QUEEN GIVEN THE MARVEL COMICS TREATMENT! Former Marvel Comics editor and writer Tim Quinn has created a unique Platinum Jubilee souvenir with a brand new comic book telling the life story of Queen Elizabeth II. Quinn has used his colleagues from the publishing giant to illustrate the book. "As I researched the Queen's life story, I was struck by how visual the tale was," says Quinn. "It proved to be a perfect story to approach in exactly the same way we produced the super-hero titles at Marvel Comics." The book captures the Queen's story from childhood to the present day. It has been put together to raise funds for the Merseyside children's charity Liverpool Heartbeat who create literacy projects for schools. "There's nothing quite like the Marvel method of storytelling to capture the imagination of even the most ardent non-reader," says Quinn. "The combination of the Marvel approach and the Queen's amazing story has proved to be a visual treat." The book was presented to the Queen at Windsor Castle and received a very positive response which is featured in this new printing.

Meet the inspirational animals who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer in these incredible true stories You'll read all about... Constantine and Crystal, the guinea pigs who gave a bullied girl with autism a reason to smile Alex, the tiger who inspired a homeless drug addict to get her life back on track Angel, the horse who helped her owner to lose weight and regain her confidence Daniel, the duck who was rescued from a food market and succeeded in soothing his owner's PTSD ... as well as many other animal heroes who came to their owner's aid - whether it was helping them to recover from mental illness, relationship breakdown or bereavement. These remarkable creatures all repaid the love and appreciation that their human companions displayed in caring for them. Let these uplifting stories warm your heart, and show you that adopted animals can heal our pain and transform our lives.

The heart-warming true story of a little boy and the cat that changed his life. Nine-year-old George was severely autistic; quiet and withdrawn, he appeared lost in his own world most of the time. His mother Julia despaired as she couldn't bring George out of his shell. But when a black-and-white stray cat appeared in their garden, everything changed. George's new four-legged friend, Ben, had a wonderful and unexpected side-affect. George and Ben bonded and George began to open up, making up stories about their adventures together to recount to Julia. Finally, Julia could communicate with her son - and Ben had made it possible. But then disaster struck - Ben went missing. The cat who had coaxed George out of a world of silence had disappeared, and George began to retreat. Determined to reunite George with his furry friend, Julia knew she had to do everything in her power to bring Ben home again ... A Friend Like Ben is the remarkable true story about the extraordinary empathy between a boy and his cat, and a mother's determined journey to make her son whole again.

'Beautifully woven' Sunday Times 'Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story' Guardian A symphony of contemporary New York told through the magnificent words of its people - from the best-selling author of Londoners. In the first twenty years of the twenty-first century, New York City has been convulsed by terrorist attack, blackout, hurricane, recession, social injustice, and pandemic. New Yorkers weaves the voices of some of the city's best talkers into an indelible portrait of New York in our time - and a powerful hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people. Vibrant and bursting with life, New Yorkers explores the nonstop hustle to make it; the pressures on new immigrants, people of colour, and the poor. It captures the strength of an irrepressible city that - no matter what it goes through - dares call itself the greatest in the world. Drawn from millions of words, hundreds of interviews, and six years in the making, New Yorkers is a grand portrait of an irrepressible city and a hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people.

Previously published as 'In the Skin of a Jihadist' Twenty-year-old 'Melodie', a recent convert to Islam, meets the leader of an ISIS brigade on Facebook. In 48 hours he has 'fallen in love' with her, calls her every hour, urges her to marry him, join him in Syria in a life of paradise - and join his jihad. Anna Erelle is the undercover journalist behind 'Melodie'. Created to investigate the powerful propaganda weapons of Islamic State, 'Melodie' is soon sucked in by Bilel, right-hand man of the infamous Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. An Iraqi for whose capture the US government has promised $10 million, al-Baghdadi is described by Time Magazine as the most dangerous man in the world and by himself as the caliph of Islamic State. Bilel shows off his jeep, his guns, his expensive watch. He boasts about the people he has just killed. With Bilel impatient for his future wife, 'Melodie' embarks on her highly dangerous mission, which - at its ultimate stage - will go very wrong ... Enticed into this lethal online world like hundreds of other young people, including many young British girls and boys, Erelle's harrowing and gripping investigation helps us to understand the true face of terrorism.

