Bloomsbury

Book SynopsisAs autumn draws in, a series of unexplained vicious attacks occur in a small northern town renowned for being a bohemian backwater. As the national media descends, local journalist Roddy Mace attempts to tell the story, but finds the very nature of truth brought into question. He turns to disgraced detective James Brindle for help. When further attacks occur the shattered community becomes the focus of an accelerating media that favours immediacy over truth. Murder and myth collide in a folk-crime story about place, identity and the tangled lives of those who never leave.Trade ReviewAs good as anything being written in Britain today -- HORATIO CLARELayers of landscape, myth and the hidden underbelly of everyday life outside of the metropolis are built up as the plot unfolds and the darkness grows. By now you should all know how good a writer Myers is. If you don’t, These Darkening Days will be more than enough to convince you * LOUD & QUIET *A powerful novel by a writer who has found his subject and the voice that best expresses it … He could be Yorkshire’s Iain Sinclair as well as its Cormac McCarthy * BOOKMUNCH *Subtle and compelling, controlled and atmospheric – perfect, in fact, for the long dark nights ahead * MORNING STAR *He’s James Ellroy with a flat cap and a terrier -- JOHN MITCHINSONThe collective blood pressure of the Yorkshire tourist board must ratchet up several notches every time that Myers publishes a new novel, but for the rest of us this is gripping stuff * THE CRACK *Everything here, from the now-familiar landscapes to the description of life at the local newspaper and the behaviour of parachuted-in Sun reporters, is note perfect…But the book goes much further, delving into society’s hysterical narcissism and the way its tendrils snake all the way back into myth, legend and half-forgotten community history. There’s no question that this is a superb piece of work….a fantastic eye for landscape and great political and cultural insight…it’s funny, brutal and properly thrilling * THRILL FILTER *The writing is stunning, from the occasional sentence which catches you and brings you up short – The streetlights wear soft halos in the mist – through to the ability to evoke the grittiness of this northern town in a few words. Sometimes I found myself going back and rereading sections, just for the pleasure the words gave. In places it’s almost poetic. And it’s all brilliant * BOOK BAG *

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Book Synopsis'A searing tale of seduction and betrayal, both wryly comic and deeply serious' Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend 'Intimate, irreverent, fast-paced and raw' Sunday Times Lucas Pereyra, an unemployed writer in his forties, embarks on a day trip from Buenos Aires to Montevideo to pick up a fifteen thousand dollar advance in cash. This small fortune might solve his problems, most importantly the unbearable tension in his marriage. While his wife spends her days at work and her nights out on the town – with a lover, perhaps – Lucas is stuck at home all day staring at the blank page, caring for his son Maiko and fantasizing about the one thing that keeps him going: the Uruguayan woman he recently met at a conference and who he longs to see on this trip. The Woman from Uruguay is the surprising and moving story of one transformative day in Lucas’ life. An international bestseller, it is the masterpiece of one of Latin America’s most beloved writers, translated by Man Booker International winner Jennifer Croft. 'At once a picaresque comedy and a penetrating study of a man on the verge of middle age' Colm ToibinTrade Review'This story of lust and middle-aged angst resonates long after the novel has ended ... Intimate, irreverent, fast-paced and raw ... Reminiscent of Geoff Dyer in elegiac mode, or the angry, funny, rueful work of Luke Brown ... A deeply unconventional love letter' * Sunday Times *The Woman from Uruguay is at once a picaresque comedy and a penetrating study of a man on the verge of middle age who is trying to deal with fatherhood, money, marriage and love. Lucas's vivid presence in this book is created by his rich way of observing the world. As he travels from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, over seventeen hours, a whole world comes into being, a complex sensibility gets dramatized -- Colm ToibinBeautifully written and translated, The Woman from Uruguay is a work of exquisite style, shrewd philosophical insight, and deftly controlled suspense. A searing tale of seduction and betrayal, both wryly comic and deeply serious. * Sigrid Nunez, author of THE FRIEND and WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH *The Woman from Uruguay is a gem; as perfectly formed as a tide-washed pebble, brimming with astute observations and insight into the foibles of masculinity. I loved it * Graeme Macrae Burnet *Shrewd, funny and involving .. Unfolding over the course of one day, this slim, witty and wryly heart-warming book is both a comic treat and a deftly insightful piece of literary fiction * Daunt, Books of the Week *A tender meditation on desire and the fragility of the human heart, translated elegantly by Man Booker International winner Jennifer Croft … [a] profound novel * Chicago Review of Books *A perfect novel. A triumph from beginning to end. The novel’s style, that carries the soft irony of a writer in command of his narrative voice, its extension, its verbal prowess, its impeccably paced rhythm and, of course, the theme: a marital crisis written from the perspective of an Argentine man in his mid forties who is facing an existential crisis. * El Pais (Spain) *[Pedro Mairal] displays his full talent in a wisely structured novel, outstanding in its narrative rhythm and in the twists and turns of the plot, where humor emerges at the same time a tragedy takes shape surrounding an enigma . . . A story about love and its imponderables. * Página 12 (Argentina) *Eminently readable ... Witty ... Mairal gives his character the gift of frankness, and in his uncomfortable admissions and meandering reflections, Lucas, too, comes to accept the limits of his agency and the ineluctable force of reality * Claie Messud, Harper's *I wasn’t able to put the book down. * María Dueñas *A perfect novel. * Edmundo Paz Soldan *A bittersweet meditation on love, desire and ageing ... A psychologically astute novella … Pitch-perfect * Guardian *Mairal shines a fresh light into the cave of being middle aged. Hidden inside a mountain of adult responsibilities, Mairal's narrator revolts in known ways, with infidelity and travel, and yet Mairel's acute insights and the lyrical precision of Jennifer Croft's translation, cast a new glow on the unexpected pleasures to be found in the middle of life. An absolute delight of a novel -- Idra Novey, author of Those Who KnewThe loss and recovery of desire, the ambition of everlasting adventures, the earthquake of becoming a father, the flight forward . . . all these things occur in a single day (. . .), interwoven in the brilliant prose of Pedro Mairal, one of the best Latin American writers of our time. * Leila Guerriero *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the life of Taylor Blake: complicated crushes, awkward encounters and hoping for a first kiss! A hilarious and heartfelt new teen series that fans of Geek Girl and Jacqueline Wilson will love.A fresh, touching story for girls, with a great message' - Jacqueline WilsonTaylor is determined to be in control of her own life story - and it's going to be a romance! So far her entire social life consists of her two best friends Star and Lucy, who are also a couple and always together, plus her sometimes embarrassing but always hilarious Grandma and Grandad. But Taylor writes for the school newspaper, she creates fan-fiction and she's even been asked to enter a competition by her English teacher surely she can script the perfect love story for herself? Her school is about to play host to some French exchange students. They'll be experts on this topic, Taylor reckons. After all, it must be called French kissing for a reason! The perfec

