Description

Despite a growing fascination with tattooing among social scientists--and the popularity of tattoos themselves in general--the practice of tattooing has lacked a comprehensive historical record. Until very recently, there was no good context for writing a serious world history of tattooing. This new volume conveys the richness of the history of tattooing from antiquity to the present day.Unlike most other tattoo books that describe one aspect this book conveys the overall picture. It takes you to each of the seven continents with descriptions of their tattoo history and tattoo practices. Thus the book provides the reader with a truly global view of tattooing. It adds new information and new examples and insights that give the reader a new perspective. By combining empirical history, powerful cultural analysis, and a highly readable style, the author adds an important step to the ongoing effort of writing a meaningful cultural history of tattooing. He does not draw new conclusions or present shocking new theories, but suggests and invites the reader to form his own opinions. This publication presents the reader with a vast amount of textual and visual information. From the well known examples from Tahiti to rarely seen Chinese tattoos, from the Ice Maiden to modern day Western tattoos--they are all there. Many of the approximately 400 color illustrations are unique images that have never been published before.

Description

In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world’s most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling that finds famed symbologist Robert Langdon in a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced story with surprises at every turn.  This is Dan Brown’s most exciting novel yet.

Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word. The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham More from Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code Angels & Demons Deception Point Digital Fortress

Features

• ISBN13: 9781400079148
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Description

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . . “You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.” When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore—she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect. The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light—or bury it forever.  Karin Slaughter’s most exhilarating novel yet is a thrilling journey through the heart and soul, where the personal and the criminal collide, and conflicted loyalties threaten to destroy reputations and ruin lives. It is the work of a master of the thriller at the top of her game, and a whirlwind of unrelenting suspense.

Description

She’s definitely getting warmer. Her flame power nearly extinguished in a battle against the dark forces attempting to control Manhattan, fire Sybil Camille Fitzgerald is down but not out. Joining a new squad of warrior witches, she hopes to reclaim her fighting spirit and, with luck, her pyrotechnic mastery. Two problems on that front: a new army of cannibalistic demons and her superheated lust for John Cole, an unholy blend of demon and U.S. Special Forces agent now working undercover for New York’s Occult Crimes Unit. John knows he can’t be trusted—hell, he can’t trust himself. His warrior soul has entered a new, supernaturally fit body. Unfortunately, it’s a body belonging to the Sybils’ worst enemy, whose supernasty essence still lingers. But when John’s demon energy seems more alive than dead, it’s Camille whose scorching kiss keeps him human—for now. All he’s got to do is master his dark side and save Camille and the Sybils from an army of satanic hellboys planning their ultimate destruction.  

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345513908
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

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Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead is Frank Meeink’s raw telling of his descent into America’s Nazi underground and his ultimate triumph over drugs and hatred. Frank’s violent childhood in South Philadelphia primed him to hate, while addiction made him easy prey for a small group of skinhead gang recruiters. By 16 he had become one of the most notorious skinhead gang leaders on the East Coast and by 18 he was doing hard time. Teamed up with African-American players in a prison football league, Frank learned to question his hatred, and after being paroled he defected from the white supremacy movement and began speaking on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League. A story of fighting the demons of hatred and addiction, Frank's downfall and ultimate redemption has the power to open hearts and change lives.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780979018824
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Description

Kit Loughlin has no qualms about discussing sex in her online column. Using a pseudonym, she keeps her private life private and that includes the intimate details of her first time - no one knows about that but her and Jake Donovan. Now Jake has reappeared in her life with something to prove and a lot of new moves. And his scorching touch sends Kit into meltdown...When Dr. Kelly Sullivan comes back to her small home town, Nick Donovan falls in lust - and love - all over again. Kelly is beautiful, super-smart, utterly sensual, and most definitely his kind of woman...in and out of bed. Oh, those memories of Mike...Karen Sullivan can't forget the man. Mike Donovan was hotter than hot. She can't resist just one more night in his loving arms. But his intense sexuality cuts through all her defences - and rocks her world all over again...

