Books with author Ben Thompson

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? How does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? And why does a leather jacket with silver chain attached, tossed in a corner and titled 'No One Ever Leaves', bring $690,000 at a 2007 Sotheby's auction? The Twelve Million Dollar Stuffed Shark is the first book to look at the economics of the modern art world and the strategies which power the market to produce such astronomical prices. Don Thompson talks to auction houses, dealers, and collectors to find out the source of Charles Saatchi's Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming the highest-earning artist in the world. The result is a fascinating, shrewd and highly readable insight into a world where brand is everything.Don Thompson is an economist and professor of business specialising in art. He has taught at the London School of Economics and the Harvard Business School. This is his first trade book. He lives in London and Toronto.

Discover legendary commanders, tremendous fights, elite soldiers, and courageous individuals whose deeds truly made the difference in this jaw-dropping guide to the biggest war the world has ever seen.From massive aerial battles that clouded the skies with planes to deathly secret operations deep behind enemy lines, the events of World War II are some of the most awe-inspiring of all time. Packed with trivia, epic battles, and amazing illustrations, World War II comes alive for kids like no textbook can in this account from Ben Thompson that's perfect for history buffs and reluctant readers.

Start birding in your own backyard! From the editor of the nation's premier birding magazine, this authoritative guide will help you identify, feed, and nurture the birds you see every day. Written by Bill Thompson III, the editor and co-publisher of Bird Watcher's Digest, this comprehensive yet portable guide contains the same variety of entertaining and informative entries that make Bird Watcher's Digest the nation's most popular birding magazine. While many birdwatchers travel regularly for their hobby, the environmental landscape of the Northeast supports fascinating species and variations exclusive to the area. Take a close look and you're sure to agree: some of the most beautiful and intriguing birds are the ones that frequent our backyards daily. While some guides—even regional ones!—focus on bird types that the casual observer is never likely to encounter, Northeastern Birds celebrates the species living side-by-side with us in the Northeast. In this book, you'll find:Profiles for all the most common birds in the Northeast: New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.Beautiful photos and detailed descriptions to help ID what you see: Large color photos and gender-specific physical descriptions take the guesswork out of identification.At a Glance information for busy birders: Charts will help you quickly figure out details like whether the bird uses a birdhouse, is attracted by feeders or specific plants, has different plumage by sex, and more! There's also a quick-reference guide for bird-friendly trees and shrubs.Extended information as well: Nesting and feeding details, bird call particulars, and interesting stories are included for each species.The basics of bird watching: Essential gear, bird-friendly food and plantings, housing tips, and observational techniques for those that are just getting started or want to brush up.Pick up this essential companionfor your Northeast birding adventures, and be sure to look for our other backyard bird guides covering the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South, and West regions of the United States.

Earning his criminal justice degree is what Philip thinks he's going to college for.Little does the man know, the advice he's about to give a roommate will change his own life forever.Even though Philip's heart is in the right place, his counsel has the ability to destroy lives. And it does.But how marvelous it is when God takes a trial and turns it into a blessing!* * * *Philip's Plunge is a short prequel to the Worthy Battle Series, which explores how Mr. Bones got involved in working with troubled teens. If you're already hooked on the Worthy Battle Series, you'll love this back-story. If you are about to begin the series, be sure to check this book out first. It'll give you a stronger appreciation for the tough-love probation officer.

2019 INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY & REGIONAL FICTION!2019 EVVY AWARD WINNER FOR HORROR!A house that sat empty for fifty years as its dead owner instructed. A locked room with no key. A single father with eight-year-old twin girls. A nursery from long, long ago that no child ever played in.There are eerie things going on at The Arbors in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Architect Jordan Blanchard is joined by his friend Callie Pilantro (“Callie – The Bayou Hauntings 1”) and Landry Drake (“Forgotten Men – The Bayou Hauntings 2”) to learn the secrets of a domineering matriarch whose two husbands died in bizarre ways. They explore the house as someone watches from a hidden place high above. The Nursery, the third book in the series, will keep you up late at night wondering what’s behind the next door, what lies beyond the mirror and who hides and waits at The Arbors.

Fifteen year old Justin McLeod is in trouble. Born five thousand years after his race was destroyed in the fall of Atlantis, Justin and a handful of other new Titans are fighting for their survival.Shadowy government forces want to capture them and use their powers for their own dark purposes. And Hyperion, an ancient Titan who has awoken from stasis after sleeping for millennia, wants to destroy the new Titans so that he may conquer the world unimpeded.In a battle to save their home, a hidden underground complex called Sanctuary, Justin and his friends fight off Hyperion and his forces. But in doing so, they pay a heavy price. Many young Titans have fallen. Their human allies have been decimated. And Justin is trapped holding back an ancient corruption that threatens to destroy Sanctuary itself.He will do his best, and he will not surrender. But even now he is weakening. And not even a new Titan like Justin McLeod can hold back the tide of evil forever.