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Book SynopsisA stunning and spooky collection of ghost stories made in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces. Inspired by real stories from the centuries-old palaces, this book is perfect for fans of the supernatural, but also those who love their history with a touch of scare-factor

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Book SynopsisFollowing hard on the explosion of British punk, in 1979 Gang of Four produced post-punk’s smartest record, Entertainment! For the first time, a band wedded punk’s angry energy to funk’s propulsive beats—and used that music to put across lyrics that brought a heady mixture of Marxist theory and situationism to exposing the cultural politics of everyday life. But for an American college student from the suburbs—and, one expects, for many, many others, including British youth—Jon King’s and Andy Gill’s mumbled lyrics were often all but unintelligible. Political rock ‘n’ roll is always something of an oxymoron: rock audiences by and large don’t tune in to be lectured to. But what can it mean that a band that made pop songs as political theory actively resisted making that theory legible? Coming to terms with the impact of Entertainment! requires us to take the mondegreen—the misunderstood lyric—seriously. The old joke has it that the title of R.E.M.’s debut album should have been not Murmur, but Mumble: true, so far as it goes. But that’s the title, too, of rock ‘n’ roll’s Greatest Hits compilation—and that strategic inarticulateness itself, which creates such an important role for the listener, has an important politics.Trade ReviewKevin Dettmar, having been an American college student in the '70s, is-in an odd way-the ideal author to write the 33 1/3 series volume #91 about British post-punk band Gang of Four's album Entertainment! (1979). In addition to being well-versed to discuss the cultural and musical implications of such a band steeped in leftist and “Situationist” political theory, in the book's introduction, he also proclaims the band to be his “favorite of all time.” This is the kind of mixture of knowledge and fervor that has made the series a great addition to the literature about pop music. Dettmar tends to beat us over the head with the Marxism and Situationism in the British band's lyrics and approach, the way their lyrics make sharp social commentary in counterpoint to their equally jagged yet seductive dance rhythms. It's a bit of a stretch, the case he makes for each of the songs as a “think piece,” but it may help the casual listener to give the band another spin to listen for what is hidden subversively in their sound. * SLUG Magazine *There are not many great Marxist/feminist rock bands, but Gang of Four have a strong claim of being among them. Entertainment was their first album, released in 1979, is innovative both musically and with its lyrics; it was a time of many great albums … Kevin Dettmar aims to address the power of the Gang of Four in his short book on their album Entertainment … The text refers to many different figures and ideas, including Emerson, Don Delillo, James Joyce and Engels. Mostly, his approach is plausible and clever, although he is occasionally eccentric … this book is worthwhile. -- Christian Perring, Dowling College, USA * Metapsychology Online Reviews 19:8 *Words are at the very heart of Kevin Dettmar’s affectionate retrospective of the Leeds quartet’s first and best-known album, 1979’s Entertainment! - not only because Dettmar is a professor of English but because Gang of Four’s debut is a veritable treasure trove of punning, word play and semantic dissonance. -- Houman Barekat * The Quietus *Table of ContentsIntroduction Keywords Ideology Nature Theory Alienation Consumer Sex Back to the Gutters

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Book SynopsisIn the first decade of the twenty-first century, Kanye West created the most compelling body of pop music by an American artist during the period. Having risen from obscurity as a precocious producer through the ranks of Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella records, by the time he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) in late 2010, West had evolved into a master collagist, an alchemist capable of transfiguring semi-obscure soul samples and indelible beats into a brash and vulnerable new art form. A look at the arc of his career, from the heady chipmunk soul exuberance of The College Dropout (2004) to the operatic narcissism of MBDTF, tells us about the march of pop music into the digital age and, by extension, the contradictions that define our cultural epoch. In a cloud-based and on-demand culture – a place of increasing virtualization, loneliness, and hyper-connectivity – West straddles this critical moment as what David Samuels of The Atlantic calls "the first true genius of the iPhone era, the Mozart of contemporary American music." In the land of taking a selfie, honing a personal brand, and publicly melting down online, Kanye West is the undisputed king. Swallowing the chaos wrought by his public persona and digesting it as a grandiose allegory of self-redemption, Kanye sublimates his narcissism to paint masterstroke after masterstroke on MBDTF, a 69-minute hymn to egotistical excess. Sampling and ventriloquizing the pop music past to tell the story of its future – very much a tale of our culture's wish for unfettered digital ubiquity – MBDTF is the album of its era, an aesthetic self-acquittal and spiritual autobiography of our era’s most dynamic artist.Trade ReviewIn Graves' book, he not only breaks down each track on the record, but he also effectively lays out the context of the album's release, explaining why Kanye is deserving of an investigative book like this one (and hopefully soon, others), and what about Mr. West makes him the biggest and most off-putting rock star on the planet. -- Dan Buyanovsky * Revolt TV *Kanye West is the millennial generation incarnate, or at least that's what Kirk Walker Graves would have us all think. Throughout the 150 or so pages of this book, Graves unpacks the enigma that is Kanye West's personality and art. This book isn't so much about the musical qualities of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as it is about how Kanye's ego and public persona can be used to explain modern 20-somethings. Graves finds meaning in West's music that I never would have picked out on my own. His fandom is clear, but he never steps into hyperbole in his praise of the music. Though, at times, it feels like his discussion of this album can get a bit too academic, I appreciate the thought that he has put into his analysis of Kanye's work. This book is some serious next-level music criticism-I never realized how much Kanye's Gucci line meant to my life before this guy told me about it. -- Alex Gilvarry * SLUG Magazine *West may be divisive enough to not win over his detractors, but Graves’ mix of fanboy marvel and critical detachment is persuasive enough to convince even detractors to give My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a close listen. At the end of its 132 pages, Graves makes a convincing argument that this four-year-old deserves a spot in the 33 1/3 series. But perhaps more important, he does something that great criticism should do: he makes you want to listen to the album. -- Sean McCarthy * PopMatters *Kanye West’s fifth album is only a few years old, but that didn’t stop Kirk Walker Graves from writing a book proclaiming it an instant classic that perfectly captures the spirit of its era. Graves unpacks the cultural meaning and significance of West’s famous ego and chaotic public persona, and examines the music both in the context of the rapper’s brilliant body of work, and how it fits into the social media era. * Buzzfeed *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Seven Virtues of Yeezus, Pop Christ Portrait of the Monster as a Young Masterpiece The Narcissistic Personality of Our Time Five Uneasy Pieces Art as Atonement University as Universe: The College Dropout A (Very) Brief Aside Re: 808s & Heartbreaks MBDTF Dark Fantasy Gorgeous POWER (sic transit gloria Kanye) All of the Lights Monster So Appalled Devil in a New Dress Runaway Hell of a Life Blame Game Lost in the World The Yeezus Singularity: A Religion of the Self

