Agency

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “ONE OF THE MOST VISIONARY, ORIGINAL, AND QUIETLY INFLUENTIAL WRITERS CURRENTLY WORKING”* returns with a sharply imagined follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The Peripheral. William Gibson has trained his eye on the future for decades, ever since coining the term “cyberspace” and then popularizing it in his classic speculative novel Neuromancer in the early 1980s. Cory Doctorow raved that The Peripheral is “spectacular, a piece of trenchant, far-future speculation that features all the eyeball kicks of Neuromancer.” Now Gibson is back with Agency—a science fiction thriller heavily influenced by our most current events. Verity Jane, gifted app whisperer, takes a job as the beta tester for a new product: a digital assistant, accessed through a pair of ordinary-looking glasses. “Eunice,” the disarmingly human AI in the glasses, manifests a face, a fragmentary past, and a canny grasp of combat strategy. Realizing that her cryptic new employers don’t yet know how powerful and valuable Eunice is, Verity instinctively decides that it’s best they don’t. Meanwhile, a century ahead in London, in a different time line entirely, Wilf Netherton works amid plutocrats and plunderers, survivors of the slow and steady apocalypse known as the jackpot. His boss, the enigmatic Ainsley Lowbeer, can look into alternate pasts and nudge their ultimate directions. Verity and Eunice are her current project. Wilf can see what Verity and Eunice can’t: their own version of the jackpot, just around the corner, and the roles they both may play in it. *The Boston Globe

From Douglas Adams, the legendary author of one of the most beloved science fiction novels of all time, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, comes a wildly inventive novel—in trade paperback for the first time—of ghosts, time travel, and one detective’s mission to save humanity from extinction. DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY We solve the whole crime We find the whole person Phone today for the whole solution to your problem (Missing cats and messy divorces a specialty) Douglas Adams, the “master of wacky words and even wackier tales” (Entertainment Weekly) once again boggles the mind with a completely unbelievable story of ghosts, time travel, eccentric computer geniuses, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the end of the world, and—of course—missing cats.

Working in Gaborone, Botswana, sleuth Precious Ramotswe investigates several local mysteries, including a search for a missing boy and the case of the clinic doctor with different personalities for different days of the week. Originally in paperback. 25,000 first printing.

The New York Times bestselling author of Neuromancer and Agency presents a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that takes a terrifying look into the future... Flynne Fisher lives down a country road, in a rural America where jobs are scarce, unless you count illegal drug manufacture, which she’s trying to avoid. Her brother Burton lives on money from the Veterans Administration, for neurological damage suffered in the Marines’ elite Haptic Recon unit. Flynne earns what she can by assembling product at the local 3D printshop. She made more as a combat scout in an online game, playing for a rich man, but she’s had to let the shooter games go. Wilf Netherton lives in London, seventy-some years later, on the far side of decades of slow-motion apocalypse. Things are pretty good now, for the haves, and there aren’t many have-nots left. Wilf, a high-powered publicist and celebrity-minder, fancies himself a romantic misfit, in a society where reaching into the past is just another hobby. Burton’s been moonlighting online, secretly working security in some game prototype, a virtual world that looks vaguely like London, but a lot weirder. He’s got Flynne taking over shifts, promised her the game’s not a shooter. Still, the crime she witnesses there is plenty bad. Flynne and Wilf are about to meet one another. Her world will be altered utterly, irrevocably, and Wilf’s, for all its decadence and power, will learn that some of these third-world types from the past can be badass.

History, mystery, and science collide in a new series for middle-grade readers, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket! Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency! Lady Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude—but a genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary. Mystery fans will love this tween girl riff on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. History buffs will be delighted to see all the real figures who play a role in this story and appreciate the extensive backmatter that helps separate truth from fiction. Parents and educators hoping to promote the STEM fields for girls will be thrilled to have a series where two girls use math, science, and creative analytical thinking to solve crimes. But most especially--emerging readers will love this series filled with humor, action, intrigue and wonderful artwork from Kelly Murphy.

Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe—with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi—navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea. Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies’ detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the Giraffe she tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, and the promotion of her talented secretary (a graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, with a mark of 97 per cent), she also finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.

An enchanting new illustrated chapter book series from acclaimed author Kallie George Young Clover seems to have the worst luck-until she happens upon a help-wanted ad from an animal adoption agency. She soon discovers that it is a place like no other. Instead of regular pets, this agency houses magical creatures: fairy horses, unicorns, a young dragon with a temperamental snout. All of a sudden, Clover finds herself in a new world of wizards, princesses and witches who will test her strength, courage and luck.

Meet Tess Drake. She's earned everything she has. Now it's time to get what she deserves... Sexy super-agent Tess Drake has worked hard to make a name for herself in the glamorous yet cut-throat entertainment industry. Tess works at an international agency, where she skillfully manages some of the world's biggest egos—her company, Bardwell International operates in the thrilling, fast-paced worlds of Rights, wrongs and revenge. Tess has been an agent there for longer than she cares to remember and now she's in trouble. Real trouble. After the mysterious death of the agency's senior partner, Lowell Bardwright, Tess's sworn enemy, Cosima Tate, has taken over and would do anything to send Tess's career down in flames. And Cosima is only one of the rogue's gallery of agents in London and New York who want Tess to take a fall. Tess has another little complication, too. She's sleeping with men on both sides of the Atlantic who are in bed with the women who are trying to sink her. Can Tess jump ship without losing her clients and breaking her heart? Or will she lose everything before finding out if she really has what it takes to do what she's always wanted? There's risk and reward in this wickedly funny novel that turns the world of agenting inside out and lays bare all the ambition, sex, adrenaline, bad luck, and good luck at the center of one young woman's success.

Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and Nevermoor, this imaginative middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who uses a travel agency’s magical suitcases to travel to different worlds. When twelve-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from hers. All you have to do to visit them is just jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds’ magical travel society and explore other worlds. But, unbeknownst to Flick, the world at the very center of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what’s happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness—and takes her world with it.

The history-mystery-science series continues as the Wollstonecraft Detectives--Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Shelley--take on a case by royal request. Ada's imperious grandmother has absolutely shut the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency down--until they get a case from a princess, that is. The princess Alexandrina Victoria, age 9 (who will grow up to be Queeen Victoria), is the most closely watched girl in England. She is never alone. Every morsel she eats is catalogued. Every visitor overseen. Every move noted down. She has but one thing of her own--a sketchbook she uses as a secret diary, where she records her private thoughts in code. But now, somehow, that sketchbook has disappeared. And so the princess enlists Ada and Mary to figure out what has happened to the sketchbook without arousing the suspicions of her minders. A most clandestine case indeed! One that will involve breaking into Kensington Palace and uncovering a host of surprising royal secrets... This funny, Christmas-time romp of a caper will delight history and mystery fans alike.

New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer introduces a delightful and dynamic animal duo in a race against time to save a polar bear cub in the first book of this hilarious and heartwarming middle grade series about friendship and conservation. When an animal is in trouble, there’s only one place to turn: the Animal Rescue Agency! Dashing Esquire Fox used to organize the world’s most elaborate chicken raids until the day she encountered Mr. Pepper. Meeting the blustery old rooster changed her heart, convincing her to turn from a life of crime and instead form the Animal Rescue Agency, which masterminds rescue operations across the globe. Esquire and her unlikely chicken business manager coordinate their far-flung agents to get them to the Arctic. In that frozen land they learn that what happened to the polar bear cub was no accident—and that saving him will pit them against the scariest predator in the world: a human.

Irrepressible sleuth Precious Ramotswe searches for a young man who vanished many years ago on the African plains, while dealing with her engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, sudden and unexpected motherhood, and her recently promoted new assistant.

