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The Yellow Hand Book is destined to delight, frighten, entertain and outrage people for decades to come. This beta-edition gets the ball rolling, quietly bringing readers to an ending so unexpected and so clever, you'll have to decide which of your friends you talk to first....

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(The Magnificent Ambersons is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington which won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize. It was the second novel in the Growth trilogy, which included The Turmoil (1915) and The Midlander (1923, retitled National Avenue in 1927). In 1942 Orson Welles directed a film version, also titled The Magnificent Ambersons. The novel and trilogy traces the growth of the United States through the declining fortunes of three generations of the aristocratic Amberson family in a fictional Mid-Western town, between the end of the Civil War and the early part of the 20th century, a period of rapid industrialization and socio-economic change in America. The decline of the Ambersons is contrasted with the rising fortunes of industrial tycoons and other new-money families, which did not derive power from family names but by doing things. As George Amberson's friend (name unspecified) says, don't you think being things is 'rahthuh bettuh' than doing things? The Magnificent Ambersons is perhaps Tarkington's best novel, said Van Wyck Brooks. [It is] a typical story of an American family and town—the great family that locally ruled the roost and v...

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Fiction

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Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914?), satirist, critic, poet, short story writer and journalist. His fiction showed a clean economical style often sprinkled with subtle cynical comments on human behaviour. Nothing is known of his death, as he went missing while an observer with Pancho Villa’s army in 1913/14. (Summaries by Peter Yearsley) The Ways of Ghosts : Stories of encounters with the ghosts of the dead and dying. The spirits of the dead reach out to the living, to pass on a message or to pursue a killer. Contents (with beginning time):

• Present at a Hanging (02:06)
• A Cold Greeting (07:07)
• A Wireless Message (11:15)
• An Arrest (17:04)

Soldier Folk : Oddities of death and life; from a man who finds that his death is uncertain, through the effects of war on the family, duty that survives death, to the memory of revenge. Contents (with beginning time):

• A Man with Two Lives (00:31)
• Three and One are One (06:23)
• A Baffled Ambuscade (14:18)
• Two Military Executions (19:45)

Some Haunted Houses - Part One : Encounters of the living with the spirit...

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Horror/Ghost stories

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Charlotte Perkins Gilman opens a window of history through which we can see a small part of the determined efforts made by women to elevate the circumstances of women in the early 20th century.Diantha Bell is a normal young woman desiring marriage and a home, but also a challenging career in a new territory which raises many eyebrows and sets malicious tongues wagging. Her effort to elevate housework and cooking to a regulated and even scientific business, for the relief of homemakers, is a depiction of the late 19th century movement to promote Domestic Science, or Home Economics, as a means of providing more healthful home life, as well as career paths for women.Diantha's business prospers as she shows her excellent gifts of administration, organization and homemaking. She grows an empire, and brings happiness and wholesomeness to every area of endeavor which she carefully attempts.The improvements in women's opportunities have not been available very long, indeed.This is a good reminder....

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Literature, Fiction, Cookery

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The Turmoil is the first novel in the 'Growth' trilogy, which also includes The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and The Midlander (1923, retitled National Avenue in 1927). In 1942 Orson Welles directed a film version based on volume 2, also titled The Magnificent Ambersons. The trilogy traces the growth of the United States through the declining fortunes of three generations of the aristocratic Amberson family in a fictional Mid-Western town, between the end of the Civil War and the early part of the 20th century, a period of rapid industrialization and socio-economic change in America. The decline of the Ambersons is contrasted with the rising fortunes of industrial tycoons and other new-money families, which did not derive power from family names but by doing things. As George Amberson's friend says, don't you think being things is 'rahthuh bettuh' than doing things? (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Gesine)...

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Fiction, Literature

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The Short Line War is a story that will appeal more particularly to the sterner sex, and we take it that the hyphenated name, Merwin-Webster, stands for two healthy-minded young men who have put their heads together and who have mapped out this story of a railroad war, in which politics form a considerable part. Jim Weeks is the central figure in the fight, and we like him so much better for knowing of the romance in his early life. He was a man 'without much instinct or imagination; he took everything seriously and literally, he could not understand a whim'--therefore a very foolish little woman came into his life only to leave it desolate. And when we meet him again after the years have rounded him, and when he stands 'before the world a man of solid achievement, calm, successful, satisfied,' we are quite prepared for the kind and tender things he does for the son of the woman he once loved. The Short Line War is not essentially a love story, which fact led us at the start to say that its healthy, vigorous style, with its politics and its railroads, will lead many a masculine novel reader to find enjoyment in its pages. -- Bookman...