Description

From American Book Award-winning author Ana Castillo comes a suspenseful, moving novel about a sensuous, smart, and fiercely independent woman. Eking out a living as a teacher’s aide in a small New Mexican border town, Tía Regina is also raising her teenage nephew, Gabo, a hardworking boy who has entered the country illegally and aspires to the priesthood. When Gabo’s father, Rafa, disappears while crossing over from Mexico, Regina fears the worst. After several days of waiting and with an ominous phone call from a woman who may be connected to a smuggling ring, Regina and Gabo resolve to find Rafa. Help arrives in the form of Miguel, an amorous, recently divorced history teacher; Miguel’s gregarious abuelo Milton; a couple of Gabo’s gangbanger classmates; and a priest of wayward faith. Though their journey is rife with challenges and danger, it will serve as a remarkable testament to family bonds, cultural pride, and the human experiencePraise for The GuardiansNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE“An always skilled storyteller, [Castillo] grounds her writing in . . . humor, love, suspense and heartache–that draw the reader in.”–Chicago Sunday Sun-Times“A rollicking read, with jokes and suspense and joy rides and hearts breaking . . . This smart, passionate novel deserves a wide audience.” –Los Angeles Times“What drives the novel is its chorus of characters, all, in their own way, witnesses and guardian angels. In the end, Castillo’s unmistakable voice–earthy, impassioned, weaving a ‘hybrid vocabulary for a hybrid people’–is the book’s greatest revelation.”–Time Out New York“A wonderful novel . . . Castillo’s most important accomplishment in The Guardians is to give a unique literary voice to questions about what makes up a ‘family.’ ”–El Paso Times“A moving book that is both intimate and epic in its narrative.” –Oscar Hijuelos, author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love

Description

A day of kayaking on the East River turns tragic when Conrad Voort and his fiancée, Camilla, find a corpse floating in the water at Hell's Gate, a ship graveyard dating back to colonial times. The discovery seems at first tied to the accident-strewn history of the treacherous passage, but Voort begins to suspect a more modern and global enemy is emerging and when he begins to ask questions he himself is targeted. A man with the power to destroy all that Voort holds dear stages an unimaginable attack that leaves the detective broken and on the run. Defying the laws of his extended cop family and of his brother officers, he returns to exact revenge -- alone.

Suspense novelist Ethan Black has made a regular business of getting inside the heads of his heroes and villains in order to make clear that they are neither wholly good nor wholly bad, neither all strength nor all weakness. His taste for psychological nuance has inspired critical plaudits, and was keenly on view in 2003's Dead for Life, which featured an ostensibly textbook-caliber sociopath who is eventually shown to be no less complex or deserving of sympathy than anyone else, including Black's protagonist, multimillionaire New York police detective Conrad Voort. Sadly, At Hell's Gate, the fifth entry in the Voort series, pales by comparison with that previous work. In his effort to explore the depths of Voort's fears, Black has produced a tale that sacrifices emotional intrigue to vengeful violence. Things begin promisingly enough. Voort, the Jaguar-driving scion of one of New York's founding families, is kayaking with his impossibly beautiful, on-and-off girlfriend, Camilla Ryan, in a treacherous stretch of the East River called Hell's Gate, when they encounter the corpse of a murdered taxi driver. Turns out the cabby was fascinated with old shipwrecks, including a riches-laden 18th-century frigate that might be sunk near Hell's Gate. But Voort's homicide probe leads him well beyond treasure hunting, to arson and death aboard a tugboat--and eventually into the clutches of a remorseless mercenary named Leon Bok, who threatens the cop with sexual debasement and the slaying of his family, unless Voort leaves town for a couple of weeks. Traumatized, increasingly paranoid of further attack, and fearing that he's "no good as a man anymore," Voort flees to Argentina with Camilla. But he soon returns and, under an alias, too boldly resumes his inquiry, which leads to revelations of international money laundering, divisiveness within Voort's usually close-knit clan, and a climactic shootout that begs for cinematic adaptation. Black--the pseudonym used by a New York journalist--would have done better completing his portrait of a golden-boy treading the precipice of collapse, and left all the fireworks to lesser novelists. --J. Kingston Pierce

Description

It's the late 1940s in Rhode Island when Tony Manfredi's wife tells him she's pregnant. He tells her he lost his job. It's time for him to step up. His favorite Uncle Joe gives him a boost. Working the night shift on the loading docks, Tony discovers his inner reserves of ambition, matched only by his need to push the "edge" out further and further. Tony finds himself deciding who makes it in show biz and who doesn't, which businesses thrive and which are frozen out, and who lives and who dies. Ultimately heading up the Mafia's North American operations, Tony moves up the food chain in the legitimate world, too, becoming Chief Operating Officer of a large entertainment conglomerate. The COMPANY'S MAN shows the complicated duality of Tony's life as he navigates the "legit" and "illegit" worlds. How close to the edge can he bring them without losing it all?

Description

Monday Smith is married to the mayor of New York City and struggles to keep her troubled past a secret. But when her husband’s thirst for high-priced sex leads them down an explosive path of passion, murder, and lies, she has to decide if her marriage is worth saving, and at what cost.Collyn Bazemore, a Manhattan madam, deals with an elite clientele, and they pay big for the best sex in the city. One of Collyn’s most important customers, the mayor, has planned an erotic extravaganza in the Hamptons, but when he sends one of his associates to seal the deal, Collyn grows suspicious of this replacement–and yet her attraction to him is undeniable. While her mind tells her no, her body aches to say yes, and just when he melts her in all the right places, it turns out he has a few secrets of his own.These two women are bound together by an erotically charged past, and when their carefully crafted facades start to crumble, neither will ever be the same.