This book explores the conjuncture of human agency and divine volition in the biblical narrative – sometimes referred to as "double causality." A commonly held view has it that the biblical narrative shows human action to be determined by divine will. Yet, when reading the biblical narrative we are inclined to hold the actors accountable for their deeds. The book, then, challenges the common assumptions about the sweeping nature of divine causality in the biblical narrative and seeks to do justice to the roles played by the human actors in the drama. God's causing a person to act in a particular way, as He does when He hardens Pharaoh's heart, is the exception rather than the rule. On the whole, the biblical heroes act on their own; their personal initiatives and strivings are what move the story forward. How does it happen, then, that events, remarkably, conspire to realize God’s plan? The study enlists concepts and theories developed within the framework of contemporary analytic philosophy, featured against the background of classical and contemporary bible commentary. In addressing the biblical narrative through these perspectives, this book holds appeal for scholars of a variety of disciplines – bible studies, philosophy, religion and philosophical theology — as well as for those who simply delight in reading the Bible.

Introducing The Power of Agency, a science-backed approach to living life on your own terms. Agency is the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life. Grounded in extensive psychological research, The Power of Agency gives you the tools to help alleviate anxiety, manage competing demands and help you live your version of success. Renowned psychology experts Paul Napper and Anthony Rao will help you break through your state of overwhelm by showing you how to access your personal agency with seven empowering principles: control stimuli, associate selectively, move, position yourself as a learner, manage your emotions and beliefs, check your intuition, deliberate and then act. Featuring stories of people who have successfully applied these principles to improve their lives, The Power of Agency will give you the insights and skills to build your confidence, conquer challenges, and live more authentically.

The essays in this book contribute to emerging debates in political science and sociology on institutional change, providing a theoretical framework and empirical applications.

A new volunteer has joined the Magical Animal Adoption Agency, and Clover's not too happy about it! Oliver Von Hoof is supposed to be an expert on magical animals, but he's barely older than Clover. How can he be an expert on anything? And it doesn't help that Mr. Jams keeps turning to Oliver instead of Clover for help with the animals. When Mr. Jams is called away from the Agency on a secret mission, Clover and Oliver are put in charge of the Agency once again. But when Picnic the invisible puppy starts turning visible, and the Agency's green cat, Dipity, begins to look white, Clover and Oliver realize that all of the amazing creatures are becoming ordinary. Even Oliver's trusty magical wands aren't enough to cure them! Will Oliver and Clover learn to work together in time to restore the animals' magical powers? Alexandra Boiger's delightful illustrations shine in the third book of Kallie George's The Magical Animal Adoption Agency series where an open heart can best the nastiest of spells. Praise for Clover's Luck "[This] gentle tale of magic and self-reliance will entertain confident new independent readers. Clover's sweet story is a good next step for lovers of the Magic Tree House." -Kirkus Reviews "Readers will be envious of the world of magic that Clover becomes ensconced in and eager to read future installments." -Publishers Weekly "[A] charming story, delicately written, with a winning heroine. . . [and] a conclusion that will satisfy young readers." -Booklist Online "Clover is a winning hero worth following." -Library Media Connection Praise for The Enchanted Egg "Graduates of sparkly chapter-book series will be right at home and looking for the next installment posthaste." -Kirkus Reviews "[T]he gentle but intrepid Clover continues to charm." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan and thief Mary Quinn is offered a place at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls where she is trained to be part of an all-female investigative unit called The Agency and, at age seventeen, she infiltrates a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.

