From the author of Storm, a breathtaking novel about a raging fire and the path of destruction and change it leaves in its wake. Spitcat, a raging forest fire in the Sierra Nevada of California, had a lifespan of merely eleven days, "yet its effects could be reckoned ahead in centuries." So writes George R. Stewart in this engrossing novel of a fire started by lightning in the dry heat of September, and fanned out of control by unexpected winds. The book begins with the origins of the fire--smoldering quietly at first, unnoticed, then suddenly bursting into a terrifying inferno, devouring trees and animals over acre after acre and leaving nothing but desolation in its wake. Firefighters and lookouts, forest rangers and smokejumpers—as well as animals in the forest, many of them the bewildered victims of the blaze, and all the varied trees and bushes there—are characters of this realistic story.

Stephen Pyne has been described as having a consciousness "composed of equal parts historian, ecologist, philosopher, critic, poet, and sociologist." At this time in history when many people are trying to understand their true relationship with the natural environment, this book offers a remarkable contribution--breathtaking in the scope of its research and exhilarating to read. Pyne takes the reader on a journey through time, exploring the terrain of Europe and the uses and abuses of its lands as well as, through migration and conquest, many parts of the rest of the world. Whether he is discussing the Mediterranean region, Russia, Scandinavia, the British Isles, central Europe, or colonized islands; whether he is considering the impact of agriculture, forestry, or Enlightenment thinking, the author brings an unmatched insight to his subject. Vestal Fire takes its title from Vesta, Roman goddess of the hearth and keeper of the sacred fire on Mount Olympus. But the book's title also suggests the strengths and limitations of Europe's peculiar conception of fire, and through fire, of its relationship to nature. Between the untamed fire of the wilderness and the tended fire of the hearth lies a never-ending dialectic in which human beings struggle to control natural forces and processes that in fact can sometimes be directed but never wholly dominated or contained.

Students will be introduced to the science of physics, and its applications to everyday life, in this volume. Tracing its development from antiquity to the present, the author examines all aspects of physics including motion, work, energy, heat, matter, light, and electricity. Quantum & Nuclear physics are also included. The chapter with instructions for experiments in physics will assist students in projects for science fairs, and the chapter on physics as a career will help students to explore the various options for working in this field of science. A glossary, conversion table, and list of the Nobel Prize Winners in Physics will provide the additional tools necessary for students.

As the first Demon Sovereign in the history of the demon beast world, he would go for the heavenly tribulation, and as long as he endured the ninth heavenly tribulation, he would ascend to the legendary Demon Ancestor. Unfortunately, standing on the flying platform, he had acted too arrogantly. His luck was poor when he encountered the talking Nine Layered Heavens, and he was chased for ninety-one days and eighty-one days before being chopped into an immortal demon essence. From then on, he was at odds with the Nine-Layered Heavens. He swore that he would find a suitable carrier and return to life. He would shatter this Nine-Layered Heavens and recover his lost face!

The Fairy Chang'e's dance hurt her waist. Xiao Bao, give me a massage. The Seven Fairies' stomachs are hurting. Xiao Bao, I want you to massage it for me. The intern Niu Xiaobao suffered a car accident and died with grievances. His soul was brought to the Heavenly Court and was rewarded by the Jade Emperor.