Most Popular Books by Chris Smith

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A raw, compelling memoir of baseball, family, fame, addiction, and recovery, by one of the most beloved baseball players of his generation, Hall of Famer CC Sabathia “Beautifully rendered . . . The author’s candor humanizes the game.”—The Wall Street Journal How does it feel to be born with enormous gifts, in a life shadowed by tragedy? What does it mean when the gift that opens the world for us is not enough to stop us from losing the things we love? And what new gifts do we find in that loss? Baseball had been CC Sabathia’s life since he was a kid in gritty, baseball-obsessed Vallejo, California. He was a star by the time he was a preteen and a professional athlete when he was still a teenager. Everything he knew about how to be a person—an adult, a husband and father, a leader—he learned in rhythm with the baseball season, the every-fifth-day high-intensity spotlight of a starting pitcher, all while dealing with one of the sport’s most turbulent eras: racism in a sport with diminishing Black presence; the era of performance-enhancing drugs; and the increasing tension between high-value contracts and sports owners who moved players around like game pieces. But his biggest struggle was with his own body and mind: Buoyed his whole life by talent and a fiery competitive spirit, CC found himself dealing with the steady and eventually alarming breakdown of his own body and his growing addiction in a world that encouraged and enabled it. Till the End is the thrilling memoir of one of the most beloved players in the game, a veteran star of the sport’s marquee team during its latest championship era. It’s also a book about baseball—about the ins and outs of its most important and technical position and its evolution in this volatile era. But woven within it is the moving, universal story of resilience and mortality and discovering what matters.

Can the new Famous Five catch the thief and find the forgotten treasure before it''s too late? Join the original Famous Five and a new group of children in this exciting new adventure by bestselling author Chris Smith, inspired by Enid Blyton. When Fran, Tom, Maddy and Gilbert the dog stay with Professor George Kirrin for the holidays, they soon find themselves caught up in a robbery of a top-secret treasure map. Professor George will have to tell them about an old case of the Famous Five if they''re ever going to catch the thief and rescue the forgotten treasure... The Famous Five by Enid Blyton was one of Chris Smith''s favourite series as a child. Now, this bestselling author weaves the action, adventure and danger of this thrilling and exciting world into a brand-new story, perfect for every generation of readers. Join the adventure!

The complete, uncensored history of the award-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as told by its correspondents, writers, and host. For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brilliantly redefined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. It launched the careers of some of today''s most significant comedians, highlighted the hypocrisies of the powerful, and garnered 23 Emmys. Now the show''s behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie will be chronicled by the players themselves, from legendary host Jon Stewart to the star cast members and writers-including Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Lewis Black, Jessica Williams, John Hodgman, and Larry Wilmore-plus some of The Daily Show''s most prominent guests and adversaries: John and Cindy McCain, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and many more. This oral history takes the reader behind the curtain for all the show''s highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central''s underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart''s long reign to Trevor Noah''s succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics-a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullshit and an ability to effect real change in the world. Through years of incisive election coverage, Jon Stewart''s emotional monologue in the wake of 9/11, his infamous confrontation on Crossfire, passionate debates with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, feuds with Bill O''Reilly and Fox, the Indecisions, Mess O''Potamia, and provocative takes on Wall Street and racism, The Daily Show has been a cultural touchstone. Now, for the first time, the people behind the show''s seminal moments come together to share their memories of the last-minute rewrites, improvisations, pranks, romances, blow-ups, and moments of Zen both on and off the set of one of America''s most groundbreaking shows.

Why learn F#? With this guide, you’ll learn how this multi-paradigm language not only offers you an enormous productivity boost through functional programming, but also lets you develop applications using your existing object-oriented and imperative programming skills. You’ll quickly discover the many advantages of the language, including access to all the great tools and libraries of the .NET platform. Reap the benefits of functional programming for your next project, whether you’re writing concurrent code, or building data- or math-intensive applications. With this comprehensive book, former F# team member Chris Smith gives you a head start on the fundamentals and walks you through advanced concepts of the F# language. Learn F#’s unique characteristics for building applications Gain a solid understanding of F#’s core syntax, including object-oriented and imperative styles Make your object-oriented code better by applying functional programming patterns Use advanced functional techniques, such as tail-recursion and computation expressions Take advantage of multi-core processors with asynchronous workflows and parallel programming Use new type providers for interacting with web services and information-rich environments Learn how well F# works as a scripting language

