When her best friend gifts her with an eerily realistic skull walking stick, Riva's already crappy life descends into terror. As if dealing with the local queen bitch out for revenge and her drunk mother weren't bad enough, Riva's "gift" has sprung to life, unleashing a spirit hell bent on stealing her body. A curse set into motion. Three possessed walking sticks, three girls turning to wood. Riva won't go down without a fight, but can she reverse the magic before it's too late.

Volume for 1845 contains first printings of Longfellow, Emerson, and Poe ("The purloined letter").

A comprehensive study of walking canes from around the world, dating from the distant past to the modern-day. The book presents a historical context on both practical and ceremonial usage. At the same time, specially shot pictures showcase the celebrated A&D Collection of canes, while enlightening prose demonstrates the cane's enduring relevance to society. More than just a mobility aid, the cane has held numerous offices of significance. From the staff of the legendary Monkey King in the classic Chinese Journey to the West, or the stylised crosiers carried by high-ranking prelates from the Roman Catholic church, to the truncheon wielded by Mr Punch in puppet shows, canes are embedded in the culture of almost every country around the globe. Roving the map with one hand and thumbing through history books with the other, A Virtual History of Walking Canes and Sticks seeks not only to introduce the collector to the diverse wealth of canes available but also to entertain the casual reader. Intermingled with over 800 full-colour pictures are descriptions of gadget canes for tradesmen, squirting canes for pranksters, and glamorous Art Nouveau canes for the dapper gentlemen of the '20s. Informative and meticulously researched, this book paves an accessible route into a niche subject while paying homage to our ongoing relationship with canes. This story stretches back as far as history itself.

This book covers all aspects of design thinking and its intervention as needed for developing products for the elderly. The book deals with the Universal Principles of Design and how they can be included with Technological Interventions for showcasing the product lifecycle. The main technical features include the Anthropometry calculations, Design Thinking approach on the healthcare products, and selection of target group which is elderly in the presented context. Further, the complete product development cycle, the choice of materials, assessment of the designs, prototyping phases and the final product are all discussed in detail. The various fabrication strategies to reduce the cost of the product, ideation stages and Feedback and Assessment right from design to product development stage are discussed. All the Anthropometry details are included specifically for the target group chosen; its mathematical understanding, error, etc. are all discussed in the book. The ideations, rendering and conceptualization based on Cognitive Ergonomics or Hawthorne and various other effects are also discussed in detail.

During the period of this volume, the United States of America completed its transformation into a fully recognized independent nation. In May, Franklin and his fellow American peace commissioners John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens recommenced treaty negotiations with their new British counterpart David Hartley. Those negotiations proved fruitless, as the new British ministry rejected all proposals for additional articles. On September 3, 1783, the commissioners signed the Definitive Treaty of Peace, which was essentially identical to the preliminary articles signed the previous November. While this marked the official end of the War for American Independence, the nations of Europe had long since recognized the United States. In the spring, Franklin, as sole minister plenipotentiary, secretly negotiated draft commercial treaties with Denmark and Portugal. After being recognized by the diplomatic corps in early July, he received overtures from other ambassadors, including a proposal from the papal nuncio concerning American Catholics. Franklin published a French edition of the American state constitutions, which he sent to every monarch in Europe, witnessed the first hot-air balloon ascension, welcomed his grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache back from Geneva, and wrote to his friends that "There never was a good War or a bad Peace."

This classic book contains a wealth of information on the taste and fashion trends of England from the French Revolution to the 1940s, and will prove a very interesting read for anyone with an interest in the subject. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.