Best Selling Books by Michael

This book shows how, though Suzhou entered the Ming defeated and suspect, interactions between the imperial state and local elites gave rise to a network of markets, centered on Suzhou, that fostered high-quality local specialization.

A blistering courtroom drama featuring The Lincoln Lawyer's Mickey Haller from the master of the genre. In tough times, crime is one of the few things that still pays, but even criminals are having to make cut-backs. So for defence lawyer Mickey Haller, most of his new business is not about keeping people out of jail; it's about keeping a roof over their heads as the foreclosure business is booming. Lisa Trammel has been a client of Mickey's for eight months, and so far he's stopped the bank from taking her house. But now the bank's CEO has been found beaten to death - and Lisa is about to be indicted for murder...

There is no question that the death penalty is disproportionately imposed in cases involving defendants with mental disabilities. There is clear, systemic bias at all stages of the prosecution and the sentencing process – in determining who is competent to be executed, in the assessment of mitigation evidence, in the ways that counsel is assigned, in the ways that jury determinations are often contaminated by stereotyped preconceptions of persons with mental disabilities, in the ways that cynical expert testimony reflects a propensity on the part of some experts to purposely distort their testimony in order to achieve desired ends. These questions are shockingly ignored at all levels of the criminal justice system, and by society in general. Here, Michael Perlin explores the relationship between mental disabilities and the death penalty and explains why and how this state of affairs has come to be, to explore why it is necessary to identify the factors that have contributed to this scandalous and shameful policy morass, to highlight the series of policy choices that need immediate remediation, and to offer some suggestions that might meaningfully ameliorate the situation. Using real cases to illustrate the ways in which the persons with mental disabilities are unable to receive fair treatment during death penalty trials, he demonstrates the depth of the problem and the way it’s been institutionalized so as to be an accepted part of our system. He calls for a new approach, and greater attention to the issues that have gone overlooked for so long.

Harry Bosch has left the LAPD - but the cases continue to haunt him...A terrific novel from the bestselling author of Echo Park.

For use in schools and libraries only. Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill.

“The book is carefully organized and well written, and it deals with a question that is still of great importance—what is the relationship of the Bill of Rights to the states.”—Journal of American History “Curtis effectively settles a serious legal debate: whether the framers of the 14th Amendment intended to incorporate the Bill of Rights guarantees and thereby inhibit state action. Taking on a formidable array of constitutional scholars, . . . he rebuts their argument with vigor and effectiveness, conclusively demonstrating the legitimacy of the incorporation thesis. . . . A bold, forcefully argued, important study.”—Library Journal

Jerusalem's formal political borders reveal neither the dynamics of power in the city nor the underlying factors that make an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians so difficult. The lines delineating Israeli authority are frequently different from those delineating segregated housing or areas of uneven service provision or parallel national electoral districts of competing educational jurisdictions. In particular, the city's large number of holy sites and restricted religious compounds create enclaves that continually threaten to undermine the Israeli state's authority and control over the city. This lack of congruity between political control and the actual spatial organization and everyday use of the city leaves many areas of occupied East Jerusalem in a kind of twilight zone where citizenship, property rights, and the enforcement of the rule of law are ambiguously applied. Michael Dumper plots a history of Jerusalem that examines this intersecting and multileveled matrix and, in so doing, is able to portray the constraints on Israeli control over the city and the resilience of Palestinian enclaves after forty-five years of Israeli occupation. Adding to this complex mix is the role of numerous external influences—religious, political, financial, and cultural—so that the city is also a crucible for broader contestation. While the Palestinians may not return to their previous preeminence in the city, neither will Israel be able to assert a total and irreversible dominance. His conclusion is that the city will not only have to be shared but that the sharing will be based upon these many borders and the interplay between history, geography, and religion.

This sweeping history of the Roman Empire from 44 BC to AD 235 has three purposes: to describe what was happening in the central administration and in the entourage of the emperor; to indicate how life went on in Italy and the provinces, in the towns, in the countryside, and in the army camps; and to show how these two different worlds impinged on each other. Colin Wells's vivid account is now available in an up-to-date second edition.

