Most Popular Books by John Harris

Many people know about Howard Hughes, Americas first billionaire. He was an aviation engineer, an Oscar-winning motion picture producer and director, and a hotel and casino owner in Las Vegas and Reno, with seven establishments. He built the biggest airplane in the world at the timeknown as the Spruce Gooseand the Glormar Explorer supership for the CIA. He owned RKO Motion Picture Studios in Hollywood, as well as tens of thousands of acres in California, Nevada, and Texas. Fewer people, however, know the Howard Hughes of the neon world of Las Vegas in the 1970s. Reclusive and eccentric, Hughes spent his later years surrounded by Mormon aides who insulated him from outsiders. This collection of biographical anecdotes includes stories of the power players of the timecelebrities, famous actresses, and the Las Vegas Mafiaas well as tales of Hughess bevy of less-well-known ladies. Told by an insider who knew Hughes in that era, these stories reveal new aspects of an American icon, set against the background of Sin City, the town he loved so much. John has captured a fascinating era here; I know I was there. Alvin Zuckert, Emmy-award winning television director Johns book caused me to relive an exciting and wonderful time in my life. There were sides of Hughes you never knew existed until now! Ted West, engineer for Hughes Television, KLAS-TV and FOX-TV, Las Vegas, Nevada No crapshoot here; Johns got an absolute winner. Gary Marlow, technical director for Hughes Television, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, Nevada

''With admirable clarity, Mrs Peters sums up what determines competence in spelling and the traditional and new approaches to its teaching.'' -Times Literary Supplement

Decisive biotechnological interventions in the lottery of human life--to enhance our bodies and brains and perhaps irreversibly change our genetic makeup--have been widely rejected as unethical and undesirable, and have often met with extreme hostility. But in Enhancing Evolution, leading bioethicist John Harris dismantles objections to genetic engineering, stem-cell research, designer babies, and cloning to make a forthright, sweeping, and rigorous ethical case for using biotechnology to improve human life. Human enhancement, Harris argues, is a good thing--good morally, good for individuals, good as social policy, and good for a genetic heritage that needs serious improvement. Enhancing Evolution defends biotechnological interventions that could allow us to live longer, healthier, and even happier lives by, for example, providing us with immunity from cancer and HIV/AIDS. But the book advocates far more than therapies designed to free us from sickness and disability. Harris champions the possibility of influencing the very course of evolution to give us increased mental and physical powers--from reasoning, concentration, and memory to strength, stamina, and reaction speed. Indeed, he supports enhancing ourselves in almost any way we desire. And it''s not only morally defensible to enhance ourselves, Harris says. In some cases, it''s morally obligatory. Whether one looks upon biotechnology with hope, fear, or a little of both, Enhancing Evolution makes a case for it that no one can ignore.

Pierce Slattery, a renegade cavalry officer, brings an astonishing insight and masterful fighting abilities to the aid of a revolution. The army of ill-trained, poorly prepared peasants are fighting for their lives and their freedom - but British Intelligence has an interest in the Mexican Revolution and in the striking Slattery.

John Harris presents an informed defence of human cloning, carefully exposing the rhetorical and highly dubious arguments against it. He shows that far from ending the diversity of human life, cloning has the power to improve and heal human life.

Stirringly told from the view of everyday soldiers, Covenant with Death is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about war ever written. With a new foreword by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli''s Mandolin. They joined for their country. They fought for each other. When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his Sheffield friends immediately flock to Kitchener''s call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men - Fen, his best friend Locky and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves - enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory. Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by on-going friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front. Then, on one summer''s day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life. ''Laden with knowledge yet sparely written, Covenant with Death is the work of an author immersed in the lives of those who fought'' The Times ''The last line ought to be carved in stone somewhere . . . Find it. Read it. You''ll be a better person for having done so'' Peter Hitchens, Daily Mail An anti-war book right up there with Remarque''s All Quiet on the Western Front Shortlist (The Greatest War Novels of all Time) ''Covenant With Death . . . showed with unbearable actuality what happened to a newly formed Sheffield regiment on the first day of the battle of the Somme'' Christopher Hitchens, Guardian ''The blood and guts, the nightmare stink of cordite . . . appalling realism'' The Times ''Only one novel about the war since 1945 has the power and feeling of veracity to compare with the works of the 1920s and 30s . . . Covenant with Death by John Harris'' The Western Front Organisation ''A superb novel'' Daily Mirror ''John Harris''s neglected masterpiece of a novel, Covenant With Death, is the success that it is because it follows a group of Sheffield workers from their flag-waving sign-up to the hecatomb on the Somme'' The Atlantic ''True and terrible'' Observer ''An outstanding achievement'' Sunday Express

In this revised and expanded edition, leading forensic scientist John Trestrail offers a pioneering survey of all that is known about the use of poison as a weapon in murder. Topics range from the use of poisons in history and literature to convicting the poisoner in court, and include a review of the different types of poisons, techniques for crime scene investigation, and the critical essentials of the forensic autopsy. The author updates what is currently known about poisoners in general and their victims. The Appendix has been updated to include the more commonly used poisons, as well as the use of antifreeze as a poison.

This exciting adventure is set against the backdrop of the Western Desert, scene of the Eighth Army battles. Men who fought there return twenty years later in search of treasure. But time can change a man. Young ideals are replaced by greed. Comradeship has vanished along with innocence. And treachery and murder make for a breathtaking read.

