Books with author Stephen Nelson

With this extraordinary first volume in an epoch-making masterpiece, Neal Stephenson hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that shaped this century.In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse—mathematical genius and young Captain in the U.S. Navy—is assigned to detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Waterhouse and Detachment 2702—commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe-is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. It is a game, a cryptographic chess match between Waterhouse and his German counterpart, translated into action by the gung-ho Shaftoe and his forces.Fast-forward to the present, where Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia—a place where encrypted data can be stored and exchanged free of repression and scrutiny. As governments and multinationals attack the endeavor, Randy joins forces with Shaftoe's tough-as-nails granddaughter, Amy, to secretly salvage a sunken Nazi submarine that holds the key to keeping the dream of a data haven afloat. But soon their scheme brings to light a massive conspiracy with its roots in Detachment 2702 linked to an unbreakable Nazi code called Arethusa. And it will represent the path to unimaginable riches and a future of personal and digital liberty...or to universal totalitarianism reborn.A breathtaking tour de force, and Neal Stephenson's most accomplished and affecting work to date, Cryptonomicon is profound and prophetic, hypnotic and hyper-driven, as it leaps forward and back between World War II and the World Wide Web, hinting all the while at a dark day-after-tomorrow. It is a work of great art, thought and creative daring; the product of a truly iconoclastic imagination working with white-hot intensity.

The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction.President Barack Obama’s summer reading choice and recently optioned by Ron Howard and IMAGINE to be made into a major motion picture.THE EARTH WAS A TICKING TIME BOMB.To ensure the survival they had to look beyond its atmosphere.So they became pioneers.Five thousand years later and their progeny form seven distinct races and they must journey to an alien: Earth.A magnificent, visionary work of speculative fiction from a true visionary that will dazzle you with its depth, psychology and awesome imagination.

Zodiac, the brilliant second novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the The Baroque Cycle and Snow Crash, is now available from Grove Press. Meet Sangamon Taylor, a New Age Sam Spade who sports a wet suit instead of a trench coat and prefers Jolt from the can to Scotch on the rocks. He knows about chemical sludge the way he knows about evil—all too intimately. And the toxic trail he follows leads to some high and foul places. Before long Taylor’s house is bombed, his every move followed, he’s adopted by reservation Indians, moves onto the FBI’s most wanted list, makes up with his girlfriend, and plays a starring role in the near-assassination of a presidential candidate. Closing the case with the aid of his burnout roommate, his tofu-eating comrades, three major networks, and a range of unconventional weaponry, Sangamon Taylor pulls off the most startling caper in Boston Harbor since the Tea Party.

Granddad tells 18 of his adventures with animals, and a few insects, from his childhood, as well as an adult. His stories are both funny, educational, inspiring, and sometimes bizarre! Children of all ages will learn about God, as the author did, through the creation. This book is much more than adventures with animals, but a way to encounter a loving God and begin a personal relationship with Him. It is far from being religious or boring, but exciting and life-transforming.

AGE HERE SAYS 9-18 BUT IT IS FOR ADULTS, TOO. I AM 67 AND PLAY THE GAME/SCENARIO CONSTANTLY. IT IS A HUGE SCENARIO THAT IS ENDLESSLY ENTERTAINING. GET THE GAME AND SCENARIO FOR LESS THAN $9 PRIME.Blitzkrieg 2 is a seasoned excellent PC game (Windows 8 and earlier) that is available for $8.97 Amazon Prime (price may change). For that tiny amount you get Blitzkrieg 1 and 2 with all their levels and add-ons. And you get several other games, too.Battle of Prokhorovka is a large single-player Blitzkrieg 2 scenario that is available for free. Wow, it is a huge battle, a custom scenario, independent of leveling up. I play it constantly, to the neglect of virtually all other games. It is endless fun and intrigue. It is easy to play but it has many nuances that can be exploited with clever tactics. This book details my tactics and strategies, along with tips about the larger overall product, Blitzkrieg 2.So for a pittance you can fight this wonderful scenario. It has been flawless on my PC through hundreds of hours of play. This book includes links and backup links to everything. Installation of everything is easy, with very clear instructions. Age group is nine to adult; I myself am 67 years old :-).On-screen 3-D animation is enjoyable, as you watch the terrain from above, from near ground level, or in between. You can pause action anytime, as long as you wish, to issue orders to your units. Then turn it back on (for any short or long amount of time) and see how it goes.Best wishes and feel free to share your own tips in forums and social media.

A beloved Easter character is hard at work to provide boys and girls with the Easter fun they love. 'Oh, my, I'm late! This isn't great. It's time to rouse the others To do the chores that each adores For Easter candy lovers.' On the day before Easter, Peter Cottontail awakens late to a day filled with chores. He and his friends must color the eggs, collect the nuts, find the jellybeans, and assemble the baskets. Peter's left exhausted, but the children are delighted when they find their treats on Easter morning.

A new format for a bestselling Easter music book. This perennial Easter favorite has delighted children since Gene Autry first recorded the song in 1950. Since then, its popularity has increased, making Peter Cottontail one of the most recognized and beloved Easter characters ever created. This bouncy, happy tune can be heard simply by pushing the sound button on this sturdy board book. The song plays once each time the button is pushed, and children and their parents will soon find themselves singing along. This delightfully illustrated combination of book and tune will practically leap off the shelves. Ages 2-5.

A paperback edition of an Easter favorite accompanied by more than 50 stickers. This perennial Easter song has delighted children since Gene Autry first recorded it in 1950. Since then, its popularity has increased, making Peter Cottontail one of the most recognized and beloved Easter characters ever created. In this colorful new paperback edition, illustrations tell the story of Peter's preparations as he rises on Easter morning, loads his cart, and hides his treats, bringing much joy to the children. The story is supplemented with two pages of reusable stickers and a fold-out scene on which to place them. Ages 3-6.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anatham, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon comes an exciting and thought-provoking science fiction epic—a grand story of annihilation and survival spanning five thousand years.What would happen if the world were ending?A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space.But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain.…Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown…to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is both extraordinary and eerily recognizable. As he did in Anathem, Cryptonomicon, the Baroque Cycle, and Reamde, Stephenson explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.