Trick Or Truth

The prize-winning essays in this book address the fascinating but sometimes uncomfortable relationship between physics and mathematics. Is mathematics merely another natural science? Or is it the result of human creativity? Does physics simply wear mathematics like a costume, or is math the lifeblood of physical reality? The nineteen wide-ranging, highly imaginative and often entertaining essays are enhanced versions of the prize-winning entries to the FQXi essay competition “Trick or Truth”, which attracted over 200 submissions. The Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.

Remember when one of your friends sneaked up behind you when you weren't looking and yelled, "Boo!" You nearly jumped out of your skin! For just a moment you were scared. Then you laughed when you saw who it was. It was just a trick to scare you! But when Halloween first started a long time ago, the truth is that lots of people were really afraid of ghosts and the devil. They believed scary creatures were roaming around on Halloween night who could hurt them. Are you ever afraid of things? Sometimes I am. And when I am, I remember that Jesus told his friends not to be afraid because he is stronger than anything in the whole wide world (John 16:33). The Bible, God's special book to us, says that Jesus is God's Son who came to earth to live. He never did anything wrong. But Jesus knew that you and I had done wrong things that God his Father would have to punish. Those wrong things are called "sins." Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to die on a cross and take the punishment for our sins! That made it possible for God to forgive us because Jesus died for us. The Bible says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son [to come to earth to die], that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). You don't have to be afraid anymore. Jesus didn't stay dead. Three days later he came back to life! That proves that he is stronger than death or anything else that you may be afraid of. Jesus can help you learn how to please God, and someday he wants you to come to live with him forever in heaven. Would you like for Jesus to forgive your sins and give you eternal life? If you believe that he died for you and came back to life, you can tell him in words like these: Dear Jesus, I know that I have done wrong things that you had to die for. I believe that when you died you were being punished for my sins. I want your forgiveness. Thank you for coming to take my place so I can learn to please you now and live forever in heaven with you someday! When you know Jesus, you don't have to be afraid of bad and scary things around you. Jesus made this promise to all who believe in him: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). And that's the truth!

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. Not a speck, not a stain on her gray school skirt and blue blouse to show what terrible thing had happened . . . If only by putting on something fresh and new, they could begin the day again. When twelve-year-old Sade's mother is killed, she and her little brother Femi are forced to flee from their home in Nigeria to Britain. They're not allowed to tell anyone - not even their best friends - as their whole journey is secret, dangerous - and illegal. Their dad promises to follow when he can, but once the children arrive in London, things go from bad to worse when they're abandoned by the people they had been told would protect them. Sade faces challenge after challenge - but her dad has always taught her to stand up for what is right, and to tell the truth no matter what. And with that strength of spirit in her heart, Sade will find the courage to fight for the new, happy life she, Femi and her dad deserve. A powerful novel which explores what it means to be classified as 'illegal' and the difficulties which come with being a refugee - winner of the Carnegie Medal 2000. 'A marvellous read ... that refuels the desire for justice and freedom' - Jon Snow 'Beverley Naidoo breaks the rules, producing books for young people which recognize that they want to know about the real world' Guardian 'This novel wholly deserves its classic status . . . still relevant and poignant.' Booktrust

Welcome to the world of alternative medicine. Prince Charles is a staunch defender and millions of people swear by it; most UK doctors consider it to be little more than superstition and a waste of money. But how do you know which treatments really heal and which are potentially harmful? Now at last you can find out, thanks to the formidable partnership of Professor Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh. Edzard Ernst is the world's first professor of complementary medicine, based at Exeter University, where he has spent over a decade analysing meticulously the evidence for and against alternative therapies.He is supported in his findings by Simon Singh, the well-known and highly respected science writer of several international bestsellers. Together they have written the definitive book on the subject. It is honest, impartial but hard-hitting, and provides a thorough examination and judgement of more than thirty of the most popular treatments, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.In Trick or Treatment? the ultimate verdict on alternative medicine is delivered for the first time with clarity, scientific rigour and absolute authority.

Why do you believe what you believe? You’ve been lied to. Probably a lot. We’re always stunned when we realize we’ve been deceived. We can’t believe we were fooled: What was I thinking? How could I have believed that? We always wonder why we believed the lie. But have you ever wondered why you believe the truth? People tell you the truth all the time, and you believe them; and if, at some later point, you’re confronted with evidence that the story you believed was indeed true, you never wonder why you believed it in the first place. In this incisive and insightful taxonomy of lies and liars, New York Times bestselling author Aja Raden makes the surprising claim that maybe you should. Buttressed by history, psychology, and science, The Truth About Lies is both an eye-opening primer on con-artistry—from pyramid schemes to shell games, forgery to hoaxes—and also a telescopic view of society through the mechanics of belief: why we lie, why we believe, and how, if at all, the acts differ. Through wild tales of cons and marks, Raden examines not only how lies actually work, but also why they work, from the evolutionary function of deception to what it reveals about our own. In her previous book, Stoned, Raden asked, “What makes a thing valuable?” In The Truth About Lies, she asks “What makes a thing real?” With cutting wit and a deft touch, Raden untangles the relationship of truth to lie, belief to faith, and deception to propaganda. The Truth About Lies will change everything you thought you knew about what you know, and whether you ever really know it.

Cici has a lot to figure out. She's learning how to make friends. She's learning how to be a better big sister. Oh, and she's learning how to use her fairy powers! Things look easy for Kendra, a popular girl at Cici's school. So when Cici finds Kendra's lost doll, she uses her magic to play a trick: change the doll, and Kendra changes too! It's only a joke—but the changes could last forever if Cici doesn't learn to see the best in people.

A New York Times Notable Crime Book and Favorite Cozy for 2011 A Publishers Weekly Best Mystery/Thriller books for 2011 With A Trick of the Light, Louise Penny takes us back to the deceptively peaceful village of Three Pines in this brilliant novel in her award-winning, New York Times bestselling series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. "Hearts are broken," Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. "Sweet relationships are dead." But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they've found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light. "Penny has been compared to Agatha Christie [but] it sells her short. Her characters are too rich, her grasp of nuance and human psychology too firm...." --Booklist (starred review)

All children lie. But when your child lies to you, it can feel like a personal betrayal. Backed by years of psychological research, this common-sense, practical guide reveals which parenting strategies promote truthfulness in children—and which ones don’t. Lying is a healthy and inevitable part of child development. But when do lies become a problem? In this book, psychologist Victoria Talwar, Director of the Talwar Child Development Lab at McGill University, presents practical, science-based strategies to address lying and foster truthfulness in children, from early childhood to the teenage years. Kids need to learn what honesty looks like in different social situations, and also how to tell the truth in ways that do not hurt others’ feelings—a complicated task! Parents and caregivers will learn how to use stories and examples to have proactive conversations with children about honesty, and how to model honest behavior for children. Talwar shows readers how to respond effectively when a child lies (as they inevitably will). Backed by years of psychological research, this common-sense, practical guide reveals which parenting strategies promote truthfulness in children—and which ones don’t.