A real-estate mogul's attempts to build a deluxe Hawaiian resort are undermined by the disappearance of guests, discovery of strange beasts capable of human speech, and volcanic eruptions, as vengeful gods bring their immortal rivalries into the modern world.

Whole World on Fire focuses on a technical riddle wrapped in an organizational mystery: How and why, for more than half a century, did the U.S. government fail to predict nuclear fire damage as it drew up plans to fight strategic nuclear war?U.S. bombing in World War II caused massive fire damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but later war plans took account only of damage from blast; they completely ignored damage from atomic firestorms. Recently a small group of researchers has shown that for modern nuclear weapons the destructiveness and lethality of nuclear mass fire often--and predictably--greatly exceeds that of nuclear blast. This has major implications for defense policy: the U.S. government has underestimated the damage caused by nuclear weapons, Lynn Eden finds, and built far more warheads, and far more destructive warheads, than it needed for the Pentagon's war-planning purposes. How could this have happened? The answer lies in how organizations frame the problems they try to solve. In a narrative grounded in organization theory, science and technology studies, and primary historical sources (including declassified documents and interviews), Eden explains how the U.S. Air Force's doctrine of precision bombing led to the development of very good predictions of nuclear blast--a significant achievement--but for many years to no development of organizational knowledge about nuclear fire. Expert communities outside the military reinforced this disparity in organizational capability to predict blast damage but not fire damage. Yet some innovation occurred, and predictions of fire damage were nearly incorporated into nuclear war planning in the early 1990s. The author explains how such a dramatic change almost happened, and why it did not. Whole World on Fire shows how well-funded and highly professional organizations, by focusing on what they do well and systematically excluding what they don't do well, may build a poor representation of the world--a self-reinforcing fallacy that can have serious consequences. In a sweeping conclusion, Eden shows the implications of the analysis for understanding such things as the sinking of the Titanic, the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the poor fireproofing in the World Trade Center.

A biography of the former Oregon governor. Covers McCall's early career, focusing on his plans for protecting Oregon's natural resources, and discusses McCall's 1954 campaign for Congress, his on- going quarrels with Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, GOP backroom deals aimed at ruining McCall's hopes of becoming governor, and McCall's deals with Oregon power broker Glenn Jackson. Contains bandw photos. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Raised to be fierce dragon slayers, two sisters end up on opposite sides of the impending war when one sister forms an unlikely, magical bond with a dragon in this standalone YA contemporary fantasy that's perfect for fans of Slayer and Sorcery of Thorns. Dani and Eden Rivera were both born to kill dragons, but the sisters couldn't be more different. For Dani, dragon slaying takes a back seat to normal high school life, while Eden prioritizes training above everything else. Yet they both agree on one thing: it's kill or be killed where dragons are concerned. Until Dani comes face-to-face with one and forges a rare and magical bond with him. As she gets to know Nox, she realizes that everything she thought she knew about dragons is wrong. With Dani lost to the dragons, Eden turns to mysterious and alluring sorcerers to help save her sister. Now on opposite sides of the conflict, each sister will do whatever it takes to save the other. But the two are playing with magic that is more dangerous than they know, and there is another, more powerful enemy waiting for them both in the shadows.

Geneticist Cassie Armstrong is determined to repair the damage her family has done to the paranormals, in particular, Dante, the first of the phoenixes, who has been haunting her dreams since childhood.

Paradise calls to Chase Wilcox. A man of science, escaping the destruction of his own personal world, he is drawn to the lush beauty of the island of Hawaii and the secrets it holds. Here he intends to immerse himself in his work . . . and somehow heal and forget. A research assistant, an artist, and a dancer, Nicole Ballard also hides a secret pain. Together on an important scientific project in the moist, verdant heart of a tropical wonderland, both she and Chase will be forced to confront their own lingering inner darkness. But in the shadows of Mount Kilauea, a passion that burns like fire will erupt, as unpredictable and dangerous as the living volcano, transforming the very landscape of their lives. A classic story of desire, hope, and dangerous destiny from the incomparable New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell

A reporter searching for a hot lead is burned by supernatural desire in the New York Times bestselling author’s paranormal romance series debut. Journalist Eve Bradley goes undercover to investigate the military research Genesis Group is doing on supernaturals. She’s there to get a story, but she finds much more when she discovers the man they called Subject Thirteen. The scientists say he’s a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin . . . Cain knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild—and that makes her dangerous. If she gets any closer they could both burn up. Besides, is she really capable of rescuing him? But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there's no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts--and their hearts . . .