Michael McBride – författare

Welcome to the most interesting dinner party you’ve ever attended!Join seven friends for an evening of trivia, myth-busting, and camaraderie. You'll have a front row seat at the party, listening in to the early small talk—where light and fun ideas are discussed (“Did you know astronauts have Velcro on the inside of their helmets to scratch their noses?”)—to the end of the night, when conversations get deeper. (“Did the popularization of drinking coffee lead to modern democracies?”)Packed with over 150 fun facts spanning the topics of ancient civilizations, animal behavior, natural science, outer space, human accomplishments, pop culture, and more, How to Sound Smart at Parties ensures you’ll always have something clever to contribute to the conversation.

A festival of darkness comes to life in part three of this chilling anthology from Brian James Freeman, the general manager of Cemetery Dance Publications, co-editor of the Dark Screams ebook series, and co-author of The Halloween Children.

Welcome to the most interesting dinner party you’ve ever attended!Join seven friends for an evening of trivia, myth-busting, and camaraderie. You'll have a front row seat at the party, listening in to the early small talk—where light and fun ideas are discussed (“Did you know astronauts have Velcro on the inside of their helmets to scratch their noses?”)—to the end of the night, when conversations get deeper. (“Did the popularization of drinking coffee lead to modern democracies?”)Packed with over 150 fun facts spanning the topics of ancient civilizations, animal behavior, natural science, outer space, human accomplishments, pop culture, and more, How to Sound Smart at Parties ensures you’ll always have something clever to contribute to the conversation.

At a secret Antarctic lab, scientists make a shocking discovery—one that is ancient, terrifying, and very hungry—in this horror thriller series debut.Five of the world''s top scientists have been brought together to solve one of the greatest mysteries in human history. Their subject, however, is anything but human. Deep beneath the ice of Antarctica, the submerged ruins of a lost civilization hold the key to the strange mutations that each scientist has encountered across the globe: A misshapen skull in Russia; the grotesque carvings of a lost race in Peru; the mummified remains of a humanoid monstrosity in Egypt . . .When a series of sound waves trigger the ancient organisms, a new kind of evolution begins. Latching onto a human host—crossbreeding with human DNA—a long-extinct life form is reborn. Its kind has not walked the earth for thousands of years. Its instincts are more savage than any predator alive. And its prey are the scientists who unleashed it . . .

The ancient creature found in Antarctica is only a taste of the terror to come in a thriller that “blends intricate science fiction and visceral horror” (Publishers Weekly).At a research station in Antarctica, scientists discovered a strange and ancient organism. They thought they could study it, classify it, control it. The couldn''t . . .Six months ago, a secret paramilitary team called Unit 51 was sent to the station.They thought the creature was dead, the nightmare was over. It wasn''t . . .In a Mexican temple, archeologists uncover the remains of a half-human hybrid. They believe it is related to the creature in Antarctica, a dark thing of legend that is still alive—and still evolving. They believe it needs a new host to feed, to mutate, to multiply. They''re right. And the human race might just be headed for extinction . . .

“McBride writes with the perfect mixture of suspense and horror that keeps the reader on edge.” —Examiner  IT LIVES. In a research hangar in Virginia, a Unit 51 team studies an ancient but long-dormant virus that can transform human physiology—and turn it into something else. . .  IT MUTATES. In the Amazon rainforest, a newly evolving life form known as Subject Z acquires the ability to think conceptually, build elaborate traps, create new carriers—and spawn a new race . . .  IT SPREADS. In Mexico and Turkey, the men and women of Unit 51 race to uncover a global link between the mutations: a connection as ancient as the oldest tombs on earth—and as alien and unknowable as the universe itself. But time is running out. The infected are growing in number. And the nightmare is going viral .“This novel is for everyone who’s still a little scared of the dark . . . a very good sci-fi/thriller.” —The Oklahoman on Subhuman  “Thriller powerhouse McBride begins his Unit 51 series . . . evoking feelings of shock and terror.”—Publishers Weekly on Subhuman   Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com

Why is religion so widespread? Why do individuals donate large amounts of time, money, and effort to religious groups? What forms does the religious competition take? Why are individuals more religious in some countries than others? What is the future of religion?This book provides a non-technical introduction to how the economic approach answers these and other questions about religion. It defines the economic approach to religion and demonstrates how it is used to study a variety of religious decisions. It explains how religious groups confront credibility, free-rider, and coordination problems that challenge the collective production of religious goods and services. It also examines competition and regulation in religious markets around the world, how religious beliefs and preferences are transmitted and sustained, how religion likely emerged in humankind's distant past, and what the future of religion may hold. The book thus demonstrates how the tools and methods of economics provide fresh insight into a variety of religious behaviors.This book is intended for a wide audience in and out of economics. Though not a textbook per se, its discussion questions and suggested readings at the end of each chapter allow for easy incorporation into the classroom. The mathematics and statistics used by researchers are generally avoided. Both theory and evidence are presented, but the focus is on the ideas that provide a coherent conceptual framework that grounds a deeper exploration of the theoretical and empirical research in the economics of religion.

Why is religion so widespread? Why do individuals donate large amounts of time, money, and effort to religious groups? What forms does the religious competition take? Why are individuals more religious in some countries than others? What is the future of religion?This book provides a non-technical introduction to how the economic approach answers these and other questions about religion. It defines the economic approach to religion and demonstrates how it is used to study a variety of religious decisions. It explains how religious groups confront credibility, free-rider, and coordination problems that challenge the collective production of religious goods and services. It also examines competition and regulation in religious markets around the world, how religious beliefs and preferences are transmitted and sustained, how religion likely emerged in humankind's distant past, and what the future of religion may hold. The book thus demonstrates how the tools and methods of economics provide fresh insight into a variety of religious behaviors.This book is intended for a wide audience in and out of economics. Though not a textbook per se, its discussion questions and suggested readings at the end of each chapter allow for easy incorporation into the classroom. The mathematics and statistics used by researchers are generally avoided. Both theory and evidence are presented, but the focus is on the ideas that provide a coherent conceptual framework that grounds a deeper exploration of the theoretical and empirical research in the economics of religion.