On 21 December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 departed London Heathrow for New York. Shortly after take-off, a bomb detonated, killing all aboard and devastating the small Scottish town of Lockerbie below. Only one man has ever been convicted of the crime: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, though few believe that he acted alone.In 2009, a request was made by Libya for al-Megrahi's release from prison on compassionate grounds after he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The decision to grant or deny that request fell squarely and exclusively on the shoulders of one man: Kenny MacAskill, Scotland's Justice Secretary from 2007 to 2014.Detailing the build-up to the atrocity and the carnage left in its wake, MacAskill narrates the international investigation that followed and the diplomatic intrigue that saw a Scottish court convened in the Netherlands. He describes the controversial release of al-Megrahi, explains the international dimensions involved and lays bare the commercial and security interests that ran in the background throughout the investigation and trial. Finally, he answers how and why it happened - and who was really responsible for the worst terrorist attack to have occurred on British soil before or since.

'FRANK, FILTHY and FEROCIOUSLY FUNNY' Sunday Mirror 'I loved every HONEST and HILARIOUS second!' Carrie Hope Fletcher 'Made me CACKLE OUT LOUD on every single page' Daisy Buchanan Lush (adj.) Very rich and providing great sensory pleasure (Oxford English Dictionary) (n.) A habitual drunkard (Oxford English Dictionary) Gabby and Emma have been best friends since primary school in Wales. Emma has a stable job, a nice home and has just got engaged. Gabby has had a succession of disastrous one-night stands and awful jobs since drama school . . . and she has just been diagnosed with scurvy. She has one year until the wedding to pull herself together and prove to her friends and family that she can be a proper grown-up. Described by Caitlin Moran as 'filthy, immoral and incredibly funny', Gabrielle Fernie's blog, loveisa4letterturd.com, catalogued her life as a struggling actress with a taste for gin. Here, in her first book, she shares her most raucous stories with eye-watering honesty. It is a laugh-out-loud account of a young woman trying to find her place in the world. Readers love Lush: 'Best book I have read for a very long time! Absolutely hilarious!' 'Thanks for making me laugh out loud on the tube like a weirdo and for making me miss my stop more than once' 'Moments of true absurdity partnered with genuinely touching stories of friendship in your twenties makes for an excellent read' 'I would recommend this book to anyone who's ever doubted themselves; as a little reminder that no matter how ridiculous your life seems to have become, Gabrielle Fernie's has always been hilariously and irrevocably far, far worse'

We've all heard the phrase 'the moment when my life changed forever'. Some of us can even pinpoint it in our own lives; the birth of a child, the acceptance letter to a degree programme, the decision to make a momentous change. The Turning Point is an anthology of personal accounts, showcasing the extraordinary and unexpected moments that have completely altered everyday lives. Each of the 40 stories in this book offers a rare glimpse into the turning point of the writer's life. Hand-picked as the most extraordinary entries received in an international writing competition, they are eclectic, diverse and entirely immersive. From stray bullets in Los Angeles to falling in love in the Australian countryside, you will find much to enjoy and think about. This is the perfect book to read in snapshots, or to dive into and not resurface until you've read every fascinating account. Beautifully presented, it makes an ideal addition to your coffee table, or gift for a loved one. With sections on Love, Changes, Momentous Decisions, Tragedy, Vivid and Learning Moments, every reader is sure to find stories which relate and inspire. Pick up The Turning Point today and find out about the moment when love came along in a note under a windscreen wiper, when the death of a new friend inspired a teenager to live life to its fullest, and more, in this captivating insight into the human condition.

