Bøger af James Bailey

With letters from Professor Lord Robert Winston, Anil Seth, Dame Hilary Mantel, Oliver Burkeman, Dame Kelly Holmes, Adam Grant, Sir John Major and many more . . .When James Bailey was feeling lost in life, he was inspired by philosopher Will Durant's 1930s project to write to 100 luminaries in arts, politics, religion, sport and sciences, challenging them to respond to the fundamental question of life's meaning. The response was more remarkable than he could have ever imagined. A decade on, James had garnered an incredible collection of replies, collated here for the first time. By turns, thought-provoking, amusing and enlightening, these letters from scientists, writers, campaigners, athletes, political leaders, entertainers, survivors and philosophers are a wonderful source of inspiration. Some are about happiness and heartbreak, some are about purpose, some are funny and some will change the way you think. The Meaning of Life is a gift from people of all walks of life with incredible experience, connecting through one meaningful question that broadens our understanding of what it really means to be human and happy.

"Bailey's second novel mixes baseball, romantic tension and testosterone into a satisfying cocktail of prose. It bubbles and percolates with action and tension." -Tampa TribuneFrom the moment he's drafted, Del Tanner shows the Twins a smooth left-handed stroke and a slick glove at first base. But his path is blocked by players who possess the one thing he lacks-power. When a teammate's injury is the only thing to spare him on cutdown day, the message is clear: Put more balls over the fence or find a new line of work. His aspiring agent connects him with a steroid dealer operating out of the back room of a South Florida funeral parlor. After a winter in Mexico, pumping iron by day and riding the bench by night, Del reports to spring training sporting twenty additional pounds of muscle. Suddenly a legitimate power threat, he ascends from the ranks of the unknown to American League Rookie of the Year. Within days of being so honored, allegations surface of his performance-enhancing drug use, forcing him on the defensive as he fights to restore his reputation and repair his personal relationships."Bailey hasn't just given us a great read. He's given us an important window into a topic we can't seem to stop talking about." -JAYSON STARK

"The Greatest Show on Dirt is funny, fast-paced, and peopled with likable characters in a believable minor-league setting. In other words: manna for fans of sports fiction." -JOSEPH WALLACE, author of Diamond RubySet in the same beloved old stadium where Bull Durham was filmed, The Greatest Show on Dirt provides a look at baseball from a different angle. Players come and go, but there would be no games without a front office to sell the tickets, groom the field, and open the gates to let the fans in. A former Bulls employee who later spent six years covering the minor leagues for Baseball America, James Bailey has crafted a realistic, yet often hilarious, account of a young man's indoctrination into life in the bush leagues."[I]t's not just believable, but is easy to imagine as being the starting point for a movie script--even with Bull Durham already a classic. Bailey doesn't use baseball locker-talk for shock value, but keeps the reader moving at the right pace, fully locked and loaded, trying to figure out how this crumbling old minor-league park will somehow expose the secret to life for at least one person who feels disconnected, but is willing to listen to see if it's speaking his language." - Los Angeles Daily News

Sporting a nagging conscience and a chip on his shoulder, C.J. Neubauer books a flight home on his girlfriend's credit card to bury his father and try to make sense of what led him to take his own life. All he has to go on is a note that reads, "Sorry I wasn't what you needed."C.J. Neubauer's family was dysfunctional long before his mother walked out. At eight, he was just too young to realize it. Now 32, he has spent his entire adult life estranged from the people who should mean the most to him. But when his father kills himself, C.J. is thrust right back into the multi-fronted battle he escaped upon graduating college. Back in his childhood home, C.J. sifts through his dad's belongings, uncovering one secret after the next, revealing how little he truly understood his parents-and himself.Fans of Jonathan Tropper and Matthew Norman will enjoy this book, which explores the familial bonds that obligate us for life-and beyond.

