Books with author IAN THOMPSON

From the bestselling author of Blood and Money: A haunting true story of three people locked in a fierce struggle against time and the sea—and each other. In July 1973, Bob Tininenko; his wife, Linda; and his brother in-law, Jim Fisher, set sail from Tacoma, Washington, on a thirty-one-foot trimaran down the West Coast to Costa Rica. The journey was expected to take a matter of weeks, but ten days into the cruise, the party encountered a freak storm off the coast of northern California. When gale-force winds and fifty-foot waves capsized their boat, the voyage became a nightmare. For seventy-two days, the trio was lost at sea. Challenged by nature and compromised by a bitter rivalry, their courage and will to live was put to the ultimate test. Jim, the owner and skipper of the boat, was a devout fundamentalist whose recognition of God’s will in every event brought him into increasing conflict with his brother-in-law. As the two men battled to take control of a dire situation, Linda kept a secret that would lead to heartrending tragedy. A “hair-raising” (Houston Chronicle) account of shipwreck and survival and a searing portrait of faith without reason, Lost! is an unforgettable true story from “a writer of tremendous power and achievement” (Detroit Free Press).

Comedy, capers and conundrums!Visit the idyllic English village of Duckley, where thrushes sing their merry morning songs and folk breakfast at The Golden Yolk café. Partake of a refreshing gin and tonic, or a full and frothy ale, at the historic Jolly Jester Public House. An idyllic setting perfect for…M u r d e r . . .Ronald Rowntree manages the Jolly Jester and is a little put when he discovers a bloody corpse sitting in the saloon bar, even more so when he becomes the No 1 suspect.Miriam Harper is a thriller writer who is only too happy to try and help Ronald solve the crime and clear his name, but is the murder all it seems? What lurks beneath Duckley’s calm crust?What are reviewers saying about Murder at the Jolly Jester?“Just what I love in a cozy,” Jacqui ~ Amazon review“Ian Thompson has hit the mark!” J . Johnson“Truly entertaining, most enjoyable,” Beverley Black ~ AmazonMurder at the Jolly Jester is the first in the Ronald Rowntree Mysteries. ‘Dead Souls Society’ and ‘Diamonds are for Trevor’ follow, with more to come.Why not read for free with Kindle Unlimited?Scroll up, take the plunge and visit Duckley, where mayhem, murder and mirth are the order of the day.

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million? Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored.This book is the first to look at the economics and the marketing strategies that enable the modern art market to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on interviews with past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Surprising, passionate, gossipy, revelatory, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark reveals a great deal that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.

Growing up as an abandoned orphan on the doorstep of strangers earned Beldagar a life of servitude. He finds he has a strange talent to turn off the abusive voices of his heartless family, but all he longs for is equal footing among them. The worst part of it is working in the cold gold mines of the mountain shadowing the primitive village. It seems the deeper they dig the more dangerous it becomes and the strange manifestations haunting him grow more intense affecting his safety. His relentless life changes one day while safely observing the festival for the Gods, in which he sees Rose. For the first time his life seems to be altering, but in the twirling moment a strange sorceress shows up revealing to him a world of opportunity through her magic as well as warning of an ancient monstrous legend about to wake with in the heart of the mountain. The cursed sorceress foresees Rose’s death and offers him a deal to save her life. As Beldagars manifestations increase he is tempted to do all he can to save her, but what if the final cost is murder? Follow this epic spell binding YA fantasy adventure today for FREE!

Almost two decades after the human race fell to the might and fury of the ancient dragons, the last of humanity is gathered together in Nottinghill Castle. Barely a thousand souls have survived in that time and they face constant threats from the evil forces of the Chaos lords. But thanks to their mages, their warriors, and the indomitable human spirit, they have managed to cling to life. So far.But things are now changing on the New Earth. The dwarves, long isolated in their empire deep beneath the surface, have been attacked by the goblin hordes and this has roused the dwarven people's fury. They have finally realized that, even in their secluded cities hundreds of miles below the ground, they are not safe.And now, a new player has returned to the world. The elves have been driven from their home of Trillfarness, a planet given to them in ancient times by the lords of Light. Evil has destroyed that sanctuary and only a handful of survivors have managed to return to the world where they were first created. Shattered but not broken, the elves are weak and vulnerable and in need of allies. But who can they turn to in their darkest hour?Old suspicions linger between the elves and the dwarves. Once rivals, neither race trusts the other and many dwarves would rather stand alone. Will they be able to work out their differences in time to save the world and themselves? The human race may be the key.If they can bring both sides together and forge an alliance between all three of the mortal races, perhaps they can finally take the fight to the forces of Darkness and take back their world. If not, then the New Earth may finally fall to evil.