We all have to work to pay the bills – but what influence do we really have over our pay and working conditions? The emergence of the global economy, digital technologies, mass migration, gig work and zero hours contracts have thrust this question to the forefront of HRM. So how can we keep the ‘human’ in human resource management faced by these pressures? This book adopts a critical approach to today’s major workplace challenges. It turns traditional HRM on its head by placing workers’ perspectives towards the workplace alongside those of managers to create an HRM textbook for the 21st century. Written by two experienced and research-active authors, the book: • locates control of labour costs and productivity at the heart of HRM policy and practice; • covers key issues that are overlooked in many textbooks, including conflict and resistance, the ‘new’ unitarism, migration and the challenges of Artificial Intelligence; • adopts a critical approach that will appeal more to students who don’t wish to become traditional managers; • includes current examples and case studies from the international world of work and business that will bring the subject to life. This is a comprehensive one-stop resource for students and lecturers alike.

′This book is a joy to read. It is full of good sense and, what teachers always hope to find, lots of good, practical ideas...This is a valuable resource and every staffroom should have a copy′ - Gifted and Talented Update ′Smith′s research interests in inclusive and gifted education are reflected in her publications and this book is no exception. This is essentially a user-friendly practitioner′s text, aimed at primary school educators...I would recommend this as a useful addition to the practising teacher′s repertoire of resource texts′ Susen Smith, former primary school teacher ′The suggestions here, many of them photocopiable, are clearly tried and tested. All primary teachers will find them helpful′ - Michael Duffy, The Times Educational Supplement `A very useful aid to any staff room bookshelf. Easy to read, use and understand- National Association of Gifted Children Newsletter `A must read for all teachers. This book not only sets out very clearly the needs of Able Gifted and Talented pupils, but also helps teachers reappraise their classroom practice and the role of the learner′ - Johanna M Raffan, Director of NACE, National Association for Able Children How can we provide challenges for the gifted and talented primary school pupil in an inclusive classroom setting? Using tried and tested examples, this book shows the busy teacher how to challenge able children in their mixed-ability class - where time and resources are usually limited. The practical tasks will show you how carefully designed activities can cater for a range of abilities. The book has sections on: - creating a working environment that helps more able pupils to thrive; - varying the way you ask pupils questions; - thinking about multiple intelligences and ways to develop them; - developing different levels of challenge in classroom activities; - allowing pupils some choice in the activities they do; - advice on how to run whole-class research projects. A glossary of key terms and a range of photocopiable material are included. Class teachers, GATCOs, Teaching Assistants, Learning Support Teachers, trainee teachers and LEA advisers looking for practical teaching ideas to challenge gifted children will find this book ideal for use in their settings.

Monograph on the provisions and practice of administrative law relating to the social protection of low income or poverty sectors in the UK - comments on social security administration, social assistance schemes, welfare programmes, family benefits, housing legislation, unemployment benefit benefits, etc. References.

"A Patient''s Narrative" offers an honest and compelling look into a mental institution, specifically Whiting Forensic Hospital (WFH) in Middletown, Connecticut, from the perspective of a former patient. Both unique and deeply personal, this book highlights stories and lessons that will never be reported due to the hospital''s fear of losing support and funding. Learn the truth about life in a mental institution through these pages. This is as close as you can get. This comprehensive book is filled with advice and expectations that will be beneficial for anyone coming into a mental health hospital or other incarcerating institution, those studying mental hospitals, or anybody who is looking to learn more about the mental health system - particularly in Connecticut. The author shares real life examples of events, people, and activities that happened at WFH. He also shares advice on how to deal with situations, people, and scenarios that helped him during his time at the hospital. Fundamentally, this book was written to share the "whole picture" of mental health institutions and systems from the patient''s point of view. For far too long, this has been an underreported and undervalued segment of mental health literature due to patients being incapable or afraid to come forward and share their stories.