Charmer Lewis had the looks of a male model and the smarts of a Harvard student. One would think he would be on top of the world, but that was not the case. Even as a small boy, he was always wondering why he was on this planet and the true meaning of his existence. He excelled in sports, but never enjoyed them. Not really. A home run or a strikeout never affected him like his peers. He was a beautiful man, with many female admirers, but had no real interest in anyone or anything His whole family died in a car crash when he was in his late teens, and, although saddened this happened, he really never had a deep connection with any of them. All of these things started to go round and round his brain until one morning, he got up and decided he had to do something drastic. Hence, he walked out of Harvard and stuck his thumb out at the nearest highway. Not soon after his trip takes him to unchartered territory when an escaped mental patient he encounters at a local diner accidentally shoots and kills the waitress who serves them. Now he not only has an unwanted guest to accompany him, but the fiancé of the now deceased waitress, who just happens to be the local sheriff, in hot pursuit. During this journey he runs into a cast of quirky and unforgettable characters who believe that happiness for them could be found at the 50th anniversary of the Roswell UFO crash or in a pint of Vodka.

Thanks to his parents' separation, Jason Van Otterloo is starting his sophomore year of high school three hours away from all his friends--including his new girlfriend, Sian. Tiny Icicle Flats is a quaint Bavarian-themed mountain village that has been trapped in time since long before his mother grew up there. That she was willing to return is all down to her new boyfriend--who also happens to be her new boss. And judging by all the makeup found in his bathroom cabinet, Jason's dad isn't wasting time waiting for her to return.Jason begins a blog to share details of his new life with his old friends, but some news isn't meant for wide distribution. Fortunately, his sage-but-sarcastic best friend, Drew, is always just an email away. Would it be so wrong, Jason wonders, to ask a local girl named Leah to the Homecoming dance? "Just as a one-time date, nothing more, obviously." "Why are you asking me and not Sian?" Drew replies. "Wait, I think I know the answer." If only Jason would ever take his friend's advice, he might spend less time climbing out of the holes he digs for himself.Pressed into afternoon and weekend duty at his grandpa's hardware store, Jason still finds time to join an after-school book club that specializes in controversial classics. When Leah's brother reports the book club to the school board, Jason and his fellow readers are forced underground--until they emerge again to enter a protest float in the Icicle Flats Christmas parade. The ensuing brouhaha makes for the most exciting holiday season Jason can remember. And for once, it's not his parents' arguing that takes center stage. With the new year comes a new scheme: If the local busybody brigade was upset by a few old books, pirate radio will surely blow their minds. Who ever said life in a small novelty town would be dull?Told entirely through Jason's email exchanges and blog posts, Dispatches from a Tourist Trap picks up where The First World Problems of Jason Van Otterloo left off. Come and spend a little time in Icicle Flats--just don't forget to pack your lederhosen.

Part 1 of this 398-page book presents scriptural evidence of the rise of the righteous remnant. Just as John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah as a forerunner preparing the way for the Lord's first appearing, God is once again sending Elijah to prepare the way for His return. (Malachi 3:1, Luke 1:16-17) As Jesus said, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things." (Matthew 17:11 NKJV) Elijah's first assignment was small enough for one man to do it alone because it was limited to tiny Israel but a lot has changed in the past two thousand years as the message of salvation has been proclaimed to all nations, so the spirit and power of Elijah is coming upon an army of forerunners who will release the same fire from heaven as he did, causing righteousness to arise like the sun. (Malachi 4:2) Ordinary people will be filled with God's power to do extraordinary things as forerunners preparing the way, the likes of whom have never been seen; nor will there ever be any such after them as they will leap on mountain tops, run like mighty men, climb walls like soldiers, and march in perfect alignment as they burst through the enemy's defenses without breaking ranks. (Joel 2:1-11) They will be pure and spotless, totally devoted to God. (Ephesians 5:27) Part 1 also presents many prophetic dreams given to James Bailey revealing God's plans for training, preparing, equipping, uniting, assigning and restoring His army to complete their specific assignments during this most unique time, as shown by the following excerpt from one of his dreams: "Every meeting was packed to the max with young people, teenagers and young adults, and it was standing room only. Even up in the balcony, every seat was filled and along the front of the balcony, I saw them sitting on the floor in a long row along the railings with their feet dangling down. There was such a deep conviction of sin and wanting to be right with God. I've been in lots of great meetings before and experienced powerful moves of God, but this was unlike anything I've seen before."His dreams ignited a hunger in him to learn more about righteousness, so he searched the scriptures and found 222 promises for which righteousness is the only requirement. Then he organized them into 16 categories and listed them in this book with explanations on how to receive them. Part 2 presents evidence of the fulfillment of eight scriptural signs of the times identifying the season of the Lord's return to show that the rise of the remnant is not far off in the distant future, but happening in our generation. Eight signs should be more than enough since Jesus said the generation that sees these things will not all pass away until they're all fulfilled. (Matthew 24:33-34) These include the rebirth of modern Israel and increases in earthquakes, knowledge, travel, lawlessness, deception, apostasy, and wars. Amazingly, the fulfillment of all these signs significantly accelerated at about the same time the Jewish people reclaimed Jerusalem in 1967, revealing the colossal impact of that event, not only as the fulfillment of many prophecies but also marking the start of the season of His return. Here's a partial list of the 27 Exhibits: -38 things that must happen before the Lord returns-Satan's 5 Favorite Lies about the Jewish people-41 proofs God is not finished with the Jewish people-19 promises for provision-5 promises for answered prayers-22 promises for more of God-8 promises for your words-23 promises for protection-11 promises for more joy-13 promises for your children-7 promises for wisdom-9 promises for health-17 promises for your position-10 promises for your path-20 promises for your character-13 promises for eternity-8 promises for your land-12 promises for honor-25 promises for blessings-40 US military

