"What if the best project manager didn't exist? In this provocative and future-facing manifesto, Peter Taylor, the original Lazy Project Manager, asks the uncomfortable questions about the impact on his profession from the inexorable rise of artificial intelligence.
Traditional project management has created a substantial legacy, but what if project managers aren't evolving but evaporating? What if success no longer needs a command-and-control human hero at the helm? Thanks to the power of AI, the next generation of project delivery won’t be managed, it will be orchestrated, seamlessly, silently, invisibly. It just might be the end of project management as we know it and the beginning of something radically smarter—but humans will still be very much involved, and this book explains how. It defines the 'Invisible Project Manager' future where AI systems manage workflows, timelines, and resources, while the 'human-in-the-loop' will be a vastly different skillset moving from the managers of activities to guardians of outcome. Accelerated change to the project management profession is arriving soon, and at speed.
This book is an essential and thought-provoking guide to evolution for forward-looking leaders, digital transformation strategists, and change agents who are planning for the long game. Are you ready to disappear?"
"The true story of Daniel Defoe and the dirty tricks which helped bring Scotland into union with England
In 1706, Edinburgh was on the brink of a popular uprising. Men and women took to the streets to protest the planned union with England, fearing the end of Scottish sovereignty. But unbeknownst to the mob, a spy was in their midst—the English writer Daniel Defoe, now bankrupt and thrice pilloried, had turned a government agent.
Marc Mierowsky tells the dramatic story of Defoe and his fellow spies as they sabotaged the Scottish independence movement from the inside. Together they disseminated propaganda and built a network of operatives from London to the upper Highlands, providing the English government with up-to-the-minute intelligence and monitoring its adversaries’ every move.
Through the lives of Defoe and his ring, their handlers, and opponents, Mierowsky guides us through this shadowy underworld of espionage and propaganda—revealing a disturbing and distinctly modern political campaign."
"A woman with no name, a reckoning with the past, a present fraught with danger.
In the most remote spot of the hills surrounding Loch Tay, a woman’s remains were found. She had lay there a while, but any evidence of who she was had long gone – or never existed. Crime podcaster Cal Lovett seeks to put ‘Hillside Jane’ to rest, but is he merely running from his own troubles?
With the wife of his sister’s alleged killer missing and a sense that any chance he had of getting justice for Margot is slipping from his grasp, Cal is at a crossroads. Perhaps peace for Hillside Jane will soothe his own fears. But events in the village don’t bring the results anyone expected. Is Cal so stuck in the past that he won’t spot the risk he faces in the here and now?
A gripping instalment of the bestselling Scottish crime series from Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for Scottish Crime-shortlisted author Heather Critchlow. Perfect for fans of Jane Casey, Claire Douglas and Neil Lancaster."
"DCI Alison McCoist is up to the oxters in Glasgow's shadiest police unit, with a list of guilty secrets growing longer by the day. Fran Forbes has just bolted from the scene of a gangland massacre with only a shite-stained tracksuit and a memory stick full of crypto-currency to his name. Ally is tasked with looking into this latest underworld rammy and ends up working with some bampots even dodgier than her polis pals. Can she keep Fran from being turned into mince by a Russian OCG and finally free herself from the fankle of police corruption she's caught in? An enemy from Ally's past is determined her story won't have such a happy ending..."
"From an acclaimed archaeological writer, a worldwide history of hunting
Hunting is one of humanity's most ancient and universal activities. It has been embedded in every facet of our lives, shaping social bonds, power hierarchies, and interactions with the spirit world. This book tells the story of how hunting evolved from a means of survival practiced with clubs and spears to a genteel display of royal power, and how it has become, in today's world, complicated and hotly contested.
In this wide-ranging study, Brian Fagan discusses how Neanderthals stalked prey and killed at close range, how hunting evolved as a political spectacle, and how commercial and trophy hunting precipitated an ecological crisis. He invites us to hunt with Charlemagne, explains how there was more to the demise of North American bison herds than rifles, and describes how influential figures such as John Muir, George Bird Grinnell, and Theodore Roosevelt fought for conservation during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Filled with lively stories, fascinating discoveries, and compelling characters, Fagan's exploration of hunting―a companion to his Fishing―offers an informed and entertaining history of an essential human pursuit."
"The past is never as buried as we'd like to believe.
Former paramedic Tom Berry is barely holding himself together, haunted by the ghosts of a childhood he can't remember. Then, one storm-lashed night in the Welsh mountains, he discovers a young boy struggling barefoot through the rain. The child is mute, terrified, and unable to say who he is or where he came from.
As their fragile bond grows, Tom becomes determined to find answers. But the deeper he digs, the more he's forced to confront his own repressed memories—and the night that shattered his life forever.
To save the boy he's come to care for, Tom must journey from the quiet valleys of Wales into a violent and dangerous criminal underworld. And when the past finally resurfaces, he'll uncover secrets more devastating than he ever imagined—about the boy and about himself.
Dark, emotional, and pulse-pounding, Never Say a Word is a gripping crime thriller perfect for fans of MW Craven, Michael Wood and LJ Ross."
