"Een van de beste thrillers die ik dit jaar heb gelezen. Het plot is intelligent en houdt je vanaf het begin geboeid. De auteur heeft uitstekend werk geleverd met het creëren van een reeks personages die volledig uitgewerkt zijn en zeer vermakelijk. Ik kan nauwelijks wachten op het vervolg." --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (over Any Means Necessary) Dit is boek #5 in de bestseller Luke Stone thriller serie. Wanneer China dreigt de VS failliet te laten gaan door zijn schulden op te eisen, zijn Amerikanen wanhopig op zoek naar radicale verandering. President Susan Hopkins, die zich verkiesbaar stelt voor herverkiezing, is verbijsterd terwijl ze de uitslagen ziet binnenkomen. Haar rivaal—een krankzinnige senator uit West Virginia die campagne voerde met de belofte China's eilanden uit de Zuid-Chinese Zee weg te bombarderen—heeft, ondenkbaar genoeg, gewonnen. President Hopkins weet echter dat ze de macht niet kan overdragen. Dat zou de Derde Wereldoorlog ontketenen. Ze moet bewijzen dat de verkiezingen gestolen zijn, en de dreigende oorlog met China stoppen. Zonder iemand anders om zich tot te wenden, roept ze Luke Stone op, het voormalige hoofd van een elite FBI para-militaire eenheid. De inzet kan niet hoger zijn terwijl ze hem opdraagt Amerika te redden van zijn grootste bedreiging: zijn eigen gekozen president. Maar terwijl de ene schokkende wending de andere opvolgt, kan het zelfs voor Luke Stone te laat zijn. Een politieke thriller met non-stop actie, dramatische internationale settings en hartverscheurende spanning is boek #5 in de bestseller en door critici geprezen serie, een explosieve nieuwe serie die je tot diep in de nacht pagina's zal laten omslaan. "Thriller schrijven op zijn best. Thriller liefhebbers die genieten van de precieze uitvoering van een internationale thriller, maar die de psychologische diepte en geloofwaardigheid zoeken van een protagonist die tegelijkertijd professionele en persoonlijke levensuitdagingen het hoofd biedt, zullen dit een meeslepend verhaal vinden dat moeilijk weg te leggen is." --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (betreffende Any Means Necessary)

Since the invention of black powder and the development of large cannons, artillery has been considered a gamechanger of global military history. It spelled the end for knights and castles, both of which were unable to resist its powerful impact, and it ushered in radically new warship designs, whose firepower changed the face of sea warfare forever. Artillery was seen as a vital component in the military rise of Europe, with whose armies and navies Asian, African and American native forces were unable to compete. While such ideas continue to exist, the present volumes aim is to approach the history of artillery on a broader scale by taking global developments into account and putting them into perspective. It begins by examining the mechanical artillery of antiquity with its catapults and stone-throwers. The development of the cannon from a cumbersome and unreliable bombard into a modern high-tech weapon was a long process that took centuries to complete. The efficiency of the new weapon was highly dependent not just on improved production techniques but also on transport and logistics, and on increasingly lethal and destructive ammunition. And although artillery has been considered an indispensable part of any army for five hundred years, it remained an auxiliary weapon for a long time until mass deployment of fast-firing, large-calibre, guns during the First World War made artillery the true queen of battlefields. Alexander Querengässers new book gives the interested reader an innovative overview of the history of artillery which appreciates developments both inside and outside Europe. It seeks to examine the many factors which proved decisive for its consistently improving efficiency from ancient times right to the battlefields of the present. More than 200 illustrations will provide the reader with a comprehensive visual impression of the history of this remarkable weapon.

Since the invention of black powder and the development of large cannons, artillery has been considered a gamechanger of global military history. It spelled the end for knights and castles, both of which were unable to resist its powerful impact, and it ushered in radically new warship designs, whose firepower changed the face of sea warfare forever. Artillery was seen as a vital component in the military rise of Europe, with whose armies and navies Asian, African and American native forces were unable to compete. While such ideas continue to exist, the present volumes aim is to approach the history of artillery on a broader scale by taking global developments into account and putting them into perspective. It begins by examining the mechanical artillery of antiquity with its catapults and stone-throwers. The development of the cannon from a cumbersome and unreliable bombard into a modern high-tech weapon was a long process that took centuries to complete. The efficiency of the new weapon was highly dependent not just on improved production techniques but also on transport and logistics, and on increasingly lethal and destructive ammunition. And although artillery has been considered an indispensable part of any army for five hundred years, it remained an auxiliary weapon for a long time until mass deployment of fast-firing, large-calibre, guns during the First World War made artillery the true queen of battlefields. Alexander Querengässers new book gives the interested reader an innovative overview of the history of artillery which appreciates developments both inside and outside Europe. It seeks to examine the many factors which proved decisive for its consistently improving efficiency from ancient times right to the battlefields of the present. More than 200 illustrations will provide the reader with a comprehensive visual impression of the history of this remarkable weapon.

