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"Defectors fleeing the Soviet Union seized the world's attention during the Cold War. Their stories were told in sensational news coverage and dramatized in spy novels and films. In contrast to other refugees, they were pursued by the states they left even as they were sought by the United States and other Western governments eager to claim them. Taking part in a risky game that played out across the globe, defectors sought to transcend the limitations of the Cold War world. The book follows their treacherous journeys and looks at how their unauthorized flight gave shape to a globalized world. It charts a global struggle over defectors that unfolded in a crowded courtroom in Paris, among rival intelligence agencies operating in the shadows of an occupied Europe, in the forbidden border zones of the USSR, in the disputed straits of the South China Sea, on a hijacked plane 10,000 feet in the air, and around the walls of Soviet embassies. In doing so, the book reveals a Cold War world whose borders were far less stable than the notion of an "Iron Curtain" suggests. Surprisingly, the competition for defectors paved the way for collusion between the superpowers, who found common interest in regulating the unruly spaces through which defectors moved. Disputes over defectors mapped out the contours of modern state sovereignty in previously contested places, and defection's ideological framework hardened borders by reinforcing the view that asylum should only be granted to migrants with clear political claims. Although defection all but disappeared after the Cold War, it helped forge an international refugee system whose legacy and limitations remain with us to this day"--

Vivienne "Girl Vengeance" Cain has almost got the hang of this heroism thing ... At least until the doom that has chased her for years makes itself known in a way impossible to ignore. But she's ready. She has the power, the knowledge, and the will to fight back-to protect those she loves, and maybe even save herself. She's ready. Right?

Vivienne Cain has really fucked up this time, and the adults in the room aren't covering for her anymore. Her goth punk ass gets kicked out of Supergroup and shipped off to the Midwest (ugh!) to join the Agents of Awesome: a teenage superhero team of burnouts, weirdos, and potential villains. In Chicago, she finds drama, excitement, and something she never expected: A family. One she has to protect.

"Loss Control Auditing: A Guide for Conducting Fire, Safety, and Security Audits is a one-stop resource for both developing and executing a loss control audit program. This fully updated second edition addresses loss control auditing from the perspectives of workplace safety, physical security, and fire risks. It focuses on the three core areas of an audit: documentation review, physical inspection, and employee interviews, and presents a three-phase model-pre-audit, audit, and post-audit activities-which can be used for all three core areas. This new edition benefits from the addition of auditing and system measurement material as promulgated in ISO 45001 and ANSI/ASSP Z10 standards and OSHA's Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. It offers an expanded discussion of the application of auditing to the field of emergency management and new text explaining how leading and lagging measures can be used in the auditing process during assessment as well as in the post-audit evaluation. Subsidiary organizations and their integration into the auditing process, such as the areas of contractor management and temporary worker safety are covered in detail. The book discusses the integration of qualitative and quantitative measures in an effort to arrive at a more holistic scoring mechanism to assess organizational performance. In all, the depth of material presented in this thorough book showcases how to develop and execute a loss control management system audit program to a high quality. An ideal read for industry professionals, students, and postgraduates in the fields of fire service, loss prevention, and safety management"--

Every day, individuals take action based on how they believe innovation will change industries. Yet these beliefs are largely based on guesswork and incomplete data and lead to costly errors in judgment. Now, internationally renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen and his research partners Scott D. Anthony and Erik A. Roth present a groundbreaking framework for predicting outcomes in the evolution of any industry. Based on proven theories outlined in Christensen's landmark books The Innovator's Dilemma and The Innovator's Solution, Seeing What's Next offers a practical, three-part model that helps decision-makers spot the signals of industry change, determine the outcome of competitive battles, and assess whether a firm's actions will ensure or threaten future success. Through in-depth case studies of industries from aviation to health care, the authors illustrate the predictive power of innovation theory in action.

The book honours the Rev. Dr. Robert A Kolb, retired Director of the Institute for Mission Studies and Missions Professor in systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and perhaps the leading authority on the development of "Wittenberg Theology" in the English-speaking world. At the same time, his teaching and writing, which continues without flagging, has emphasized the importance of translating and retranslating the historic Lutheran faith in terms that address contemporary issues and contemporary people. In this volume, colleagues and co-workers address and push forward Kolb insights into the history of the Reformation era and on the impact of those Reformation issues (and quarrels) on the life of the church in the world today. With contributions by Charles Arand, L'ubomir Batka, Amy Nelson Burnett, Irene Dingel, Mary Jane Haemig, Scott Hendrix, Erik Herrmann, Werner Klän, David Lumpp, Mark Mattes, Daniel Mattson, Richard Muller, Paul Robinson, Robert Rosin, and Timothy Wengert.

