Lion Man

In an era when even the finest rugby coaches have a drastically short shelf-life, Ian McGeechan's longevity and adaptability is staggering. In his 20 years at the highest level of the game he has been at the centre of almost every major story in UK rugby and has worked alongside some of the greatest rugby figures of the era. McGeechan began his career as a player -- winning more than thirty caps for Scotland and twice touring with the Lions. As coach to the Scottish national team, he led his country to a famous Grand Slam victory in the 1990 Five Nations tournament. Continued success in management earned him an appointment as head coach to the Lions on four separate occasions, more than any other, and he will again take charge on their 2009 tour to South Africa. Most recently, as coach of Wasps, McGeechan has guided the team to complete dominance in the club game. Now, in this frank and engaging memoir, Ian McGeechan shares his unrivalled insight into the triumphs and tribulations of British rugby and of the progress of the sport over the past two decades. Lion Manoffers a unique glimpse into the past, present and future of British rugby from one of the most influential figures in the history of the sport.

A great safari had come to Africa to make a movie. It had struggled across the veldt and through the jungle now it was halted, almost destroyed by the poisoned arrows of the savage Bansuto tribe, ahead of them many perils and behind them came Tarzan and the Golden Lion, seeking the man who might have been his twin brother in looks -- though hardly in courage!

Using everyday items found in most homes, aspiring young magicians can dazzle friends and family with this best-selling kid's guide to performing magic tricks. With the help of this book, young magicians can magically make things appear and disappear, make rubber bands seem to go through fingers, and make ghostly names appear on water tumblers. There are eight fun categories of magic ranging from All Wet to Amazingly Mysterious. Of course, there's Pick-A-Card--Any Card! Each activity includes step- by- step directions complete with hundreds of delightful illustrations. Each trick is followed by an explanation of the scientific or mathematic principles that make it work.

Our Dance Across the Plains takes place in an altered reality of a crow and friends. This satirical story accompanies them as they journey on their paths in life through trials and tribulations faced along the way. Set around the turn into the second millennium, this movement of stories features common themes of justice, fair play and harmony on planet Earth told from light-hearted perspectives.

Spell-binding, horrific, poetic, apocalyptic, heart-rending, disturbing, prophetic, seditious, compelling and utterly fascinating - the dreams of Lucrecia de Leon have lain virtually undisturbed in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition for more than four hundred years. Lucrecia was a nineteen-year-old Madrilena when, in 1587, her dreams began to be recorded and published by a disaffected group of clerics. Over the next three years they transcribed four hundred of Lucrecia's dreams which they considered to be messages from God. The dreams warned of the defeat of the Armada, of the death of King Philip II, of the fall of Spain and of a new beginning under a new king - all told in bold and highly original visions. As some of her prophecies came true and as the Spanish court grew more discontented, she fell foul of the authorities and was arrested by the Holy Order. The Dreamer of the Calle de San Salvador produces thirty-five of Lucrecia's most captivating dreams. The imagery and inventiveness of her visions are astonishing, while the stories that they tell are compelling and of immense historical significance. Roger Osborne weaves a commentary around each dream, which allows us to see the world through the eyes of Lucrecia and helps us to understand the nature of her visions and the time and place she inhabited. This pioneering work shows us what history is like seen from the inside out.