Best Selling Books by John Wood

Card tricks are a popular part of the magic world. Illusionists and magicians have been performing these kinds of tricks for many years. With the help of this exciting book, readers of many ages learn about these tricks, including fun facts about how they''re done and the people are who do them. Vibrant photographs supplement the intriguing text and will hold the attention of readers of many levels. This fascinating volume will leave readers excited, and perhaps wanting to perform some card magic of their own.

Includes Narbrough''s 1669-71 voyage through the Strait of Magellan and into the South Pacific; Abel Janszoon Tasman''s 1842-43 voyage to the Pacific, during which he discovered Tasmania; John Wood''s and William Flawes'' 1676 voyage in search of the north-east passage, during which they visited Novaya Zemlya; and the first English translation of Friedrich Martens'' voyage to Spitzbergen and Greenland in 1671.

The Federal Reserve System, which has been Congress’s agent for the control of money since 1913, has a mixed reputation. Its errors have been huge. It was the principal cause of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the inflation of the 1970s, and participated in the massive bailouts of financial institutions at taxpayers'' expense during the recent Great Recession. This book is a study of the causes of the Fed’s errors, with lessons for an improved monetary authority, beginning with an examination of the history of central banks, in which it is found that their performance depended on their incentives, as is to be expected of economic agents. An implication of these findings is that the Fed’s failings must be traced to its institutional independence, particularly of the public welfare. Consequently, its policies have been dictated by special interests: financial institutions who desire public support without meaningful regulation, as well as presidents and those portions of Congress desiring growing government financed by inflation. Monetary stability (which used to be thought the primary purpose of central banks) requires responsibility, meaning punishment for failure, instead of a remote and irresponsible (to the public) agency such as the Fed. It requires either private money motivated by profit or Congress disciplined by the electoral system as before 1913. Change involving the least disturbance to the system suggests the latter.

Try to conjure up an idea of the most horrifying Halloween witch and then imagine that she''s real. For those with wiccaphobia, which is a fear of witches, this horror goes a step further by lasting all year long. From genuphobia, or the fear of knees, to odontophobia, or the fear of dentists and teeth, the phobias in this book run the gamut of fears having to do with people. Vibrant photographs and graphics engagingly display each vivid description like a museum exhibit. Including the nervous system''s response to fear and other strangely scientific information, this book is more than interesting...it''s unbelievable!

Readers will enjoy learning about marine life as they explore engaging text covering common science curriculum areas, such as ocean habitats and ecology. Where do marine animals catch and kill their prey? How do they stay safe and avoid predators? What animals have ventured to the deepest depths of the sea? Questions such as these are answered in the main text, which is accompanied by bold, full-color photographs. This is sure to be an educational and entertaining adventure for readers into the lives of animals in the ocean.

Inquisitive makers will love learning about pulleys and how they work thanks to Maker, a wacky alien with a passion for simple machines! A hands-on back matter activity adds to the fun.

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars. Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library T063382 Oxford: printed at the Theatre in the year 1747. And sold by C. Hitch; and S. Birt, London; by J. Leake in Bath; and by B. Collins in Salisbury, [1747] 119, [1]p., plates; 8°

A smart but silly alien companion and toy-making activity make learning about levers tons of fun! Readers can discover how levers work and the types of levers we see in our everyday lives.

With contributions by: William Boyd, Candice Carty-Williams, Imtiaz Dharker, Roddy Doyle, Pico Iyer, Robert Macfarlane, Andy Miller, Jackie Morris, Jan Morris, Sisonke Msimang, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Ondaatje, David Pilling, Max Porter, Philip Pullman, Alice Pung, Jancis Robinson, S.F.Said, Madeleine Thien, Salley Vickers, John Wood and Markus Zusak ''This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift. The gift, like so many gifts, was a book...'' So begins the essay by Robert Macfarlane that inspired this collection. In this cornucopia of an anthology, you will find essays by some of the world''s most beloved novelists, nonfiction writers, essayists and poets. ''You will see books taking flight in flocks, migrating around the world, landing in people''s hearts and changing them for a day or a year or a lifetime. ''You will see books sparking wonder or anger; throwing open windows into other languages, other cultures, other minds; causing people to fall in love or to fight for what is right. ''And more than anything, over and over again, you will see books and words being given, received and read - and in turn prompting further generosity.'' Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of global literacy non-profit, Room to Read, The Gifts of Reading forms inspiring, unforgettable, irresistible proof of the power and necessity of books and reading. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane Curated by Jennie Orchard

Everyone feels frightened sometimes, even foxes! In this charming story, a fox named Freddie feels worried and frightened about his first day of school. Readers join along as Freddie learns how to face his fears and make the most out of new experiences. Vibrant illustrations portray friendly characters that readers can relate to. These illustrations correlate closely with the pithy text, making for a captivating story appropriate for all ages and sure to be a popular addition to any library or classroom.