If you enjoy Nancy Drew, historical fiction and crime-solving mysteries, you'll love the 'Ava and Carol Detective Agency' series, a thrilling mystery series for children of all ages. Praise for The Ava and Carol Detective Agency Series 'I enjoyed the pacing, resolution and how they used real criminal science methods to find clues and discover who did it. It reminded me of Encyclopedia Brown.' 'This is an excellent middle school read with great characters and a wonderful storyline to keep the young mind engaged.' This book includes: Dognapped When a famous show dog "Mr. Binxley" is stolen, Ava and Carol, twelve-year-old detectives, jump at the opportunity to track down the dognapper. A strand of hair, a giant shoe-print - the girls begin putting together a series of clues and suspects that lead them closer to the bad guy. But just when they think they've figured everything out, a new clue is revealed that changes everything. Suddenly, the girls are back to square one, and time is running out for Mr. Binxley. Dognapped showcases Ava and Carol's investigative and forensic skills as they dust for fingerprints, collect and analyze hair samples, cast footprints, create a hidden camera and use mobile apps and the internet to help catch the bad guys. The Eye of God A famous Van Gogh painting has been stolen from the National Gallery of Art. Or was it? Why risk such a brazen robbery in broad daylight? Was the theft a ruse for something more nefarious? Join super sleuths Ava and Carol as they unravel a secret plot that may lead to a fortune, hidden during the Civil War. The clues lead the girls from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. to a famous historic church in Richmond, Virginia to the mighty James River--where they are caught up in a high stakes-race to solve the mystery and find the treasure before the thieves. Things go from bad to worse when the malicious-minded-thieves begin targeting Ava's parents, and threaten her father's life, if the girls don't back down. Will Carol and Ava get to the treasure in time, save Ava's father, and put the bad guys where they belong? Follow the clues in this riveting middle-school mystery thriller. The Crown Jewels Mystery What could be more thrilling than solving a hundred-year crime? Ava and Carol enter a contest where the stakes are high. Find the famed Irish Crown Jewels and win a $10,000 prize. If anyone can locate these priceless treasures, it's Ava and Carol, middle school super sleuths extraordinaire. The girls, along with their friend Derik, embark on an adventure to solve the mystery of the missing jewels. If they win, they agree to use the reward money to help a mother with a physically challenged child get a much-needed surgery. Ava and Carol uncover secrets hidden within historical landmarks. Join the girls as they trek across Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts and compete with other contestants, some of whom have nefarious intentions. One mystery soon leads to another, forcing Ava, Carol, and Derik to use every detective skill they possess to crack the clues, and stay ahead of the competition. Buy the exciting Ava and Carol Detective Agency Books 4-6, and get started on an exciting mystery adventure today!

A timely exploration of whether sound and listening can be the basis of political change. In a world dominated by the visual, could contemporary resistances be auditory? This timely and important book from Goldsmiths Press highlights sound's invisible, disruptive, and affective qualities and asks whether the unseen nature of sound can support a political transformation. In Sonic Agency, Brandon LaBelle sets out to engage contemporary social and political crises by way of sonic thought and imagination. He divides sound's functions into four figures of resistance--the invisible, the overheard, the itinerant, and the weak--and argues for their role in creating alternative "unlikely publics" in which to foster mutuality and dissent. He highlights existing sonic cultures and social initiatives that utilize or deploy sound and listening to address conflict, and points to their work as models for a wider movement. He considers issues of disappearance and hidden culture, nonviolence and noise, creole poetics, and networked life, aiming to unsettle traditional notions of the "space of appearance" as the condition for political action and survival. By examining the experience of listening and being heard, LaBelle illuminates a path from the fringes toward hope, citizenship, and vibrancy. In a current climate that has left many feeling they have lost their voices, it may be sound itself that restores it to them.

Since its first publication in 1975, John Murdoch’s Law of Estate Agency has been the leading work on this important subject. This new fifth edition offers authoritative guidance on all recent legal developments, both legislative and in the courts, of concern to practising estate agents. Judicial decisions on such matters as commission claims and liability for misdescription are of great concern to practitioners, as is the increasing tendency of clients to defend an action for fees by claiming that the agent’s terms of business contravene consumer protection rules inspired by the EU. These developments, and many more, are given expert coverage.