Seoul. On the outskirts of South Korea’s glittering metropolis is a place few people know about: a vast landfill site called Flower Island. Home to those driven from the city by poverty, is it here that 14-year-old Bugeye and his mother arrive, following his father’s internment in a government ‘re-education camp’. Living in a shack and supporting himself by weeding recyclables out of the refuse, at first Bugeye’s life on Flower Island is hard. But then one night he notices mysterious lights around the landfill. And when the ancient spirits that still inhabit the island’s landscape reveal themselves to him, Bugeye's luck begins to change – but can it last? Vibrant and enchanting, Familiar Things depicts a society on the edge of dizzying economic and social change, and is a haunting reminder to us all to be careful of what we throw away. PRAISE FOR HWANG SOK-YONG ‘Hwang Sok-yong is one of the most read Korean writers in his country, and best known abroad. An activist for democracy and reconciliation with the North, in his books he melds his political fights with the Korean cultural imagination.’ Le Monde

"Maybe it's time you created your normal. Sophia Short's poetry collection isn't intended to be a guide or give instructions for your life--but you will find hope, encouragement, and a friend in the pages of this book. Remember that All Familiar Things Were Once Strange as you tackle what's next for you in this big game that we call life."--Amazon website.

From the author of the international best seller House of Leaves and National Book Award–nominated Only Revolutions comes a monumental new novel as dazzling as it is riveting. The Familiar (Volume 1) ranges from Mexico to Southeast Asia, from Venice, Italy, to Venice, California, with nine lives hanging in the balance, each called upon to make a terrifying choice. They include a therapist-in-training grappling with daughters as demanding as her patients; an ambitious East L.A. gang member contracted for violence; two scientists in Marfa, Texas, on the run from an organization powerful beyond imagining; plus a recovering addict in Singapore summoned at midnight by a desperate billionaire; and a programmer near Silicon Beach whose game engine might unleash consequences far exceeding the entertainment he intends. At the very heart, though, is a twelve-year-old girl named Xanther who one rainy day in May sets out with her father to get a dog, only to end up trying to save a creature as fragile as it is dangerous . . . which will change not only her life and the lives of those she has yet to encounter, but this world, too—or at least the world we think we know and the future we take for granted. (With full-color illustrations throughout.) Like the print edition, this eBook contains a complex image-based layout. It is most readable on e-reading devices with larger screen sizes.

Have you been guilty of catachresis* at work? Have you defenestrated* your dictionary in frustration? Do you have phloem bundles* stuck in your diastema*? Scratching your occiput* now? Rod L. Evans's Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits will help take the mystery out of some of our most obscure words. Containing hundreds of words from agitron (the phenomenon of wiggly lines in comic strips indicating that something is shaking) to zarf (the holder for a paper cone coffee cup), this lively reference will enable you to easily locate your thingamajig or whatchamacallit, be it animal, vegetable, mineral, or punctuation mark. Leave no linguistic oddity unexamined-your brain will thank you. *catachresis: strained, paradoxical, or incorrect use of a word; *defenestrate: to throw out a window; *phloem bundles: stringy bits between the skin and the edible parts of a banana; *diastema: the gap between teeth in a jaw; *occiput: the back part of the head or skull

Immerse yourself in the pages of 'A Catechism of Familiar Things', a popular science book that brings to light the extraordinary aspects of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. Join the author as he unveils the fundamental truths of arts and sciences, shedding light on topics ranging from dew and lightning to gold and electricity. With definitions of complex terms and an extensive index, this remarkable book is a valuable resource for teachers and curious minds alike, imparting entertaining knowledge and unraveling the mysteries of our natural world.

Fascinating, fun and friendly, this physics book is perfect for anyone with a healthy dose of curiosity. How can you tell where a sound is coming from? What is the human energy equivalent of a vacuum cleaner? How does GPS work? Why do eggs explode in the microwave? Is there a vacuum inside double-glazed windows? Can you get less wet by cycling faster? With clear explanations and hundreds of colourful photos and diagrams, Everyday Physics is an engaging physics book accessible for all ages. You can read this brilliant book in whatever order you want, dipping in and out of the different sections. Based on Hermans' Everyday physics lecture series, it combines deep physical insights with back-of-the-envelope calculations, relating abstract physics concepts to the real world, often in a surprising way. Everyday Physics also features lots of intriguing home experiments to further demonstrate the explanations. Most of these can be done using simple items from the kitchen, such as using a glass of water, a torch, and a few drops of milk to understand why the sky is blue and the setting sun red. If you want to dig a bit deeper, there are extra resources in the shaded boxes throughout. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, college student or just have a healthy interest in the world around you, this book will bring the magic of physics to your everyday life. Once you discover the beauty of science, ordinary things will become extraordinary.

Uses hands-on demonstrations with familiar materials to illustrate the concepts of chemistry in terms of everyday experience. The original edition was selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association.