Books with author Steve Barnes

“Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi strides—and soars and plots and duels—again in this stirring new addition to the Star Wars saga. . . . This splendid adventure yarn offers a gut-wrenching surprise on nearly every page and a knock-the-socks-off ending.”—Publishers WeeklyWhen the economically depressed government of Ord Cestus threatens to sell incredibly deadly battle droids to the Separatists, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team led by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to the planet. Their mission: to halt the deal. A peaceful resolution is preferable, but if all else fails, the Republic will not hesitate to demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty by launching a full-scale attack—wiping out not only the means of biodroid production but countless lives as well. The prospect of such a slaughter only fuels Obi-Wan’s growing suspicions about the sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. Facing a crisis of conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic—while abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his life.

The Confederacy is trying to get its hands on some very special battle droids, and the Republic is determined to stop them, so Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent to the planet Ord Cestus, manufacturer of the droids. His mission: diplomacy. But if diplomacy doesn't work, he will use any means a Jedi can to help keep these potentially super-dangerous weapons out of enemy hands. And diplomacy can't work. Someone is pulling the manufacturing planet's strings--someone with an agenda all his or her own, which can't allow for either side to win control. As Obi-Wan and Jedi Master Kit Fisto uncover the secret plans layer by layer, Obi-Wan learns just how much he can trust a clone warrior...and just how reprehensible war can be, especially in the face of true honour.

Meet "zebrapotamas" Hector. He’s not like the other hippos in the jungle. His unusual black-and-white striped skin makes him the target of hurtful teasing from the other animals on the riverbank. But when a chance encounter opens Hector’s eyes to true friendship, he begins to appreciate qualities of character he never knew he had. And when dangerous circumstances put him to the test, he proves just how powerful kindness can be. Beautifully illustrated in rich water-colors, this simple story underscores the values of forgiveness, respect for differences, and the need to see beyond external appearances—important messages for young minds growing up in a globally aware era.

The Key to Making Money on Craigslist features a complete system for building sustainable wealth through merchandise resale. Over the course of the book, Steven Fies shows you exactly how he did over $20,000 in sales and earned over $6,000 in gross profit in one year on Craigslist - all in just a few hours per week. With a core focus on teaching you reliable and tested methods for profitable resale, this book delivers immediately usable steps to harness your business acumen and realize success.

WHAT LIES BENEATH Dispatched as a Republic envoy to the Outer Rim planet Ord Cestus—in a bid to halt the sale of potentially deadly “bio-droids” to the Confederacy—Obi-Wan Kenobi finds himself enlisted in a mission more desperate, and dangerous, than diplomatic. The once self-contained world has long since been co-opted by unscrupulous offworlders, whose plunder of a vital natural resource has enabled the rise of a powerful corporation that controls the economy. Ord Cestus’s native population, the X’Ting, are now mere second-class citizens in their own society. Enter the Jedi Knight, with news that a legal technicality has turned the tables—and the corrupt forces with a stranglehold on Ord Cestus are now at the mercy of the X’Ting. Circumstances, however, are more dire than the Republic suspected. In the wake of a devastating plague, the X’Ting’s benevolent rulers are dead, and the once tightly knit race has splintered into battling factions. Reunification can only come with the rise of new royals, whom all X’Ting are bound by blood to serve. But the eggs that will spawn those sovereigns lie out of reach, secured in a secret chamber and booby-trapped by those whose knowledge died with them in the plague. Now, to salvage a people’s destiny, Obi-Wan will risk a veritable descent into hell: braving the unknown horrors in the forgotten depths of an alien world, on a perilous quest from which none who went before have ever returned.BONUS: This short story features an exclusive author interview—plus an excerpt from Steven Barnes’ Star Wars novel, The Cestus Deception.