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Fiction, Politics, Economics/Political Economy

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The Galactic Empire is slowly 'welcoming' into the family of civilized worlds those systems so far off in the backwater of the galaxy that they have been overlooked and ignored for the past 500 years or so. This is purely routine work because every planet offered the chance has eagerly accepted the invitation. Mainly because the enlightened Empire lets the planetary government continue to rule and do whatever it wants...with a few minor restrictions of course; and because the they are shown what happens to planets who decide not to accept the invitation. Aditya is the system in question here. Forgotten for almost a millennium but surviving, thank you very much, with an economy based entirely on slavery. Everyone is a slave except for the few thousand Lords Master. What happens when the this type of society meets the Constitution of the Galactic Empire which forbids any type of slavery? What happens when the poor, oppressed slaves are given their freedom? Funny you should ask .......

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Science fiction

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This is a fictional account of events leading up to the violent overthrow of today’s liberal media institutions. The novel is not written from the perspective of the messengers, but the real reasons for the media’s behavior and one sidedness: the puppet masters, those at the top who are really calling the shots. The Brian Williams(s), the Diane Sawyer(s), the Walter Cronkite(s); those are, or were, simply the mouthpieces, the talking heads, the emissaries, the window dressing, the lipstick for the otherwise ugly pig those at the top had turned into roses for millions of Americans over the past century. The publishers, the CEOs, those lurking behind the scenes, hidden from view, not noticed by the public, but making damn sure their ideas, theories and beliefs become a permanent part of Americana. For what purpose? Power...power to influence elections, power to put like-minded minions into public office, the power to cover up the truth, or make certain the truth never saw the light of day. Power to safeguard those they consider friendly, those they consider allies, those who will do their bidding...all without being seen...a good...

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Review by: Frank Lee on July 22, 2014 : Great book! Even though the author classifies this is as fiction, make no mistake. There are facts in here. Also there are familiar players in here (renamed of course). Barack Obama, Hitlery Clinton, Bill Clinton, George Bush, and even John McCain... all present and accounted for. What is fiction is what happens... very enjoyable read! It should be a wake up call for dum dums who still think US News sources like CNN and MSNBC are "unbiased". ...

Table of Contents Details
Acknowledgements Prologue Day of Reckoning Four Years Earlier The Capitalists Coming Storm CPAC Rescue Operation Future President Another Mission First Logical Steps Getting Grilled Campaign Begins Plan is Discovered The Mole Election Approaches Publishers Threatened Martinez Wins! McKinley’s Last Order Last Mission as Americans D-Day Future Partners Meet Saving His Team Going Rogue Assassinations Unlikely Partners Breaking Scandal Fallout of Election It’s a Go Chatter Unthinkable Occurs The Hours Following The Days Following Epilogue About the Author Other books by Frank Thompson Connect with the Author Excerpt From: Frank B. Thompson, III. “RTF LIARS Violent Overthrow Smashwords June 23, 2014.” iBooks....

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Laws (Greek: Νόμοι) is Plato's last and longest dialogue. It is generally agreed that Plato wrote this dialogue as an older man, having failed in his effort in Syracuse on the island of Sicily to guide a tyrant's rule, instead having been thrown in prison....

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Classics (antiquity), Ancient Texts, Economics/Political Economy, History, Philosophy, Politics

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One of the first novel-length pieces of nautical fiction, MR. MIDSHIPMAN EASY (1836) is a funny and easygoing account of the adventures of Jack Easy, a son of privilege who joins the Royal Navy. The work begins as a satire on Jack’s attachment to “the rights of man” that may try the listener’s patience. But despair not, for the story soon settles down as the philosophical midshipman begins his many triumphs over bullies, foul weather, and various damned foreigners of murderous intent. Caveat audiens: This novel employs racial/ethnic epithets and religious stereotypes, as well as taking a rather sunny view of supply-side economics. In short, there's something here to offend almost everyone. Frederick Marryat (1792-1848) entered the Royal Navy as a 14-year-old midshipman. He resigned his commission at the rank of captain after 24 years of service to devote his time to writing. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis)...

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Historical Fiction, Sea stories

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As contemporary today as it was over a century ago, this relatively unsentimental tale of labor relations still packs a punch. (Summary by BellonaTimes)...

