Brian Hobbs

The book examines U.S. Government promotion of defense industry offsets, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Defense industry offsets are extra benefits that exporters add to arms deals to meet importer demands beyond basic transactions, often considered essential for exporter success. Nonetheless, the so-called “hands off” presidential policy on offsets is often misunderstood as an ironclad prohibition against government support for American companies. In reality, the U.S. president can authorize exceptions for national security. This book demonstrates why the president sometimes goes “hands on” for offsets as a foreign policy tool, such as when government encouragement clashes with anti-offset stakeholders concerned about job losses, technology transfers, and diminishing political support. Even so, competition with defense exporters from other countries and concerns about weak allies that fall short on burden-sharing responsibilities can override domestic constraints. This book examines the evolution of U.S. offset policy via analysis of case studies covering engagement with, respectively, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, and India. By challenging common misperceptions, the book expands our understanding of American foreign policy and highlights the government’s role in using offsets for the benefit of the U.S. national interest, the defense industrial base, and security alliances. Furthermore, this analysis is broadly applicable to wherever importing countries apply their own policies and practices with offsets. This book will be of much interest to students of defense studies, strategic studies, U.S. politics and International Relations.

'A fantastic and varied collection of problems authored by some of the best puzzle setters around' - Alex Bellos'A book of delightful puzzles. It's just as good as you'd expect.' - Tim Harford'A marvellous miscellany of mysteries' - Simon Singh'Hours of arguing and puzzling. I loved it.' - Matt ParkerThis highly engaging collection of 70 puzzles comes from the popular weekly column in New Scientist magazine. You'll find puzzles that are great for sharing with friends at a pub, problems drawn from real-life situations, games with intriguing strategies, and puzzles with such creative and whimsical storylines that they need to be explained to be believed. With the solutions you'll read the untold back stories behind the puzzles, and a fascinating exploration of related puzzles and mathematical ideas. You'll learn why a particular puzzle adaptation involved talking to an expert in sheep genetics, which solution was thought up by the BBC Radio 5 Drive team, and outside-the-box solutions to apparently straightforward challenges. This book is a must for any lover of puzzles or recreational mathematics.

Reflections takes readers on an honest journey through dealing with fears, coming to term with illness, facing death, and acceptance. Reflections is a gripping story written from two perspectives: Brian Hobbs, a songwriter with a terminal cancer diagnosis with months to live, and Fia Hobbs, his caregiving wife as well as his therapist. They share with readers their journey through hope, despair, and finally to peace and acceptance. During Brian’s illness, he wrote down his thoughts and feelings in a blog that became a huge inspiration for people to let go of their own fears and to find purpose in their own lives. Reflections is a continuation of Brian’s blog and helps to inspire readers to make them realize what matters in life as they follow his last months.

History of the Torpoint Fire Service from 1902 to 2002 by Brian Hobbs, former station officer