Culture and Identity: Life Stories for Counselors and Therapists is a collection of autobiographical stories that explores themes of race/ethnicity, immigration/acculturation, religion, and social class. These engaging stories allow readers to understand the significance and influence of culture on identity development, sense of self, family relationships, interpersonal relationships, and life choices. As the storytellers reveal their real life struggles, readers will enhance their understanding of intra-group differences, increase their repertoire of clinical skills, and sharpen their multicultural competency. Each chapter contains a discussion of content themes, along with clinical applications, assessment questions, techniques, and interventions, as well as personal reactions evoked from the stories. Key Features: Offers autobiographical stories that help readers enhance their own clinical skills since the stories depict real clinical situations Includes theoretical content descriptions for each story to provide clinicians with a comprehensive array of themes they are likely to encounter in their clients' own histories Contains a clinical applications section for each chapter that gives readers practical ideas they can apply to clients Includes a valuable countertransference section that provides clinicians with personal reaction scenarios when working with clients Culture and Identity is a unique, easy-to-read book that demonstrates how cultural factors influence identity and life choices. It is an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on multicultural counseling focusing on diversity in the fields of Psychology, Counseling, Family Therapy, Social Work, and Human Services. In addition, it is ideal for many practicum and internship courses. A valuable resource for clinicians looking to further their understanding of cultural factors in clinical work, it will also be of interest to any professional in the mental health field who works with a diverse client population.

From having three top-forty hits before he was twenty, to being an in-demand studio musician recording with hit artists, Jimmy Ryan tells about his early years with The Critters, sharing the playbill with pioneers of rock 'n roll like The Rascals, The Ronettes, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Jay and the Americans; and, later, collaborating and recording with megastars such as Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Elton John, The Doors, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart and many others. Behind is an adventure told in a series of revealing, entertaining, sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic tales that take the reader into the minds of pop stars, the shadier side of the music business, the struggle with setbacks, and the joys of success. From partying at the Playboy Mansion to panicking in a local prison with his bandmates, Ryan shares the experience of over six decades in the upper echelons of the music business. Behind is an insider's look into the people and business of the music industry. It examines how superstars and their musicians handle stress, their humanity, frailty, insecurities, and neuroses. It chronicles one musician's lifetime in the profession, sometimes in the spotlight, more often behind it, and most often in the recording studio as a composer, arranger, musician, producer, and engineer. And, though by no means a tell-all hit piece, it instead employs humor, humility, occasional touches of gentle sarcasm, and masterful storytelling to craft a portrait of those who achieved stardom, their rewards, and their excesses, the alcohol and drugs, the emotional breaks, and self-destruction that befell so many, as well as those who failed in its pursuit. Ultimately, Behind is a light hearted and joyful narrative that documents important moments in rock history. At the same time, its colorful stories and collection of personal photographs evoke memories of youth, concerts with friends, turbulent times of social change, and the delight of hits that mark unforgettable moments in of our lives. I invite you to take a first-hand look into the wonderful, often insane world of music through the eyes of a lifer, a musician who has found success and fulfillment by shape-shifting his way through a lifetime Behind the stars.

I will always and forever feel I have a 'hole' in my life where my mother once existed. I think, when you have to think about the fact you might have to take care of your parents someday and juggle kids at the same timeIt's a scary proposition. We had open communication during and before the breast cancer. But then after the breast cancer, I was often afraid to bring things up, in trying to protect Mom. This insightful book tells the stories of women whose mothers had breast cancer. It uses their own voices to express the common fears and expectations of daughters in the periods before and during their mothers' illnesses, involving genetic risks, death and dying, and changes in their relationships. The case studies, tables and figures, and two appendices will benefit health professionals and counselors, while the poignant narratives will help mothers and daughters better understand their experiences with breast cancer. I was kind of surprised to be alive and free of cancer at age 42, when at this point my mother was crippled by metastases. When I get to be 43the age at which my mother died, or maybe when I get to 44it's like, 'what do I do?' I have this life that I didn't expect to have. Breast Cancer: Daughters Tell Their Stories presents the results of a qualitative, grounded theory study of breast cancer survivors, providing in-depth information about an aspect of breast cancer that has been previously overlooked. The book examines the daughters' experiences through four phasesthe period prior to mother's illness, the period during mother's illness and treatment, the period following mother's death (if mother dies), and the long-term impact. From this study, recommendations are compiled for providing or improving services for tomorrow's daughters. The radical mastectomy left her scarred and disfigured below her nightgown. It was bruised and nasty looking. That was kind of scary. I think that has terrified me since. Sometimes I'll have pains in my left breast and that's what I visualize. It's terrifying. I'm not really obsessed about dying of cancer. I'm more along the line of, 'If this is going to happen to me, and there's a chance it's going to, I'm gonna survive. I'm not going to die from it. From an empathetic perspective, this book reveals how many daughters react to and deal with their mothers' diagnoses, depending on their age and family situation at the time of their mothers' illnesses. It shows how daughters can gain a more accurate idea of their level of risk by providing educational materials and developing new strategies for communication. It also helps breast cancer survivors see how their illnesses can shape their daughters' future outlook, offering new inspiration for resolving and preventing family crises.

