Why do serial killers gravitate towards certain kinds of occupation? Jobs with minimum oversight or ties, the opportunity to leave the radar and that bring them into proximity with potential victims and whilst hiding in plain sight. Why also do they target certain types of victim?Through his wide knowledge of the topic honed at one of Britain's leading centres for criminological studies, Adam Lynes demonstrates how theory, practice, profiling and behaviour intertwine to identify the kind of people we should fear (and especially if we fall within certain categories of vulnerable people). The book also looks at those personality-types most likely to become serial killers.From the text: "It is apparent that driving as a form of occupational choice is a "popular" form of employment for British serial murderers. In an effort to determine why this may be, [the] case studies of eight British serial murderers [in the book] demonstrate just how such an occupation can impact upon these offenders' criminal behaviour ...These findings may prove to be of benefit to scholars of serial murder, and to those who attempt to apprehend them." From Britain's serial killing centre of excellence.Looks in depth at eight of Britain's serial killer drivers, dealing with some of the most notorious crimes of modern times. A fresh and uniquely interesting perspective. Demonstrates the links between mobility, transience, recognisance, predatory behaviour and acting out murderous fantasy. Will be used for a range of courses on the subject.

Creating Chaos explores that dark side of statecraft, the covert use of political warfare in international relations - from its early practices during the Great Game between the British and Russian empires, through the Cold War era of ideological confrontation and forward into the hybrid political warfare of the 21st Century. Creating Chaos presents and illustrates the full body of covert and deniable political warfare practices, tracing their historical development and their use by both America and Russia throughout the Cold War and beyond. Using the most current information available, Hancock, a "veteran national security journalist" (Publishers Weekly) examines the evolution of political warfare tools and tactics in the era of the global Internet and ubiquitous social media, evaluating their effectiveness and illustrating the rapidly increasing levels of risk associated with these new and untested cyberwarfare tools. Virtually no books have studied actual political warfare beyond the Cold War, and only a handful have provided any insights into the new and rapidly evolving practices of the Russian Federation or of the political warfare aspect of NGOs or other surrogate actors. A companion volume to Shadow Warfare: The History of America's Undeclared Wars, Creating Chaos introduces the nature and history of political action practices, exploring a number of formerly secret American and Russian hybrid warfare and active measures projects in detail. With that background for context, it then extends those practices into the twenty-first century and contemporary events, evaluating wellestablished practices as they are being used with the newest tools of the global Internet and social media. It demonstrates the exponential increase in their effectiveness-and the equally exponential risk and consequences involved.

In this compelling exploration of like, Gregg Braden merges the modern discoveries of nature's patterns (fractals) with the ancient view of a cyclic universe. The result is a powerful model of time-fractal time-and a realistic window into what we can expect for the mysterious year 2012 ...and beyond. Applying fractal time to the history of the world and life, he proposes that everything from the war and peace between nations to the patterns of human relationships mirror the returning cycles of our past. As each cycle repeats, it carries a more powerful, amplified version of itself. The key: If you know where to look in the past, you know what to expect when the same conditions return in the present and future. For the first time in print, the Time Code Calculator gives you the tool to do just that! Through easy-to-understand science and step-by-step instructions, discover for yourself: * How the conditions for 2012 have occurred in the past, and what we can expect when they repeat! * The 'hot dates' that hold the greatest threats of war and greatest opportunities for peace, as well as economic cycles such as the stock-market collapse of 2008! * How Earth's location in space triggers cycles of spiritual growth for humans! * Your personal Time Codes for the key events of business, relationships, and change in your life! * How each cycle carries a window of opportunity-a choice point that allows us to select a new outcome for the returning pattern! * What the 1999 ice cores form Antarctica reveal about past cycles of climate, global warming, Earth's protective magnetic fields, and what these things mean for us today! In a powerful yet comprehensive style, Gregg gives us a way to make sense of the rapid, and often dramatic, change of today's world. It is these understandings that guide us way from the destructive choices we've made in the past. They also show the way to the greatest possibilities of our lives. Gregg suggests that is we can see time form this perspective, the past reveals the great secret of our moment in history and what we can expect as we approach December 21, 2012!

