Our heroes from - Beta Earth: Between Worlds return. The now legendary status Clave. The stronghearted Lana. The ever vigilant Vin. The young prodigy Anul. The increasingly ambitious Gaidon. The hopelessly desperate Abel and the alloy enhanced enigma Kamon. All of them now older and more skilled. Will be put to the ultimate test as they are dragged into an ever growing war for Paradise. --KIRKUS REVIEW-- The search for Paradise, which people believe will be the only place to survive the fated collision between two inhabited planets, leads to endless battles in Napier’s (Beta Earth: Between Worlds 2.0 Edition, 2014, etc.) latest sci-fi outing. This collection comprises three stories, each drastically shorter than the last. In the first, “Awakening,” Theia, or Beta Earth, initially the “second chance” planet, has fallen prey to crimes and criminals that plague the original Earth. The new utopia is Paradise, which proves elusive. Factions such as the United Federation, a global military force, and Final Bloodline, a cult, are hunting members of Project Guardian. The members, free of “limiters” (which block people’s true potential for power), are more susceptible as vessels for Tryle, a dormant “messenger” who will lead the way to Paradise. Mercenary Clave tries to protect Raph, who survived a UF attack on Beta Earth, from succumbing to Tryle while dodging bounty hunter Gene, who’s out for revenge. “Awakening” is sometimes disjointed, coming across as a series of smaller battles with little story progression. There likewise isn’t resolution by the end, which feels like the conclusion of a chapter rather than a story. The sometimes lethal clashes, though, are entertaining, resembling Dungeons & Dragons games; those in confrontations, generally one-on-one, will often “score” a hit or blow. The second story, “System Failure,” is more focused, zeroing in on Montello (a small but notable character in “Awakening”), who helps hackers work remotely. He recruits them for an assault against the government and incurs the wrath and eventual retribution of Kid Vicious, whom Montello embarrassed during a display of skills. The exhilarating “System Failure” features numerous references to earlier characters. The much shorter final yarn, “A Boy and His Cat,” spotlights Travis, a significant character in a prior story (under another name), who endures a tragic event that ultimately leads to his powerful status later in life. Disjointed storylines don’t diminish Napier’s endearing and contagious adoration of the sci-fi genre. ---- The book is not your average read. If I may use a tree analogy. It's like reading different branches that form into a solid structure and dig to the roots. Be brave. Give it a chance and it will take you to the heights of euphoria. -JR Napier

The exciting and inspirational conclusion to the Beta Earth Series. Beta Earth: Paradise follows the events of Beta Earth: Awakening. The final battle has arrived. The only battle that truly matters. The fight for our Paradise.

Following the release of director Colin Trevorrow's smash hit Jurassic World in 2015, the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar once again dominate the public imagination. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History delivers a comprehensive look at the making of the first hit film, as well as its thrilling sequels Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World: Dominion. Through rare and never-before-seen imagery and exclusive interviews with key creatives, this deluxe volume explores the entire creative process, from the films' stunning dinosaur designs to the epic location shoots and the creation of the films' incredible visual effects. Fans will also discover a fascinating look at the wider world of the saga, including the Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,video games, toys, theme park attractions, and more. Unearth the story behind the making of the Jurassic World trilogy with this definitive collector's book, a must-have for fans of the action-packed saga.

NASA Astrobiologist and renowned scientist Dr. David Grinspoon brings readers an optimistic message about humanity's future in the face of climate change. For the first time in Earth's history, our planet is experiencing a confluence of rapidly accelerating changes prompted by one species: humans. Climate change is only the most visible of the modifications we've made--up until this point, inadvertently--to the planet. And our current behavior threatens not only our own future but that of countless other creatures. By comparing Earth's story to those of other planets, astrobiologist David Grinspoon shows what a strange and novel development it is for a species to evolve to build machines, and ultimately, global societies with world-shaping influence. Without minimizing the challenges of the next century, Grinspoon suggests that our present moment is not only one of peril, but also great potential, especially when viewed from a 10,000-year perspective. Our species has surmounted the threat of extinction before, thanks to our innate ingenuity and ability to adapt, and there's every reason to believe we can do so again. Our challenge now is to awaken to our role as a force of planetary change, and to grow into this task. We must become graceful planetary engineers, conscious shapers of our environment and caretakers of Earth's biosphere. This is a perspective that begs us to ask not just what future do we want to avoid, but what do we seek to build? What kind of world do we want? Are humans the worst thing or the best thing to ever happen to our planet? Today we stand at a pivotal juncture, and the answer will depend on the choices we make.