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Book SynopsisObject Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Tree explores the forms, uses, and alliances of this living object's entanglement with humanity, from antiquity to the present. Trees tower over us and yet fade into background. Their lifespan outstrips ours, and yet their wisdom remains inscrutable, treasured up in the heartwood. They serve us in many ways—as keel, lodgepole, and execution site—and yet to become human, we had to come down from their limbs. In this book Matthew Battles follows the tree's branches across art, poetry, and landscape, marking the edges of imagination with wildness and shadow. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.Trade ReviewWhat astonishingly good writing! What a joy of a book. What a mind, this Matthew Battles. As he writes about trees, Battles could as well be describing his own wild mind: 'uncanny, possessed of depths and mystery, and feral in ways beyond my ken, . . . overspilling with dark abundance, . . . richly disruptive to one’s daily commute.' * Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Great Tide Rising: Toward Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change (2016) and Piano Tide: A Novel (2016) *Battles … shows how trees--and perhaps more importantly our relationships with trees--are incredibly complicated. Even dappling--that wonderful light that comes through a tree’s leaves--is not as simple as it seems … He makes clear that trees and their data have important stories to tell. That is if we let them. * PopMatters *Table of ContentsPart One: Feral Trees The Tree of Heaven In a Dappled World A branching Heuristic Part Two: Garden and Forest In the Tree Museum From Ailanthus to Apple The Charter of the Forests Part Three: A Dark Abundance The Tree and/in History With and Without Us Notes Index

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Book SynopsisNational Book Critics Circle Award WinnerNational BestsellerLambda Literary Award FinalistNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME * NPR * The Washington Post * Kirkus Reviews * Washington Independent Review of Books * The Millions * Electric Literature * Ms Magazine * Entropy Magazine * Largehearted Boy * PasserbuysIrreverent and original. New York TimesMagisterial. The New YorkerAn intoxicating writer. The AtlanticA classic! Mary KarrA true light in the dark. Stephanie DanlerAn essential, heartbreaking project. Carmen Maria MachadoA gripping set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become. A wise and brilliant guide to transforming the self and our society. In her powerful new book, critically acclaimed author Melissa Febos examines the narratives women are told about what it means to be female and what it takes to free oneself from them.When her body began to change at eleven years old, Febos understood immediately that her meaning to other people had changed with it. By her teens, she defined herself based on these perceptions and by the romantic relationships she threw herself into headlong. Over time, Febos increasingly questioned the stories she'd been told about herself and the habits and defenses she'd developed over years of trying to meet others' expectations. The values she and so many other women had learned in girlhood did not prioritize their personal safety, happiness, or freedom, and she set out to reframe those values and beliefs.Blending investigative reporting, memoir, and scholarship, Febos charts how she and others like her have reimagined relationships and made room for the anger, grief, power, and pleasure women have long been taught to deny.Written with Febos' characteristic precision, lyricism, and insight, Girlhood is a philosophical treatise, an anthem for women, and a searing study of the transitions into and away from girlhood, toward a chosen self.

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Book SynopsisBook Band: Dark Red (Ideal for ages 10+) A magical adventure story about moving to a new home and finding your inner strength by Kereen Getten, author of The Lighthouse Intruder (which was selected as Waterstones Children's Book of the Month). Ada and her parents have moved from the city to a small town for her mum’s new job. But when they arrive, it’s obvious to Ada that something is not quite right. On her newspaper round, she discovers the Banished, magical people who have been exiled from the town by the sinister mayor. The Banished are trapped behind an invisible shield which means they can’t enter the town or see their loved ones. But somehow, Ada can see the shield as a wall of fog and, not only that, she can enter the world of the Banished…This page-turning story is accompanied by black-and-white illustrations by Simone Douglas. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed … Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.' Books for KeepsTrade ReviewAny list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed … Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding. -- Andrea Reece * Books for Keeps *An inspirational story which encourages resilience and shows that putting yourself outside of your comfort zone can really save the day! * The School Librarian *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ALLIGATOR''S MOUTH AWARD 2024An enchanting collection of seven original fairy tales to bewitch and enthral by master storyteller, Vivian French, complemented by gorgeous, full-colour, contemporary artwork by debut children''s illustrator, Amy Grimes.Bibi doesn''t believe in fairies. But when she meets her fairy godmother, the tiniest of hopes flickers in her mind. Seven quests to seven lands that will open a magic box and grant her a wish.... could it, just possibly, be true?Whisked away with her trusty companion, Sylvestro the cat, Bibi quests with giants, dragons, princes and princesses, wizards, witches, water sprites and sea elves, unicorns, trolls and gnomes...Can Bibi earn the keys to open the box.... and unlock her belief in fairy magic?

