Mark Smith

"The first volume in this whimsical chapter book mystery series is filled with hilarious misunderstandings, clever wordplay, and dynamic illustrations. The sleuthing sisters, who are inspired by the three witches from Macbeth (there's even a recipe for awitch's stew!), invite Covenly residents and readers to look past appearances and embrace people for who they are, weirdness and all"--

Turk Henry is an overweight, beer-swilling rock star married to a supermodel and rich beyond his wildest dreams. Right now his pampered paunch is plopped on the beach in Phuket, the last place a recovering sex addict should go on vacation, surrounded by topless groupies and luscious bar girls. But Turk's struggles with monogamy pale beside a greater challenge when his wife is abducted by a group of renegade Thai pirates. The US government won't help,...

"The art of sailing, maneuvering, and preserving a ship or a boat in all positions and under all reasonable circumstances." With the addition of the words, "and some unreasonable circumstances, too," this definition of "seamanship" is as valid today as when the first edition of this book was published in 1983. This edition has been extensively updated with new or updated text, and many new photographs.

"From naked grocery shopping to the Big Nude Boat, a comic novelist turned narrative journalist lays bare the world of the nudist" -- "People have been getting naked in public for reasons other than sex for centuries. But as novelist and narrative journalist Mark Haskell Smith shows in Naked at Lunch, being a nudist is more complicated than simply dropping trou. "Nonsexual social nudism," as it's called, rose to prominence in the late nineteenth...

The Lord of the Rings offers us essential lessons in living. Here we discover ordinary virtues like generosity, pity, and hospitality. We meet extraordinary people like Bilbo, Gandalf, Tom Bombadil, and Glorfindel. We learn about the roots of destruction in pride and betrayal, and we find the ingredients for success, such as community and sacrifice. Each of us, even the most simple, is called to a journey. We may be asked to leave behind everything...

Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) was one of the most celebrated architects to come out of the Chicago School of architecture in the late 1800s. He is often called the "father of the skyscraper" and the "prophet of modern architecture." Sullivan also coined the most famous phrase ever to come out of his profession, "form ever follows function." This award-winning documentary is not simply the first film on Sullivan, but the first time a filmmaker has...

Rex is a cab driver who has never left the mining town of Broken Hill in his life. When he discovers he doesn't have long to live, he decides to drive through the heart of the country to Darwin, where he's heard he will be able to die on his own terms; but along the way he discovers that before you can end your life you've got to live it, and to live it you've got to learn to share it... Winner of Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the **Australian...

"From the creator of the wildly popular website and YouTube channel 'Vertical Veg' comes the complete guide to growing delicious fruit, vegetables, herbs and salad in containers, pots and more - in any space at home - no matter how small! If you long to grow your own tomatoes, courgettes or strawberries, but thought you didn't have enough space, Mark Ridsdill Smith, aka the 'Vertical Veg Man,' will show you how. Make the most of walls, balconies,...

"After a heavy rain exposes a bit of something in his backyard, Caden resolves to dig the treasure up and find out exactly what it is. He tries to enlist the help of his parents and teacher, who are dismissive and disbelieving-but that doesn't deter Caden from his goal. Caden's next-door neighbor, Martha, is the only adult who encourages him to keep digging. Working together, they unearth Caden's discovery: the giant bones of a prehistoric woolly...