From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which Cotton unravels a mystery from World War II involving a legendary lost treasure, Yamashita's Gold, worth billions. 1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines. By 1947 some of that loot was recovered, not by treasure hunters, but by the United States government, which told no one about the find. Instead, those assets were stamped classified, shipped to Europe, and secretly assimilated into something called the Black Eagle Trust. Present day. Retired Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland doing a favor for a friend. But what was supposed to be a simple operation turns violent and Cotton is thrust into a war between the world's oldest bank and the CIA, a battle that directly involves the Black Eagle Trust. He quickly discovers that everything hinges on a woman from his past, who suddenly reappears harboring a host of explosive secrets centering around bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is being quietly weaponized, readied for an assault on the world's financial systems, a calculated move that will have devastating consequences. Cotton has no choice. He has to act. But at what cost? From the stolid banking halls of Luxembourg, to the secret vaults of Switzerland, and finally up into the treacherous mountains of southern Morocco, Cotton Malone is stymied at every turn. Each move he makes seems wrong, and nothing works, until he finally comes face-to-face with the Atlas Maneuver. Autorid: Steve Berry
Looks at the history of Islam, arguing that its origins began with the "Believers" movement that emphasized strict monotheism and righteous behavior that included both Christians and Jews in its early years. The origins of Islam have been the subject of increasing controversy in recent years. The traditional view, which presents Islam as a self-consciously distinct religion tied to the life and revelations of the prophet Muhammad in western Arabia, has since the 1970s been challenged by historians engaged in critical study of the Muslim sources. In Muhammad and the Believers, the eminent historian Fred Donner offers a lucid and original vision of how Islam first evolved. He argues that the origins of Islam lie in what we may call the "Believers' movement" begun by the prophet Muhammada movement of religious reform emphasizing strict monotheism and righteous behavior in conformity with God's revealed law. The Believers' movement thus included righteous Christians and Jews in its early years, because like the Qur'anic Believers, Christians and Jews were monotheists and agreed to live righteously in obedience to their revealed law. The conviction that Muslims constituted a separate religious community, utterly distinct from Christians and Jews, emerged a century later, when the leaders of the Believers' movement decided that only those who saw the Qur'an as the final revelation of the One God and Muhammad as the final prophet, qualified as Believers. This separated them decisively from monotheists who adhered to the Gospels or Torah. Autorid: Fred M. Donner
Water of different qualities is used in a wide range of industrial processes. After usage, various substances enter the water streams, generating the industrial wastewater whose characteristics may include recalcitrant organics, high salinity, heavy metals, extreme pH, high turbidity, etc. Nowadays, water in industry tends to form a recycling loop, as boosted by regional water scarcity, strict policies on emission control and arising public concerns. The trend increases the challenge of technical solutions and management tools. This book seeks to answer some of the challenges of industrial water management, and covers topics such as membrane separation, adsorption, advanced oxidation and applications. In Focus a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector. Autorid: Yongjun Zhang, Sven-Uwe Geissen, Thomas Track
Brian Epstein and The Beatles. Their rise. His fall. When Brian Epstein steps into the Cavern Club, he finds more than just a band he finds his lifes calling. Captivated by the charismatic frontman, John Lennon, Brian sets out to make the Fab Four the most famous group on earth. But beyond the spotlight, he wrestles with secrets, longing, and love. Please Please Me is the electrifying story of the hidden struggles of Brian Epstein the unsung, gay legend and Fifth Beatle. This edition was published to coincide with the Kiln Theatre production in April 2026. Autorid: Tom Wright
This study analyzes two seasons (December, 2001 & January, 2002) of the Out magazine to identify and evaluate the body image of gay men. identifies and evaluates body image of gay men. Using theories that deals with masculinity, my research indicates that there is a direct influence of body image and its influence on its the gay male community. It also shows the idea that mass media itself is very powerful on shaping our views in our society.
In contrast to recent efforts to restrict students by putting more power in the hands of parents and school officials, Ronald C. Den Otter makes a bold and rigorously argued case for respecting the autonomy of students and expanding their free-speech rights.In recent years, the debate over student speech has roiled college campuses and elicited a wave of books and articles, from both the Right and the Left, over what speech is permissible and who should receive a platform to speak. What has largely been overlooked in this debate is the freedom of speechor lack thereofenjoyed by junior high and high school students in American public schools.Education in Democracy makes a powerful case for why free speech is just as important, if not even more so, for secondary education students as it is for those in higher education. As Ronald C. Den Otter shows, US Supreme Court jurisprudence on this topic lacks consistency and clarity, tending to restrict freedom for these students while giving school officials almost complete control, as in Justice Clarence Thomass concurrence in Morse v. Frederick. Den Otter argues instead for a stricter version of the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District substantial disruption test, proposing that public junior high and high school students should be treated the same as students at public universities.Without ignoring the challenges of hate speech, Den Otter makes a bold and impassioned argument for respecting the autonomy of all students and developing their autonomous capacities. Paternalistic treatment of students in the form of censorship by school authorities is morally and constitutionally unacceptable, according to Den Otter. Instead, American society should see public schools as laboratories in pluralism and democracy, places where students cultivate the civic virtue of tolerance and learn how to disagree in a responsible way. Doing so requires the bedrock foundation of free speech. Autorid: Ronald C. Den Otter
"Der fesselndste Thriller, den ich seit 'Gone Girl' gelesen habe. A.J. Finn ist ein kühner Debütautor - meisterhaft." Tess GerritsenAnna Fox lebt allein. Ihr schönes großes Haus in New York wirkt leer. Trotzdem verlässt sie nach einem traumatischen Erlebnis ihre vier Wände nicht mehr. Anna verbringt ihre Tage damit, mit Fremden online zu chatten, zu viel zu trinken - und ihre Nachbarn durchs Fenster zu beobachten. Bis eines Tages die Russels ins Haus gegenüber einziehen - Vater, Mutter und Sohn. Bei dem Anblick vermisst Anna mehr denn je ihr früheres Leben, vor allem, als die neue Nachbarin sie besucht. Kurze Zeit später wird sie Zeugin eines brutalen Überfalls. Sie will helfen. Doch sie traut sich nach wie vor nicht, das Haus zu verlassen. Die Panik holt sie ein. Ihr wird schwarz vor Augen. Als sie aus ihrer Ohnmacht erwacht, will ihr niemand glauben. Angeblich ist nichts passiert ...