Conspiracy theories of sabotage, murder and even UFOs flourish around the greatest unsolved mysteries of aviation from the twentieth century. This account of the most intriguing loose ends from aeronautical history provides the known details of five great mysteries and the best (and most colourful) attempts to explain what might have happened. Planes disappearing out of the sky, shady dealings with Sri-Lankan businessmen, the plummeting death of the richest man in the world in 1928 and even the Kennedy family all feature in these gripping open cases. Having previously written about the Dyatlov Pass Incident and cast his detail-oriented eye over many other aviation mishaps, Keith McCloskey now turns his attention to reassessing these five mysteries -all of which occurred over water, none of them ever resolved.

The manger or Macy's? Americans might well wonder which is the real shrine of Christmas, as they take part each year in a mix of churchgoing, shopping, and family togetherness. In Christmas in America, Restad brilliantly captures the rise and transformation of our most universal national holiday.

Zen Cat MindfulnessReaders of Start With Why, You Are Here and Whatever You Are, Be A Good One will love the quotes and teachings of Zen Cats Advice from Zen Leaders: Join some cuddly kittens for a collection of sayings from the Buddha in Zen Cats. Don't let the adorable cats fool you-they have plenty of mindfulness wisdom to share in the form of quotes and verses. These timeless verses, taken from the Dhammapada, will continue to be helpful and relevant to your life for years to come. Daily Mindfulness: Meditate along with these verses daily to gain a greater understanding of you, your life and your purpose. Learn from the clever cat to be true in body and mind. If you appreciated the mindfulness encouragement from Peace Is Every Step, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and Together Is Better, you will love the quotes in Zen Cats. Let your inner Zen Cat guide you to enlightenment.

Late in his life, former president Lyndon B. Johnson told a reporter that he didn't believe the Warren Commission's finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing President John F. Kennedy. Johnson thought Cuban president Fidel Castro was behind it. After all, Johnson said, Kennedy was running "a damned Murder, Inc., in the Caribbean," giving Castro reason to retaliate. Murder, Inc., tells the story of the CIA's assassination operations under Kennedy up to his own assassination and beyond. James H. Johnston was a lawyer for the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1975, which investigated and first reported on the Castro assassination plots and their relation to Kennedy's murder. Johnston examines how the CIA steered the Warren Commission and later investigations away from connecting its own assassination operations to Kennedy's murder. He also looks at the effect this strategy had on the Warren Commission's conclusions that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and that there was no foreign conspiracy. Sourced from in-depth research into the "secret files" declassified by the JFK Records Act and now stored in the National Archives and Records Administration, Murder, Inc. is the first book to narrate in detail the CIA's plots against Castro and to delve into the question of why retaliation by Castro against Kennedy was not investigated.

'Brilliant, a 5 out of 5 masterpiece' Evening Standard The renowned historian of the Third Reich takes on the conspiracy theories surrounding Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, in a vital history book for the 'post-truth' age The idea that nothing happens by chance in history, that nothing is quite what it seems to be at first sight, that everything that occurs is the result of the secret machinations of malign groups of people manipulating everything from behind the scenes is as old as history itself. But conspiracy theories are becoming more popular and more widespread in the twenty-first century. Nowhere have they become more obvious than in revisionist accounts of the history of the Third Reich. Long-discredited conspiracy theories have taken on a new lease of life, given credence by claims of freshly discovered evidence and novel angles of investigation. This book takes five widely discussed claims involving Hitler and the Nazis and subjects them to forensic scrutiny: that the Jews were conspiring to undermine civilization, as outlined in 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'; that the German army was 'stabbed in the back' by socialists and Jews in 1918; that the Nazis burned down the Reichstag in order to seize power; that Rudolf Hess' flight to the UK in 1941 was sanctioned by Hitler and conveyed peace terms suppressed by Churchill; and that Hitler escaped the bunker in 1945 and fled to South America. In doing so, it teases out some surprising features these, and other conspiracy theories, have in common. This is a history book, but it is a history book for the age of 'post-truth' and 'alternative facts': a book for our own troubled times.

Conspiracy theories have become a major element in modern opinion formation. From the theory that the killing of President Kennedy was masterminded by a powerful conspiracy to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job, from the story that Barack Obama wasn't born in America to the story that Donald Trump was a Russian asset, conspiracy theories have become a major element in opinion formation and an ever-present influence, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, on the daily headline news. In Conspiracy Theories, philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape, and its political consequences. Among the questions addressed: What's the formula for designing a contagious conspiracy theory? Where does conspiracy theorizing end and investigative reporting begin? What can we learn about conspiracy theories from the three movie treatments of the Kennedy assassination (The Parallax View, JFK, and Interview with the Assassin)? Does political powerlessness generate conspiracy theories? Is conspiracy theorizing essentially an instinct that lies behind all belief in religion and all striving for a meaningful life? Can we find conspiracy theories in all political movements for centuries past? What are the most common types of fallacious reasoning that tend to support conspiracy theories? Is there a psychological disorder at the root of conspiracy theories? Why is the number of flat-earthers growing?

