True Modern

From Benjamin Franklin's newspaper hoax that faked the death of his rival to Abbie Hoffman's attempt to levitate the Pentagon - pranksters, hoaxers, and con artists have caused confusion, disorder, and laughter in Western society for centuries. Profiling the most notorious mischief-makers from the 1600s to the present day, Pranksters explores how "pranks" are part of a long tradition of speaking truth to power and social critique.

We’d been apart less than two days, and he was still determined to make up for lost time. “You like it when I touch you here?” he murmured against my skin, kissing my neck from shoulder to ear. “Yes,” I sighed, holding his head in my hands as he feasted on me like a starving man. *** It's been a wild ride for Caleb and me, and it's only getting wilder by the minute. Between Masterson, the sheik, an elite group of assassins, and the law, everyone wants a piece of us. But when are we going to get any peace?

John Bindon was a modern legend. A powerful figure in London's underworld, his film-star looks, charm and talent brought him worldwide exposure. His story unfolds like the plot of a movie in which Big John himself might have landed a part. Usually typecast in tough-guy roles, his on-screen persona was chillingly close to the real-life one. Big John's good looks and charisma led to encounters with stunning women, most famously Princess Margaret, and numerous high profile relationships. But most of all, Big John was a warm-hearted, complex man, utterly devoted to those who gave him respect.

How we decide to confront our inner fears is the person we become. Whom had Jonathan become? Ethiopian Airlines flight 961 plunged into the Indian Ocean in an attempted water landing, killing 125 of the 175 people on board. 10-year-old Jonathan and his 3-year-old brother Richie are left fatherless. Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty become their new normal as they grow up with a distant and neglectful mother. Now an adult, Jonathan is an ambitious graduate who wants to make something of his life. Richie, however, has turned to alcohol much like his mother. Despite his efforts and best ...

A dreamy Pisces with a love of romance novels. A drop-dead gorgeous new boss. A dysfunctional family without any clue of how horrible they are. A new dating agency startup with its share of teething problems – and the fun is only just beginning. When permanently distracted Kirsty suddenly loses her job, she realizes it's time to start being more serious about her life. Dreaming about The One while her personal band of angels croon love songs is all very well, but real life apparently requires a certain degree of concentration. However, as she juggles the demands of her new job (which ...

Gaia Cooper is just 14 years old when she is groomed by a criminal gang and forced to commit organised credit card fraud. Despite being placed in care – somewhere Gaia should feel safe – she is left even more vulnerable, and is horrifically abused and exploited by the men manipulating her. Will the authorities save Gaia – or will she have to save herself?

Nicole was a rock star when it came to her outside life. She was soaring up the corporate ladder as an engineer, had a great apartment, a closet full of perfect clothes, and a full social calendar. So why was she failing miserably at finding her dream man? This is Nicole’s true story of healing her heart by doing something utterly radical. She walks you through her steps from lost to living the life of her dreams with honesty and humor, showing the behind-the-scenes awkwardness of what it’s really like to learn how to love yourself.

Striking the right balance between career and motherhood is one of the most stressful, heart-wrenching tasks facing women today. In Torn, 46 women examine the conflict between the need to nurture and the need to work, and reveal creative solutions for having the best of both worlds. The stories in the collection offer hope and inspiration, but they also reveal the messy realities of modern motherhood and life's inevitable crises, both small and large.

In the long annals of sports and crime, no story compares to the one that engulfed the Luckman family in 1935. As 18-year-old Sid Luckman made headlines across New York City for his high school football exploits at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, his father, Meyer Luckman, was making headlines in the same papers for a very different reason: the gangland murder of his own brother-in-law. Amazingly, the connection between sports celebrity son and mobster father was studiously ignored by the press and ultimately overlooked for eight decades.

Discover the Missing Key to Humanity’s Renewal: A Vision of Balance, Moderation, and Purpose In a world overwhelmed by materialism, spiritual void, and moral disarray, Wasatiyyah: The Civilizational Message of Islam offers a profound exploration of Islam’s timeless guidance for building a balanced and harmonious society. Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi presents a compelling case for Islam’s role in addressing humanity’s existential crises—bridging the divide between science and faith, individual freedom and societal welfare, and worldly success and spiritual fulfillment. This book examines:...