**With a Foreword by OLIVER BURKEMAN, bestselling author of the Sunday Times bestseller Four Thousand Weeks** Written is a transformative guide that anyone can use to overcome their blocks and build a successful writing habit. Many people think that there''s only one ''right'' way to get the writing done - or that trying harder is the key. Award-winning writers, productivity coaches and co-founders of Prolifiko Bec Evans and Chris Smith know this isn''t true. Having coached over 10,000 writers, they''ve learned that productivity is personal. Their unique, results-driven approach is designed to help you find a realistic and sustainable practice that will get you to the end of any writing project, no matter how stuck you feel. Applying research from neuroscience and psychology, and based on the authors'' own practice and findings, Written will show you how to manage your time effectively, how to visualise and set successful goals, how to recover from setbacks, and ultimately how to create writing habits that work for you. Along the way, you''ll hear inspiring and relatable stories from other writers who have overcome their struggles to find success. Each chapter ends with practical coaching exercises that you can start implementing right now. For anyone with a project they need to get written - whether a business book, thesis or work of fiction - this inspiring book offers practical strategies to beat the inner critic, find time, keep motivated and write.

Labour process theory is consolidated in Working Life to develop a credible account of the relationships between capitalist political economy, work systems and the strategies and practices of actors in the employment relationship. Beyond this, the book explores the future of labour process analysis.

Ordinary Kids. Extraordinary Adventures. Laughs for the Whole Family. ''Action-packed, hilarious and EPIC!'' Annabel Steadman, author of SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF An epic superhero adventure with a twist from Radio 1 broadcasters and bestselling authors of KID NORMAL and THE GREAT DREAM ROBBERY. Do you like superheroes? Do you like pandas? Do you like really brilliant adventures? Then this is the book for you! When world famous superhero Dr Extraordinary gets blown up inside a giant robot, twelve-year-old Sonny Nelson is devastated. A world without heroes is totally rubbish! But things take an even more extraordinary turn when Dr Ex returns and is invisible to everyone except Sonny! Readers LOVE The Great Dream Robbery: ''I wanna be a member of the Dream Bandits!'' ''Escapist and daft and just a whole lot of fun'' ''Thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to crazy end'' ''This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith - part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun''

This book is concerned with the management of organisational change. It focuses on Cadbury Ltd and provides an in-depth study of change within this famous British company. Cadbury Ltd is famous for its pioneering personnel management. One of the purposes of this study is to assess how this established company ethos facilitated change by examining the development and implementation of a capital investment programme that radically changed working practices at the company''s Bournville plant in Birmingham. At a more general level the authors develop a theory of organisational change that emphasises the interaction between external market forces and internal management action. This approach unites an emphasis on the structural parameters that limit a firm''s capacity for independent change, with a recognition of the vital role performed by influential members of an organisation in initiating and managing change. This book will be of interest to teachers and students of business history, organisational behaviour, industrial relations and industrial sociology.

This amazing book from the famous Naked Scientists offers a fun way to introduce science to kids, with 50 simple experiments that produce spectacular results. Want to know how to create fireworks from a bag of chips? Turn rice into quicksand? Generate a cloud in a soda bottle? How about build a toaster-powered hot air balloon, or work out the speed of light using margarine and a microwave? The results will amuse, astound, and educate in equal measure, whether you''re 8 or 80. Most of these activities can be performed with commonplace materials that are probably lying around the house. Concise scientific explanations are included on how and why the experiments actually work. Each activity is straightforward and manageable, yet impressive enough to get anyone interested in science. So whether it''s racing jelly jars, making a bowl invisible, or instantly freezing soda before your eyes—with the Naked Scientists'' help, you''ll never have a dull rainy day again!

Creative Labour provides an insight into the unique employment issues affecting workers in film, television, theatre, arts, music, radio and new media. In the UK alone, more than 1 million people work in the creative industries, generating billions of pounds in exports each year. These workers have to contend with elastic working hours, employment and promotion uncertainty and vigorous competition for each role. Creative Labour offers a contemporary perspective on a fascinating area of study and a rapidly growing area in developed economies. Key benefits: - Grasp the realities of work behind the industry façade - Evaluate real-life case-studies through a flexible, critical mindset - Tailor your management decisions to the needs of creative staff

A new classic from the world of Roald Dahl! When a moving van arrives next door to the Twits and Mr. and Mrs. Lovely get out, that’s bad enough. But it gets WORSE. . . Their two Lovely children, Ruff and Tumble, have moved in next door too. And the Twits HATE children. (Sorry if you are one. We don’t hate you, just to be clear.) The Twits decide the Lovelies MUST go. Even if it means some serious plotting, which involves: a hungry tiger, GIANT catapults, and LOTS of disgusting dog hair. Will the horrible pair succeed in their dastardly plan? Or can the Lovelies out-trick the terrible Twits?

