Shadows Beyond - The Maestro's Enigma


Book Description

Shadows Beyond: The Maestro's Enigma" beckons readers into a clandestine odyssey where shadows conceal secrets, and The Maestro orchestrates an enigma. Naman Dwivedi's debut work is a riveting journey through suspense, mystery, and psychological intrigue. As the narrative unfolds, the protagonist navigates an intricate web, unraveling the complexities of justice and morality. The enigmatic Maestro's influence permeates every page, creating a rich tapestry of emotions and revelations. This is a compelling exploration of the covert world, promising readers an immersive experience that lingers beyond the shadows.




Maestro of Solitude


Book Description

Highlighting work from the 1990s into the new millennium, Robert Bonazzi's fifth book of poems--his first in 20 years--draws upon the slow-gathering wisdom of late middle age. These poems are dialogues between the clockwork of ego and timeless solitude and between earthly intimacy and the death of loved ones; lucid discourses on global politics and besieged communities; and witty takes on poetics and the arts. Often considered one of the unsung heroes of modern American poetry, Bonazzi has elicited praise from such contemporaries as Mark Van Doren, Thomas Merton, Guy Davenport, Robert Peters, and Naomi Shihab Nye.




From Russia with Blood


Book Description

The untold story of how Russia refined the art and science of targeted assassination abroad: “A compelling rendering of Putin’s frightening extensions of power into Europe and the United States” (Associated Press). They thought they had found a safe haven in the green hills of England. They were wrong. One by one, the Russian oligarchs, dissidents, and gangsters who fled to Britain after Vladimir Putin came to power dropped dead in strange or suspicious circumstances. One by one, their British lawyers and fixers met similarly grisly ends. Yet, one by one, the British authorities shut down every investigation — and carried on courting the Kremlin. The spies in the riverside headquarters of MI6 looked on with horror as the scope of the Kremlin's global killing campaign became all too clear. And, across the Atlantic, American intelligence officials watched with mounting alarm as the bodies piled up, concerned that the tide of death could spread to the United States. Those fears intensified when a one-time Kremlin henchman was found bludgeoned to death in a Washington, D.C. penthouse. But it wasn't until Putin's assassins unleashed a deadly chemical weapon on the streets of Britain, endangering hundreds of members of the public in a failed attempt to slay the double agent Sergei Skripal, that Western governments were finally forced to admit that the killing had spun out of control. Unflinchingly documenting the growing web of death on British and American soil, Heidi Blake bravely exposes the Kremlin's assassination campaign as part of Putin's ruthless pursuit of global dominance — and reveals why Western governments have failed to stop the bloodshed. The unforgettable story that emerges whisks us from London's high-end night clubs to Miami's million-dollar hideouts ultimately renders a bone-chilling portrait of money, betrayal, and murder, written with the pace and propulsive power of a thriller. Based on a vast trove of unpublished documents, bags of discarded police evidence, and interviews with hundreds of insiders, this heart-stopping international investigation uncovers one of the most important — and terrifying — geopolitical stories of our time.




Smile


Book Description

From the author of the Booker Prize winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, a bold, haunting novel about the uncertainty of memory and how we contend with the past. "It's his bravest novel yet; it's also, by far, his best." -- npr.org “The closest thing he’s written to a psychological thriller."– The New York Times Book Review Just moved into a new apartment, alone for the first time in years, Victor Forde goes every evening to Donnelly’s for a pint, a slow one. One evening his drink is interrupted. A man in shorts and a pink shirt comes over and sits down. He seems to know Victor’s name and to remember him from secondary school. His name is Fitzpatrick. Victor dislikes him on sight, dislikes, too, the memories that Fitzpatrick stirs up of five years being taught by the Christian Brothers. He prompts other memories—of Rachel, his beautiful wife who became a celebrity, and of Victor’s own small claim to fame, as the man who would say the unsayable on the radio. But it’s the memories of school, and of one particular brother, that Victor cannot control and which eventually threaten to destroy his sanity. Smile has all the features for which Roddy Doyle has become famous: the razor-sharp dialogue, the humor, the superb evocation of adolescence, but this is a novel unlike any he has written before. When you finish the last page you will have been challenged to reevaluate everything you think you remember so clearly.




The Paris Enigma


Book Description

In the tradition of Caleb Carr’s The Alienist and Eric Larsen’s The Devil in the White City comes The Paris Enigma, a gripping tale of murder and the art of crime solving. Written in a strikingly original voice, and poignantly evoking a world about to lose its innocence forever, The Paris Enigma features two detectives who find themselves in a race against time around glorious fin de siècle Paris, encountering all manner of secret societies and solving philosophical puzzles, while also trying to save a dangerously beautiful woman.




Intelligent Fitness


Book Description

Part fitness manual, part wellbeing guide, 007's trainer Simon Waterson shares his vast experience of turning actors into athletes in this inspiring and highly practical book for anyone looking to improve their energy and body confidence.