I will always and forever feel I have a 'hole' in my life where my mother once existed. I think, when you have to think about the fact you might have to take care of your parents someday and juggle kids at the same timeIt's a scary proposition. We had open communication during and before the breast cancer. But then after the breast cancer, I was often afraid to bring things up, in trying to protect Mom. This insightful book tells the stories of women whose mothers had breast cancer. It uses their own voices to express the common fears and expectations of daughters in the periods before and during their mothers' illnesses, involving genetic risks, death and dying, and changes in their relationships. The case studies, tables and figures, and two appendices will benefit health professionals and counselors, while the poignant narratives will help mothers and daughters better understand their experiences with breast cancer. I was kind of surprised to be alive and free of cancer at age 42, when at this point my mother was crippled by metastases. When I get to be 43the age at which my mother died, or maybe when I get to 44it's like, 'what do I do?' I have this life that I didn't expect to have. Breast Cancer: Daughters Tell Their Stories presents the results of a qualitative, grounded theory study of breast cancer survivors, providing in-depth information about an aspect of breast cancer that has been previously overlooked. The book examines the daughters' experiences through four phasesthe period prior to mother's illness, the period during mother's illness and treatment, the period following mother's death (if mother dies), and the long-term impact. From this study, recommendations are compiled for providing or improving services for tomorrow's daughters. The radical mastectomy left her scarred and disfigured below her nightgown. It was bruised and nasty looking. That was kind of scary. I think that has terrified me since. Sometimes I'll have pains in my left breast and that's what I visualize. It's terrifying. I'm not really obsessed about dying of cancer. I'm more along the line of, 'If this is going to happen to me, and there's a chance it's going to, I'm gonna survive. I'm not going to die from it. From an empathetic perspective, this book reveals how many daughters react to and deal with their mothers' diagnoses, depending on their age and family situation at the time of their mothers' illnesses. It shows how daughters can gain a more accurate idea of their level of risk by providing educational materials and developing new strategies for communication. It also helps breast cancer survivors see how their illnesses can shape their daughters' future outlook, offering new inspiration for resolving and preventing family crises.

Muhammad Yunus is that rare thing: a bona fide visionary. His dream is the total eradication of poverty from the world. In 1983, against the advice of banking and government officials, Yunus established Grameen, a bank devoted to providing the poorest of Bangladesh with minuscule loans. Grameen Bank, based on the belief that credit is a basic human right, not the privilege of a fortunate few, now provides over 2.5 billion dollars of micro-loans to more than two million families in rural Bangladesh. Ninety-four percent of Yunus's clients are women, and repayment rates are near 100 percent. Around the world, micro-lending programs inspired by Grameen are blossoming, with more than three hundred programs established in the United States alone. Banker to the Poor is Muhammad Yunus's memoir of how he decided to change his life in order to help the world's poor. In it he traces the intellectual and spiritual journey that led him to fundamentally rethink the economic relationship between rich and poor, and the challenges he and his colleagues faced in founding Grameen. He also provides wise, hopeful guidance for anyone who would like to join him in "putting homelessness and destitution in a museum so that one day our children will visit it and ask how we could have allowed such a terrible thing to go on for so long." The definitive history of micro-credit direct from the man that conceived of it, Banker to the Poor is necessary and inspirational reading for anyone interested in economics, public policy, philanthropy, social history, and business. Muhammad Yunus was born in Bangladesh and earned his Ph.D. in economics in the United States at Vanderbilt University, where he was deeply influenced by the civil rights movement. He still lives in Bangladesh, and travels widely around the world on behalf of Grameen Bank and the concept of micro-credit.