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Book SynopsisTilly dreams of having a pony of her own. One that only she can ride to stardom. Will her wishes come true when she joins Silver Shoe Farm Stables?Oh Buttons, what a naughty pony! He's disobedient for everyone at Silver Shoe Farm, until he meets Tilly. She has some clever ideas for turning this tricky pony into a happy pony.Collect all 18 titles in this series of irresistible, uplifting and heartwarming pony adventures. Printed in a dyslexia friendly font and packed with up to date tips from three times Olympic Medallist, Pippa Funnell, as well as a helpful glossary and black and white illustrations on every spread.

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Book SynopsisThe German destroyer fleet of World War II consisted of nine classes: the Diether Von Roeder Class, the Leberecht Maas Class and the wartime classes Z23, Z35, Z37, Z40, Z43, Z46 and Z52. These vessels, though fewer in number than the British destroyer fleet, tended to be much bigger and more powerful than their allied counterparts. They served their country well in operations in the Channel, North Sea, the Far North and in the rescue of civilians from East Prussia during the final days of the war. This title describes their design, development and operational use from the fjords of Narvik to the final days of the war.

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Book SynopsisWith the outbreak of World War II, Britain''s Royal Navy was at the forefront of her defence with her fleet of battleships as her main striking force. However, ten battleships of this fleet were already over 20 years old, venerable veterans of the first world conflict. As such, in the 1930s two new classes were commissioned - modern battleships which were designed to replace the ageing battle fleet although only one would see active service. Together with the older battleships, which were increasingly modified in the decade preceding the war and during the conflict itself, these vessels held their own against their German and Italian counterparts. This title offers a comprehensive review of the seven battleships of the Nelson and King George V classes from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service. Detailed descriptions of the main armament of each ship will offer further analysis of individual battleship''s effectiveness, discussing ho

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Book SynopsisOana Godeanu-Kenworthy is Associate Teaching Professor of American Studies in the Global and Intercultural Studies Department and Affiliate of the Havighurst Center for Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University, Ohio, USA.

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Book SynopsisGiovanni Aloi is an author, educator, and curator specializing in the representation of nature and the environment in art. He currently teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is the Editor in Chief of Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture (www.antennae.org.uk). Aloi is the author of Art & Animals (2011), Speculative Taxidermy: Natural History, Animal Surfaces, and Art in the Anthropocene (2018), Why Look at Plants? The Vegetal Emergence in Contemporary Art (2019), Lucian Freud Herbarium (2019), and Posthumanism in Art and Science (2020). He has contributed to BBC radio programs, worked at Whitechapel Art Gallery and Tate Galleries in London, and currently is USA correspondent for Esse Magazine. Aloi has curated exhibitions in the US and Europe and is co-editor of the University of Minnesota Press series Art after Nature.

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Book SynopsisHow to be an Outstanding Primary Teaching Assistant is packed full of advice, tips and strategies to help teaching assistants deliver outstanding support in the primary classroom.Written by an experienced teaching assistant, this book explores the diverse range of roles and responsibilities held by support staff in primary schools and provides guidance on how to tackle them successfully. It features tried-and-tested ideas that can be easily implemented and helps teaching assistants to build a toolbox of skills and strategies to support children throughout their school career, whatever their ability or need. This easy-to-use book includes creative advice on how best to assist the classroom teacher and the children they teach, including those with special educational needs, English as an additional language, or behavioural difficulties. It is an invaluable resource for newly qualified and more experienced teaching assistants.Trade ReviewThis is an incredibly useful guide for both new and more experienced teaching assistants. Emma's personal experience in the classroom shines through and the book highlights just how valuable an outstanding teaching assistant is to any school. * Jenna Lucas, Primary Teacher and English Specialist Leader of Education, @JennaLucas81 *This is a brilliant book and will not only support those embarking on a career as a teaching assistant but also those already in the profession. Written from a wealth of experience, it will enable effective partnerships between teacher and TA to be developed in order to have the greatest impact upon the children. * Rachel Orr, Education Consultant, Teacher and Tutor, @RachelOrr *An excellent book which covers all the basics TAs need, and which will give them a good grounding to start a successful career as a TA. * Parents in Touch *

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Book SynopsisOasis’s incendiary 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe managed to summarize almost the entire history of post-fifties guitar music from Chuck Berry to My Bloody Valentine in a way that seemed effortless. But this remarkable album was also a social document that came closer to narrating the collective hopes and dreams of a people than any other record of the last quarter century. In a Britain that had just undergone the most damaging period of social upheaval in a century under the Thatcher government, Noel Gallagher ventriloquized slogans of burning communitarian optimism through the mouth of his brother Liam and the playing of the other Oasis ‘everymen’: Paul McGuigan, Paul Arthurs and Tony McCarroll. On Definitely Maybe, Oasis communicated a timeworn message of idealism and hope against the odds, but one that had special resonance in a society where the widening gap between high and low demanded a newly superhuman kind of leaping. Alex Niven charts the astonishing rise of Oasis in the mid 1990s and celebrates the life-affirming, communal force of songs such as “Live Forever,” “Supersonic,” and “Cigarettes & Alcohol.” In doing so, he seeks to reposition Oasis in relation to their Britpop peers and explore one of the most controversial pop-cultural narratives of the last thirty years.Trade ReviewAs well as an accomplished assessment of an underrated album from an overrated band, the book is a salutary example of how to interpret politics through culture, and culture through politics. -- Rhian E Jones * Los Angeles Review of Books *It is a credible thesis, borne out by the history of the band and its music ... As Niven argues in his introduction, literature on Oasis has thus far tended to treat its subject either fawningly or dismissively, not critically. Niven’s book plugs that gap. -- Joseph Charlton * Times Literary Supplement *The 33 1/3 series is a unique opportunity for writers to take a single album, examine it in greater depth ... It’s set a very high standard which Niven more than meets here, offering a smorgasbord for thought for Oasis scholars and watchers. He leaves no song unturned, subjecting each to the sort of breakdown and appreciative analysis they've rarely enjoyed, his scrutiny yielding fresh insights .. I’d recommend this book to anyone but the person I’d recommend it to above all is Noel Gallagher. -- David Stubbs * Review31 *Niven is right to identify Oasis as the most culturally central, and in that sense the most important, voice of the period. -- Harry Stopes * The Oxonian Review *Niven does a remarkable job summing up what made Oasis so special in that moment — while also hinting at the demise that would follow. It’s a fantastic book, and if you care about Oasis, you should read it. * Stereogum *I still respect the amount of research beyond the band itself that had to go into writing this book. Knowing the climate in which Oasis was created is as necessary as the songs when one wants to talk about the importance of the band. On that, I am with [Niven] ... [This book] gave me a lot to think about, and the discussion and study of Oasis is one of my favorite subjects. -- Sara Habein * Perspehone Magazine *[Niven's] documenting an era that was considerably well-documented — this was the last great gasp of the music newsweeklies, after all — but he’s uncovering necessary truths that were hidden in plain sight and need to be remembered. Reading this 33 1/3, all the nostalgia surrounding the 20th anniversary of Britpop fades and all the exciting turmoil of that fleeting time comes into sharp relief. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine * Stephen Thomas Erlewine's blog *I’ve often said that the goal of a 33-1/3 book is to get the reader to enjoy and appreciate the album more after reading the book. Niven agrees, as from the first paragraph he makes clear that this is what he set out to do. By this measure, Oasis’ Definitely Maybe (the book) is a wild success ... [It] is a great addition to the 33-1/3 canon. * 2bit Monkey blog *Sometimes it can be invigorating and even instructive to disagree with an author. Reading Alex Niven's spirited defense of Oasis' 1994 debut, Definitely Maybe, there were moments when I shook my head and devised mental rebuttals against, for instance, his comparison of the band's pop-history scavenging with hip-hop sampling. And yet, he makes his arguments with such insight that for a while I did come to think of Oasis as a bunch of leftist revolutionaries reconceiving pop music as a vehicle for working-class liberation. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of ContentsForeword Intro: A speck of dust in a football stadium 1. Earth 2. Water 3. Fire 4. Air Postscript: Quintessence Reading and Watching Notes