Between Two Fires


Book Description

WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE • NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • “Unforgettable . . . a book about Putin’s Russia that is unlike any other.”—Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain From a Moscow correspondent for The New Yorker, a groundbreaking portrait of modern Russia and the inner struggles of the people who sustain Vladimir Putin’s rule ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—NPR, Kirkus Reviews In this rich and novelistic tour of contemporary Russia, Joshua Yaffa introduces readers to some of the country’s most remarkable figures—from politicians and entrepreneurs to artists and historians—who have built their careers and constructed their identities in the shadow of the Putin system. Torn between their own ambitions and the omnipresent demands of the state, each walks an individual path of compromise. Some muster cunning and cynicism to extract all manner of benefits and privileges from those in power. Others, finding themselves to be less adept, are left broken and demoralized. What binds them together is the tangled web of dilemmas and contradictions they face. Between Two Fires chronicles the lives of a number of strivers who understand that their dreams are best—or only—realized through varying degrees of cooperation with the Russian government. With sensitivity and depth, Yaffa profiles the director of the country’s main television channel, an Orthodox priest at war with the church hierarchy, a Chechen humanitarian who turns a blind eye to persecutions, and many others. The result is an intimate and probing portrait of a nation that is much discussed yet little understood. By showing how citizens shape their lives around the demands of a capricious and frequently repressive state—as often by choice as under threat of force—Yaffa offers urgent lessons about the true nature of modern authoritarianism. Praise for Between Two Fires “A deep and revealing portrait of life inside Vladimir Putin’s Russia. . . . Yaffa mines a rich vein, describing his subjects’ moral compromises and often ingenious ways of engaging a crooked bureaucracy to show how the Kremlin sustains its authoritarianism.”—The New York Times Book Review “Few journalists have penetrated so deep and with so much nuance into the moral ambiguities of Russia. If you want insight into the deeper distortions the Kremlin causes in people’s psyches this book is invaluable.”—Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible “A stunning chronicle of Putin’s new Russia . . . It celebrates the vitality of the Russian people even as it explores the compromises and accommodations that they must make. . . . This embrace of contradictions is what makes Between Two Fires such a poignant and poetic book.”—Alex Gibney, Air Mail




Composing for the Cinema


Book Description

With nearly 400 scores to his credit, Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific and influential film composers working today. He has collaborated with many significant directors, and his scores for such films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Once Upon a Time in America; Days of Heaven; The Mission; The Untouchables; Malèna; and Cinema Paradiso leave moviegoers with the conviction that something special was achieved—a conviction shared by composers, scholars, and fans alike. In Composing for the Cinema: The Theory and Praxis of Music in Film, Morricone and musicologist Sergio Miceli present a series of lectures on the composition and analysis of film music. Adapted from several lectures and seminars, these lessons show how sound design can be analyzed and offer a variety of musical solutions to many different kinds of film. Though aimed at composers, Morricone’s expositions are easy to understand and fascinating even to those without any musical training. Drawing upon scores by himself and others, the composer also provides insight into his relationships with many of the directors with whom he has collaborated, including Sergio Leone, Giuseppe Tornatore, Franco Zeffirelli, Warren Beatty, Ridley Scott, Roland Joffé, the Taviani Brothers, and others. Translated and edited by Gillian B. Anderson, an orchestral conductor and musicologist, these lessons reveal Morricone’s passion about musical expression. Delivered in a conversational mode that is both comprehensible and interesting, this groundbreaking work intertwines analysis with practical details of film music composition. Aimed at a wide audience of composers, musicians, film historians, and fans, Composing for the Cinema contains a treasure trove of practical information and observations from a distinguished musicologist and one of the most accomplished composers on the international film scene.




Malware Science


Book Description

Unlock the secrets of malware data science with cutting-edge techniques, AI-driven analysis, and international compliance standards to stay ahead of the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape Key Features Get introduced to three primary AI tactics used in malware and detection Leverage data science tools to combat critical cyber threats Understand regulatory requirements for using AI in cyber threat management Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionIn today's world full of online threats, the complexity of harmful software presents a significant challenge for detection and analysis. This insightful guide will teach you how to apply the principles of data science to online security, acting as both an educational resource and a practical manual for everyday use. Malware Science starts by explaining the nuances of malware, from its lifecycle to its technological aspects before introducing you to the capabilities of data science in malware detection by leveraging machine learning, statistical analytics, and social network analysis. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll explore the analytical methods of reverse engineering, machine language, dynamic scrutiny, and behavioral assessments of malicious software. You’ll also develop an understanding of the evolving cybersecurity compliance landscape with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, and gain insights into the global efforts in curbing cyber threats. By the end of this book, you’ll have a firm grasp on the modern malware lifecycle and how you can employ data science within cybersecurity to ward off new and evolving threats.What you will learn Understand the science behind malware data and its management lifecycle Explore anomaly detection with signature and heuristics-based methods Analyze data to uncover relationships between data points and create a network graph Discover methods for reverse engineering and analyzing malware Use ML, advanced analytics, and data mining in malware data analysis and detection Explore practical insights and the future state of AI’s use for malware data science Understand how NLP AI employs algorithms to analyze text for malware detection Who this book is for This book is for cybersecurity experts keen on adopting data-driven defense methods. Data scientists will learn how to apply their skill set to address critical security issues, and compliance officers navigating global regulations like GDPR and CCPA will gain indispensable insights. Academic researchers exploring the intersection of data science and cybersecurity, IT decision-makers overseeing organizational strategy, and tech enthusiasts eager to understand modern cybersecurity will also find plenty of useful information in this guide. A basic understanding of cybersecurity and information technology is a prerequisite.




Shreveport Chronicles


Book Description

Here are heroes and scoundrels, businessmen and religious leaders, artists and soldiers, pioneers and plantersas well as a number of stories that are ironic, bizarre or simply curious. In this newest collection of his popular columns, Eric J. Brock portrays Shreveports historical pageant through the lives of a cross section of truly fascinating characters. From the enigmatic mayor Robert Nathaniel Wood to forgotten beauty queen Janet Currie, Brock sketches the men and womenboth ordinary and extraordinarywho shaped the course of Shreveport history. These biographical vignettes, originally printed in the Shreveport Times and the Forum News Magazine, are a must-read for any native or resident of northwest Louisiana.