Catherine Burns – författare

Raising Happy, Healthy, Safe Kids is loaded with ideas, insights, resources and fresh inspiration for taking on both modern and age-old child-rearing challenges. In the process, it aims to prevent child abuse and neglect. How? By sharing 50 tips based on four central themes identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as keys to child abuse prevention - skilled parents in strong families surrounded by supportive communities:

Presented in a personal, relatable format, this go-to guide helps caregivers experience the joy of parenting and success in managing issues that will arise through the childrearing years. The book discusses strategies to raise kids in current, complex environments while having lots of fun at the same time. More than 200 hyperlinked Internet resources provide additional information on the topics discussed.

Proceeds benefit Children''s Center, a Child Advocacy Center, in Oregon City, Oregon.

As ubiquitous as the atmosphere, intelligent adaptive systems (IASs) surround us in our daily lives. When designed well, these systems sense users and their environments so that they can provide support in a manner that is not only responsive to the evolving situation, but unnoticed by the user. A synthesis of recent research and developments on IASs from the human factors (HF) and human–computer interaction (HCI) domains, Intelligent Adaptive Systems: An Interaction-Centered Design Perspective provides integrated design guidance and recommendations for researchers and system developers.

The book explores a recognized lack of integration between the HF and HCI research communities, which has led to inconsistencies between the research approaches adopted, and a lack of exploitation of research from one field by the other. The authors integrate theories and methodologies from these domains to provide design recommendations for human–machine developers. They then establish design guidance through the review of conceptual frameworks, analytical methodologies, and design processes for intelligent adaptive systems. The book draws on case studies from the military, medical, and distance learning domains to illustrate intelligent system design to examine lessons learned.

Outlining an interaction-centered perspective for designing an IAS, the book details methodologies for understanding human work in complex environments and offers understanding about why and how optimizing human–machine interaction should be central to the design of IASs. The authors present an analytical and design methodology as well as an implementation strategy that helps you choose the proper design framework for your needs.

As ubiquitous as the atmosphere, intelligent adaptive systems (IASs) surround us in our daily lives. When designed well, these systems sense users and their environments so that they can provide support in a manner that is not only responsive to the evolving situation, but unnoticed by the user. A synthesis of recent research and developments on IASs from the human factors (HF) and human–computer interaction (HCI) domains, Intelligent Adaptive Systems: An Interaction-Centered Design Perspective provides integrated design guidance and recommendations for researchers and system developers.

The book explores a recognized lack of integration between the HF and HCI research communities, which has led to inconsistencies between the research approaches adopted, and a lack of exploitation of research from one field by the other. The authors integrate theories and methodologies from these domains to provide design recommendations for human–machine developers. They then establish design guidance through the review of conceptual frameworks, analytical methodologies, and design processes for intelligent adaptive systems. The book draws on case studies from the military, medical, and distance learning domains to illustrate intelligent system design to examine lessons learned.

Outlining an interaction-centered perspective for designing an IAS, the book details methodologies for understanding human work in complex environments and offers understanding about why and how optimizing human–machine interaction should be central to the design of IASs. The authors present an analytical and design methodology as well as an implementation strategy that helps you choose the proper design framework for your needs.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The definitive guide to telling an unforgettable story in any setting, drawing on twenty-five years of experience from the storytelling experts at The MothYou are a multitude of stories. Every joy and heartbreak, every disappointment and dizzying high, has the makings of an unforgettable story. Whether your goal is to deliver the perfect wedding toast, give a moving eulogy, ace a job interview or simply connect more deeply to those around you, The Moth is here to help. A leader in the modern storytelling movement, The Moth inspires thousands of people around the globe to share their stories each year.In this book, the Moth team reveal the secrets of their time-honed process and use examples from beloved storytellers like Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Gilbert, Nikesh Shukla, Sarfraz Manzoor and more, to show you how to:* mine your memories for your best stories* explore structures that will boost the impact of your story* deliver your stories with confidence* tailor your stories for any occasionFilled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips, this book will help you to unleash the power of storytelling on your life.

Can you escape the darkness within?

Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother, John in a decaying Georgian townhouse on the edge of a northern seaside resort. A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to shut out the shocking secret that John keeps in the cellar.

Until, suddenly, John has a heart attack and Marion is forced to go down to the cellar herself and face the gruesome truth that her brother has kept hidden.

As questions are asked and secrets unravel, maybe John isn't the only one with a dark side.