Thinkers at the forefront in alternative theories on history, the origins of civilization, technology, and consciousness
- With contributions by Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval, Mark Booth, Richard Hoagland, Robert Schoch, John Anthony West, and others
- Topics range from quantum philosophy and paranormal phenomena to the secret history of NASA, instant polar shifts, and ancient Martian civilizations
- Explores where our present time fits into the cycle of human existence
A revolution of thought is under way in our world, fostered by decades of research and well-documented evidence by alternative theory pioneers such as Graham Hancock, John Anthony West, Robert Bauval, and Robert Schoch. These provocative, cutting-edge scholars now represent a direct challenge to the academic establishment as the paradigms of science and history shift and their ideas gain acceptance.
Representing the latest, often controversial findings in scientific and historical research, this anthology of essays commissioned by Graham Hancock, bestselling author of "Fingerprints of the Gods," covers the forefront in alternative theories on history, the origins of civilization, technology, and consciousness with topics ranging from quantum philosophy and paranormal phenomena to the ancient use of electromagnetism, the effect of cosmic rays on human evolution, and NASA's cover-up of ancient Martian civilizations. Recognizing that many recent discoveries are actually rediscoveries of lost knowledge from past civilizations, these authors seek to understand where, within the bigger picture of human knowledge, our present time fits into the cycle of human existence.

Human beings have believed in conspiracies presumably as long as there have been groups of at least three people in which one was convinced that the other two were plotting against him or her. In that sense one might look back as far as Eve and the serpent to find the world's first conspiracy. Whereas recent generations have tended to find their conspiracies in politics and government, the past often sought its mysteries in religious cults or associations. In ancient Rome, for example, the senate tried to prohibit the cult of Isis lest its euphoric excesses undermine public morality and political stability. And during the Middle Ages, many rulers feared such powerful and mysterious religious orders as the Knights Templar. Fascination with the arcane is a driving force in this comprehensive survey of conspiracy fiction. Theodore Ziolkowski traces the evolution of cults, orders, lodges, secret societies, and conspiracies through various literary manifestations-drama, romance, epic, novel, opera-down to the thrillers of the twenty-first century. Arguing that the lure of the arcane throughout the ages has remained a constant factor of human fascination, Ziolkowski demonstrates that the content of conspiracy has shifted from religion by way of philosophy and social theory to politics. In the process, he reveals, the underlying mythic pattern was gradually co-opted for the subversive ends of conspiracy. Cults and Conspiracies considers Euripides's Bacchae, Andreae's Chymical Wedding, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, among other seminal works. Mimicking the genre's quest-driven narrative arc, the reader searches for the significance of conspiracy fiction and is rewarded with the author's cogent reflections in the final chapter. After much investigation, Ziolkowski reinforces Umberto Eco's notion that the most powerful secret, the magnetic center of conspiracy fiction, is in fact "a secret without content."

Beginning in the 1950s, alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects in Canadian skies bred tension between the state and its citizens. While the public demanded to know more about the phenomenon, government officials appeared unconcerned and unresponsive. Suspicion of government deepened among certain sectors of Canadian society in the decades that followed, leading to demands for greater public transparency and a new kind of citizen activism. In Search for the Unknown Matthew Hayes uncovers the history of the Canadian government's investigations into reports of UFOs, revealing how these reports were handled, deflected, and defended from 1950 to the 1990s. During this period Canadians filed more than 5,000 reports of UFO sightings - many with striking descriptions and illustrations - with branches of government and law enforcement. Although the government conducted some exploratory studies, officials were unable to solve the mystery of UFOs or provide satisfactory answers about their alleged existence, and they soon declared the matter closed. Dissatisfied citizens responded by taking matters into their own hands, starting UFO clubs and civilian investigation groups, and accusing the government of a cover-up. A mutual mistrust developed between citizens who were suspicious of their government and officials who dismissed their fears and anxieties. This provided fertile ground for anti-authoritarian attitudes and the cultivation of conspiracy theories. In an era of political division, and amid heightened awareness of states' responsibilities for their citizens, Search for the Unknown reveals the challenges that governments face in responding to public anxieties and preserving trust in public institutions.