A TRUE STORY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET! A BIGGER OUTDOOR MIRACLE THAN YOU'VE EVER HEARD OF IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES! Joni is no stranger to miracles. Her prayers and even her dreams have a habit of coming true. Her husband is regularly amazed by her strong faith and her premonitions: "I had a dream, Greg. There's going to be a fire. I saw Kathy and Frank in the middle of it." Kathy and Joni were neighbors who became best friends as the years passed, and their children grew. Kathy, and her physicist husband Frank, held a pure allegiance to science. Joni and I held only a bold belief in God. Then came...

Everyone knows what Adolf Hitler, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill were doing during World War II, but what about ordinary people? In this book, war historian Hattie Hearn reveals some of the most incredible true tales from the war. Featuring stories from all over the world, it also contains jaw-dropping tales including the dog used to find survivors in the London Blitz, the champion cyclist who carried secret messages to help Jews escape the Nazis, and the bear who was recruited by the Polish army!

What if the real story of Jesus—Yeshua of Nazareth—has been buried beneath centuries of political agendas, doctrinal battles, and institutional control? In this groundbreaking historical chronicle, Yeshua of Nazareth by Bradford M. Smith offers a compelling, meticulously researched journey through the life of the man known as Jesus—stripped of church dogma, theological filters, and modern interpretations.

Two Swifties Crash and Burn at Speed Dating--But Later Learn They Have Quite a Few Things in Common: A Romantic Comedy About Two People Who are Perfect for Each Other! It’s Valentine’s Day, and 22-year old Emma is also alone. As if that wasn’t enough, she has to go to the Valentine’s Day Celebration event in the park sponsored by the beverage company where she recently started work. She’s hesitant, but her best friend Nia encourages her. So… Emma decides to make the best of it. She joins in the speed dating–and she meets an assorted group of unusual people and one guy who ...

In our modern age, believing in miracles seems to have fallen out of fashion. We read the accounts of the sea being split during the Exodus from Egypt, and of the Prophet Elisha bringing the Shunamite woman’s son back to life, and for most of us, it’s really, really hard to believe that similar things could still happen today. That’s why we wanted to write this book. This book is a compilation of some of the miracle stories that have appeared on the ravberland.com website over the last four years. All of these stories have been carefully vetted and fact-checked to ensure that they ...

Adrift is a book for those who have left home, sought home, or even found home and know what it’s like to live between worlds. A true story of a Canadian missionary kid, living in Germany, who moved to a missionary ship.

In December 1935, Zdenek Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women’s sports, declared he was now living as a man. Around the same time, the celebrated British field athlete Mark Weston, also assigned female at birth, announced that he, too, was a man. Periodicals and radio programs across the world carried the news; both became global celebrities. A few decades later, they were all but forgotten. In The Other Olympians, Michael Waters uncovers, for the first time, the gripping true stories of Koubek, Weston, and other pioneering trans and intersex athletes from their era.

My River Sanctuary is the story of a Chinese Australian woman, Kim Chen, who is a descendant of one of the first Chinese immigrants who came to Western Australia in the 1880s. On the banks of the Swan River in Perth she continues her father’s legacy of having a Chinese urban farm. She has a son, Ayden, born to her first love, Jack, the boy next door who has left her to work as a war photographer in Afghanistan. Kim struggles to keep her farm profitable and her son only wants to go kayaking on the Swan River. With the assistance of the Immigration Department, she enlists the help of Ara, ...

"Unchartered Passion" tells the story of Sophia, a magnetic and alluring woman who frequents a vibrant nightclub. She is confident in her ability to attract men but remains unfulfilled as she searches for her ideal partner. Sophia's quest for the perfect man leads her through numerous lovers, each encounter leaving her more disappointed. Her world takes an unexpected turn when she meets Ethan, a calm and composed man who seems immune to her charms. Intrigued by his indifference, Sophia is determined to break through his enigmatic exterior. The narrative explores themes of desire, challenge,...

I move to Branson to be on my own, and end up with a billionaire, fake fiance. I'm excited to leave the rodeo life and drama behind and move to Branson. I find a perfect job in a perfect town, where I can disappear. Until I crash my car into Raylan Whitmore. Raylan and his brothers ARE Branson’s drama. Bad boys with reputations of leaving broken hearts wherever they go. When my ex finds me at work, Raylan steps in and claims to be my fiancee to protect me. I begin to see he has redeeming qualities beyond his good looks and rock hard body. As I am forced into the spotlight and Raylan’s ...