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Book Synopsis**A Sunday Times Paperback of the Year** **A Granta Best of Young British Novelist** **Winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2022** **Winner of the BBC National Short Story Award 2022** **Shortlisted for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2023** SELECTED FOR STYLIST'S BOOKS YOU CAN'T MISS IN 2022 - 'A MUST READ' 'An exhilarating debut' GUARDIAN 'A fresh new voice in fiction, wry and sharp and raw' EMMA CLINE 'I still remember where I was when I first encountered a Saba Sams story' NICOLE FLATTERY 'I fell for this stunning collection with a rare, consuming passion' MEGAN NOLAN ____________________________________________________________ In ten dazzling stories, Saba Sams dives into the world of girlhood and immerses us in its contradictions and complexities: growing up too quickly, yet not quickly enough; taking possession of what one can, while being taken possession of; succumbing to societal pressure but also orchestrating that pressure. These young women are feral yet attentive, fierce yet vulnerable, exploited yet exploitative. Threading between clubs at closing time, pub toilets, drenched music festivals and beach holidays, these unforgettable short stories deftly chart the treacherous terrain of growing up – of intense friendships, of ambivalent mothers, of uneasily blended families, and of learning to truly live in your own body. With striking wit, originality and tenderness, Send Nudes celebrates the small victories in a world that tries to claim each young woman as its own. _____________________________________________________________________ 'A roiling, raw, gut-punch of a debut collection, best read in one sitting ... I sat motionless for about half an hour after reading them; I can't wait to see what she writes next' PANDORA SYKES 'A seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit' CHRIS POWER CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE 2022 BY THE GUARDIAN, STYLIST, VOGUE, GLAMOUR, COSMOPOLITAN, EVENING STANDARD, IRISH INDEPENDENT, AnOTHER, FOYLES, BOOKSHOP.ORG Trade ReviewSaba Sams is a fresh new voice in fiction, wry and sharp and raw -- EMMA CLINESaba Sams is adept at wrongfooting our assumptions, creating a set of unique, multi-dimensional characters with rich internal lives -- ELIZABETH DAYSaba Sams’s unsettling, full-throated Send Nudes captures girls and young women on the brink of change * GUARDIAN, Best Fiction of 2022 *Ten startlingly original stories that … seem to come out of nowhere and clamp their jaws shut around you. Exploring the uneven, hazardous terrain between girlhood and womanhood, Sams expertly reveals its inherent contradictions – the rawness and intense vulnerability of teetering on the edge of something new coupled with the power and euphoria that come with self-discovery … Sams’ unflinching observation yet tender empathy for each of her characters sets her apart as a bold new talent * STYLIST, BOOK OF THE WEEK *The earthy resilience and joie de vivre of these stories make for an exhilarating debut ... Sams joins the ranks of writers such as Megan Nolan and Frances Leviston with these acute portraits of the fragile intimacies and euphoric moments snatched by a generation of women coming of age into a precarious future ... In spare, rhythmic sentences, this exhilarating collection captures the light and dark of negotiating relationships, solitude, sexuality and loss * GUARDIAN *An ode to the women you drunkenly befriend in club toilets, Send Nudes is an astonishing selection of short stories charting the ebb and flow of girlhood. Saba Sams' authoritative yet witty tone of voice shines through, rendering this one of the most exciting books to come out of 2022 * GLAMOUR, THE BEST BOOKS COMING OUT IN 2022 *Girlhood, womanhood and everything in between. Ten glorious stories – set in clubs at closing time, pub toilets, sweaty music festivals and hazy beach holidays – of young, feral women who are navigating the complexities of growing up, friendships and truly living in their own bodies * REFINERY29, The Ultimate Gen Z Book Guide For Surviving 2022 *A collection of short stories that speak to the female experiencer * COSMOPOLITAN, BEST BOOKS OF 2022 *In ten quickfire stories, Brighton-born Saba Sams conjures up the spaces between lovers, the visceral attraction and the damning rejection. Read in one sitting and you’ll be transported to moments in your past, to scenes you instantly recognise but may have deliberately forgotten; a must-read for 2022 * STYLIST, The fiction books you can’t miss in 2022 *A visceral and compulsive writer, Saba Sams’ ten short stories slalom through the pulsing veins of romance, rejection, and resistance to a world that attempts to box in every young woman. Painfully familiar feelings are dredged up, but it’s so utterly compelling it can be consumed in one sitting. I have fallen in love with Sams’ feral women, found in club toilets, on beach towels, in ferocious friendships, navigating tense family dynamics and body politics * AnOTHER, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022 *A razor-sharp debut * VOGUE, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022 *I still remember where I was when I first encountered a Saba Sams story. She is an instinctive storyteller attuned to the ordinary details that make up a life. A highly perceptive and intelligent writer -- NICOLE FLATTERYAcclaimed by Emma Cline, Nicole Flattery and Megan Nolan, this debut short story