'Stella is just like a tiny bird. This is my first impression of her. A quiet little sparrow of a girl.' In her brand-new series 'Thrown Away Children', Louise Allen shares the harrowing stories she is exposed to as a foster mother. The first in the series, Stella's Story, tells the astonishing true story of a young girl scarred by an abusive past. Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes, and no warmth. She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better. Things seem to be going well - but when Stella has a startling response to having her photo taken, it becomes clear the scars of her abuse run deeper than anyone could have ever guessed.

Come on a journey of erotic discovery where young guys seek out old gentlemen! It is well known that to most gay men, a shapely, youthful body is the ultimate turn-on. But a few young guys, sometimes even married ones, are erotically attracted to old men, because of their age. Joseph Itiel (author of Escort Tales; A Consumer's Guide to Male Hustlers; and Sex Workers as Virtual Boyfriends), now in his early seventies, has discovered such young fellows. In Dirty Young Men and Other Gay Stories, he relates his experiences with them in intimate detail. Dirty Young Men and Other Gay Stories is packed full of true younger-loves-older stories from all walks of life and from different countries. From the author: It took me until my middle fifties to become a sex object. Before reaching this age, nobody had ever been infatuated with my looks or physique. I hadn't been selected out of a crowd just because someone thought I would be a good lay. Wouldn't it be nice, I kept hoping, if for once I would fulfill somebody's sexual fantasies, and be picked for just this reason? Well, at the age of fifty-five, my daydreams started to become a reality. Finally, I became a sex object, a 'man toy,' to cute guys much younger than myself. Dirty Young Men and Other Gay Stories is packed full of erotic true stories from the author's real life experience. Here is a sample of what you'll find: Master of the Dildothe fulfillment of a young man's desire for penetration by a man old enough to be his father, notwithstanding his young (female) sweetheart Bligh's Bountythe adventures of an older man in San Francisco's first gay go-go bar The Hypnotic Suggestionan older straight man seeks to discover his true identity by exploring, through hypnosis, a fleeting gay moment in his past An Affair in the Galilee Mountainsa bittersweet love affair between a professor and a younger, uneducated local man The Dominatrixthe author befriends (and beds) a much younger man who, it turns out, makes his living as a cross-dressing dominatrix, administering beatings to straight men for money Teaching a Man to Fishthe author teaches two attractive young men the art of escorting From Galilee to Lisbon to San Francisco, Joseph Itiel's Dirty Young Men and Other Gay Stories will take you on an erotic journey that you won't soon forget!

Unchained is a soul-awakening account of life after childhood trauma, of one woman choosing to let go of who she thought she was so she could become who she was meant to be. Tonya Whittle's story reflects what happens to so many women when they pretend trauma didn't happen: who they become, what they do, and how they create a vision of themselves for protection. But what happens when the life someone is running from collides with the life they've created? Unchained shares Tonya's own journey through the collapse of a life falsely created, exposing her wounds and forcing the truth. Tonya encourages other women to take off their own masks, face their truths, and do the inner work necessary to live life fully, ultimately leading to healing and rebuilding. Unchained takes women on a journey to the soul, from head to heart, from fear to faith, from girls gone wild to wild soul women. For anyone who feels disconnected from life, who is just getting by, simply existing, Tonya reaches out to encourage them to let go of the things that have happened to them and thrive despite those traumas. In the face of #metoo and #timesup, her story serves as an instruction manual for how ancient wisdom, and the process of facing the past, lead to an amazing future-no matter what happened.

