Perhaps the most common question that a child asks when he or she sees the night sky from a dark site for the first time is: 'How many stars are there?' This happens to be a question which has exercised the intellectual skills of many astronomers over the course of most of the last century, including, for the last two decades, one of the authors of this text. Until recently, the most accurate answer was 'We are not certain, but there is a good chance that almost all of them are M dwarfs. ' Within the last three years, results from new sky-surveys - particularly the first deep surveys at near infrared wavelengths - have provided a breakthrough in this subject, solidifying our census of the lowest-mass stars and identifying large numbers of the hitherto almost mythical substellar-mass brown dwarfs. These extremely low-luminosity objects are the central subjects of this book, and the subtitle should be interpreted accordingly. The expression 'low-mass stars' carries a wide range of meanings in the astronomical literature, but is most frequently taken to refer to objects with masses comparable with that of the Sun - F and G dwarfs, and their red giant descendants. While this definition is eminently reasonable for the average extragalactic astronomer, our discussion centres on M dwarfs, with masses of no more than 60% that of the Sun, and extends to 'failed stars' - objects with insufficient mass to ignite central hydrogen fusion.

From the heat of an Acapulco night... Cyn McCall knew she could always count on her late husband's friend and business partner, Worth Lansing. He could make her laugh and forget her problems. She could tease him about his many romantic entanglements. The last thing Cyn expected was to find herself longing for a man who could never settle down.

Tinseltown is tarnished. Hollywood, while embracing creativity, seems to be shutting out morality and community. Can those with a Christian perspective find anything of value in such an environment -- or contribute anything worthwhile to it? Eyeing the landscape from an insider's perspective, Ron Austin answers a firm yes. Austin's In a New Light unpacks the spiritual principles underlying the art of film, including aáhistorical survey of how cinematic art was shaped by the crisis of modernity. A veteran of the industry -- having worked nearly half a century in its environs -- Austin goes a step beyond the now-popular course of critiquing current films from a Christian worldview, espousing that the key to confronting evil in the media arts lies in the Christian attitude toward suffering. Based on several years of Austin's filmmaking courses, In a New Light explores a spiritual foundation for creative film work and seeks ways to find common ground on which to build creative relationships. Austin's inside look will prove fascinating not only to students and practitioners of the media arts but to anyone interested in this aspect of popular culture.

The first book from photographer, Rob McCarthy, exploring New York City in a new and dynamic way.

"Pack soup, cheese and a copy of How To See Nature by the Bard of Wenlock Edge and Guardian diarist." John Vidal With a title taken from the 1940 Batsford book, this is nature writing for the modern reader. Evans weaves historical, cultural and literary references into his writing, ranging from TS Eliot to Bridget Riley, from Hieronymus Bosch to Napoleon. It is a book both for those that live in the country and those that don't, but experience nature every day through brownfield edge lands, transport corridors, urban greenspace, industrialised agriculture and fragments of ancient countryside. The essays include the The Weedling Wild, on the wildlife of the wasteland: ragwort, rosebay willowherb, giant hogweed and the cinnabar moth; Gardens of Light, about the creatures to be found under moonlight: pipistrelle bats, lacewings and orb-weaver spider; The Flow, with tales from the riverbank, estuaries and seas, including kingfisher, minnow, otter and heron. The Commons looks at meadowland with a human footprint, with the Adonis blue butterfly, horseshoe vetch, skylark, black knapweed and the six-belted clearwing moth. The author also looks at the wildlife returned to Britain, such as wild boar and polecats, and finds nature in and around landscapes as varied as a domestic garden or a wild moor. The book ends with an alphabetical bestiary, an idiosyncratic selection of British wildlife based on the author's personal encounters.

It has been ten years since Kumeka, Master of the Eighth Ray, introduced himself to Diana Cooper and began to meld his consciousness with hers. A Little Light on Ascension presented the information he impressed on Diana at the time, but since then, much has changed on our planet, and Kumeka has recently imparted further information. This knowledge, previously offered to just a few, is now available to millions of lightworkers eager to assist in the task of moving this planet into the light. Yes, ascending into the higher realms can be achieved in this lifetime. We may have to work at it, but all the tools and information we need are now available to us thanks to A New Light on Ascension. However, be prepared, this journey is not for the fainthearted! Kumeka does not offer a quick fix; he invites and encourages each one of us to join the millions on the planet now actively working towards a joyful life of spirit. "Diana Cooper's A Little Light on Ascension is the book that reminds me why I am here and what it is all about. To say I find it an inspiration is an understatement; to describe is as my bible would not be an exaggeration." —Susan Clark, The Sunday Times