In Jason Van Otterloo's neighborhood, the Fourth of July fireworks are provided by his drunken parents brawling in the driveway. One moment they're not speaking to each other, the next they're on the couch like teenage lovers. He's not sure which is worse. He's been waiting for them to grow up for nearly 16 years, and it doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon.Desperate to escape, Jason takes on any job that comes his way with the dream of saving enough money to get his own place. When the border patrol snuffs out his landscaping career, he talks his best friend Drew into enlisting with him as a caddy at the local country club. His income might not be sufficient to move out on, but it's plenty to cover his first date with Gina-if she's willing to overlook the minor detail about having to take the bus to the movies. Life would be so much easier if Jason were old enough to drive.Gina proves a nice distraction from the circus at home, at least until Jason realizes he has competition for her attention. "I want to come right out and say something," he tells Drew, "but at the same time I don't want to know for sure." At coffeehouse poetry slams or via late-night email exchanges, his fellow intellectual Drew is always there to provide perspective. But the one topic he can't help Jason make sense of is Rob and Janice Van Otterloo's rocky relationship. "Maybe they'll learn how to become boring and safe like my parents," Drew suggests, when they finally seek marriage counseling. "I don't want them to be like your parents," Jason replies. "It wouldn't be authentic."Nor would it be as entertaining. Told entirely through emails between Jason, Drew, and others, The First World Problems of Jason Van Otterloo will appeal to fans of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and readers who best enjoy their teen angst cushioned in humor.

"A Nose For Trouble," is a thrilling novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story is set in a make-believe place where a community of do- gooders lives on edge daily, fearing two and four-legged life forms that regularly stray down from a place called Run Down by Sundown Mountain. The plot centers around what happens to humans at their death when they have carried out works that were good, versus those that have carried out works that were evil.The main characters in the story are widowed Joann Goode and her two sons, Mathew and Michael. When they are kidnapped and taken to the harrowing highlands, Mathew is killed, leaving Joann and Michael devastated in the aftermath.Still mourning the loss of Mathew years later, Joann and Michael find themselves once again at risk of being harmed by the mountain's heartless inhabitants after a new husband she's found is vengefully kidnapped and taken there. Having held on to a strong belief that Mathew remained in their presence, when it turns out the local Sheriff is a step slow, it's Mathew who steps in from the afterlife to save the day.For anyone that enjoys reading action, colorful humor, suspense, thrills, chills, kidnappings, manhunts, shootouts, hideouts, heroes, and hooligans, this novel has it.The characters behaviors are wholesome, real-to-life, good natured, crude, rude, compelling and engaging.The story is fast-pace and filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.Overall, "A Nose For Trouble" is a captivating work of literature that explores the themes of family and loss, drawing attention to the notion that our loved ones, even in death, are always in our presence. The novel is a must-read for reading enthusiast.

