Kirjahaku

How have modern democracies squared their commitment to equality with their fear that disparities in talent and intelligence might be natural, persistent, and consequential? In this wide-ranging account of American and French understandings of merit, talent, and intelligence over the past two centuries, John Carson tells the fascinating story of how two nations wrestled scientifically with human inequalities and their social and political implications. Surveying a broad array of political tracts, philosophical treatises, scientific works, and journalistic writings, Carson chronicles the gradual embrace of the IQ version of intelligence in the United States, while in France, the birthplace of the modern intelligence test, expert judgment was consistently prized above such quantitative measures. He also reveals the crucial role that determinations of, and contests over, merit have played in both societies--they have helped to organize educational systems, justify racial hierarchies, classify army recruits, and direct individuals onto particular educational and career paths. A contribution to both the history of science and intellectual history, The Measure of Merit illuminates the shadow languages of inequality that have haunted the American and French republics since their inceptions.

A wide-ranging account of American and French understandings of merit, talent, and intelligence over the past two centuriesHow have modern democracies squared their commitment to equality with their fear that disparities in talent and intelligence might be natural, persistent, and consequential? John Carson tells the fascinating story of how two nations wrestled scientifically with human inequalities and their social and political implications.Surveying a broad array of political tracts, philosophical treatises, scientific works, and journalistic writings, Carson chronicles the gradual embrace of the IQ version of intelligence in the United States, while in France, the birthplace of the modern intelligence test, expert judgment was consistently prized above such quantitative measures. He also reveals the crucial role that determinations of, and contests over, merit have played in both societies—they have helped to organize educational systems, justify racial hierarchies, classify army recruits, and direct individuals onto particular educational and career paths.A contribution to both the history of science and intellectual history, The Measure of Merit illuminates the shadow languages of inequality that have haunted the American and French republics since their inceptions.

John Carson is a Londoner who has lived in Weston-super-Mare for most of the past 40 years. In the mid-1980's, he began collecting earthenwares produced by "The Bristol Pottery", which was the factory associated with the name "Pountney" for much of its long history. As his knowledge of the Pottery increased, he became conscious of the many gaps that existed in the published information available, particularly in regard to the actual wares produced. Consequently, he saw a need for a comprehensive publication covering the whole period from the time creamware succeeded delftware at Temple Back in the late eighteenth century until the Pottery's last years in Cornwall in the 1970's. The results of his researches are now brought together in this book.

John Carson has been a railway enthusiast almost since birth, a hobby inherited from his father, Harold, whose interest in railways began way back in the early decades of the last century. In the 1930's, Harold became an Anglican clergyman and he found that the relaxation and solace he derived from "watching the trains go by" provided an ideal counterbalance to the stresses and strains of looking after a busy London parish. Many of his leisure hours were spent pursuing his hobby and the notes he made provide a fascinating insight into our railways when they were at their zenith and what it was like to be an enthusiast at a time of so much variety and interest. Despite the loss of many records and the vagaries or lack of certain details, John has endeavoured to reproduce the diaries as far as possible in their original form, not only for posterity but also as a tribute to his father who died in 1993.

Four years ago, FBI Special Agent Scott Marshall and his team were hunting a serial killer in a small town in Upstate New York. Women were being abducted and murdered, then their corpses were displayed in open shallow graves. Marshall's FBI partner, Jessie Kent, was taken. During the hunt for her, Marshall tracked the killer down, but he was shot five times and left for dead. Less than an hour later, the killer took his own life.None of the remaining victims were ever found.Until now.A female detective comes down to Marshall's home town to ask for his help. Somebody has found the decomposed victims and is displaying them. Despite no longer being with the FBI, Marshall sees this as a chance to find Jessie, and take her home for a proper burial. And to lay to rest the feelings of guilt he's been carrying for the past four years. He agrees to go back with Dani Fox, but it's soon clear somebody doesn't want him back in town. He's warned off, but he ignores it. Then the killings start. Somebody has just accelerated the game from displaying corpses to adding new victims. And this time, he's making it personal...