[Children's Nonfiction (Ages 8-12)] In most history books, the people are boring, the places are boring, and the events are boring. . . but this isn't most history books. A hilarious, accessible, and most importantly, educational collection of unbelievable but true events and heroes of Viking history and legend. From axe-wielding tribes plundering the greatest cities of Europe, to Viking queens ruling with an iron fist, to some of the earliest poets and founders of modern-day countries, Western European history is filled with fearless figures and incredible events. This invigorating overview of Viking history for kids uses colorful facts to entertain listeners with unlikely but totally true stories of the most feared-- and misunderstood-- figures in European history.

[Children Fiction (Ages 8-12)]From massive aerial battles that clouded the skies with planes to deathly secret operations deep behind enemy lines, the events of World War II are some of the most awe-inspiring of all time. Discover legendary commanders, tremendous fights, elite soldiers, and courageous individuals whose deeds truly made the difference in this jaw-dropping guide to the biggest war the world has ever seen. History buff and popular blogger Ben Thompson's extensive research and irresistible storytelling puts readers right in the middle of the action in this third book in the unforgettable Guts & Glory series!

Read the first four exciting Brian Sadler archaeological mysteries. The Bethlehem Scroll introduces Sadler, a stockbroker and amateur archaeologist who, through a bizarre turn of events, ends up owning a prestigious Fifth Avenue antiquities gallery. A mob boss helps him acquire a priceless, previously unknown artifact - an eyewitness account of that night in Bethlehem. But when the Mafia's involved, things can go terribly wrong.In Ancient, book two of the series, Brian asks Nicole Farber, his beautiful lawyer who's now his girlfriend, to join him in Central America as he explores for a vanished explorer and a legendary city of gold. When she disappears he's forced by her captors to continue the search. The quest becomes a race against time to save Nicole and find Mayan treasure.The third book, The Strangest Thing, finds the U.S. president eager to explore a newly-discovered part of an ancient tomb in Palenque, Mexico. Deep inside the ruin, he vanishes from a room with only one exit. The Vice President calls upon his old friend Brian Sadler to unravel the mystery and find the answers. Deep in the jungles of southern Mexico Brian makes an astonishing discovery, one that might literally be The Strangest Thing - ever.The Bones in the Pit explores the mystery of Oak Island, Nova Scotia. A current TV series has spiked interest in the ancient Money Pit, discovered by teenagers in 1795. Local legends attest to vast treasure buried at the bottom of a two-hundred-foot shaft but despite millions of dollars spent and half a dozen lives lost, no one in two centuries has beaten the shaft's complex booby-traps. Whatever was hidden in the elaborate Money Pit is still there today.Brian and a devious Cardinal of the church are pitted against each other in a race to learn secrets protected by the Knights Templars for a thousand years. When Brian and his girlfriend Nicole become targets of a ruthless killer, the story careens to its incredible conclusion, an answer that may shake the foundations of Christianity.

The Halloween The Town Will Never Forget!The Galvin family has the least normal household in the sleepy beach community of Marston since Uncle Bob came to stay after their mom died. The family’s secrets are hard to keep hidden from the people in town who whisper about strange happenings at their house. Life becomes very interesting for Bobby Galvin as his unusual uncle embarks on a quest to prove an ancient legend about nearby Gunners Cove, rumored for centuries to be the place pirates hid their fortunes.A secret mission and an exciting search lead Bobby and his uncle to an astonishing discovery one Halloween night as they learn the true meaning of The Legend of Gunners Cove.

History comes alive for kids like no textbook can in this epic account of the American Civil War that's perfect for history buffs and reluctant readers! From courageous cavalry rides deep into enemy territory to harrowing covert missions undertaken by spies and soldiers, the events of the American Civil War were filled with daring figures and amazing feats. This exhilarating overview covers the biggest battles as well as captivating lesser-known moments to entertain kids with unbelievable (and totally true) tales of one of America's most fascinating conflicts. History buff, Civil War reenactor, and popular blogger Ben Thompson uses his extensive knowledge and vivid storytelling style to bring the Civil War to life in this first book in a thrilling new series featuring incredible people, events, and civilizations. Get ready to learn just how awesome history can be!

The old world of technology has fallen and a new world, filled with magic, has risen from the ashes. Humanity, decimated by massive dragon attacks, is now on the brink of extinction. Those who have survived have been Changed, altered by the gods to enable them to exist in a world thick with magical energy. But a handful have become more and the greatest of these is Simon O'Toole.Simon, once a heavy-set, middle-aged IT worker had been Changed into a slight young man brimming with power: a wizard. Trying to master his new magical skills and fighting to survive against the dragons that are hunting down the few remaining Changlings, the young wizard now faces the greatest threat of his new life. Brown dragons, led by an arrogant and incredibly powerful primal dragon, have invaded the land of the elves, one of humanity's only allies. On the New Earth, the red dragons are aggressively searching for the last of the Changlings. And now Simon has to choose: protect his own people from the ravages of the dragons on this world, or travel to the elven realm to try to save his allies. He is only one man, faced with a terrible choice, and if he makes the wrong decision, it could mean the extinction of the human race and the rise of the gods of Chaos.