Showing results by narrator "Tom Lawrence" in All Categories

Meet Chesney Arnstruther. Once a mild-mannered insurance actuary, now a full-time crime-fighting superhero, it’s all he can do to kick bad-guy ass while at the same time holding down a steady relationship with the gorgeous Melda. Something is going on. Meet Xaphan, wise-cracking demon and the source of (almost) all of Chesney’s powers. He’s been asked by his infernal master to give Chesney whatever he needs…but surely stopping bad guys is not in Hell’s plan?

Self-belief is vitally important, but when we are overconfident we miss important signals, misjudge situations and leave ourselves open to criticism from others. This profound book shows through simple practical advice and cutting edge research how to be confident without falling into the trap of arrogance. Often the only thing separating successful people from the crowd is the beliefs that they have running around inside their heads and their innate self-confidence.

We begin in the turbulent times of the medieval friar, William of Occam, who first articulated the principle that the best answer to any problem is the simplest. This theory, known as Occam's razor, cut through the thickets of medieval metaphysics to clear a path for modern science. We follow the razor in the hands of the giants of science, from Copernicus to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. Its success suggests that we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the revolutionary theory that our cosmos has evolved.

Gideon and Luke are spending some quality family time, playing at being normal teenagers. They have no reason to use their telekinetic powers in the small seaside town, and they have enough bodyguards to keep them safe, right? Wrong. A brutal killer is stalking them, and he has Gideon and Luke in his sights. The second in a sensational new series about a group of teenagers with special powers, from best-selling author Ali Sparkes.

When Nat Carver and his Wolven pal Woody learn that their arch enemy is creating a bad werewolf pack, they know they must stop him. Although it doesn’t help that Nat’s having problems with his own shape-shifting ability. Digging deep into history, the boys have to solve clues and riddles to stop one of the worst monsters ever!

With his supernatural ability to conjure spectacular illusions, Spook Williams knows he is destined for greatness. So when he's kidnapped by a celebrity magician claiming to be his real father, he can't help but be intrigued... Very soon, Spook is living the dream: bathing in a jacuzzi aboard a luxury yacht, rubbing shoulders with billionaires, and spending time with gorgeous magician's assistant, Kamilah.

It’s within the power of each and every school to unleash the best in teachers, day by day, month by month, year by year. This practical handbook takes the guesswork out of professional learning, showing school leaders how they can build a self-improving culture and remove barriers to learning. The authors set out their advice for how every school can bring in the best ideas from the whole system, and make sure that these have a lasting effect in the classroom.

Tim thinks he has the most boring family in the world. There's no way that the sparkly Sophie in his class is ever going to look at him. School is boring. And then the graffiti starts appearing - and it's all about chickens. Who is writing it all?

At a once vibrant communal-living property in the British countryside, back-to-basics fervor has given way to a vague discontent. A place that once buzzed with activity, from the polytunnels to the pottery shed, now functions with a skeleton crew. Founder Don Riley surveys his domain with the grim focus of someone who knows what's best for everyone - and isn't afraid to let them know. Especially when those people are related to him.

This book recreates in written form seventeen of the most popular, frankly personal and engaging lectures on literature given by the award-winning teacher Richard Jacobs, who has been working with students for over forty years.

A new couple have moved into Hardstone House, and it's just Jake's luck that instead of a cool, footballing grandson they have a granddaughter called Claire, who likes tap dancing and tea parties. But then Claire tells Jake and Jenna that Hardstone House was once a school, with a cruel and heartless headmaster, and she reckons it's haunted. But by whom? And why?

Young James Mann came from Texas to find his missing uncle in the lawless Indian Territory. Then the boy's father came after him. Now they've earned the wrath of the vicious McCoy-Maxwell gang, who are about to pull off their most savage attack. But the Manns of Texas have a secret weapon: Deputy Marshal Jackson Sixpersons.

Jake is sure he's going to hate the village where he's moved with his mum and twin sister, Jenna. There are only about ten houses and a green - boring. But when Jenna spots the ghost of a cute-looking beagle with a lead in its mouth, Jake and Jenna begin to realize that the village might not be as boring as it first seemed and that there are some very spooky goings-on...not least, the deserted derelict house and the creepy noises that are coming from somewhere inside it....

Like the flesh-and-blood humans whose uncensored emotions it represents, slang's obsessions are sex, the body and its functions, and intoxication: drink and drugs. Slang does not do kind. It's about hatreds - both intimate and national - about the insults that follow on, the sneers and the put-downs. Caring, sharing and compassion? Not at this address. There are over 10,000 terms focusing on sex, but love? Not one.

Whether we want to improve education or cut crime, to enhance public health or to generate clean energy, science and its experimental method is critical. The Geek Manifesto shows us what needs to happen to entrench scientific thinking more deeply into politics and society, and how to turn our frustrated outrage into positive action that our country's leaders cannot ignore.

Eddie hates staying with his cousins - so it looks set to be a really long summer. But then they visit the amazing caves at Wookey Hole and Eddie is entranced. Until he wanders off down a secret passage and gets lost in the dark. Underground, on his own, and nobody knows where he is... Then someone steps out of the blackness to help him. A strange, pale girl called Gwerren who seems to treat the caves as a playground.

A collection of four novellas: each taking place in 1998, each set in the world of Six Four and each centreing around a mystery and the unfortunate officer tasked with solving it. Prefecture D continues Hideo Yokoyama's exploration of the themes of obsession, saving face, office politics and interdepartmental conflicts. Placing everyday characters between a rock and a hard place and then dialling up the pressure, he blends and balances the very Japanese with the very accessible, to spectacular effect.

Luke spots Eve at his dad's funeral. She's hot - and she's the perfect distraction from his messed up family life. There's only one problem - she's got a boyfriend. Still, Luke's not going to give up that easily.

Marvo is a stage magician. His magic is real. Marvo grows up without knowing his parents, without knowing his heritage, without knowing much about life. The magicians have always been with us, since the beginning of civilisation. They fill our heads with the mist, keeping us from witnessing the stark reality of existence. But are things so bad that Marvo will bring it down on all of us, forever? Marvo begins to understand those around him, and his place in the world; he discovers that his remarkable powers can be put to good, or to evil.

Known as 'Stuff', because he knows a lot of stuff, Simon is faced with the typical pitfalls that all teenage boys have to deal with. While he longs to get off with the beautiful Sky, he also wants to dump his girlfriend Delfine.