collection from 25-year-old British author Saba Sams announces the arrival of a striking new talent … Wry, visceral, astute, they capture the intensity of adolescent self-consciousness and fledgling experience * CULTURE WHISPER *If you’ve made it your 2022 mission to cut down on screen time, there’s no shortage of brilliant new fiction to scratch the escapist itch that social media has left. Send Nudes by Saba Sams is a collection of short stories perfect for those who are pressed for time (and attention span), all focused on the world of girlhood and growing up as a woman (fans include Emma Cline and Megan Nolan) * EVENING STANDARD, CLASS OF 2022 *Beautiful, compressed, fleeting -- SALLY ROONEY on 'Overnight'A roiling, raw, gut-punch of a debut collection, best read in one sitting. Sams conveys the suffocation of being and the longing to break free - from parents, partners, children, convention, your own self - in tender, spare prose. I sat motionless for about half an hour after reading them; I can't wait to see what she writes next. -- PANDORA SYKESSend Nudes is a seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit. The balance her prose strikes between observation and empathy is remarkable, and its rhythms irresistible -- CHRIS POWERSaba Sams’ writing is dark and glittering. Her collection twists the world on its axis and filters it through an unsettling light. Her precise, wry sentences and sticky, uncompromising characters got beneath my skin -- JESSICA ANDREWSI really liked Saba Sams' spare, blunt style and her quirky take on adolescence and young womanhood. The stories covered such a wide range of moods and experiences and the various humiliations and disappointments were treated with a wonderfully clear and unsentimental eye ... I hope this collection brings her lots of new readers -- CLARE CHAMBERSUnfalteringly different, ensnaring, often frightening stories about characters caught between childhood and adulthood, who are feeling out their boundaries, desires and limits for the first time. Sams’ writing is intoxicating -- CLAIRE KOHDAIn Send Nudes Saba Sams provides an alluring glimpse into contemporary life by presenting familiar experiences in entirely new and electrifying prose -- ZEBA TALKHANITen short stories about the treacherous terrain of growing up, learning to live in your body, friendships, mothers and blended families introduce a promising debut author, whose work has appeared in The Stinging Fly * IRISH INDEPENDENT, HOTTEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE GOLDEN MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018 ‘Magnificent' Sunday Times 'The best piece of fiction I've read in years' Independent on Sunday The final curtain is closing on the Second World War and in an abandoned Italian village. Hana, a nurse, tends to her sole remaining patient. Rescued from a burning plane, the anonymous Englishman is damaged beyond recognition and haunted by painful memories. The only clue Hana has to unlocking his past is the one thing he clung on to through the fire – a copy of The Histories by Herodotus, covered with hand-written notes detailing a tragic love affair.Trade ReviewA masterpiece * Financial Times *Magnificent * Sunday Times *Extraordinary * Daily Telegraph *The English Patient wears the triple crown: it is profound, beautiful and heart-quickening -- Toni MorrisonLanguage of such riveting beauty that one is made to stop and stare * Observer *One of the most innovative and liberating writers of our time * Guardian *The best piece of fiction in English I’ve read in years * Independent on Sunday *An exotic, consuming and richly inspired novel of passion. In its elegance and its satisfactions it resembles no book I know -- Richard FordFeats of daring espionage, aeroplanes mysteriously buried beneath desert sand, archaeological exploration in the Sahara and nail-biting accounts of bomb-disposal against a nervous clock … this is the real thing: muscular, resonant, alive * Spectator *In descriptive prose of spectacular beauty, he invents a desert world which is both physical and imaginative. This is one of the few truly great post-war novels * Irish Times *A magic carpet of a novel that soars across worlds and times … As rare and spellbinding net of dreams as any that has emerged in recent years * Time *In this masterful novel Ondaatje weaves a beautiful and light-handed prose through the histories of people caught up in love and war. A rich and compelling work of fiction -- Don DeLilloOndaatje is one of North America’s finest novelists … the spell of his haunted villa remains with us, inviting us to reread passages for the pure pleasures of being there * Wall Street Journal *A tale of many pleasures--an intensely theatrical tour de force but grounded in Michael Ondaatje's strong feeling for distant times and places * New York Times Book Review *It is an adventure, mystery, romance, and philosophical novel in one ... Michael Ondaatje is a novelist with the heart of a poet * Chicago Tribune *Sensuous, mysterious, rhapsodic, it transports the reader to another world … Ondaatje’s most probing examination yet of the nature of identity * San Francisco Chronicle *A novel so compelling that you will likely read it as I did, in a single sitting. But it’s also one of those rare novels with so much poetry and lucidity that you will find yourself reading it a second and third time, savouring it beauty and intelligence for weeks … The English Patient is simply one of the best novels I have read in years -- Russell Banks