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock’s drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million? Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored. This book is the first to look at the economics and the marketing strategies that enable the modern art market to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on interviews with both past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Surprising, passionate, gossipy, revelatory, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark reveals a great deal that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.

A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world’s most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, “a science of the mind.” In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism’s place in our world today.

As long as one has breath, hope exists!Probation Officer Philip Bones, obviously a glutton for punishment, can't stand to see anyone hit rock bottom.Without a shadow of doubt, he knows one person has the ability to make a life-long impact on another — and he doesn't take that responsibility lightly.Too bad fourteen-year-old Billy Andrews lacks the self-discipline needed to change his wicked ways. When a young man asks to be mentored, a true servant of God can't refuse.If Billy will heed the difficult lessons he's about to receive, he'll make a complete turnaround.If you enjoyed Rebuilding Alden, you'll love Redirecting Billy!Buy your copy today to find out if Billy can change his thug-like ways!

Who killed Old Pete?Ronald Rowntree lives a fairly mundane life. Not only does he manage The Jolly Jester Public House, he lives above it too. One morning, he is readying himself for another ordinary day when his assistant, Sam, interrupts his breakfast, ranting about a corpse he’s just found in the saloon bar.A little put out by this unexpected turn of events, Ronald takes a look, but soon finds himself the chief suspect in a particularly gruesome murder. With the police seemingly convinced of his guilt, Ronald is forced to investigate the murder himself, and that is where the problems start.Faced with a crime that no one, apart from him, could have committed, or had reason to, let alone the opportunity, he struggles to make headway. He does, however, find out that all is not what it seems in the Village of Duckley. Certainly not Adam Gosling, the owner of The Jolly Jester, or his wife, Abby. Fred Arkwright of Arkwright’s Chest Emporium is not to be trusted, and nor is Trudy Lane, landlady of The Dog and Duck.Drawn into the murky underworld of drink, drugs and lust-filled affairs, Ronald finds allies where he least expects them as he attempts to clear his name.Can he prove he is innocent of the murder at the Jolly Jester?Enjoy this laugh-out-loud dozy mystery as Ronald blunders from one crisis to the next.

Philip Bones — living proof that nice guys don’t finish last. Working in the juvenile justice field and striving to make the world a better place, it’s no wonder he’s in a committed relationship with a gorgeous co-worker. But things are likely to take a few unexpected turns.Driven by compassion, the young probation officer invests a VAST amount of his free time in Alden, a fiery-tempered thirteen-year-old who’s setting himself up for a life behind bars. With a bit of tough love, he’s certain he can do for Alden what the legal system cannot — rebuild the boy’s character and give him a better chance of securing a successful future.Helping Alden comes with a cost. Philip’s girlfriend doesn’t like coming in second place to a rebellious teen. His boss and co-workers disapprove of him spending his personal time with a client. But for Philip, Alden is worth fighting for — no matter the price.If you enjoy clean, inspirational, life-changing novels, get Rebuilding Alden, the first book in the Worthy Battle Series, today.

From National Book Award finalist and the New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home comes a “powerful, beautifully crafted” (People) family saga about three generations of women who struggle to find freedom and happiness in their small Midwestern college town.A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl is a poignant novel about three generations of the Wise family—Evelyn, Laura, and Grace—as they hunt for contentment amid chaos of their own making. We see these women and their trials, small and large: social slights and heartbreaks; marital disappointments and infidelities; familial dysfunction; mortality. Spanning from World War II to the present, Thompson reveals a matrilineal love story that is so perfectly grounded in our time—a story of three women regressing, stalling, and yes, evolving, over decades. One of the burning questions she asks is: by serving her family, is a woman destined to repeat the mistakes of previous generations, or can she transcend the expectations of a place, and a time? Can she truly be free? Evelyn, Laura, and Grace are the glue that binds their family together. Tethered to their small Midwestern town—by choice or chance—Jean Thompson seamlessly weaves together the stories of the Wise women with humanity and elegance, through their heartbreaks, setbacks, triumphs, and tragedies. “Thompson’s new novel draws the reader in with character and plot…but what ultimately holds the reader enthralled is…her ability to capture the nuance of individual moments, thoughts, and reactions. No one writing today is better at this…[an] extraordinary novel” (Washington Independent Review of Books).

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.