A novel about one of the preoccupations of our age, fame and celebrity culture. Serena Dawlish is the most famous soap star of them all. When she appears on the small screen in 'Coombe Ridge Crescent' the nation comes to a standstill. But her agent Gareth has told her that although she is famous she isn't quite famous enough and so she begins her pursuit of total and permanent fame.Serena meets and falls in love with the strange but well-hung Marlon who tells her -- and can prove scientifically -- that she is an alien. She wants to leave her husband and marry him but Gareth vetoes their affair. Marlon isn't a politician, a pop star or a footballer so he will do nothing for her career and anyway his mother, Shelley, is too fat to look good in the wedding photos. Meanwhile Serena's husband, the renowned Shakespearian actor James Marlborough, is also tormented by his own emotional dilemma. He wants to leave Serena - he can no longer stand the smell of her fake tan -- and be with his mistress, Geraldine, who calls him Rover when they make love. But most of his audience now only come to see him because he's married to the celebrated Serena Dawlish -- why else would they want to see Shakespeare? If he leaves her he destroys his career.Geraldine is presenting a new prime-time TV show called 'I Gave Birth To A Celebrity' with Serena as the surprise celebrity on the first show. However, as Geraldine has decided that Serena's real mother is too boring to play the part of mother she has secretly replaced her with Shelley. Will Shelley's revelations on the show seal Serena's quest for fame or will they ruin her forever?

A fascinating exploration of the history, development, and future of virtual reality, a technology with world-changing potential, written by award-winning journalist and author David Ewalt, stemming from his 2015 Forbes cover story about the Oculus Rift and its creator Palmer Luckey. You’ve heard about virtual reality, seen the new gadgets, and read about how VR will be the next big thing. But you probably haven’t yet realized the extent to which this technology will change the way we live. We used to be bound to a physical reality, but new immersive computer simulations allow us to escape our homes and bodies. Suddenly anyone can see what it’s like to stand on the peak of Mount Everest. A person who can’t walk can experience a marathon from the perspective of an Olympic champion. And why stop there? Become a dragon and fly through the universe. But it’s not only about spectacle. Virtual and augmented reality will impact nearly every aspect of our lives—commerce, medicine, politics—the applications are infinite. It may sound like science fiction, but this vision of the future drives billions of dollars in business and is a top priority for such companies as Facebook, Google, and Sony. Yet little is known about the history of these technologies. In Defying Reality, David M. Ewalt traces the story from ancient amphitheaters to Cold War military laboratories, through decades of hype and failure, to a nineteen-year-old video game aficionado who made the impossible possible. Ewalt looks at how businesses are already using this tech to revolutionize the world around us, and what we can expect in the future. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as for technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on VR. With firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, Defying Reality shows how virtual reality will change our work, our play, and the way we relate to one another.

No longer just a mainstay of science fiction, VR has seen recent success with companies such as Oculus, Sony, and HTC. But little is known about its history, which reaches back decades. Ewalt chronicles its origins in Cold War military laboratories, and traces it through decades of hype and failed products, to a teenage gamer whose advancements made the recent breakthroughs in VR possible. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on how VR got here, where it's going, and how and why it will change the way we live.

This book helps you to understand how thought becomes a problem when thought replaces reality. You discover enough information and examples to be able to negate thought as reality, which enables you to re-experience “what is”. You can live sanely in an insane world. You just have to choose against the common illusions and delusions of your society and your conditioning. All the common illusions and delusions of the world are constructed through the misunderstanding and misuse of thought. Albert Ellis, voted the second most influential psychologist of all time by the American Psychological Association (APA), said of the first edition of We’re All Insane!, “I found it a most unusual book that makes some excellent points, almost all of which I go along with. It sort of brings Alfred Korzybski up-to-date and makes some points which [sic] are not particularly clear in his own writings.

Earth’s climate is changing—it always has and always will. The cause may be debated, but “man-made global warming” has become the accepted narrative and “Big Oil” the popular villain. Anyone daring to challenge this “consensus” is attacked: smeared, demonized as a “denier,” even threatened. Researchers who refuse to toe the line are discredited, dismissed as incompetent, and blacklisted, regardless of their expertise, experience, or credentials. This is not how science is conducted. But not everyone can be silenced. The author of this book is not incompetent. Nor was he paid to write it. He’s just someone who cares about the truth: a scientist, with a broad understanding of how Earth’s climate works and how it has changed over time. His book is divided into two parts: science and ideology. The first part explains (in language laypersons can understand) how the Sun, cosmic rays, and other natural factors control Earth’s climate, and why carbon dioxide is virtually irrelevant. The second part exposes and refutes the green ideology of “man-made global warming,” revealing the economic damage it causes. It may be short, but it’s well researched, packed with information, and an enjoyable, rewarding read.

From knowledge to wisdom -- The foundations of knowledge practice -- Towards a model of knowledge creation and practice -- Judging goodness -- Grasping the essence -- Creating Ba -- Communicating the essence -- Exercising "political" power -- Fostering practical wisdom in others -- Epilogue

The name Josh McDowell promises real-life, on-the-street Christian apologetics. In his first Harvest House book, Josh joins his son Sean to draw on his life’s work and comprehensively address a vital issue: why an entire generation of young Christians—and millions of older believers—is confused about what they believe, why they believe it, and how it’s relevant. The Unshakable Truth is uniquely positioned for younger Christians because it presents apologetics relationally, focusing on how Christianity’s doctrines affect relationships. The authors... ground every assertion in the overarching story of creation, incarnation, and re-creation. distill 12 crucial “faith statements”—for example, “A personal Creator God exists.” explain why each statement is trustworthy, how it applies to real life, and—using examples, stories, and experiences—what its relevance is. A spiritual gold mine for parents, youth workers, pastors—anyone wanting to reveal Christianity’s relevance to today’s life and culture.