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the blockbuster Horrible Histories series, now a TV show and movie, who has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. ''Deary''s storytelling is simple, historically accurate and compelling.'' The i newspaper on The Silver HandHorrible Histories author Terry Deary presents a hilarious collection of Roman tales based on thrilling true stories four books in one! Perfect for history fans (and those who don''t know they''re history fans yet) aged 7+.The Fatal Fire Mary is terrified to accompany her master into the big, scary city of Rome. Then she finds herself the only witness to a terrible crime, and suddenly there's danger at every turnThe Captive Celt Rome is thrilled by the news that the infamous British chief Caratacus has been captured. Little does Bran, a feisty young Celtic slave, realise that this event is going to change his lif

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Book SynopsisWouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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Book SynopsisThe innovative, dramatic graphic novel based on the life of the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell.

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Book SynopsisAn inspirational and informative illustrated guide to help you embrace each season and find peace, mindfulness and joy throughout the year.Illustrated throughout with newly commissioned sketches, prints and paintings by the author, Ebb and Flow introduces seasonal living and explains why it is increasingly vital for us to reconnect with the seasons. Tiffany Francis-Baker offers practical, science-backed advice demonstrating the mental and physical health benefits of practising mindful, seasonal living.Following the Pagan Wheel of the Year' through a nature-led calendar, Francis-Baker explains the origins of seasonal Pagan and Celtic names, traditions and events. She outlines the short- and long-term benefits of leading slower lives and encourages us to enjoy closer connections with nature and healthier relationships with our own well-being. Each section begins with an introduction to the season, then details what you can grow and forage, the wi

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Book SynopsisThis brand new board book edition of a favourite sing-along picture book is bursting with cars, buses, planes, trains, trucks, diggers and many more things that go. Add to that a musical accompaniment to the tune of ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’ and … what a combination! Follow the web link on the back of the book and get ready to sing along. Car, car, truck, jeep, have you any fuel? Yes, sir, yes, sir, three tanks full. One for the red bus, one for the train, and one for the pilot in her jumbo jet plane. With bold, colourful illustrations by the instantly recognisable Nick Sharratt and text by talented newcomer Katrina Charman, vehicle-obsessed little ones will never want to put this gloriously fun, musical book down.Trade ReviewIt's silly, bright and catchy. Very young readers will adore it * Independent *A fantastic explosion of colour and rhyme … with a plethora of vehicle books on the market, this one stands out as the brightest and best * The School Librarian *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The story of a mother's quest to find her children against all odds, set against the epic backdrop of the sinking of the legendary Titanic. ‘Smashing . . . I was hooked on page one and literally could not put it down. I loved all that she wrote about the true story behind this thrilling tale’ JOANNA LUMLEY Nice, France, 1911: After three years of marriage, young seamstress Marcela Caretto has finally had enough. Her husband, Michael, an ambitious tailor, has become cruel and controlling and she determines to get a divorce. But while awaiting the judges’ decision on the custody of their two small boys, Michael receives news that changes everything. Meanwhile fun-loving New York socialite Margaret Hays is touring Europe with some friends. Restless, she resolves to head home aboard the most celebrated steamer in the world – RMS Titanic. As the ship sets sail for America, carrying two infants bearing false names, the paths of Marcela, Michael and Margaret cross - and nothing will ever be the same again. From the Sunday Times-bestselling author, Celia Imrie, Orphans of the Storm dives into the waters of the past to unearth a sweeping, epic tale of the sinking of the Titanic that radiates with humanity and hums with life. _____________________ 'Gripping . . . An epic adventure' ROSIE GOODWIN 'A gripping read' DAILY MIRROR, Summer readsTrade ReviewGripping ... An epic adventure -- ROSIE GOODWINSmashing ... It would be fair to say that I was hooked on page one and literally could not put it down. I loved all that she wrote about the true story behind this thrilling tale -- JOANNA LUMLEYGripping … A moving tale of courage, survival and maternal love * Sunday Express *A heart-wrenching journey that breathes new life and humanity into the tragic sinking of the Titanic * Woman's Own *Atmospheric and utterly addictive * My Weekly *Praise for Celia Imrie: Utterly delicious in every way -- Joanna LumleyA very witty novel by a very witty woman. Hugely entertaining -- Julian FellowesA keenly observed, rollicking tale * Mail on Sunday *Wonderful and very amusing -- Helen LedererA hugely enjoyable romp of a novel with eccentric characters, a delightful background and a savoury tang of crime -- Katie FfordeAnything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on our faces * Good Housekeeping *Forget the cruise. Grab Imrie's novel and have twice as much fun -- Hilary BoydCelia Imrie reveals a whole new talent in this irresistible murder mystery caper, packed with wonderful characters that will grip you to the last glorious page -- Maeve Haran

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Book SynopsisThe end is nigh.It has been nearly two hundred years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men.Now, a messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon, and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor's secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin.Called out of retirement and exile, the old heroaccompanied by his daughter, Cassandramust race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible task:To kill a god.

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Book SynopsisWritten by a diverse range of expert contributors, unified by a relational, ethics-based reading of person-centred theory and practice, this seminal text is the most in-depth and comprehensive guide to person-centred therapy.Divided into four parts, it examines the theoretical, philosophical and historical foundations of the person-centred approach; the fundamental principles of person-centred practice (as well as new developments in, and applications of, person-centred clinical work), explorations of how person-centred conceptualisations and practices can be applied to groups of clients who bring particular issues to therapy, such as bereavement or trauma, and professional issues for person-centred therapists such as ethics, supervision, and training.10 years after it was last published, this third edition includes new content on the climate crisis, intersectionality and working with racism and anti-racism. It includes new dedicated chapters on the Non-directive Att

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Book SynopsisBook Band: Brown, ideal for ages 7+A hilarious tale based on Irish mythology and the Giant''s Causeway from award-winning author Sally Prue. If you go to Ireland and catch the bus to Ballycastle, there by the sea you''ll find the Giant''s Causeway. This is the story of how the causeway was made and it all starts with Finn McCool, the biggest giant in Ireland, who sets out to find an even bigger giant across the sea in Scotland. But Finn doesn''t always have the best ideas and it''s up to his wife Oona to come to the rescue when the Scottish giant follows Finn back home...This funny retelling of an Irish myth from award-winning author Sally Prue has whimsical black-and-white illustrations by Brendan Kearney and is perfect for children who are developing as readers.The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean andTrade ReviewAny list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed … Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding. -- Andrea Reece * Books for Keeps *

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Book SynopsisDivine. Such good writing, and such delicious recipes but also so genuinely useful. This book is the dream' India KnightThe Christmas Companion is your indispensable guide to a cosy, relaxed and memorable Christmas. Whether it's just you, a few nearest and dearest, or the whole extended friends and family, you'll find countless recipes, crafts, tips and tricks to see you through the festive season.From holiday parties, to bake sales, to Christmas lunch, fabulous recipes include: Cocktails and nibbles including Chestnut Martinis and Pistachio & Parmesan Cantucci Centrepiece mains like Pomegranate Glazed Turkey and Ginger & Apricot Ham Vegetarian showstoppers such as Beetroot & Horseradish Galette, Camembert & Cranberry Pithivier and an array of seasonal salads and sides Indulgent treats and puddings including Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake, Salted Caramel Pecan Pie, Gingery Christmas Cake and Candy Cane HeartsWith pages of inspiration for decorating your home, recipes for edible gifts, menu ideas, effortless hosting tips, and instructions on everything from making an advent calendar to crafting your own crackers, this will be your trusted companion for bringing the magic, warmth and sparkle of Christmas for years to come.Skye is a maker of magic in the kitchen, and every glorious photograph inside makes me want to don my apron and press play on the carols' Luke Edward Hall