The desert is home to many different animal species. These animals make their habitats in this dry climate, which can sometimes be difficult to survive in because of the hot temperatures and scarce food sources. Fun facts about desert animals are presented through age-appropriate text, which covers common science curriculum topics such as animal adaptations and biomes. Vibrant, full-color photographs provide readers with examples of what desert animals look like and how they appear in their natural habitats.

Wireless voice and data communications have made great improvements, with connectivity now virtually ubiquitous. Users are demanding essentially perfect transmission and reception of voice and data. The infrastructure that supports this wide connectivity and nearly error-free delivery of information is complex, costly, and continually being improved. This resource describes the mathematical methods and practical implementations of linearization techniques for RF power amplifiers for mobile communications. This includes a review of RF power amplifier design for high efficiency operation. Readers are also provided with mathematical approaches to modeling nonlinear dynamical systems, which can be applied in the context of modeling the PA for identification in a pre-distortion system. This book also describes typical approaches to linearization and digital pre-distortion that are used in practice.

Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy and balanced diet, but what exactly are they and what do they do for the human body? Readers will find those—and many more—answers as they delve into this engaging volume. Eye-catching photographs provide visual examples of foods rich in carbs, while accessible text reinforces key lessons from elementary science curricula. Readers will learn how carbs can help their bodies, which foods are the best sources of healthy carbs, and much more!

In life, balance is a key part of staying healthy. For most people, that means certain amounts of sugar can be part of a healthy and balanced diet! This book touches on both natural and free sugars but focuses mainly on free sugars and the effects that too much of them can have on the body, while also making it clear that, for most people, these sugars are okay to eat in smaller amounts. Colorful photographs and engaging graphic elements help readers of many levels understand what excessive amounts of sugar can do to the body and how eating a variety of foods can keep them healthy and strong.

Everyone is already painfully aware of our predicament - ecological extinctions, dwindling fossil fuel reserves and economic chaos. The solutions are less obvious, despite the many opportunities that surround us. We have never had more access to resources, knowledge and technology but this is not the problem. What we lack most is creative thinking, fuelled by collective optimism. In a pragmatic world run by careerist experts this is hardly surprising. As voters and consumers we are trained to choose and complain, but not how to envisage what we really, really want. How can we design a better world unless we revive the art of dreaming? For without dreams we are lost. Perhaps it should be the duty of all citizens to imagine alternative futures; in effect, to think more like designers. After all, designers have always been dreamers, and have often found ways to realize their dreams. Design for Micro-Utopias does not advocate a single, monolithic Utopia. Rather, it invites readers to embrace a more pluralized and mercurial version of Thomas More''s famous 1516 novel of the same name. It therefore encourages the proliferation of many ''micro-utopias'' rather than one ''Utopia''. This requires a less negative, critical and rational approach. Referencing a wide range of philosophical thinking from Aristotle to the present day, western and eastern spiritual ideals, and scientific, biological and systems theory, John Wood offers remedies for our excessively individualistic, mechanistic and disconnected thinking, and asks whether a metadesign approach might bring about a new mode of governance. This is a daring idea. Ultimately, he reminds us that if we believe that we will never be able to design miracles we make it more likely that this is so. The first step is to turn the ''impossible'' into the ''thinkable''.

The Arctic is home to many different animal species. These animals make their habitats in this region’s chilly climate, which can sometimes be difficult to survive in because of the subzero temperatures and scarce amount of food. This accessible text provides readers with fun facts about life in the Arctic, along with eye-catching, full-color photographs. Animal lovers will be captivated by the creatures that call this extreme environment home, and their Arctic adventure will introduce them to essential science concepts, including the adaptations these animals developed to survive in the coldest places on Earth.