A young girl is arguing with a cherry tree. That's a new one for Lily, who's managed to reach the end of her first year at high school without too much weirdness. Unfortunately for her, it's not long after solving this odd mystery that her untroubled life begins to unravel. Discovering an abandoned room at the end of the music department corridor, she finds that aside from it being utterly run-down, it's also devoid of its sole occupant: Sonata Sonoda, the missing journalism club president.

A new day comes with a new way to be woken up. On a warm summer's morning, a bicycle chime outside Lily's window plunges her into waking consciousness, followed by the scowl of a girl with twintailed hair. As the days grow steadily longer, she struggles to navigate the mountains which conspire to ruin her peaceful days. And yet her hardships only begin when she makes her way across the finishing line.

Features a wonderful question-and-answer format, addressing all of the basics and some advanced techniques too. Generously-sized photographs and illustrations clearly showcase every exciting procedure?including how to use basic and controlled washes; add detail to an image; and work in black and white.

Spring has come. Cherry blossoms bloom. And Saisei High School's first murder mystery begins. For Lily, the season of new beginnings is marked by an invitation to watch the theatre club's newest performance, but when a lighting malfunction threatens to spoil the show, she quickly discovers that true accidents so rarely seem to happen around her.

A beautifully simple guide to the relationship skills we all so deeply need, but most of us don’t know how to access. This book belongs firmly on the curriculum for creating a more peaceful world. Dr Scilla Elworthy, three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee This book is a tool box. Keep it close at hand and dip in often. Jim Carter OBE and Imelda Staunton CBE, actors Brilliant, easy to understand, and applies with equal force in personal and professional contexts. Sharif Shivji QC, barrister specialising in commercial law Why weren’t we taught this at school? introduces Needs Understanding, a fresh approach for finding creative solutions and building relationships at home and at work. It’s based on one simple idea: we’re all on a quest to meet our underlying human needs – such as belonging, knowing we matter, and fun. Whether you are trying to make a tricky decision, communicate more effectively, parent the way you want to, or make a difference in the world, Needs Understanding can help. Understand the ‘fingerprint needs’ that drive your behaviour Discover 10 ways you listen that alienate other people, and what to do instead Stop blaming yourself and others, and fix what’s going on underneath Find creative solutions to difficult problems by ‘walking around the mountain’ Empower yourself to change the world. Alice Sheldon is the creator of Needs Understanding and shares it globally with individuals and organizations. www.needs-understanding.com

A Tibetan monastic-turned-LAPD cop-turned private investigator lands his first big case in this riveting opening installment in a Buddhism-inspired mystery series “Don't ignore intuitive tickles lest they reappear as sledgehammers.” —The first rule of Ten Tenzing Norbu (“Ten” for short), an ex-monk and soon-to-be ex-cop, is a protagonist unique to our times. In The First Rule of Ten, we meet this spiritual warrior who is singularly equipped, if not occasionally ill-equipped, as he takes on his first case as a private investigator in Los Angeles. Growing up in a Tibetan Monastery, Ten dreamed of becoming a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. So when he was sent to Los Angeles to teach meditation, he joined the LAPD instead. But as the Buddha says, change is inevitable; and ten years later, everything is about to change—big-time—for Ten. One resignation from the police force, two bullet-wounds, three suspicious deaths, and a beautiful woman later, he quickly learns that whenever he breaks his first rule, mayhem follows. Set in the modern-day streets and canyons of Los Angeles, The First Rule of Ten is at turns humorous, insightful, and riveting-a gripping mystery as well as a reflective, character-driven story with intriguing life-lessons for us all.