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Against the people : how Ford Nation is dismantling Ontario / by Evans, Bryan M.,1960-editor.; Fanelli, Carlo,1984-editor.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The election of the Doug Ford-led Progressive Conservatives unleashed an aggressive and undisguised market fundamentalism. Ford's government has taken the assault against the social welfare state, labour and environmental protections to new and unprecedented heights. Maintaining a permanent era of austerity has not only steadily reduced the public sector as a proportion of the provincial economy but has also reduced the social protections available to Ontarians. Ford's deregulatory agenda has explicitly degraded the quality of social provisioning and eroded labour rights to the benefit of business. From undermining the fiscal capacity to fund program expenditures adequately to reducing public sector employment and service levels, Ford Nation has reordered an array of ministries and agencies to boost business and development in general and the resource-extraction and investment sectors in particular. Tens of billions have been put back into the pockets of the business community, often directly out of public coffers. Few ministries and programs have been left unscathed. Most people have not benefited. Against the People is the first book of its kind to provide an in-depth look into the devastating policies of the Ford government across a wide range of public policy issues: from health care, municipal, education and judicial restructuring, to economics, arts, labour, environmental, housing and Indigenous lands. Written by on-the-ground experts and focused on the Progressive Conservatives since coming to power in 2018, this book showcases the politics of dismantling a province"--
Subjects: Ford, Doug, 1964-; Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Booklover's Library [electronic resource] : by Martin, Madeline.aut; Maarleveld, Saskia.nrt; cloudLibrary;
“A must-read for booklovers.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London. In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job. When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident. As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Literary; Contemporary Women;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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Below the edge of darkness : a memoir of exploring light and life in the deep sea / by Widder, Edith,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Her focus turned to oceanic bioluminescence, a scientific frontier in our last earthly one, and with little promise of funding or employment she took a leap into the darkness. On her first visit to the deep ocean, in an experimental diving suit that took her to a depth of eight hundred feet, she turned off the suit's lights and witnessed breathtaking explosions of bioluminescent activity. Concerns about her career went out the window. She just wanted to know one thing: Why was there so much light down there? Below the Edge of Darkness takes readers deep into our planet's oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never-before-seen or, like the legendary Giant Squid, never-before-filmed in its deep-sea lair. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Widder, Edith.; Bioluminescence.; Marine scientists; Underwater exploration.; Women marine biologists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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All together healthy : a Canadian wellness revolution / by MacLeod, Andrew,1972-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Never before have individuals faced so much conflicting information about how to be healthy: a constant rotation of fad diets, extreme workout regimens and celebrity-endorsed supplements are regularly hyped as the latest cure for all modern ills. We also maintain a massive health care system that absorbs a steadily growing share of public spending. As health has increasingly come to occupy a prominent role in our lives and headlines, however, we've tended to ignore that many of the the most significant contributors to making and keeping us well lie outside both the medical system and our individual control--income, education, employment, housing, environmental factors and social supports. In All Together Healthy, award-winning author Andrew MacLeod digs deep to discover how to build a healthy society, examines inequities within Canada and draws on international comparisons to assess why Canada's high spending on health care has failed to achieve better results. Meticulously researched and enlivened with interviews and personal stories, MacLeod explains the complexities of public health policy in an immediate and approachable way, making a passionate case for how best to maximize the health of the many. In Canada, this is a moment of political optimism, where the path to a healthier society seems possible, but it is uncertain whether promised changes will happen. All Together Healthy defines what's at stake and articulates a vision of a future where the health and well-being of all citizens is of central importance."--
Subjects: Health; Medical policy;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The shadow key : a novel in four branches / by Stokes-Chapman, Susan,1985-author.;
"Dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital, Dr. Henry Talbot has little choice but to accept a mysterious offer of employment as a private physician from an inscrutable lord of a rural manor in Wales. Arriving at Plas Helyg, Lord Julian's isolated estate, Henry can't speak the language and finds himself treated with hostile suspicion by superstitious villagers, whose beliefs in myths and magic he's inclined to dismiss. But when he discovers that his predecessor died under peculiar, inexplicable circumstances, his determination to uncover the truth leads him down a path fraught with danger-made all the more perilous by his headstrong, reluctant ally Linette, Lord Julian's niece. Linette has lived a lonely life as Plas Helyg's unconventional mistress: her uncle treats her with disdain, her father is long dead, and her mother, long plagued by strange spells and believed by everyone around her to be deeply unwell, spends most of her time locked away in her rooms. Fiercely self-reliant, Linette refuses to wear women's clothes, has no interest in marriage, and takes an interest in the welfare of the men working in Lord Julian's mines, against his wishes. Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry's dogged investigations that the dark truth about those closest to her will come to light-a truth that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together forever in ways neither thought possible"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Gothic fiction.; Novels.; Physicians; Villages; Mythology, Celtic;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The dead come to stay / by Schillace, Brandy,author.;