The badly decomposed body of a young woman is found in the old nuclear bunker in Corstorphine Hill, where there is ongoing work being done to turn it into a museum. In her pockets are found items belonging to Becky McIver, a woman who went missing six years ago.Back then, Gus McIver was arrested and charged with his wife's murder. He maintained his innocence, and despite Becky's body never being found, McIver was sentenced to life in prison. No trace of Becky has ever been found. Until now.Miller looks into the bunker victim's background while McIver once again raises the question of his innocence. What was the dead woman doing in the bunker? How did she come to possess Becky McIver's belongings?Miller follows a trail that will lead him down some dark alleys, uncovering a truth that somebody wanted kept hidden. But it's a truth that will shock everybody.Some secrets are never meant to see the light of day, especially the one revealing what really happened to Becky McIver...

A devastating attack has been made on the Los Angeles office of the Phoenix Group. Two agents are unaccounted for, presumed killed in the explosion.Then suspicions are aroused and it is now thought they have gone rogue.Max Doyle gets a text from one of them, Special Agent Michelle Barragan, confirming that at least one of them is still alive.He knows her. She worked with him when she was in Army Intelligence. To others, the text is nonsense, the ramblings of a mad person. To Doyle, it's a cry for help.As a team of government assassins are sent to the town in Maine where the text originated from, Doyle and Jordan Lane are dispatched to hunt Michelle down and bring her in.When they get there, everything they have been told so far is thrown into question. A conspiracy is uncovered, outlining one of the worst attacks that New York City has ever been threatened with.Michelle Barragan has the answers...And to uncover the truth, they need to find her before the assassins do...

Since the age of eight sports has played a huge role in my life. I fell in love with the competition aspect of football and baseball during recess at Flagpole School and playing baseball on my Dad's farm. We worked very hard on the farm, however, I was always watching the clouds in hopes it would rain so we could start a baseball game behind the cotton bends. This love of sports has followed me all my life. I always wanted to build my life and reputation around being a good student in school, working hard at every assignment and challenge my life encountered and being respected as a person of character and integrity. I enjoyed a wonderful high school and college sports tenure having played college football for three years at Ole Miss until my knee injury that I sustained in high school forced me to give up football. That was a very sad day for me in that I felt it was my first major failure in life and I did not like to fail at anything. Sports teach you to never give up on yourself or any mission you have set your sights upon to succeed in. Never start a new goal for your life that you are not willing to put your heart into to succeed. Sports always gave me a desire to be the best and practice, practice, practice until you were the best your talents would allow you to be. Sports also taught me to always be mindful to keep my body in shape and condition my body with daily and weekly workouts to be healthy and remain strong. I still go to my health club for 45 minute workouts 4-5 times a week. After having triple bypass heart surgery, my surgeon said the probable reason my surgery was a success was because my body was in good condition at the age of 80. I can truly say I have had four passions in my life, sports, my business career in the hotel and hospitality business, my three children and now my grandchildren. During my life time my Dad was a tremendous mentor for me to always respect the principles he built his life around and passed on to me. I can also say the coaches I had in the sports I was involved in had great influence on my life. My freshman coach at Ole Miss, Coach Wobble Davidson, was the person who inspired my life more so than anyone in coaching. He made you believe you could move mountains if you prepared yourself well enough. My coaches in high school and college probably prepared my life to take on the challenges that we all encounter as we mature into our working career. This is why kids should gain the benefits of sports and great coaching at the earliest possible age. Both will give any kid in America a foundation to build their life upon. I am so proud my grandkids are all involved in sports and gaining at an early age what sports can mean to their lives forever. John Carson, A Proud Father and Grandfather.