Drawing on Buddhist treatments of violence, this book explores Buddhist invocation, support, or justification of war, conflict, state violence, and gender discrimination. In addition, it examines the ways in which Buddhists address violence as military chaplains, cope with violence in a conflict zone, and serve as witnesses of blasphemy to Buddhism.

Providing a truly global view of Christianity across all denominations, "The Story of Christianity" covers the Old Testament to the present day. Beautifully illustrated, clearly presented, and written in a lucid and accessible style.

Dive into a secure future Professionals look to Ethereum as a blockchain-based platform to develop safe applications and conduct secure transactions. It takes a knowledgeable guiding hand to understand how Ethereum works and what it does — and Ethereum For Dummies provides that guidance. Written by one of the leading voices in the blockchain community and best selling author of Blockchain For Dummies, this book demystifies the workings of Ethereum and shows how it can enhance security, transactions, and investments. As an emerging application of blockchain technology, Ethereum attracts a wide swath of professionals ranging from financial pros who see it as a way to enhance their business, security analysts who want to conduct secure transactions, programmers who build apps that employ the Ethereum blockchain, or investors interested in cashing in on the rise of cryptocurrency. Ethereum For Dummies offers a starting point to all members of this audience as it provides easy-to-understand explanation of the tools and techniques of using Ethereum. Understand the fundamentals of Ethereum Build smart contracts Create decentralized applications Examine public and private chains If you need to get a grip on one of the biggest applications of blockchain technology, this book makes it easier.

#1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of This is Your Mind on Plants, How to Change Your Mind, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Food Rules Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion--most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become. With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.

After three years out of the LAPD, Harry Bosch returns, to find the department a different place from the one he left. A new Police Chief has been brought over from New York to give the place a thorough clean up from top to bottom. Working with his former cop partner, Kiz Rider, Harry is assigned to the department's Open-Unsolved Unit, working on the thousands of cold cases that haunt the LAPD's files. These detectives are the Closers - they put a shovel in the dirt and turn over the past. By applying new techniques to old evidence they aim to unearth some hidden killers and bring them to justice, for 'a city that forgets its murder victims is a city lost'. Harry and Kiz are given a politically sensitive case when a DNA match connects a white supremacist to the 1988 murder of Rebecca Verloren, a sixteen-year-old girl. Becky was of mixed race, and the case appears to have a racial angle. This was LA before the riots and Rodney King; the city was a powder keg waiting for a match. The detectives who worked the case all those years ago seem to have done a decent job, but something doesn't fit. Meanwhile Harry's nemesis, Deputy Chief Irving, is watching him. In the new 'clean' LAPD Irving has been sidelined to a meaningless job. Compelled by vengeance, he hopes that Harry will make a slip . . . THE CLOSERS takes off like a speeding bullet and never lets up. Authentic, dark and complex, it confirms Michael Connelly's status as a number one bestseller and a master of modern detective fiction.

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made oj': Benjamin Franklin This book describes the technical principles and applications of echo-planar imaging (EPI) which, as much as any other technique, has shaped the develop ment of modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The principle of EPI, namely, the acquisition of multiple nuclear magnetic resonance echoes from a single spin excitation, has made it possible to shorten the previously time-con suming MRI data acquisition from minutes to much less than a second. Interest ingly, EPI is one of the oldest MRI techniques, conceived in 1976 by Sir Peter Mansfield only 4 years after the initial description of the principles of MRI. One of the inventors of MRI himself, Mansfield realized that fast data acquisition would be paramount in bringing medical applications of MRI to full fruition. The technological challenges in implementing EPI, however, were formidable. Until the end of the 1980s few people believed that EPI would be clinically useful, since its complexity was far greater than that of "conventional" MRI methods.

In this ground-breaking book, Michael Clemmens offers a new model of treatment for long-term recovery which goes beyond the traditional "disease" paradigm. Working from the belief that a fuller life for the recovering addict is grounded on a foundation of abstinence, the author explores a "self-modulation" approach which leads to a change in the behavior from within the individual while developing and expanding connection with others.