REVIEWS

'Once you start Catherine Burns’s dark, disturbing, and enthralling debut novel, it’s hard to stop. The Visitors is bizarrely unsettling, yet compulsively readable' Iain Reid

'Burns blurs the line between crime fiction and horror... Deliberate pacing, a claustrophobic setting, and vivid, wildly unsympathetic characters complement the twisted plot and grim conclusion' Publishers Weekly

'An insightful study of loneliness and evil' Daily Mail

'Must read' New York Post

'Atmospheric, eerie and affecting. Catherine Burns has created a complex and chilling world in which nothing is as it seems. A very clever confident novel, beautifully plotted with multiple twists and turns. I couldn't stop reading it' Suellen Dainty

'Burns combines a study of a middle-aged woman, a tale of a highly dysfunctional family and slow burn of a mystery, creating a compelling read that's at once highly entertaining and wholly disturbing ... A dark and thrilling debut novel: disturbing, gripping, and hugely impressive' The Bookbag

'Burns combines a study of a middle-aged woman, a tale of a highly dysfunctional family and slow burn of a mystery, creating a compelling read that's at once highly entertaining and wholly disturbing ... A dark and thrilling debut novel: disturbing, gripping, and hugely impressive' TM Logan

'Absolutely loved it. I would advise any nail biters to sit on their hands while reading this book because they will chew right down to the knuckle. By far the creepiest novel I have read in a long time ... a highly original and intriguing mystery so compelling that I abandoned my own work to finish it' Liz Nugent

'Compelling and wonderfully dark, choked with suspense and yet leisurely in the telling. I enjoyed it immensely' Emma Curtis

'A dark exploration of evil in its many forms, this is an uncomfortable and disturbing yet utterly compelling read' SJI Halliday

'A dark, compelling story with a few twists and turns that will keep the reader glued to the pages ... I found myself completely engrossed in Marion's disturbing world, which was well drawn by Catherine Burns. A very strong debut' Sarah Denzil

'An insidious, creepy novel, with a slow burn that leads to a horrifying revelation' Literary Hub

'Beautifully written… [a] dark, gritty and inviting tale that explores the darker side of human nature' Review Corner

'A wonderfully dark and suspenseful read from a talented debut author' Damp Pebbles

'The writing, the characters and the mood of this book were absolutely superbly done' BookBum

'A deeply disturbing and unforgettable novel, dripping with evil and horror… furiously gripping, addictive and absolutely impossible to put down' The Book Babe

Can you escape the darkness within?

Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother, John in a decaying Georgian townhouse on the edge of a northern seaside resort. A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to shut out the shocking secret that John keeps in the cellar.

Until, suddenly, John has a heart attack and Marion is forced to go down to the cellar herself and face the gruesome truth that her brother has kept hidden.

As questions are asked and secrets unravel, maybe John isn't the only one with a dark side.

REVIEWS

'Once you start Catherine Burns’s dark, disturbing, and enthralling debut novel, it’s hard to stop. The Visitors is bizarrely unsettling, yet compulsively readable' Iain Reid

'Burns blurs the line between crime fiction and horror... Deliberate pacing, a claustrophobic setting, and vivid, wildly unsympathetic characters complement the twisted plot and grim conclusion' Publishers Weekly

'An insightful study of loneliness and evil' Daily Mail

'Must read' New York Post

'Atmospheric, eerie and affecting. Catherine Burns has created a complex and chilling world in which nothing is as it seems. A very clever confident novel, beautifully plotted with multiple twists and turns. I couldn't stop reading it' Suellen Dainty

'Burns combines a study of a middle-aged woman, a tale of a highly dysfunctional family and slow burn of a mystery, creating a compelling read that's at once highly entertaining and wholly disturbing ... A dark and thrilling debut novel: disturbing, gripping, and hugely impressive' The Bookbag

'Burns combines a study of a middle-aged woman, a tale of a highly dysfunctional family and slow burn of a mystery, creating a compelling read that's at once highly entertaining and wholly disturbing ... A dark and thrilling debut novel: disturbing, gripping, and hugely impressive' TM Logan

'Absolutely loved it. I would advise any nail biters to sit on their hands while reading this book because they will chew right down to the knuckle. By far the creepiest novel I have read in a long time ... a highly original and intriguing mystery so compelling that I abandoned my own work to finish it' Liz Nugent

'Compelling and wonderfully dark, choked with suspense and yet leisurely in the telling. I enjoyed it immensely' Emma Curtis

'A dark exploration of evil in its many forms, this is an uncomfortable and disturbing yet utterly compelling read' SJI Halliday

'A dark, compelling story with a few twists and turns that will keep the reader glued to the pages ... I found myself completely engrossed in Marion's disturbing world, which was well drawn by Catherine Burns. A very strong debut' Sarah Denzil

'An insidious, creepy novel, with a slow burn that leads to a horrifying revelation' Literary Hub

'Beautifully written… [a] dark, gritty and inviting tale that explores the darker side of human nature' Review Corner

'A wonderfully dark and suspenseful read from a talented debut author' Damp Pebbles

'The writing, the characters and the mood of this book were absolutely superbly done' BookBum

'A deeply disturbing and unforgettable novel, dripping with evil and horror… furiously gripping, addictive and absolutely impossible to put down' The Book Babe