A callous crime. A killer's rampage. A storm of death on the horizon.Edinburgh, the dead of winter. DCI Harry McNeil knows the subzero temperatures can trigger the cruelest of crimes. But when he's called out in the middle of a blizzard, he's horrified at the sight of a frozen female corpse found hidden inside a snowman. And when none of the evidence adds up, McNeil's investigation is skating on thin ice...On the brink of connecting a serial killer to a two-year-old cold case, he's caught under a cloud of alleged misconduct. And with the heat turned up in every direction, the embattled cop must both clear his name and wade through a snowstorm of suspects to put a lethal opponent behind bars.Will McNeil weather this deadly attack, or will running down this murderer prove fatal?Dead Before You Die is the third heart-stopping book in the DCI Harry McNeil mystery series. If you like relentless detectives, a twist of humor, and airtight camaraderie, then you'll love John Carson's chilling story.Buy Dead Before You Die to find cracks in the lies today

A woman is found in a local cemetery, crushed to death under a gravestone. A production company is there, filming the remake of a classic sci-fi TV show in the grounds, making the investigation more difficult for DCI Harry McNeil.It's his first day in charge of the cold case unit in Edinburgh. After spending four years in Professional Standards, he has little choice but to take the promotion. The Crown Office decides which cold cases should be reviewed, and this time, they've decided the murder of a teenage girl from twenty years ago should be re-opened. A girl who was murdered by somebody pushing a gravestone on top of her...The case gets more complicated when they find out who the latest victim is. Suddenly there are no shortage of suspects.As the filming continues, so does the killing. And McNeil wonders, has a killer been murdering for twenty years? Or is this case completely unconnected? With Frank Miller's help, he's going to find out...the hard way...

A horrific murder. A stunning abduction. Can he open an old case to prevent another grisly death?Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil isn't easily intimidated. But after years investigating crooked cops, a promotion heading up a Major Investigation Team will put his reputation on the line. And he's starting to sweat when the daughter of a rich and powerful family vanishes from the honeymoon suite in a Scottish Highlands castle...Searching alongside officers from two other divisions, pushes McNeil to his breaking point when the investigation uncovers a charred corpse dressed in a wedding gown. Fearing the missing bride will suffer the same gruesome fate, the detective follows a fifteen-year long trail of clues littered with vengeance, false identities, and a tragic murder-suicide.Can McNeil bring the butcher to justice before the celebration turns into a mass funeral?STICKS AND STONES is the enthralling first book in the DCI Harry McNeil Scottish crime thriller series. If you like hardened detectives, witty dialogue, and twisted mysteries, then you'll love John Carson's gripping novel.Buy STICKS AND STONES to douse a killer's deadly match today

It looked like a simple murder case. But the victim's false identity is just the beginning...Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil's dangerous job wasn't made for relationships. So when a female officer's mutilated remains wash up in a canal, it feels like proof he was right to leave his long-time girlfriend. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when he discovers the corpse was carrying a police ID belonging to a cop already dead and buried.Digging deeper, McNeil learns the woman was actually a software engineer nosing around high-tech, classified projects and poking into murky government corners. So when a second body surfaces, he fears the truth lies in the darkest corners of greed and corruption. And someone is determined to make certain those secrets never come to light...Can McNeil catch the killer before the deadly tables are turned on him?BACK TO LIFE is the second book in the gritty DCI Harry McNeil Scottish crime thriller series. If you like hardboiled detectives, dark humor, and snappy banter, then you'll love John Carson's unputdownable tale.Buy BACK TO LIFE to decode a treacherous conspiracy today

For Frank Miller, his first month in CID is a baptism of fire.In this prequel, Miller is attending a crime scene where a woman has been found murdered at a local tourist spot. She's been operated on and vital organs removed before being crudely sewn back up again. At her Post Mortem, they find her ID inside her.As Miller's girlfriend is promoted to CID, they are both thrown in at the deep end. While they're being mentored by an experienced detective, they look for a killer who the press has dubbed The Surgeon, and they're also looking for a peeping Tom. So far, he's only been reported looking through windows, but he goes one step further and kills a young woman in her own home.As The Surgeon's second victim is found, Miller and his colleagues know he's getting more confident with his killing.World famous thriller writer, Len Chatter, is coming to Edinburgh to launch his new book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He's looking for writers to co-author a new line of books. But this time, he's attracting the attention of somebody who wants to make him more famous for all the wrong reasons...Frank Miller will have to use everything he's being taught about being a detective to catch this killer, but as they close in on their suspect, they discover that not only is this case far more complex than they first thought, but the killer has outclassed them all.In a shocking twist, Carol's life is put in danger, and Miller knows he's up against one of the most formidable opponents he's ever likely to meet...