The Sci-Fi and Fantasy of Tomorrow Selected by Masters of Today 28 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators Get ready to get carried away . . . to places no one has ever gone before. Turn the page . . . from dark fantasy to dystopian nightmare, from magical realism to military science, from paranormal urban fantasy to post-apocalyptic power trips . . . and beyond. Take flight on a starship powered by a godlike being, willing to go to any length to know what it is to be human. Delve into the psyche of a scientist who must choose between ambition and compassion while compelled to participate in a secret and sadistic government project. Get lost in the chilling Museum of Modern Warfare, where one woman is about to discover life-changing secrets. Experience the stories that challenge our sense of self—and our sense of the world. And that’s just the beginning of your journey. . . . Discover the mesmerizing power of these new stories, thought-provoking new ideas, brilliant new horizons, and astounding new writers and illustrators—the chosen ones, selected by today’s bestselling science fiction and fantasy authors and artists. ___________________________ 3 Bonus Short Stories by L. Ron Hubbard • Jody Lynn Nye • Kristine Kathryn Rusch “The Dangerous Dimension” by L. Ron Hubbard: Meek Dr. Henry Mudge has a dramatic personality change after discovering a mathematical equation that transports him to any place in the universe he can think of. . . . “The Phoenixes’ War” by Jody Lynn Nye: When a lover’s gift to her king turns out to be a perilous trap, the Phoenixes and their priestess face a test that will decide the fate of two realms. . . . “Museum of Modern Warfare” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: When an ambassador is asked to inspect the controversial Museum of Modern Warfare, she discovers life-changing secrets. . . . ___________________________ Art and Writing Tips by L. Ron Hubbard • Orson Scott Card • Craig Elliott “Magic Out of a Hat” by L. Ron Hubbard: From a challenge to write a story inspired by a completely uninspiring wastebasket, Ron provides timeless insight on generating a solid story idea and also reveals a bit of the effusive spirit that he brought to the magic of writing. “On Magic Out of a Hat” by Orson Scott Card: Card discusses and expands upon Hubbard’s article breaking down the techniques Ron used to create a story from a simple object. Card also explores the history of memorable speculative fiction and what makes it great. “The Rewards of Imagination” by Craig Elliott: In addition to his fine-art work, Craig has had a hand in designing many of today’s most popular animated films. Here Craig expounds on the value and need for creative artists and their impact on our society.

4 Award-Winning Authors and Illustrators Accompanied by Orson Scott Card, Brandon Sanderson, Jody Lynn Nye, Jerry Pournelle, Ciruelo and Echo Chernik and Edited by David Farland Your search for something new and different in sci-fi and fantasy ends here. Presenting this year’s collection of fresh voices, fabulous worlds, and fantastic new characters. Each year, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests’ blue-ribbon judges search the world to discover and introduce to you the very best new talent in sci-fi and fantasy. Created by L. Ron Hubbard, whose commitment to help new writers and artists gave rise to the annual Writers of the Future anthologies—a launching pad for writers and artists who are sure to command our attention for decades to come. “Writers of the Future, as a contest and as a book, remains the flagship of short fiction.” —Orson Scott Card “The best new stories by new writers, anywhere.” —Larry Niven “These are the people who are going to be creating trends.” —Brandon Sanderson “Science fiction as a genre has always looked to the future and the Writers of the Future looks to the future of science fiction.” —Kevin J. Anderson “See the best of the best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.” —Robert J. Sawyer

TODD McFARLANE unleashed his signature creation, SPAWN , in 1992. In doing so, he created the most successful independent comic book in history. Join Spawn in SPAWN COMPENDIUM, VOL. 6 as he discovers the true meaning of becoming a Hellspawn and settles on a path of bloody revenge in search of a way back to his humanity! Collects SPAWN RESURRECTION and SPAWN #251-300, collected for the first time in FULL COLOR and featuring some never-before-collected issues