David Rawlings

Diversify your curriculum and introduce global stories through accessible case studies on Asian empires linked through the Silk Roads: - Early Islamic Empire - Mongol Empire - Ottoman Empire - Ming Dynasty - Mughal Empire Explore how these empires developed, how they interacted with other areas of the world, and how they each left a legacy that can still be seen in the modern world. These case studies will stimulate discussion and help students understand how what has happened in the past continues to have impact and shape the world today. Written by a team led by Aaron Wilkes in consultation with expert historians. This engaging book: - enhances Oxford's best-selling KS3 History textbooks, and can be used flexibly with other schemes of work - gives a detailed insight into this fascinating area of world history - allows you to delve deeper into topics and themes of particular interest - supports you to diversify your curriculum

When three people take the wrong suitcase from baggage claim, their lives change forever. A hothead businessman coming to the city for a showdown meeting to save his job. A mother of three hoping to survive the days at her sister's house before her niece’s wedding. And a young artist pursuing his father’s dream so he can keep his own alive. When David, Gillian, and Michael each take the wrong suitcases from baggage claim, the airline directs them to retrieve their bags at a mysterious facility in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the enigmatic Baggage Handler, who shows them there is more in their baggage than what they have packed, and carrying it with them is slowing them down in ways they can’t imagine. And they must deal with it before they can leave. In this modern-day parable about the burdens that weigh us down, David Rawlings issues an inspiring invitation to lighten the load.

How did I get here? He ripped back the zip, his heart pounding as red dust trickled in and landed on his face. He stood, brushing the dust from his eyes, a sense of vertigo launching itself up his spine. One step from the swag and his eyes snapped open. He started to lean into a void. Over a cliff. Fifteen years after college graduation, four friends reconnect to keep a long-ago promise and go on a trip of a lifetime in the Australian Outback. Eliza needs to disconnect from her high-powered fashion job to consider the CEO position she’s just been offered. Lincoln hopes to rekindle a past relationship and escape from another one. Bree looks forward to a fun getaway from home and her deeply buried disappointments. Andy wants to disappear from the mess he’s made of his life—possibly forever. Dropped at a campsite in the middle of nowhere, the friends quickly discover they aren’t the same people they once were, and they begin to confront hard truths about one another—and themselves. Then a bizarre storm sweeps across their camp, scattering them across the desert. Wondering if they are part of some strange escape game, each of the friends meets a guide to help them find exactly what they need: purpose, healing, courage, and redemption. But they’ve already traveled far down the road of life and course-correcting to become the people they were meant to be won’t be easy.

One marriage. So many secrets. Can a camera that captures those secrets, exposing them through pictures, save the marriage or send it crashing into the sea? Kelly Whitely is at the height of her career, selling the latest miracle drug to doctors and pharmacies across the country. But concerns about the side effects have her longing for the day when she can quit her high-paying job and really focus on saving her marriage and teenage daughter. She keeps trying to talk to her husband, Daniel, about it, but every time she brings it up, he retreats further and further away from her. Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and bestselling author, yet secrets from the past have created a chasm between him and Kelly. To make matters worse, the deadline for his second book has come and gone, and he still hasn’t written a single word. But he doesn’t dare tell anyone, not even his wife. When Daniel inherits an old camera from his grandfather, he notices an inscription on the bottom: “No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.” Daniel begins using the camera, but every time he develops his photos, they threaten to reveal secrets. Secrets about his own career, but also secrets about those around him, including Kelly. With each click of the camera, he risks exposure as a fraud, but if he doesn’t face the truths the photos reveal, what will happen to his marriage? To his family? A standalone short novelApproximately 60,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions, perfect for book clubsPraise for The Camera Never Lies:"In his intriguing novel, The Camera Never Lies, David Rawlings challenges us to wonder what our photographs would look like if our souls, not our faces, were captured by the lens. This fascinating story will capture your imagination and your heart."—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress“The camera never lies, and neither does this gripping story about unearthing our deepest secrets in the most fantastical of ways. A message relatable to us all, bottled in an adventure we all love to read.”—Melissa Ferguson, author of The Dating Charade"A thought-provoking look at the real price that secrets extract—not just from the person keeping them, but from their loved ones, too. You'll close this story and be compelled to examine your own life . . . and also look at those around you and wonder, 'Who else looks like they have it all together but is drowning on the inside?'"—Jessica Kate, author of Love and Other Mistakes