Jo Jones can't seem to catch a break. Trading in city life for the cozy, peaceful hills of North Yorkshire to take over her family estate should have been a chance for a "fresh start." Instead, she's been driven further into the past than she thought possible -- and not just her own. The estate property is littered with traces of ancestors that Jo never knew existed, including the mysterious woman in a half-destroyed painting - and hints about Jo's late uncle, who may hold the key to her cryptic family history. Then there's the gossipy town politics Jo must constantly navigate as a neurodivergent transplanted American... And of course, the whole murder business. When prickly town detective James MacAdams discovers a body in the moors with coincidental ties to Jo Jones, they're forced to team up on the case. The clues will lead them into the wealthiest locales of Yorkshire, from sparkling glass hotels to luxury property sites to elite country clubs. But below the glittering surfaces, Jo and MacAdams discover darker schemes brewing. Local teens, many of them international refugees, are disappearing left and right, and each case is somehow linked to a shady architectural firm -- which also happened to employ the dead man from the moor-side ditch. What begins as bizarre murder case quickly plunges them both into the blackmarket world of rare artifacts and antique trading ... and a murderer who will do anything to cover it up.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Novels.; Antiquities; Autistic women; Americans; Autism; Black market; Book editors; Detectives; Man-woman relationships; Missing persons; Murder; Manors;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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The school of mirrors : a novel / by Stachniak, Eva,1952-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."A lush, engrossing tale of love, deception and scandal in the 18th century French court of King Louis XV. Against the tumult of 18th century France, King Louis XV has tired of courtly intrigues and becomes a connoisseur of innocence. On the grounds of the Palace of Versailles lies Deer Park, a hunting ground that also offers another pleasure: a mansion where his young mistresses are housed. But when these girls first arrive at Deer Park, it is under the guise of a different role. They are promised employment in the household of a count, and, eager to improve their stations, they leave their families to serve him. Veronique is one such girl. She is introduced to "the count," and young and naive as she is, she never doubts his identity. And as he begins to bestow affection on her, she quickly becomes consumed with love for him. It is too late when she realizes who he really is, the stakes of their affair and what she will have to give up to survive. In vivid detail and with a breathless pace, Eva Stachniak captures the story of a fast-changing France, where the once beloved Louis XV is losing ground, his grandson the Dauphin Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are sickening the country with their opulence and the French Revolution is stirring. It is in this France that Veronique's young daughter, Marie-Louise, will grow up searching for answers about her birth. With stirring insight and dazzling intrigue, this novel questions the true meaning of legacy."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Man-woman relationships; Mistresses; Mothers and daughters; Scandals;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 3
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Exploring the power of ChatGPT : applications, techniques, and implications / by Sarrion, Eric,author.;
Learn how to use the large-scale natural language processing model developed by OpenAI: ChatGPT. This book explains how ChatGPT uses machine learning to autonomously generate text based on user input and explores the significant implications for human communication and interaction. Author Eric Sarrion examines various aspects of ChatGPT, including its internal workings, use in computer projects, and impact on employment and society. He also addresses long-term perspectives for ChatGPT, including possible future advancements, adoption challenges, and considerations for ethical and responsible use. The book starts with an introduction to ChatGPT covering its versions, application areas, how it works with neural networks, NLP, and its advantages and limitations. Next, you'll be introduced to applications and training development projects using ChatGPT, as well as best practices for it. You'll then explore the ethical implications of ChatGPT, such as potential biases and risks, regulations, and standards. This is followed by a discussion of future prospects for ChatGPT. The book concludes with practical use case examples, such as text content creation, software programming, and innovation and creativity. This essential book summarizes what may be one of the most significant developments in artificial intelligence in recent history and provides useful insights for researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of technology. You will: Understand the basics of deep learning and text generation using language models such as ChatGPT prepare data and train a language model to generate text Use ChatGPT for various applications such as marketing text generation or answering questions. Understand the use of ChatGPT through the OpenAI API and how to optimize model performance.
