Myth Conceptions

When Aahz--a demon who's lost his powers--helps Skeeve become Court Magician for the king, it looks like the perfect job for Skeeve to continue his training. Instead, they have to defend the kingdom from the mightiest army in the world. There's only one problem: if they win, they'll be executed, and if they lose they'll be killed.

THE SCENARIO Skeeve, the apprentice masquerading as court magician in Possiltum Aahz, a clapped-out demon Gleep, a dragon of very little brain THE PROBLEM One invading army marching steadily on Possiltum THE PROBABLE OUTCOME Either Skeeve, whose magic isn't up to much, won't be able to stop it. Result, instant death. Or Aahz will pull a rabbit out of the hat and repel the hairy invader. Result, instant execution.

Presents a collection of facts and discovers about some of science's greatest myths.

A magician's apprentice teams up with the demon Aahz and experiences a variety of adventures with many strange, other-worldy characters.

Twin Mythconceptions: False Beliefs, Fables, and Facts about Twins sheds new light on over 70 commonly held ideas and beliefs about the origins and development of identical and fraternal twins. Using the latest scientific findings from psychology, psychiatry, biology, and education, the book separates fact from fiction. Each idea about twins is described, followed by both a short answer about the truth, and then a longer, more detailed explanation. Coverage includes embryology of twins, twin types, intellectual growth, personality traits, sexual orientation of twins, marital relationships, epigenetic analyses, and more. Five appendices cover selected topics in greater depth, such as the frequency of different twin types and the varieties of polar body twin pairs. This book will inform and entertain behavioral and life science researchers, health professionals, twins, parents of twins, and anyone interested in the fascinating topic of twins. Identifies common misunderstandings about twins Provides scientific answers to questions about twins Encompasses the biology, psychology, genetics, and personality of twins Includes discussion of identical, fraternal same-sex, and fraternal opposite-sex twins Allows for quick answers to common questions and more detailed explanations

An accessible introduction to the complex topic of Myth. Ellwood examines theories, meanings and interpretations, all of which are structured around a typical programme of study.

The Meritocracy Myth challenges the widely held American belief in meritocracyOCothat people get out of the system what they put into it based on individual merit. Fully revised and updated throughout, the second edition includes compelling new case studies, such as the impact of social and cultural capital in the cases of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and new material on current topics such as the impact of the financial and credit crisis, intergenerational mobility, and the impact of racism and sexism. The Meritocracy Myth examines talent, attitude, work ethic, and character as elements of merit and evaluates the effect of non-merit factors such as social status, race, heritage, and wealth on meritocracy. A compelling book on an often-overlooked topic, first edition was highly regarded and proved a useful examination of this classic American ideal.