Ord Cestus, a planet mostly barren and inhospitable to life, was first colonized as a prison world—until a handful of hardy pioneers discovered its rich ore deposits and managed to build up a successful droid-manufacturing industry. But when the Clone Wars erupted, bringing severe rationing of imported resources and a Republic ban on the production of battle droids, Ord Cestus was threatened with imminent economic collapse.Enter the Confederacy of Independent Systems—the Separatists—with a life-saving offer to purchase a generous quantity of the planet’s most lucrative export: bio-droids. Possessed of tactical capabilities that rival the fighting abilities of even the most advanced Jedi, these sophisticated, techno-organic hybrid units would prove a most formidable weapon if ever deployed for military use. And now the Confederacy’s intention to invest in what amounts to an army of bio-droids has sent ripples of alarm through the highest echelons of the Republic government.Determined to halt the bio-droid sale—but fearing a show of force will result in a political backlash—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team of envoys, led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their mission: persuade Ord Cestus’s government to abandon its dealings with the Confederacy . . . while secretly stirring up revolution among the planet’s struggling underclass. Diplomacy is paramount. But if all else fails, the Republic will not hesitate to launch a full-scale attack—and wipe out not only the means of bio-droid production, but countless lives as well, to demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty.For Obi-Wan, the prospect of such wholesale slaughter only serves to fuel his growing suspicions about the sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. But the brash Jedi Master Kit Fisto and the detachment of clone soldiers assigned to the mission are ready and willing to do the Supreme Chancellor’s bidding. As the leaders of Ord Cestus refuse to capitulate and Palpatine rapidly loses patience, Obi-Wan’s hopes of a peaceful resolution are dwindling. Now, facing a crisis of conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic— while abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his life.

Death and Redemption offers a fundamental reinterpretation of the role of the Gulag--the Soviet Union's vast system of forced-labor camps, internal exile, and prisons--in Soviet society. Soviet authorities undoubtedly had the means to exterminate all the prisoners who passed through the Gulag, but unlike the Nazis they did not conceive of their concentration camps as instruments of genocide. In this provocative book, Steven Barnes argues that the Gulag must be understood primarily as a penal institution where prisoners were given one final chance to reintegrate into Soviet society. Millions whom authorities deemed "reeducated" through brutal forced labor were allowed to leave. Millions more who "failed" never got out alive.Drawing on newly opened archives in Russia and Kazakhstan as well as memoirs by actual prisoners, Barnes shows how the Gulag was integral to the Soviet goal of building a utopian socialist society. He takes readers into the Gulag itself, focusing on one outpost of the Gulag system in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, a location that featured the full panoply of Soviet detention institutions. Barnes traces the Gulag experience from its beginnings after the 1917 Russian Revolution to its decline following the 1953 death of Stalin.Death and Redemption reveals how the Gulag defined the border between those who would reenter Soviet society and those who would be excluded through death.

Death and Redemption offers a fundamental reinterpretation of the role of the Gulag--the Soviet Union's vast system of forced-labor camps, internal exile, and prisons--in Soviet society. Soviet authorities undoubtedly had the means to exterminate all the prisoners who passed through the Gulag, but unlike the Nazis they did not conceive of their concentration camps as instruments of genocide. In this provocative book, Steven Barnes argues that the Gulag must be understood primarily as a penal institution where prisoners were given one final chance to reintegrate into Soviet society. Millions whom authorities deemed "reeducated" through brutal forced labor were allowed to leave. Millions more who "failed" never got out alive. Drawing on newly opened archives in Russia and Kazakhstan as well as memoirs by actual prisoners, Barnes shows how the Gulag was integral to the Soviet goal of building a utopian socialist society. He takes readers into the Gulag itself, focusing on one outpost of the Gulag system in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, a location that featured the full panoply of Soviet detention institutions. Barnes traces the Gulag experience from its beginnings after the 1917 Russian Revolution to its decline following the 1953 death of Stalin. Death and Redemption reveals how the Gulag defined the border between those who would reenter Soviet society and those who would be excluded through death.

Create your very own crazy creatures using basic lines and simple shapes like circles, wave and wiggles!Follow along as professional cartoonist Steve Barr shows you how to draw everything from awesome aliens and dancing dinosaurs to one-eyes monsters and friendly gremlins.More than 20 step-by-step lessons for drawing crazy cartoon creatures.Includes 7 bonus coloring activities.Use any drawing tool you like--pens, markers, colored pencils or even crayons.Complete with a certificate of accomplishment at the end of to show everyone that you're a "certified" crazy cartoonist! Create creatures according to the instructions, or use the book's tips and tricks to transform them over and over again with different shapes, lines and colors. They can be scary, silly, weird or wacky. The possibilities are endless!