way. The need for holy listening is made even more acute by the reality of suffering that accompanies life's pilgrimage, and the book ponders the meaning of suffering and how it can open one to the presence of the divine. More than a theological analysis of suffering, the book addresses the author's effort to listen for redemptive meaning in light of his own daughter's struggle with juvenile diabetes. The book concludes with a discussion of the spiritual value of silence as the way to experience anew the story of Jesus who beckon those who listen to follow through a life of service and love.
The book documents Glenn's many research specialties over those 75 years. Among them are early jet engines and rockets; flight safety and fuel efficiency tested in premier icing and wind tunnels; liquid hydrogen fuel which, despite skeptics like aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun, helped the U.S. win the race to the moon; and electric propulsion, considered key to future space flight. Space enthusiasts, aviation personnel, aerospace engineers, and inventors may be interested in this comprehensive and milestone volume. Other related products: NASA at 50: Interviews With NASA\'s Senior Leadership can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/033-000-01360-4 Other products published by National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/550
Zero-to-60, time per lap, record speed for the course - auto racing is a numbers game that can motivate fans to practice math. Word problems based on real numbers challenge students to interpret charts and graphs, perform calculations, work with decimals and percents, make estimations, and do metric conversions. Most statistics are provided in the book; a few activities require looking up statistics in the newspaper or online. Answer key. Illustrated. Good Year Books. 103 pages. Second Edition.
State Department's desire to uphold the Atlantic Charter by rejecting territorial expansion; Amamian activists' assertive argument for reversion to Japanese rule; and the Japanese government's work to reach an agreement with the United States. Eldridge draws on original documents from the reversion movement, several volumes of memoirs and remembrances written by participants in the movement, and numerous declassified documents of the Japanese and U.S. governments.
The classic book on color photography is back in print and completely revamped for a digital photography audience! Learn from step-by-step instruction, illustrative charts, and unbelievably inspirational imagery in this guide meant just for color photographers. World renowned artists give you insight as to "how they did that" and the author provides challenging assignments to help you take photography to a new level. With aesthetic and technical instruction like no other, this book truly is the bible for color photographers. Be sure to visit the companion website, featuring portfolios and commentary by contemporary artists: www.exploringcolorphotography.com
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