After dropping out of art school Andy finds himself unemployed and living with his overbearing parents, but things become more interesting when he is offered an unknown job from two strange out of towners.

Andy Go thought he was signing on for an easy job as an exhibit in an alien zoo - but it turns out his contract is for life! How can he escape?

An adventurous exploration of the "I" in American culture, by the author of Neck Deep and Other Predicaments Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. In contemporary America, land of tell-all memoirs and endless reality television, what kind of person denies the opportunity to present himself in his own voice, to lead with "I"? How many layers of a life can be peeled back before the self vanishes? In this provocative, witty series of meditations, Ander Monson faces down the idea of memoir, grappling with the lure of selfinterest and self-presentation. While setting out to describe the experience of serving as head juror at the trial of Michael Antwone Jordan, he can't help veering off into an examination of his own transgressions, inadvertent and otherwise. He scrutinizes his private experience of the public funeral ceremony for Gerald R. Ford. He considers his addiction to chemically concocted Doritos and disappointment in the plain, natural corn chip, and finds that the manufactured, considered form, at least in snacks, is ultimately a more rewarding experience than the "truth." So why is America so crazy about accurately confessional memoirs? With Vanishing Point, Monson delivers on the promise shown in Neck Deep, which introduced his winning voice and ability to redefine the essay and "puts most memoirs to shame" (Time Out Chicago).

Sunset Song is widely regarded as one of the most important Scottish novels of the 20th century. Chris Guthrie, the female protagonist, is a strong character who grows up in a dysfunctional farming family. Life is hard after her dad's death and she must take some tough decisions to save her farms under the inevitable threat of World War I . . . Lewis Grassic Gibbon was the pseudonym of James Leslie Mitchell (1901-1935), a Scottish writer famous for his contribution to the Scottish Renaissance and portrayal of strong female characters.

Winner, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award in Politics/Current Events: A systems theorist and a legal scholar present a new paradigm for protecting our planet. This is the first book to trace the fascinating parallel history of law and science from antiquity to modern times, showing how the two disciplines have always influenced each other—until recently. In the past few decades, science has shifted from seeing the natural world as a kind of cosmic machine best understood by analyzing each cog and sprocket to a systems perspective that views the world as a vast network of fluid communities and studies their dynamic interactions. The concept of ecology exemplifies this approach. But law is stuck in the old mechanistic paradigm: The world is simply a collection of discrete parts, and ownership of these parts is an individual right, protected by the state. Fritjof Capra, physicist, systems theorist, and bestselling author of The Tao of Physics, and distinguished legal scholar Ugo Mattei show that this obsolete worldview has led to overconsumption, pollution, and a general disregard on the part of the powerful for the common good. Capra and Mattei outline the basic concepts and structures of a legal order consistent with the ecological principles that sustain life on Earth that better addresses many of the economic and social crises we face today. This is a visionary reconceptualization of the very foundations of the Western legal system, a kind of Copernican revolution in the law, with profound implications for the future of our planet. “Thoughtful . . . The authors propose a philosophy and jurisprudence that is deeply radical—upending centuries of Western tradition and culture—but possibly crucial to solving looming environmental problems.” —Publishers Weekly

Hand drawing and sketching are fundamental aspects for visual communication in the design field. Individuals can use these two techniques to improve their understanding of spatial concepts, to provide common language for translation of visual ideas and to assist with developing creative design solutions. This book provides every student with an opportunity to learn hand design drawing skills. Students are progressed from very basic drawing techniques to the drawing of complete interior perspective rooms. The step-by-step instructions, hand drawn illustrations and video demonstrations, provide effective support material for this process. In addition, creative strategies and helpful hints throughout the book encourage students to overcome typical obstacles. Creating realistic drawings in proportion depends on the ability to draw a box in perspective. Therefore, the basic theory of this book uses the box method of drawing. Furthermore, all of the objects illustrated are interior elements, furniture and accessories. Each of the three sections in the book builds upon the other. Part I, Drawing Fundamentals, focuses on techniques for learning basic line drawing skills. It covers drawing various forms and the adding of value, texture, pattern, shade and shadow. Part II, Drawing Interior Elements, demonstrates techniques for drawing furniture in one-point and two-point perspective. It also includes instruction for drawing plants, tabletop objects, accessories and window treatments. Finally, Part III, Perspective Drawing, provides detailed instructions for drawing one-point and two-point perspectives of interior spaces. This section provides students the opportunity to bring together all they have learned in previous sections and apply it to toward communicating design ideas. This edition also contains a new section on Advanced Perspective Techniques, which provides a variety of tips and techniques for creating and embellishing perspective drawings.