This publication offers Chris Smith''s vision of a new libertarian socialism, committed to tackling poverty and recognising the benefits of collective action. At the time of writing, Chris Smith was a member of the British Labour Party Shadow Cabinet, and as such, part of policy-making.

A tour through all of the major and minor conflicts that occur during the three parts of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Battles, armour, weaponry, cultures and creatures: all are covered and explained, together with photos and illustrations and specially commissioned battle plans. filmed. The only problem is that the furious pace of the films means that the viewer barely has time to enjoy the visual spectacle of one particular action scene before they are hurtled headlong into another conflict. This title provides all the background that is absent from the films, taking the reader on a detailed tour through all of the major and minor conflicts that occur during the three parts of story. It explains the history behind each battle and examines the strategy used by both forces. Mines of Moria, Helm''s Deep and the climactic battle of the Pelennor Fields at Minas Tirith - is illustrated by a specially commissioned battle plan that reveals exactly how the battle was fought. The book also describes in detail each of the many different races and armies that appear in the trilogy: Men, Elves, Dwarves, all the different races of Orcs, and the various allies of both the Fellowship and Mordor. Each will be discussed at length - how they fight, why they are fighting, what armour they wear and what weapons they use. These will enable the reader to get as close to a marauding Orc as they could ever wish, without suffering the consequences.

Ordinary Kids. Extraordinary Adventures. Laughs for the Whole Family. Big Dreams, even BIGGER trouble . . . Radio 1 broadcasters and bestselling authors of KID NORMAL - Greg James and Chris Smith - are back with a mind-bending adventure you won''t want to wake up from . . . Have you ever had a really strange dream? Maya Clayton definitely has. Last night she dreamt that her dad, the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter, had been trapped in a nightmare by his evil boss Lilith Delamere! But it''s not just a dream - it''s real and Maya and her new friends the Dream Bandits must rescue the Professor before it''s too late! All they need is a bit of courage and a LOT of imagination. Readers LOVE The Great Dream Robbery: ''I wanna be a member of the Dream Bandits!'' ''Escapist and daft and just a whole lot of fun'' ''Thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to crazy end'' ''This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith - part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun''

‘A riveting read.’ – Professor Richard Aldrich ‘The Last Cambridge Spy is not just a fascinating, well-paced book about an interesting individual, but it also invites us to re-appraise the very idea of the “Cambridge spy ring”.’ – Sir Dermot Turing John Cairncross was among the most damaging spies of the twentieth century. A member of the infamous Cambridge Ring of Five, he leaked highly sensitive documents from Bletchley Park, MI6 and the Treasury to the Soviet Union – including the first atomic secrets and raw decrypts from Enigma and Tunny that influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk in 1943. In 2014, Cairncross appeared as a secondary, though key, character in the biopic of Alan Turing’s life, The Imitation Game. While the other members of the Cambridge Ring of Five have been the subject of extensive biographical study, Cairncross has largely been overlooked by both academic and popular writers. Despite clear interest, he has remained a mystery – until now. The Last Cambridge Spy is the first ever biography of John Cairncross, using recently released material to tell the story of his life and espionage.

_______________ In a top secret school for kids with superpowers, it''s hard being the only ''normal'' one. Read all four novels in the awesome Kid Normal series by Greg James and Chris Smith in one super-bundle! _______________ Praise for Kid Normal: ''So funny, it''s almost criminal'' - Independent ''Outrageous capers'' - Guardian _______________ Murph Cooper has a problem. He''s at a new school. It''s top secret, which is a bit weird. And, oh yeah, all his classmates have superpowers and can fly or control the weather or conjure tiny horses from mid air. But Murph is just a normal kid. He has no spectacular powers, no extraordinary talents and zero special skills. There''s nothing he can do to save the world. Or is there? Join Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes as they defeat dastardly supervillains and uncover evil plans, because, after all, you don''t need superpowers to be a hero. _______________ This eBook bundle contains: - Kid Normal - Kid Normal and the Rogue Heroes - Kid Normal and the Shadow Machine - Kid Normal and the Final Five

These four articles set out ideas for Britain''s future in cultural terms. They stem from a conference organised by the Fabian Society in September 1997, with the same title as this pamphlet. Essentially, they set out to answer the questions, What kinds of people are we, and who could we be''.