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Economics/Political Economy, Historical Fiction, Politics

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Table of Contents IN THE HOTEL 8 LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS 10 WE MUST THINK MORE DEEPLY—AND UNDERSTAND OUR THINKING 20 OUR BASIC ASSUMPTIONS 24 -- THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR VALUES -- 24 SELF-CENTEREDASSUMPTIONS 32 GODBASEDASSUMPTIONS 41 CONCEPTS OF GOD 45 3 WHAT IS GOD LIKE? 46 THEISM 49 PROOFS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD 53 IS AMERICA A CHRISTIAN NATION? 57 WHO GETS TO GO TO HEAVEN? 63 DEISM 65 PANTHEISM AND PANENTHEISM 67 AGNOSTICISM 68 ATHEISM 71 SATANISM 96 AN IDEA OF A BETTER SOCIETY AS A BASIC ASSUMPTION 97 THE SOURCE OF POWER IN A SOCIETY 104 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF A SOCIETY 104 TYPE OF GOVERNMENT108 USING GOD’S LAWS FOR SOCIETY 112 SOCIAL CONCERNS—DO UNTO OTHERS 114 ECONOMIC CONCERNS WHEN ESTABLISHING YOUR IDEAL SOCIETY 115 ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY117 THE WELFARE STATE—CRADLE TO GRAVE BENEFITS 119 RETIREMENT PENSIONS 125 HEALTH CARE128 HEALTH CARE AND AGING POPULATIONS 130 WORKING AND RESTING IN THE WELFARE STATE 131 POVERTY IS RELATIVE 134 PENSIONS 134 SICK LEAVE 135 HIGH TAXES 137 BALANCING THE BUDGET—TAXES FOR YOUR IDEAL SOCIETY 138 ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE 146 REAL WEALTH PER PERSON 147 BORROWING 147 BUDGET DEFICITS AND NATIONAL DEBTS 1...

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NonNovel is indeed a novel of drawer, carried year after year in the bottomless sack of the exile. This fierce parabola about totalitarianism, about alienation, guilty obedience and lie, opportunism, cruelty, violence, monstrosity, written in a strong tensioned and lacking bashfulness style, situates Florentin Smarandache closer by Orwell, Konwicki, Koestler, Baconsky, and marks a new dimension of the Paradoxism....

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Mybreathin gstops Mybrea thingstops Myb reath ings tops Mybreathingstops Mybreat hin gsto ps M ybreath ingstops My breathing stops

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WARNING!: 5 Mister Editor (a letter arrived at the editorial office): 6 I: 7 Dedication: 10 The Adventures of Hon Hyn: 11 Happenings from Wodania: 23 II: 26 About patriotism: 28 The royal feast: 29 The press: 30 Post Office: 31 The State control: 32 Non-values’ Epoch: 36 Pluralism: 43 A leader not like anyone else: 45 Invisible barriers: 46 The graduates’ allocation: 49 The lunatic asylum: 50 The abolishing of the difference between man and animal: 56 III: 59 The Earthquake: 60 Modern gallinacean: 62 The crop of pea: 63 The peasantry: 64 The intellectuality: 66 A little meditation does not hurt: 67 The Fonfoist Party: 69 An unsafe life was provided to us: 70 A certain kind of speech: 72 The Fonfoist Society: 83 “We will live here in abundance”: 87 The multilateral development of personality: 93 The Police and the Revolution: 95 Imposing buildings of prisons: 97 Football: 99 Public genuflection: 100 The contemporary history: 102 Hon Hyn’s visit to Paris: 103 The National Museum: 104 The Management of the Economical Systems: 105 A few notions of psychology: 106 (editor’s note): 109 The wise po...

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Come and hear the strange tail of The Boss Hank Morgan, a modern day (at the time of publication) Connecticut Yankee who inexplicably finds himself transported to the court of the legendary King Arthur (as the title of the book implies). Hank, or simply, The Boss, as he comes to be most frequently known, quickly uses his modern day knowledge and education to pass himself off as a great magician, to get himself out of all sorts of surprising, (and frequently amusing) situations, as well as to advance the technological and cultural status of the nation in which he finds himself. In the rather un-subtle sub-text of the story, Twain uses The Boss to express a surprisingly pragmatic and frequently contradictory philosophy. The Boss explores the relative merits of Democracy, and Monarchy, he expresses his views on the “Nature v. Nurture” debate, he frequently speaks forcefully against an established Church, but just as strongly advocates for religion and a variety of churches (just not a compulsory one) and he devotes at least one afternoon to introducing his companions to the concept of inflation. In a far more subtle, yet no less forcef...

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Adventure, Fantasy, Satire