A man stabs his boss before throwing him off the roof of the office building. As Detective Inspector Frank Miller has him cornered on the roof of the building, the killer jumps to his death.A woman sets fire to the hotel kitchen where she works, then stabs and kills two co-workers before leaping to her death from the North Bridge.Miller wonders what would make two, seemingly innocent people commit such atrocious acts.The investigation leads them to a wellness centre. An undercover operation is mounted by Miller and his boss.Then another atrocity occurs, but by then, it's too late.Somebody is literally making life and death decisions, but he isn't finished yet.He's only just started...

A high-flying young lawyer is murdered in her own home. The killer takes her body with him, but leaves behind a photo of her corpse.A retired judge dies of a massive stroke. A surgeon's girlfriend goes missing.Another female is murdered, her corpse taken away and a photo left behind for the police to find. They are connected...but how?A Priest has the answer...but he can't reveal it.Miller and his team fight against the odds to track down a killer who has no intention of stopping and who has a knack for hiding in plain sight...

Who's more dangerous? The serial killer you're hunting, or the one you never knew existed?DI Frank Miller is about to find out.Every year, thousands of women go missing in the UK, some of them never to be seen again. A killer stalks the streets of Edinburgh, trawling through the thousands of tourists during the Edinburgh International Festival, looking for prey.He finds his target, and she disappears, and despite a missing persons report, she's never seen again. This time he's made a mistake; the American female isn't a tourist.She's a local.And there was a witness. But shortly after seeing the woman die, the witness is incarcerated for an unconnected crime. When he's released, instead of going to the police, he decides to profit from the American's death.The killer is taking out anybody he thinks might be connected to her, but soon, the witness, the killer and Miller will clash in an explosive showdown...but not before more lives are taken...and somebody close to Miller is on the list...

While investigating the murder of a former detective, DI Frank Miller begins to see the connection between this and the murder of the head of Edinburgh's Serious Crime unit.As the investigation unfolds, a 25 year-old murder case is re-opened, and when Miller delves into the past, he finds that somebody had a secret that is costing people their lives.He also discovers the awful truth of who really killed his wife in a hit-and-run two years ago, and how his wife's killer is coming after him...

The body of 10 year-old kidnap victim Terry White is found in a derelict house, three years after his disappearance. This is a second chance for DI Frank Miller, whose detective wife was killed when the ransom drop went bad.There's a vicious gang of armed thieves who have been robbing banks in Edinburgh and their violence has escalated to murder. As Miller and his team investigate, they find a link between Terry's kidnapping and the robberies. Two members of the gang are now dead, leaving behind clues that the gang are planning one last heist before going their separate ways.Miller only has a few days to catch them before they disappear forever...and with them, they'll take the key to solving Terry's murder...

Years ago, DI Frank Miller caught a notorious serial killer and put him away for life. This man taunts Miller from the psychiatric hospital where he's incarcerated. He tells Miller he'll see him soon.Now he's escaped and he wants Miller to play a game to find a victim they didn't know about. Senior officers know the killer had help in escaping, and as an investigation is launched, suspicion falls on Miller. He's then suspended from duty.Disobeying orders to stay off the case, he follows a clue he's been given, but he's attacked and left for dead. Then things escalate out of control. A warrant is issued for Miller's arrest and now he's on the run, being hunted by colleagues.Miller knows he is on his own now, and time is running out, but help comes from an unexpected source.Together, they work to uncover the truth, but one man will do anything to make sure they die before that happens...