From the author of Leave of Absence comes another compelling tale of the human psyche. A brilliant and talented man crippled by extreme anxiety and panic attacks, Brian has carefully crafted his world so that his interactions with others are severely limited. Although incapable of changing his situation, he discovers that, somehow, he is the only person seven-year-old Abigail can trust. Having bounced from one foster home to another, she has unexpectedly come to live with a childless uncle and aunt she has never known. For very different reasons, both Brian and Abigail are trapped in emotionally and socially isolated lives. Can they learn from each other?

Teaching in a Nutshell

The thing I hated most about working for the government, any government, they all seemed to think alike, was that then they invariably thought that they owned you. Patriotism, duty and all those other words that meant they thought they were entitled to what was yours. All meaningless trite to a world-less vagabond like myself. My ship was my home and I needed no other."They're waiting for a response, Captain!" Tanya Serensen said, my strong First and the meanest bitch I have ever met.The war was over. We were, had been, part of the Federation forces which had unsuccessfully attempted to unify the four hundred and seventy-two known human worlds. We had been smashed ruthlessly, to put mildly what had been a lost cause from the beginning. I had been paid handsomely with trade goods and supplies; semi-precious metals and fuel rods, to be exact, plus I'd brought my ship, Last Chance, and my crew through without a scratch. So I had not complained when everyone started signing peace treaties.The problem began when I informed my erstwhile employers that with hostilities ended, so too were my obligations. I had fulfilled to the letter our contract. I owed them nothing more. They had not agreed.There were now three of my former allies, positioned in attack formation outside Last Chance's hull. Not only did they not feel as if I had not completely fulfilled my end of the bargain, but I was getting the distinct impression they would not be satisfied until they had added Last Chance herself to their now depleted arsenal. I guess they felt, that with all the losses they had suffered, that Last Chance would be a welcome addition to their much depleted Navy. I guess they hadn't quite learned their lesson about attempting to force their wills on unwilling subjects. Some people are simply incapable of understanding. Especially people in positions of power, like governments, for example."You bastards!" I snarled. I should have known these ungrateful hypocrites would try to back stab me, especially now that every planet was a law unto itself, only answerable to itself, and they angry at the defeat they had suffered. They were quick at jumping on the bandwagon of self governance, now that no unifying government held sway. That was for sure."Is that your response?" Tanya asked, no inflection in her voice."No!" I snapped. The crazy bitch would repeat it too, if I didn't specifically say no! A first impression of Tanya Serensen would never give you the insightful depth that existed behind her innocent appearing, stunningly beautiful face. Blond hair, blue eyes, body and face of a love goddess, barely fifty kilos soaking wet, but as vicious as a Tarnian Bola Raptor when angered, and if you've ever been to Tarnia you know there is no living creature meaner nor better able to defend itself. That's my Tanya, in a nutshell. A very tough, unbreakable nutcase."What are we going to do?" Demanded David Bren, my Science Engineer, when I didn't immediately make a decision. Bren is a mathematical genius and quite able to compute our odds, no matter which decision I ultimately made, whether we fought or fled, against the three Class Four Katon Destroyers which were arrayed around us in a roughly triangular formation. Not that it took a mathematical genius to figure these odds. We were fucked, and that was the long and the short of it! To fight would be bad. To flee, worse. To surrender, the worst! They weren't going to let us survive to go running around telling anyone who would listen how we had been robbed by the honest, law abiding Katons. They had...

A succinct yet comprehensive reference tool for cardiac surgery nurses, this new addition to the Fast Facts series provides quick access to frequently used information regarding the care of cardiac surgery patients. It encompasses the timeline from pre-op to recovery period, with a special focus on the prevention and management of commonly seen post-op complications. The book addresses surgical treatments for coronary artery disease, valve disease, descending aortic aneurysms, and congenital heart disease in adults, and covers patient presentation and diagnostic tests, immediate and extended post-operative period care, cardiac rehabilitation programs, and patient education. Intended for daily use, this reference not only contains important guidelines for all nurses caring for cardiac surgery patients, but reinforces highly specialized skills and supports the development of new skills. It will be highly valuable to new graduates and nurses who are considering a switch to cardiac care, as well as seasoned practitioners. Key Features: Provides a handy pocket reference for new and experienced cardiac care nurses Clearly organized for easy reference to equipment, procedures, and pre- and post-op specialty care Includes ìFast Facts in a Nutshellî feature to help guide the new nurse Pays special attention to the differences between CHD and manifestations of other heart disease states Pinpoints sensitive nursing indicators and ways to improve patient care

First as a doe-eyed ingénue with “As Tears Go By,” then as a gravel-voiced phoenix rising from the ashes of the 1960s with a landmark punk album, Broken English, and finally as a genre-less icon, Marianne Faithfull carved her name into the history of rock ’n’ roll to chart a career spanning five decades and multiple detours. In Why Marianne Faithfull Matters, Tanya Pearson crafts a feminist account that explains the musician’s absence from the male-dominated history of the British Invasion and champions the eclectic late career that confirmed her redemption. Putting memoir on equal footing with biographical history, Pearson writes about Faithfull as an avid fan, recovered addict, and queer musician at a crossroads. She’s also a professional historian unafraid to break from the expectations of the discipline if a “titty-centered analysis” or astrology can illuminate the work of her subject. Whether exploring Faithfull’s rise to celebrity, her drug addiction and fall from grace as spurned “muse,” or her reinvention as a sober, soulful chanteuse subverting all expectations for an aging woman in music, Pearson affirms the deep connections between listeners and creators and reveals, in her own particular way, why Marianne Faithfull matters.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “suspenseful, dazzlingly clever and gravely profound” (The Washington Post) novel that brilliantly recasts Shakespeare and lends new weight to the age-old question of Hamlet's hesitation, from the Booker Prize winner and bestselling author of Atonement. Trudy has been unfaithful to her husband, John. What’s more, she has kicked him out of their marital home, a valuable old London town house, and in his place is his own brother, the profoundly banal Claude. The illicit couple have hatched a scheme to rid themselves of her inconvenient husband forever. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb. As Trudy’s unborn son listens, bound within her body, to his mother and his uncle’s murderous plans, he gives us a truly new perspective on our world, seen from the confines of his. Don’t miss Ian McEwan’s new novel, Lessons, coming in September!