Subjects: ChatGPT.; Artificial intelligence; Artificial intelligence;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Flora! : a woman in a man's world / by MacDonald, Flora,1926-2015,author.; Stevens, Geoffrey,1940-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Flora Isabel MacDonald--politician, humanitarian, adventurer, and role model for a generation of women--was known across Canada and beyond simply as Flora. In her memoir, co-authored by award-winning journalist and author Geoffrey Stevens, she tells her personal story for the very first time. Flora describes her amazing journey from her childhood and secretarial school in Cape Breton through her years in backroom Progressive Conservative politics, to elected office and her appointment as Canada's first female foreign minister. Finally, she details her exceptional humanitarian work in India and in war-torn Africa and Afghanistan. Flora was driven by a lifelong conviction that there is nothing a woman cannot achieve in a world controlled by men, and she pursued this conviction in everything she did, carving a path for women in Parliament. She won international acclaim for bringing 60,000 Vietnamese refugees to Canada, and for engineering the rescue of six American hostages in Tehran in a top-secret collaboration with the CIA known as the the Canadian Caper. She exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates at Kingston's Prison for Women. She defied male chauvinists in the Progressive Conservative party by running for its leadership, and she introduced the Employment Equity Act to guarantee women equal access to federal jobs. Flora was brave. She was relentless. She was controversial. She was a force of nature. In her own words and drawing from interviews with those who knew her, Flora grants us insight into this exceptional woman who changed the course of history"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; MacDonald, Flora, 1926-2015.; Human rights workers; Legislators; Politicians; Women human rights workers; Women legislators; Women politicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Mania A Novel [electronic resource] : by Shriver, Lionel.aut; cloudLibrary;
Set in a parallel yet all too familiar near past, a brilliant subversive novel about a lifelong friendship threatened by culture wars, from the New York Times bestselling author. In an alternative 2011, the Mental Parity movement takes hold. Americans now embrace the sacred, universal truth that there is no such thing as variable human intelligence. Because everyone is equally smart, discrimination against purportedly dumb people is "the last great civil rights fight." Tests, grades, and employment qualifications are all discarded. Children are expelled for saying the S-word (“stupid”) and encouraged to report parents who use it at home. A college English instructor, the constitutionally rebellious Pearson Converse rejected her restrictive Jehovah’s Witness upbringing as a teenager, and so has an aversion to dogma of any kind. Made impotent in the university classroom, she’s also enraged by the crushing of her exceptionally bright children’s spirits in primary school. Fortunately, she enjoys the confidence of a best friend, a media commentator with whom she can speak frankly about her socially unacceptable contempt for the MP movement. Or at least she thinks she can . . . until one day the political chasm between the two women becomes uncrossable, and a lifelong relationship implodes. With echoes of Philip Roth’s The Human Stain, told in Lionel Shriver’s inimitable and iconoclastic voice, Mania is a sharp, acerbic, and ruthlessly funny book about the road to a delusional, self-destructive egalitarianism that our society is already on.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Dystopian; Literary; Family Life;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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