"Een van de beste thrillers die ik dit jaar heb gelezen. Het plot is intelligent en houdt je vanaf het begin geboeid. De auteur heeft uitstekend werk geleverd met het creëren van een reeks personages die volledig uitgewerkt zijn en zeer vermakelijk. Ik kan nauwelijks wachten op het vervolg." --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (over Any Means Necessary) Dit is boek #6 in de bestseller Luke Stone thriller serie. Wanneer China de Amerikaanse economie ten val brengt door zijn schulden op te eisen en de Zuid-Chinese Zee af te sluiten, snakken Amerikanen naar radicale verandering. President Susan Hopkins, die zich verkiesbaar stelt voor herverkiezing, is verbijsterd terwijl ze de uitslagen ziet binnenkomen. Haar rivaal, een krankzinnige senator uit Alabama die campagne voerde met de belofte alle Chinezen uit te zetten en China's schepen uit de Zuid-Chinese Zee weg te bombarderen, heeft onvoorstelbaar genoeg gewonnen. President Hopkins weet echter dat ze de macht niet kan overdragen. Dat zou de Derde Wereldoorlog ontketenen. Wetende dat de verkiezing gestolen was, heeft President Hopkins 48 uur nodig om dit te bewijzen en de escalerende oorlogsspelletjes met de Chinezen te stoppen. Zonder iemand anders om zich tot te wenden, roept ze Luke Stone op, het voormalige hoofd van een elite FBI para-militaire eenheid. De inzet kan niet hoger zijn terwijl ze hem opdraagt Amerika te redden van zijn grootste bedreiging: zijn eigen gekozen president. Maar terwijl de ene schokkende wending de andere opvolgt, kan het zelfs voor Luke Stone te laat zijn. Een politieke thriller met non-stop actie, dramatische internationale settings en hartverscheurende spanning is boek #6 in de bestseller en door critici geprezen serie, een explosieve nieuwe serie die ervoor zorgt dat je tot diep in de nacht pagina's blijft omslaan. "Thriller schrijven op zijn best. Thriller liefhebbers die genieten van de precieze uitvoering van een internationale thriller, maar die de psychologische diepte en geloofwaardigheid zoeken van een protagonist die tegelijkertijd professionele en persoonlijke levensuitdagingen het hoofd biedt, zullen dit een meeslepend verhaal vinden dat moeilijk weg te leggen is." --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (betreffende Any Means Necessary)

From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary: body liberation.When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in mind: to "get skinny." In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of "not enough-ness"; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of all: She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. It's about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; it's to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But it's also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans,etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body "should" look like. Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy.

Gain extensive, practical knowledge of 3D design with Adobe Substance 3D and learn to build a comprehensive portfolio of work with this interactive book Key Features:Find out how to use Adobe Substance 3D swiftly and with little prior knowledge Use a variety of interactive projects to get familiar with the fundamentals Create better career prospects for yourself by mastering 3D design with a single comprehensive guide Book Description: Adobe Substance 3D is a comprehensive suite complete with everything an artist needs to create stunning 3D digital materials. Getting a grip on the ecosystem of apps can be challenging for beginners, which is where Realistic Asset Creation with Adobe Substance 3D comes in! This practical guide doesn't bombard you with reams of textual information. Instead, you get an interactive, project-based book that'll help you gain sound knowledge of Adobe Substance 3D and set you on the right path toward a career in 3D design. You'll start off with the rudiments of Adobe Substance 3D Painter, which will enable you to acquire the skills needed to work with layers, masks, shelves, textures, and more. Next, you'll move on to Adobe Substance 3D Designer and become well-acquainted with this node-based design tool as you progress through the chapters. The final section is devoted to Adobe Substance 3D Stager, which teaches you to build complex 3D scenes and visualize your edits in real time. By the end of this Adobe book, you'll have gained a solid understanding of Adobe Substance 3D and developed the skills to build a comprehensive portfolio of work, setting you up for a lucrative career in 3D design. What You Will Learn:Discover Substance 3D Painter, Designer, and Stager through easy projects Assemble 3D scenes and set up assets, materials, lights, and cameras Explore the innovative 3D assets library and learn how to digitize your 3D assets Texture your 3D assets with advanced brushes and Smart Materials Use and blend a variety of nodes in Adobe Substance 3D Designer Create and export materials using Adobe Substance 3D Sampler Who this book is for: This book is for game designers, 3D generalists, and design students. If you're looking to get started in your 3D career or planning to join 3D generation, then you'll find this book useful. The book assumes very little to no 3D design knowledge. A bit of understanding of the history, functionality, and purpose of the Adobe Substance 3D package is presumed but is not mandatory; however, you must know how to work with Adobe Photoshop.