Chris Smith explores the evolution of Indian defence policy since 1947. He looks carefully at the domestic dynamics of Indian defence policy. This includes an in-depth analysis of the period 1947-62, which is often ignored by Indian defence analysts, and the performance of the defence industrial base. He concludes that India''s defence policy is designed more as one aspect of the quest for great power status than as an attempt to aquire security at an affordable price.

The Thrive in Bioscience revision guides are written to help undergraduate students achieve exam success in all core areas of bioscience. They communicate all the key concepts in a succinct, easy-to-digest way, using features and tools - both in the book and in digital form - to make learning even more effective.

Japanese manufacturing firms established in Britain have often been portrayed as carriers of Japanese corporate best practice for work and employment. In this book, the authors challenge these views through case study research, undertaken at several Japanese manufacturing plants in Britain during the 1990s. The authors argue that in actual fact production and employment regimes are adapted and ''re-made'' in a number of ways, responding to specific corporate and local contexts. In particular, they focus upon the ways in which Japanese and British managers have sought to construct distinctive work regimes in the light of their particular branch plant mandates and competencies, the evolving character of management-worker relations within factories and the varied product and labour market conditions they face. The book highlights the constraints as well as the opportunities facing managers of these greenfield workplaces, and the uncertainties that continued to characterize the development of management strategies. Ultimately the authors show how arguments about the role of overseas branch plants in the dissemination of management practices must take more careful account of the varied ways in which such factories are implicated in wider corporate strategies. The operations of international firms are embedded within intractable features of capitalist employment relations, especially as they are ''re-made'' in specific local and national settings. This book is an important intervention in contemporary debate about international firms and globalization, and will be of interest to teachers, researchers, and advanced students of this subject from disciplines including Business Studies, Organization Studies, Industrial Relations, Sociology, Political Economy, and Economic and Social Geography.

As part of the Ring of Fire, Indonesia is one of the most volcanic countries on earth. The archipelago is home to many dormant volcanoes as well as some of the most violent volcanoes on the planet; the infamous Mt Merapi in Java erupts at least once a decade, often with devastating effects. Most people are aware of the destruction that volcanoes are capable of causing but few stop to consider how beneficial they are to the environment and population. Indonesia''s ability to grow crops and sustain its population is in large part thanks to fertile volcanic soil. The country''s volcanoes have literally and figuratively shaped the nation. In his approximately 25 years living in Indonesia, photographer Carl-Bernd Kaehlig has climbed many of these monster mountains and learnt the myths and legends surrounding them from his local guides. Volcanoes of Indonesia: Creators and Destroyers is a mesmerising collection of Kaehlig''s best photographs, which are accompanied by informative captions and an introductory essay that gives the reader a sense of the importance of these mountains.

From its roots in the American South to today''s world stage, the journey of the blues has encompassed countless artists and recordings. But how can you find the best of them? The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordingsis a uniquely informative, insightful and easy-to-use guide through the jungles of the record shop and the online music store. It surveys the recorded work of more than a thousand blues artists, from towering figures of the past like Charley Patton, Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson to stars of the modern era such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan, providing crisp, expert and witty reviews of almost six thousand CDs. Whether you''re a blues aficionado or just starting a collection, this is required reading.

In Exactly What To Say for Real Estate Agents, Phil M. Jones, Chris Smith, and Jimmy Mackin provide 30 Magic Words to help with the most common, critical, and difficult conversations real estate agents have today. If you are open-minded to a better way of selling, this book is for you.

Why learn F♯? With this guide, you{u2019}ll learn how this multi-paradigm language not only offers you an enormous productivity boost through functional programming, but also lets you develop applications using your existing object-oriented and imperative programming skills. You{u2019}ll quickly discover the many advantages of the language, including access to all the great tools and libraries of the .NET platform. Reap the benefits of functional programming for your next project, whether you{u2019}re writing concurrent code, or building data- or math-intensive applications. With this comprehensive book, former F♯ team member Chris Smith gives you a head start on the fundamentals and walks you through advanced concepts of the F♯ language. Learn F♯{u2019}s unique characteristics for building applications Gain a solid understanding of F♯{u2019}s core syntax, including object-oriented and imperative styles Make your object-oriented code better by applying functional programming patterns Use advanced functional techniques, such as tail-recursion and computation expressions Take advantage of multi-core processors with asynchronous workflows and parallel programming Use new type providers for interacting with web services and information-rich environments Learn how well F♯ works as a scripting language.