Goombata

The Eloquence of Effort echoes the merits of conscientious toil. It provides an insightful look into the benefits of sustained socio-economic effort. To convincingly argue that dreams are only achievable through mind-numbing toil, the writer draws heavily from biographical, philosophical, economic, religious, historical and scientific data. Work is the mission; the multiple rewards are the byproducts, he argues. Moreover, the pleasure resides in the effort, not the results. Against the dark backdrop of malignancies inflicted on society by unrepentant leeches, the benefit of conscientious work is sharply focused. The reader is imperceptibly nudged into a higher plane of reality: namely, purposeful effort, regardless of its nature, is supremely rewarding. The writer forces the realization that regardless of the outcome, effort is never wasted. Conversely, indolence is the bane of progress and the root cause of economic crimes. Indeed, corruption in all its diabolical forms is nothing but laziness masquerading as diligence and embraced by vacuous minds craving the most for the least. Analysis of biographical data sustains the thesis that industry prolongs life; inaction truncates it – a finding supported by the second Law of Thermodynamics. The persuasiveness of the arguments is supported by a wealth of references. Together they form the final authority; they have given resonance to the arguments contained herein.

All eleven volumes of Chopper's original memoirs ... unchopped Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read is Australia's most famous standover man and one of its most prolific authors. Now, for the very first time, all eleven volumes of Chopper's memoirs are together in this special collector's edition. From his criminal youth to his time in prison to his life as a reformed man, the entire journey is here. This omnibus edition contains the following complete and unabridged books: From the Inside: Chopper 1 Hits and Memories: Chopper 2 How to Shoot Friends and Influence People: Chopper 3 For the Term of His Unnatural Life: Chopper 4 Pulp Faction: Chopper 5 No Tears for a Tough Guy: Chopper 6 The Singing Defective: Chopper 7 The Sicilian Defence: Chopper 8 The Final Cut: Chopper 9 The Popcorn Gangster: Chopper 10.5 Last Man Standing: Chopper 11 Chopper is an icon in popular Australian culture and in the criminal underworld. Find out why in Chopper's own words.

This is the story of the Boomer Generation and what it was like growing up during the 1960s, arguably the most exciting and momentous time in our nation’s history. Over 77 million Baby Boomers witnessed the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war, the moon landing, Vietnam, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the sexual revolution and so much more! Whether it was school air raid drills, a first kiss, surfing escapades, Italian Sunday dinners, Christmas Eve celebrations, visits to Brooklyn relatives, cross-country trips, high school proms, part-time jobs, college applications, sexual encounters, or family funerals, we all went through some variation of these adolescent experiences, all delightfully described in Baby Boomer Rewind in a series of entertaining stories. There will never be another Woodstock, nor another Beatles. The author recounts these and other memorable events as well as his personal experiences growing up in the 1960s with amusing stories that reveal what life was like in those amazing times, and how different life was then from now.

'Gangsters come and gangsters go but lawyers last forever.' The Sicilian Defence, Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read's eighth book, continues the story of Australia's bestselling former convict. Chopper's intimate knowledge of Australia's most dangerous criminals and their crimes presents readers with a dark, disturbing look at the country's underbelly. The Sicilian Defence takes readers through the nature and history of crime, justice and punishment in Australia, written in Chopper's own unique style. Featuring 'The Apple Cucumber', 'Bye Bye American Lie' and 'The Pain in Spain', The Sicilian Defence is another fantastic series of tales from one of Australia's funniest and toughest writers.

This book is about the way that popular film brings to a "sayable" level that which haunts us in the media headlines.

Presents extended reviews of noteworthy books, short reviews, essays and articles on topics and trends in publishing, literature, culture and the arts. Includes lists of best sellers (hardcover and paperback).

Now featuring never-before-seen material, the “brilliantly realized” (The New York Times Book Review) breakthrough novel from visionary author Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators Hiro lives in a Los Angeles where franchises line the freeway as far as the eye can see. The only relief from the sea of logos is within the autonomous city-states, where law-abiding citizens don’t dare leave their mansions. Hiro delivers pizza to the mansions for a living, defending his pies from marauders when necessary with a matched set of samurai swords. His home is a shared 20 X 30 U-Stor-It. He spends most of his time goggled in to the Metaverse, where his avatar is legendary. But in the club known as The Black Sun, his fellow hackers are being felled by a weird new drug called Snow Crash that reduces them to nothing more than a jittering cloud of bad digital karma (and IRL, a vegetative state). Investigating the Infocalypse leads Hiro all the way back to the beginning of language itself, with roots in an ancient Sumerian priesthood. He’ll be joined by Y.T., a fearless teenaged skateboard courier. Together, they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination.

"In Laura Resnick's Doppelgangster, the New York actress is 'resting' between roles by working as a singing waitress at a Manhattan mob restaurant because wiseguys tip well. Then duplicated gangsters appear, bullets start flying, and it's up to Esther and her friend Max the Magician to fight Evil by stopping the gang war before it starts killing the wrong people. And if she has time, maybe Esther can actually keep a hot date with her hunky detective friend Lopez, who doesn't believe in magic. Yet. Unplug the phone and settle down for a fast and funny read." —New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney Doppelgangster is the exciting second novel of the Esther Diamond series.