This training guide is a truly unique and informative book which is full of reliable and time tested information - written for the admirers and owners of this wonderful breed. Easy-to-read and in-depth in its nature - you will thoroughly enjoy your experience with this training guide. A wealth of reliable methods and procedures, alongside detailed advice for current or soon-to-be-owners is contained within. Contributed to by a series of specialist dog trainers, this book is certainly a must have addition to your collection.

Encouraging Words for Discouraging Times Everyone needs to be encouraged every day! The bottom falls out from underneath, what do you do? The foundation that was unshakable quickly begins to shake. Hopes and dreams begin to shatter. Relationships become strained, unstable or disappear. Will ends ever meet? Who can be trusted now? Well, Encouraging Words for Discouraging Times was written with you in mind. To take an honest assessment and make an honest change requires a search of heart and a willingness to change. This search can be the beginning of getting through those discouraging times. One can choose to stay discouraged or one can choose to let the discouragement be a stepping stone to freedom. When you are free, you are free indeed. So, as you read this book, each section will challenge you to make a choice. Did you know there is a choice?

The two-volume set LNAI 7301 and 7302 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, PAKDD 2012, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2012. The total of 20 revised full papers and 66 revised short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 241 submissions. The papers present new ideas, original research results, and practical development experiences from all KDD-related areas. The papers are organized in topical sections on supervised learning: active, ensemble, rare-class and online; unsupervised learning: clustering, probabilistic modeling in the first volume and on pattern mining: networks, graphs, time-series and outlier detection, and data manipulation: pre-processing and dimension reduction in the second volume.

The two-volume set LNAI 7301 and 7302 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, PAKDD 2012, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2012. The total of 20 revised full papers and 66 revised short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 241 submissions. The papers present new ideas, original research results, and practical development experiences from all KDD-related areas. The papers are organized in topical sections on supervised learning: active, ensemble, rare-class and online; unsupervised learning: clustering, probabilistic modeling in the first volume and on pattern mining: networks, graphs, time-series and outlier detection, and data manipulation: pre-processing and dimension reduction in the second volume.

Fall in love with the hilarious and heart-warming new novel of long lost loves and second chances, from the author of The Flip Side'Chances are you will fall in love with this rom-com packed with wit, long lost love and second chances' COSMOPOLITAN'S BEST NEW BOOKS IN JUNE'A charming story filled with wit and romance. I loved it' OLIVIA BEIRNE'I literally couldn't put it down, beautifully written. A tale of pen pals, pretty French towns and sweet friendships - I loved it! LORRAINE BROWN'A delightful read, full of warmth and humour' CAROLINE KHOURY ______Three friends. Two summers. One chance to find the way back to you . . .When Simon reconnects with his first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never met - he is determined to not let her go again.However, life isn't so straight-forward at sixty as it was at sixteen. His daughter's getting married, he's got a B&B to run, and his larger-than-life school friend, Ian, has abruptly waltzed back into his life.Deciding to seize this second chance, Simon sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux with Ian in tow, on the very same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love.But although they now have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change, and it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first . . .______'A joyful gem of a book that will have you cheering on its protagonist' CULTUREFLYPraise for THE FLIP SIDE!'Refreshing, funny and heartwarming, we could not get enough of this' HEAT'Utterly adorable and romantic. I feel uplifted!' GIOVANNA FLETCHER'Utterly charming, funny and very relatable!' JOSIE SILVER'A wonderful, feel-good gem of a book' SUN'A funny, sparky read that feels fresh and modern . . . this book is fab' SOPHIE COUSENS'Really sweet, warm hearted story with some very funny moments . . . Thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a lovely way to start the new year' CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER'The ultimate rom-com' INDEPENDENT

Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coinin this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls.To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad thought: Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single. What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesnt have anything to lose. But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?

This anthology presents translations of 30 songs recorded from a living epic tradition over the past two hundred years. The authors have captured the distinctive poetic language of Russian oral epics. All subgenres of the Russian epic are covered and previously untranslated variants included.