This journal of the invasion, a collection of Andrey Kurkov's writings and broadcasts from Kyiv, is a remarkable record of a brilliant writer at the forefront of a 21st-century war. Andrey Kurkov has been a consistent satirical commentator on his adopted country of Ukraine. His most recent work, Grey Bees, is a dark foreshadowing of the devastation in the eastern part of Ukraine in which only two villagers remain in a village bombed to smithereens. The author has lived in Kyiv and in the remote countryside of Ukraine throughout the Russian invasion. He has also been able to fly to European capitals where he has been working to raise money for charities and to address crowded halls. Kurkov has been asked to write for every English newspaper, as also to be interviewed all over Europe. He has become an important voice for his people. Kurkov sees every video and every posted message, and he spends the sleepless nights of continuous bombardment of his city delivering the truth about this invasion to the world.

The incredible true story of one man's imprisonment for the gospel; his brokenness, God's faithfulness and his eventual freedom. In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to travel to Turkey, the largest unevangelised country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though hesitant because of the daunting and dangerous task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, believed this was God's plan for them. What followed was a string of threats and attacks,but also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, including Kurds, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk, determining to stay unless God told them to leave. In 2016, they were arrested. Though the State eventually released Norine, who remained in Turkey, Andrew was imprisoned. Accused of being a spy and being among the plotters of the attempted coup, he became a political pawn whose story soon became known around the world. This is Andrew's remarkable story of his imprisonment and journey of faith.

Meet the inspirational dogs who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer, in these incredible true stories. You'll read all about... Toby, the golden retriever who performed the Heimlich manoeuvre to save his owner's life Liam, the Lhaso Apso-Poodle mix who helped his owner battle an eating disorder Hercules, the St Bernard who saved his owners from burglars on the first day he moved in Alfie, the terrier who gave a bullied girl a new lease of life ... as well as many other canine heroes who came to their owner's aid - whether it was saving them from physical threats, or helping them to recover from mental illness, PTSD and bereavement. These remarkable dogs all repaid the love and appreciation that their owners displayed in rescuing them. Let these uplifting stories warm your heart, and show you that adopted dogs truly are man's best friend.

A pioneering cardiac surgeon expertly sews up the heart of surgery, the health of the nation, and the NHS.

The Angina Monologues speeds from the transporting of a donor’s heart up the motorway hard shoulder, to cautionary stories of excessive intervention gone awry in US hospitals, to a traumatic trip to bring advanced cardiac surgery to the Palestinian West Bank. Nashef tells heart-stopping stories of transplants, coronary artery bypasses, aorta repair, and cardiac arrest. He also delivers humane advice about medical realities rarely observed: the futility of obsessing over diet, the necessity of calculating risks, the role of decision making, the resilience of doctor and patient alike, and the threadbare brilliance of the NHS.

Nashef is a magnificently warm and likeable doctor and writer; and he has the best imaginable bedside manner.

In the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air, Rachel Slade's Into the Raging Sea is a nail-biting account of the sinking of the container ship El Faro, the crew of thirty-three who perished onboard, and the destructive forces of globalisation that put the ship in harm's way. On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle and swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in one of the worst shipping disasters in decades. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications, a sophisticated navigation system, and cutting-edge weather forecasting could suddenly vanish - until now. Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members and maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves - whose conversations were captured by the ship's data recorder - journalist Rachel Slade unravels the mystery of the sinking of El Faro. As she recounts the final twenty-four hours onboard, Slade vividly depicts the officers' anguish and fear as they struggled to carry out Captain Michael Davidson's increasingly bizarre commands, which, they knew, would steer them straight into the eye of the storm. Taking a hard look at America's aging merchant marine fleet, Slade also reveals the truth about modern shipping - a cutthroat industry plagued by razor-thin profits and ever more violent hurricanes fueled by global warming. A richly reported account of a singular tragedy, Into the Raging Sea takes us into the heart of an age-old American industry, casting new light on the hardworking crew of El Faro who paid the ultimate price in the name of profit.