"For eighty-two years the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which in 1918 became the Royal Air Force (RAF), maintained a permanent military aviation presence in the Far East. The first RFC units arrived in India in 1915. RAF India grew substantially in the interwar period and throughout World War Two. Various changes in the command structure finally saw the creation of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) in June 1949, covering South East Asia and Hong Kong. In the 1960s the UK government decided to withdraw all forces East of Suez and on October 31, 1971, the FEAF disbanded and most UK forces withdrew from Singapore at this time. The last RAF unit to leave the region was 28 Squadron flying. They had been operating Whirlwind and Wessex helicopters in Hong Kong until the territory was handed back to China in 1997. RAF Boys in the Far East illustrates what it was like for those air and ground crew who were there by telling their stories in their own words, supported by explanation of the situations at the time primarily drawn from veterans' own collections. Today those veterans who look back on their time served in the FEAF do so with a great deal of pride, and rightly so. This is their story."
"Leo Tolstoy is one of the most celebrated novelists of all time. As well as writing literary classics such as Anna Karenina and War and Peace he was also the author of some hugely influential critical and philosophical works. First published in 1898 his book length essay What is Art? has lost none of its power to challenge our perception of art and its function in society today. In this provocative work Tolstoy famously dismisses works by Shakespeare, Dante, Wagner and even many of his own works as 'bad art' based on various criteria including sincerity, ethics, morality and accessibility. Tolstoy took art seriously at a time when western civilization toyed with it as a mere pastime during the height of the Aestheticism movement. For him, art was natural and necessary to the advancement of humankind.
In his introduction to this translation, W. Gareth Jones shows how vitally Tolstoy's personality and experiences in life were engaged in creating What is Art?. Jones shows how integral the essay was to his art and teaching, and why it continues to demand a response from us. C 1994 Oxford University Press P 2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 1994 W. Gareth Jones"
"The longest day. The deadliest sins.
*From the bestselling author of Dark Island*
All of Daniel Aubrey's books can be read as standalones.
The residents of Orkney can’t sleep.
Through 18-hour summer days, the islands are drenched in unrelenting sunshine.
But a killer with a shadowy past is living undetected on the archipelago.
As the heat rises, reporter Freya will not rest until she’s brought the truth to light. Can she stop the murderer before they strike again?
The highly anticipated second instalment of the celebrated Orkney Mysteries series, The Dying Light is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid
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PRAISE FOR THE DYING LIGHT (ORKNEY MYSTERIES #2)
*Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year*
*Selected for the Critics’ New Blood panel at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival*
PRAISE FOR DARK ISLAND (ORKNEY MYSTERIES #1)
*Shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award 2024*
*Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2024*
*Longlisted for Scotland’s National Book Award – First Book of the Year 2024*
'Daniel Aubrey can do for Orkney what Ann Cleeves has done for Shetland' MARION TODD
'Twists and secrets galore … A nail-biting thriller you'll never forget' CAROLINE MITCHELL
'A tense read with emotional honesty … Freya is a triumph' CALLUM McSORLEY
'My debut novel of the year' CHRIS LLOYD
'I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' NASHEEMA LENNON"
"Another magnificent tale of treachery at sea from a storytelling genius.
Suddenly, just before dawn, the lights went out aboard the San Andreas. For the British hospital ship sailing the deadly, U-boat-patrolled Norwegian waters, a nightmare of violence and betrayal has begun – a terrifying game of sabotage in which an unknown traitor among the crew holds all the cards.
The red crosses on the vessel’s sides spell anything but safety. For a dangerous secret has turned the ship into a priceless quarry.
With the captain out of action, Bosun Archie McKinnon takes over. Alone in treacherous, frozen seas, her compass smashed, the San Andreas is being drawn relentlessly into the enemy’s hands."
"In the wake of abandoning his land during the Highland Famine, Peter Daily struggles to accept the hauntings that have plagued his past. Attempting to flee his torments, he travels far to his childhood refuge on the Scottish Isle of Lismore, a small island cut off by high cliffs and churning waters. But escaping one's past is never as simple as it first seems. When the darkness descends, Daily is tormented by the memories he longs to suppress, forcing him to relive the horrors suffered by those he has cruelly wronged.
In current times, Leslie Wills seeks to uncover the truth. Driven by his connection, he delves into the past, determined to expose the shadows that cling to him.
One thing is certain. No matter where you try to hide, fear will always find you."
"A spicy, small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, from the author of TikTok sensation Whisky Business
When you live on a tiny island, it's easy to stir up a scandal…
For Callum Macabe, there's no one better than Juniper Ross. She's razor-tongued, sarcastic, elusive. And not to mention drop-dead gorgeous.
There's just one problem: his brother got there first.
And even though Juniper and Alistair split up five years ago, Callum knows he could never break the actual bro code. Or could he?
‘A compulsively readable contemporary romance that goes down smooth’ Kirkus
Readers are obsessed
'Definitely one of the top reads this year—scratch that—top reads ever At this point I will read anything Elliot Fletcher decides to write!'
'This is a sexy, spicy Scottish romance that you seriously can’t miss'
'Elliot Fletcher’s writing is beyond marvellous. Another 5 stars book from her!! This book was so amazing and I’m in an awe with this author and how wonderful her stories are'
'Fletcher's writing is witty, emotional, and thoroughly enjoyable, making Scotch on the Rocks a must-read for romance enthusiasts. Highly recommended!'
'Callum had me giggling, swooning and contemplating'"
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