Fully illustrated thoughout with photos and diagrams, this book examines ancient sites in South America and reveals evidence that they were made by a far older culture than originally thought. It reveals evidence that the technology used could only have been 'power' tools.

Zizek as comedian: jokes in the service of philosophy. "A serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes."-Ludwig Wittgenstein The good news is that this book offers an entertaining but enlightening compilation of Zizekisms. Unlike any other book by Slavoj Zizek, this compact arrangement of jokes culled from his writings provides an index to certain philosophical, political, and sexual themes that preoccupy him. Zizek's Jokes contains the set-ups and punch lines-as well as the offenses and insults-that Zizek is famous for, all in less than 200 pages. So what's the bad news? There is no bad news. There's just the inimitable Slavoj Zizek, disguised as an impossibly erudite, politically incorrect uncle, beginning a sentence, "There is an old Jewish joke, loved by Derrida..." For Zizek, jokes are amusing stories that offer a shortcut to philosophical insight. He illustrates the logic of the Hegelian triad, for example, with three variations of the "Not tonight, dear, I have a headache" classic: first the wife claims a migraine; then the husband does; then the wife exclaims, "Darling, I have a terrible migraine, so let's have some sex to refresh me!" A punch line about a beer bottle provides a Lacanian lesson about one signifier. And a "truly obscene" version of the famous "aristocrats" joke has the family offering a short course in Hegelian thought rather than a display of unspeakables. Zizek's Jokes contains every joke cited, paraphrased, or narrated in Zizek's work in English (including some in unpublished manuscripts), including different versions of the same joke that make different points in different contexts. The larger point being that comedy is central to Zizek's seriousness.

Praise for Unsolved Mysteries of American History

"The facts are presented clearly and concisely, and the answers have been thoroughly researched using the most up-to-date sources."
-Newark Star Ledger

"Everything that would make a great detective story. It has intellectual twists and turns, alleyways and dead ends; it has politics, espionage, intrigue, murder, cowardice, greed, courage, battles, liars, and frauds."
- New Strait Times

"Stimulating and pleasurable, fair and objective . . . recommended for both the history buff and the fan of true-life mysteries."
-Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Unsolved Mysteries of History

"Draws intelligently and entertainingly on respected-and disputed-primary volumes. . . . Reading a chapter aloud to a group would almost guarantee a lively evening."
-Baltimore Sun

"Unerring good sense and . . . well-paced prose."
-Petersburg Monitor

"Solid speculation . . . full of clever advice."
-Associated Press

"Aron's latest offering proves again that history can be fun and as strange, at least, as fiction."
-Booklist

Amid the intense colors of a foreign land, JIM LIVES is the story of a man searching for his son-a correspondent for a popular american newspaper-who vanished into thin air after sending one last, enigmatic message: "Jim Morrison isn't dead. He's hiding out in Italy. I saw him with my own eyes. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you everything..." Come along with the Creators of PAUL IS DEAD as they reveal the second chapter in their "conspiracy trilogy:" a new, fascinating vision of the most mysterious legend in the history of rock that envisions what happened "When the Music's Over."

Through their part in some huge controversies, conspiracy theorists are being branded the Number One Enemies of our times - the new heretics. They are seen to threaten the very fabric of modern society, spreading doubts and fears that result in Washington Capitol invasions, transmission mast burnings or the spread of anti-vaxx material. Yet the theorists prefer to call themselves "truth seekers" and see the mainstream establishment as the real disruptor, treating its increasingly harsh censorship as direct validation of their views. In truth, the new heretics, whose numbers are swelling, are symptoms of a wider polarization splitting apart much of the world in ideological divisions. Many have lost trust in politicians and the media, while nuanced debate is crushed and information overload and manipulation breeds uncertainty, civil unrest and mental health issues. How does the age old strategy of divide-and-rule play out in such an environment? Using his extensive experience of negotiating disputes between cynics and truth seekers, Andy Thomas explores the proliferation of conspiracy thinking, peeling back unhelpful layers of biased thinking on all sides to find more insightful ways to bridge the polarised divides and create a better way forward. The New Heretics scrutinises the future of freedom of expression in a censorious world which unwisely seeks to close down discussion of everything alternative, expanding into a truly thought-provoking and expansive treatise on our relationship to truth, technology, politics and the paranormal - and the future of humanity itself.