Balzac's Cane is an English translation of Delphine de Girardin's 1836 novella, La Canne de M. de Balzac, which centers around a protagonist named Tancred Dorimont, a brilliant young man plagued by his devastating good looks. In a social context in which appearance is everything, it seems for several chapters that beauty will break, rather than make, this young man's fortune. One evening as Tancred seeks to forget his problems by spending an evening at the opera, he observes M. de Balzac and learns the secret to this famous author's ability to know the innermost secrets of all walks of life with such detail and intimacy; M. de Balzac's cane, a famously hideous walking stick, has the power to render the bearer invisible. A deal, which straddles the line between a favor and blackmail, is worked out between these two men and the cane comes into Tancred's possession. With this tool Tancred is able to overhear state secrets, make his fortune, and then set his sights upon finding a woman truly worthy of his love. Voyeurism, surveillance, courtship, feminism, authorship, and the vanishing distinction between public and private lives are all raised in this novella. This work will be a useful text in either French literature or comparative survey courses due to its examination of contemporary nineteenth-century life, social organization and morals, its parody of bildungsroman and romance novels, and its combination of genres: several lengthy poems are an essential part of the novella's text.

What makes the Platinum English first additional language course unique? Strong support for reading and writing skills, featuring annotations and models of all writing texts; integrated and explicit grammar teaching; predictable, consistent structure; high quality, relevant artwork; strong teacher support through explicit methods and assessment. Platinum! - Simply superior: superior CAPS coverage and written by expert authors; superior illustrations and activities to improve results and motivate learners; superior teacher support to save time and make teaching easy, including photocopiable worksheets. Superior quality = exam success!

The History of a Safer World is the true story of the engineers who built and connected a safer industrial world. The book is a blueprint for personal and business success in any age. Two startup companies overcame early struggles to create thousands of jobs and billions in new wealth. Visionaries who knew their limits inspired those who did not. The theme of the book is seduction, as engineers pushed themselves to their creative and physical limits in a timeless digital world to build the perfect machine. The History of a Safer World is a love story - about business.

The headaches always precede the memories. But, what are the memories? Are they simple bits of movies, stories and class lectures about different times that they recalled, or are they something else? Lynn and Rick must find out exactly what is happening to them before it is too late. Hidden Memories is a whirlwind of mystery, intrigue and science that will keep you thinking well after you have finished reading the book.