As one of Entertainment Weekly’s “10 Best Comics,” BARBARIC – featuring Owen the Barbarian and his bloodthirsty companion Axe – begins again … back in blood and badder than ever with BARBARIC Vol. 4: Born in Blood! Voted as one of the best comics by Entertainment Weekly, Thrillist, and Screen Rant, bestselling BARBARIC is back and ready to spill some secrets – along with a lot of blood – in Barbaric Volume 4: Born in Blood! A new era of Barbaric begins! We did it! You know, the thing everyone says they’re doing, even when they’re lying through their teeth: a genuinely good jumping on point. How, you ask? Well, it all starts with a compelling new bad guy. Meet the new big bad: Orrick, the tortured barbarian now turned master torturer, will take us deep into Owen’s past, revealing secrets that should have stayed buried…like Axe in a chest cavity slurping up that sweet, delicious blood. Will the cursed-to-do-good barbarian finally do some actual good? Probably not! But some much worse guys will almost certainly lose their heads. Yummy! For fans of BRZRKR!, The Witcher, Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Heathen, Rat Queens, Kings of the Wyld, and Dungeons and Dragons! BARBARIC Volume 4: Born in Blood collects the entire fourth, completely beserk, 3-issue miniseries! It’s just … BARBARIC! From writer Michael Moreci (Wasted Space, The Plot, Spree, and Revealer) and artist Nathan C. Gooden (Brandon Sanderson's Dark One, The RUSH, Vampire: The Masquerade)! Own a whole lot of Owen, Axe, and the BARBARIC universe with: Barbaric Vol. 1: Murderable Offenses (hardcover) Barbaric Vol. 1: Murderable Offenses (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 2: Axe to Grind (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 3: Hell to Pay (trade paperback) Queen of Swords: A Barbaric Tale (trade paperback) Barbaric Vol. 4: Born in Blood (trade paperback)

Jewish writings from the period of Second Temple present a rich and complex variety of first-hand materials. Here, the editors have updated their classic sourcebook on Jewish beliefs and practices to take into account current thinking about the sources.

The animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender has inspired millions of fans and industry professionals alike. Now, to celebrate the anniversary of the show's first airing comes this deluxe second edition of Avatar: The Last Airbender--The Art of the Animated Series! Join series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at hundreds of pieces of concept, design, and production art from the show. You'll be taken on a guided tour through the development of this smash-hit television series in this deluxe edition that includes: • Stunning new cover art by Bryan Konietzko, with an extra special cover treatment! ! • Eight pages of new material, plus an all-new introduction by award-winning Avatar: The Last Airbender comics series writer Gene Luen Yang!

'Attractively-written, wise and judicious, with touches of engaging wit. It is now the best introduction to Luther in English.' - Diarmaid MacCulloch, University of Oxford This important biography portrays Luther, his concerns and his achievements with clarity and verve, and provides a comprehensive introduction for students, general readers and those seeking to understand the roots of the continuing discords in modern Christianity. Self-aware yet violently prejudiced, bigoted yet inspiring, Luther is presented here with unflinching candour and honesty.

The roots of Japan's aggressive, expansionist foreign policy have often been traced to its concern over acute economic vulnerability. Michael A. Barnhart tests this assumption by examining the events leading up to World War II in the context of Japan's quest for economic security, drawing on a wide array of Japanese and American sources. Barnhart focuses on the critical years from 1938 to 1941 as he investigates the development of Japan's drive for national economic self-sufficiency and independence and the way in which this drive shaped its internal and external policies. He also explores American economic pressure on Tokyo and assesses its impact on Japan's foreign policy and domestic economy. He concludes that Japan's internal political dynamics, especially the bitter rivalry between its army and navy, played a far greater role in propelling the nation into war with the United States than did its economic condition or even pressure from Washington. Japan Prepares for Total War sheds new light on prewar Japan and confirms the opinions of those in Washington who advocated economic pressure against Japan.