A stunning behind-the-curtain look into the last years of the illegal transatlantic slave trade in the United States Long after the transatlantic slave trade was officially outlawed in the early nineteenth century by every major slave trading nation, merchants based in the United States were still sending hundreds of illegal slave ships from American ports to the African coast. The key instigators were slave traders who moved to New York City after the shuttering of the massive illegal slave trade to Brazil in 1850. These traffickers were determined to make Lower Manhattan a key hub in the illegal slave trade to Cuba. In conjunction with allies in Africa and Cuba, they ensnared around two hundred thousand African men, women, and children during the 1850s and 1860s. John Harris explores how the U.S. government went from ignoring, and even abetting, this illegal trade to helping to shut it down completely in 1867.

The Indian Mutiny of 1857 was a huge and bloody struggle, a devil''s wind of retribution and death that swept across the jungles, hills and parched plains of the Indian sub-continent.

Pink Floyd''s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) is one of the most beloved albums of all time. A sonically stunning exploration into dark themes of madness, death, anxiety, and alienation, it has sold a staggering 30 million copies worldwide, and continues to sell 250,000 copies a year. Besides being perhaps the most fully realized and elegant concept album ever recorded, The Dark Side of the Moon was also one of the most technically advanced LPs of its day. It has aged remarkably well and still sounds as contemporary and cutting edge as it did on the day it was released. A perfect blend of studio wizardry and fearless innovation, The Dark Side of the Moon is illuminated by John Harris''s exploration of the band''s fractured history, his narrative skill, and his deft exploration of the album''s legacy, such as its massive influence on bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Drawing on original, new interviews with every member of the band-bassist and chief songwriter Roger Waters, guitarist Dave Gilmour, keyboardist Rick Wright, and drummer Nick Mason- The Dark Side of the Moon is a must-have for the millions of devoted fans who desire to know more about one of the most timeless, compelling, commercially successful, and mysterious albums ever made.

Introduction; Mathematical background; Dynamic modelling of robots; Structured network modelling of robots; Adaptive neural network control of robots; Neural network model reference adaptive control; Flexible joint robots; task space and force control; Bibliography; Computer simulation; Simulation software in C.

On May 10th 1941, Rudolf Hess took off from an Augsberg airfield in a Messerschmidt headed for Scotland. This controversial book contains previously unpublished evi dence and theories about Hess'''' mysterious flight. ''

Since at least Tudor times there have been architectural salvages: panelling, chimney pieces, doorways, or any fixtures and fittings might be removed from an old interior to be replaced by more fashionable ones. Not surprisingly a trade developed and architects, builders, masons, and sculptors sought out these salvages. By 1820 there was a growing profession of brokers and dealers in London, and a century later antique shops were commonplace throughout England. This fascinating book documents the break-up, sale, and re-use of salvages in Britain and America, where the fashion for so-called “Period Rooms” became a mainstay of the transatlantic trade. Much appreciated by museum visitors, period rooms have become something of a scholarly embarrassment, as research reveals that many were assembled from a variety of sources. One American embraced the trade as no other--the larger-than-life William Randolph Hearst--who purchased tens of thousands of architectural salvages between 1900 and 1935.

The country''s fascination with UFOs grew tremendously after the crash discovery in Roswell, New Mexico and the fervor starts to inspire hoaxes, lies, and further paranoia as the information (whether true or not) spreads across the United States of America. Also including a True Weird backup story by John Harris Dunning, John J. Pearson, and Aditya Bidikar!

A new political history of the former British colony in West Africa, best known for its diamonds and recent violent civil war, this covers 225 years of history and fills a gap in African studies.

HAIL! HAIL! ROCK''N''ROLL is the ultimate guide to what Spinal Tap called ''the majesty of rock, the mystery of roll''. Gloriously irreverent, it is also satisfyingly definitive, with a list of every Glastonbury line-up; a dictionary of obscure genres from Alt.country to Shoegazing; a brutally honest guide to the Beatles'' solo albums; the surprising wit and wisdom of Shaun Rider and Noel Gallagher; Bob Dylan''s collected thoughts on Christianity and Keith Richards'' less-collected thoughts on drugs; and a handy flow chart that shows you how to listen to all of Captain Beefheart''s albums without going insane. From essential stage equipment to strange collaborations (Lou Reed and Kiss, anyone?) to the long, tragic journey of the rock moustache, HAIL! HAIL! ROCK''N''ROLL is an endlessly fascinating miscellany from one of the best music writers around.

In this retitled and revised version of Harris''s original text Wonderwoman and Superman, the author discusses the ethics of human biotechnology and its implications relative to human evolution and destiny.

Soon enough, nobody will remember life before the Internet. What does this unavoidable fact mean? Those of us who have lived both with and without the crowded connectivity of online life have a rare opportunity. We can still recognize the difference between Before and After. We catch ourselves idly reaching for our phones at the bus stop. Or we notice how, midconversation, a fumbling friend dives into the perfect recall of Google. In this eloquent and thought-provoking book, Michael Harris argues that amid all the changes we''re experiencing, the most interesting is the end of absence-the loss of lack. The daydreaming silences in our lives are filled; the burning solitudes are extinguished. There''s no true "free time" when you carry a smartphone. Today''s rarest commodity is the chance to be alone with your thoughts. Michael Harris is an award-winning journalist and a contributing editor at Western Living and Vancouvermagazines. He lives in Toronto, Canada.