This open access book discusses a variety of important but unprecedented ways in which psychology can be useful to philosophy. The early chapters illustrate this theme via comparisons between Chinese and Western philosophy. It is argued that the Chinese notion of a heart-mind is superior to the Western concept of mind, but then, more even-handedly, the relative strengths and weaknesses of Chinese and Western thought overall are critically examined. In later chapters, the philosophical uses of psychology are treated more specifically in relation to major issues in Western philosophy. Michael Slote shows that empathy and emotion play a role in speech acts (like assertion and thanking) that speech act theory has totally ignored. Similarly, he treats the age-old question of whether justice pays using psychological material that has not previously been recognized. Finally, the implications of psychological egoism are discussed in terms of some new psychological and, indeed, human distinctions. Human life is pervaded by instincts and aspirations that are neither egoistic nor altruistic, and recognizing that fact can help put egoism in its place. It is less of a challenge to morality than we have realized.

Michael Connelly's breakout thriller: cunning, poet-quoting serial killer of unprecedented savagery executes one homicide cop after another.

#1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR, #1 BESTSELLING SERIES In 1993 Marie Gesto disappeared after walking out of a supermarket. Harry Bosch worked the case but couldn't crack it, and the twenty-two-year-old was never found. Now, more than a decade later, with the Gesto file still on his desk, Bosch gets a call from the District Attorney.A man accused of two heinous murders is willing to come clean about several others, including the killing of Marie Gesto. Taking the confession of the man he has sought-and hated-for thirteen years is bad enough. Discovering that he missed a clue back in 1993 that could have stopped nine other murders may just be the straw that breaks Harry Bosch.

See it done. Do it yourself. It’s that Easy! Easy Computer Basics, Windows Vista Edition teaches you the fundamentals to help you get the most from your computer hardware and software. Fully illustrated steps with simple instructions guide you through each task, building the skills you need to do what you want to do. No need to feel intimidated; we’ll hold your hand every step of the way. Learn how to… Set up and configure your new computer system Upgrade your computer with new hardware and software Use Windows Vista--and personalize it just for you Connect to the Internet for web surfing, email, and instant messaging Manage and edit digital photos with Windows Photo Gallery Play, copy, and burn your own music CDs--and download music from the Internet to play on your iPod Protect your family and your computer from viruses, spam, and spyware Set up a wireless home network and share your Internet connection with multiple computers Easy steps guide you through each task. Items you select or click are shown in bold. Each step is fully illustrated. Category: Computers Covers: General Computing User Level: Beginning Introduction 1 Part 1: Understanding How Your Computer Works 2 Part 2: Setting Up and Using a Desktop PC 14 Part 3: Setting Up and Using a Notebook PC 28 Part 4: Using Microsoft Windows Vista 38 Part 5: Working with Files and Folders 62 Part 6: Using Microsoft Word 78 Part 7: Connecting to the Internet 96 Part 8: Setting Up a Wireless Home Network 132 Part 9: Playing Music and Movies 150 Part 10: Working with Digital Photos 168 Part 11: Adding New Devices to Your System 190 Part 12: Protecting Your Computer 200 Part 13: Taking Care of Your Computer 214 Glossary 228

The leaders of the American Revolution, unlike the leaders of the French revolution, did not set out to erase religion. Indeed, the very first act of the Continental Congress was to pray to Divine Providence in the face of the British bombardment of Boston. In establishing a new model of self-government, the Founders believed that they were not only acting according to reason and common sense, but also obeying a religious duty. Benjamin Franklin proposed as their motto: “Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.” In telling the story of the forgotten—if not deliberately ignored—role of faith in America’s beginnings, Michael Novak probes the innermost religious conviction of Washington, Jefferson, Madison and other of our Founders. He shows that while the American eagle could not have taken flight without the empirical turn of mind embodied in John Locke’s teaching on the ends of government and the consent of the governed, the men who made America also believed that liberty depends as much on faith as on reason. In the course of his illustrious career, Michael Novak has written several prize-winning books on theology and philosophy. In On Two Wings he has created a profound mediation on American history, and on human nature and destiny as well.

The most authoritive, authentic text of a classic guide to acting In the four decades since its first publication, Michael Chekhov's To the Actor has become a standard text for students of the theater. But To the Actor is a shortened, heavily modified version of the great director/actor/teacher's original manuscript, and On the Technique of Acting is the first and only book ever to incorporate the complete text of that brilliant manuscript. Scholars and teachers of Chekhov's technique have hailed On the Technique of Acting as the clearest, most accurate presentation of the principles he taught Yul Brynner, Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe, Anthony Quinn, Beatrice Straight, and Mala Powers, among others. This new, definitive edition of Chekhov's masterful work clarifies the principles outlined in To the Actor concerning the pivotal role of the imagination in actors' understanding of themselves and the roles they play. On the Technique of Acting also expands on Chekhov's previously published work with many unique features, including: Thirty additional exercises A chapter devoted to screen acting More thorough explanations of the Psychological Gesture, inner tempo vs. outer tempo, and other key concepts of Chekhov's approach For actors, directors, and anyone interested in the theater, On teh Technique of Acting is an essential handbook.

When God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, Abraham was childless. Yet through many obstacles, temptations, and even failures, Abraham became an example of faith as he learned to trust God's promises regardless of circumstances. In this faith-filled book, Michael Youssef takes you through Abraham's incredible journey of faith, encouraging you to trust God's timing and plan when the road gets difficult. He also shares his own experiences of trusting God in a foreign land and includes reflection questions for you and your small group to pinpoint the ways in which you're trusting--or need to trust--God to keep his promises, even when the way forward seems impossible--even when you can't see the stars.

Now it its Fifth Edition, this best-selling text and atlas is the perfect text for medical, health professions, and undergraduate biology students. It combines a detailed textbook that emphasizes clinical and functional correlates of histology with a beautifully illustrated atlas featuring full-color digital micrographs of the highest quality. This edition includes over 100 new illustrations, more Clinical Correlation boxes on the histology of common medical conditions, and new information on the molecular biology of endothelial cell function. Terminology throughout the text is consistent with Terminologia Anatomica. A powerful interactive histology atlas CD-ROM for students is included with the book and features all of the plates found in the text with interactive functionality.

Jack McEvoy, hero of Connelly's breakthrough novel THE POET, returns in this major milestone in crime publishing

Remarkable atlas provides exceptionally detailed, clinically relevant anatomic knowledge! Thieme Atlas of Anatomy: Head, Neck, and Neuroanatomy, Third Edition, Latin Nomenclature, by renowned educators Michael Schuenke, Erik Schulte, and Udo Schumacher, along with consulting editors Cristian Stefan and Hugo Zeberg, expands on prior editions with hundreds of new images and significant updates to the neuroanatomy content. Head and neck sections encompass the bones, ligaments, joints, muscles, lymphatic system, organs, related neurovascular structures, and topographical and sectional anatomy. The neuroanatomy section covers the histology of nerve and glial cells and autonomic nervous system, then delineates different areas of the brain and spinal cord, followed by sectional anatomy and functional systems. The final section features a glossary and expanded CNS synopses, featuring six new topics, from neurovascular structures of the nose to the pharynx. Key Features Labels and anatomic terminology are in Latin nomenclature Nearly 1,800 images including extraordinarily realistic illustrations by Markus Voll and Karl Wesker, photographs, diagrams, tables, and succinct clinical applications make this the perfect study and teaching resource Expanded clinical references include illustrated summary tables and synopses of motor and sensory pathways Neuroanatomy additions include an in-depth overview and content focused on functional circuitry and pathways Online images with "labels-on and labels-off" capability are ideal for review and self-testing This visually stunning atlas is an essential companion for medical students or residents interested in pursuing head and neck subspecialties or furthering their knowledge of neuroanatomy. It will also benefit dental and physical therapy students, as well as physicians and physical therapists seeking an image-rich clinical resource to consult in practice. The THIEME Atlas of Anatomy series also includes two additional volumes, General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System and Internal Organs. All volumes of the THIEME Atlas of Anatomy series are available in softcover English/International nomenclature and in hardcover with Latin nomenclature.