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Book Synopsis_______________ SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION _______________ 'Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years' - Elizabeth Day, Observer 'Charming ... extensively researched, compellingly readable' - Jane Shilling, Daily Telegraph 'Sumptuous ... Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent' - New Yorker _______________ A captivating story of botany, exploration and desire, by the multimillion copy bestselling author of Eat Pray Love Everything about life intrigues Alma Whittaker. Her passion for botany leads her far from home, from London to Peru to Tahiti, in pursuit of that rare specimen: knowledge. But as her careful studies draw her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she meets the man who she will come to love – whose perspective, radically different from her own, will transform the way she understands the world. Radiating with all the heart, soul and earthiness as its unforgettable heroine, The Signature of All Things is a captivating celebration of the workings of this world, and the mechanisms behind all life. _______________ 'My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things ... just read it ... Hugely enjoyable' - Viv Groskop, Observer Books of the Year 'The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum' - Helen Dunmore, The Times 'Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime' - O, The Oprah Magazine 'Filled with dazzling storytelling' - Susie Boyt, Financial Times _______________Trade ReviewUnlike anything else she has ever written ... Its prose has the elegant sheen of a 19th-century epic, but its concerns – the intersection of science and faith, the feminine struggle for fulfilment – are especially modern -- Steve Almond * International Herald Tribune *The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Ms Gilbert has established herself as a straight-up storyteller who dares us into adventures of worldly discovery, and this novel stands as a winning next act ... A bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to the uncommonly patient minds -- Barbara Kingsolver * International Herald Tribune *Charming and compelling ... A big novel in all senses – extensively researched, compellingly readable and with a powerful charm that will surely propel it towards the bestseller lists -- Jane Shilling * Daily Telegraph *Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime * O, The Oprah Magazine *Sumptuous ... Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent * New Yorker *Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years ... a bejewelled, dazzling novel -- Elizabeth Day * Observer *Readers prepared to enter Gilbert Time will be rewarded: she is an unflaggingly curious writer, prone to delightful touches ... Gilbert's period interests seem boundless - she explores everything from self-sacrifice, to homosexuality, Darwinism and Victorian pornography ... This is a novel to be chewed over, slowly -- Lucy Atkins * Sunday Times *A botanical odyssey through the nineteenth century, global in ambition, revelling in the period's insatiable curiosity about the world ... a tall tale, told with verve and wit * Guardian *Filled with dazzling storytelling -- Susie Boyt * Financial Times *Gilbert writes superbly well -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *An intricate, beautifully written historical novel ... A passionate paean to the 19th-century women of science who strove for achievement against the odds -- Anita Sethi * Metro *Gilbert’s observations, of both characters and locations, make this an unexpected joy and in Alma she has created a truly unforgettable heroine -- Anita Chaudhuri * Irish Examiner *Astute and funny ... comes with generous helpings of optimism and romance. Cynics need not apply * Irish Sunday Mirror *Ambitious, boldly imagined and packed with authenticating detail, it engages very boldly with the interaction of art and science * Andrew Motion, Guardian *Gilbert reminds readers she can do, and undo, narratives through impeccably observed and original stories * Independent *Gilbert shows herself to be a writer at the height of her powers * O Magazine *Magnificent ... I was just a few pages into the book when I felt myself relax, aware that I was in the safe hands of a master story-teller -- Anna Carey * The Irish Times *My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things ... just read it ... Hugely enjoyable -- Viv Groskop * Observer Books of the Year *

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Book Synopsis*WINNER* - FORTNUM & MASON DEBUT FOOD BOOK AWARD 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANDRÉ SIMON BEST COOKBOOK AWARD 2023 _______________ THE TIMES - BEST FOOD BOOKS of 2022 THE WEEK – BEST FOOD BOOKS OF 2022 DELICIOUS MAGAZINE – BEST COOK BOOKS OF 2022 'If you had told me at 14 when I couldn't even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is - the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. You reading it means everything to me' Kitty Tait Breadsong tells the story of Kitty Tait who was a chatty, bouncy and full-of-life 14 year old until she was overwhelmed by an ever-thickening cloud of depression and anxiety and she withdrew from the world. Her desperate family tried everything to help her but she slipped further away from them. One day her dad Alex, a teacher, baked a loaf of bread with her and that small moment changed everything. One loaf quickly escalated into an obsession and Kitty started to find her way out of the terrible place she was in. Baking bread was the one thing that made any sense to her and before long she was making loaves for half her village. After a few whirlwind months, she and her dad opened the Orange Bakery, where queues now regularly snake down the street. Breadsong is also a cookbook full of Kitty's favourite recipes, including: - the Comfort loaf made with Marmite, and with a crust that tastes like Twiglets - bitesize queue nibbles, doughnuts with an ever-changing filling to keep the bakery queue happy - sticky fika buns with mix-and-match fillings such as cardamom and orange - Happy Bread covered with salted caramel - cheese straws made with easy homemade ruff puff pastry - the ultimate brown butter and choc chip cookies with the perfect combination of gooey centre and crispy edges.Trade ReviewJust when I thought I didn’t have anything left to learn about bread, Kitty teaches me otherwise. Accessible, engaging and wonderfully wide ranging -- Felicity CloakeNot only is Breadsong a brilliant book about the bliss of baking, Kitty Tait tells a brave and beautiful story of what it is to be human. Rise up like your dough, Kitty! You are Britain’s next Star Baker! -- Mel GiedroycBreadsong is everything I could ever wish for from a book. Kitty is a true inspiration. I see her passion, her writing and her baking and I can’t help but be filled with joy. I can’t wait to see what she does next -- James MortonBreadsong is exactly the kind of cookbook I love to curl up with - uplifting, inspiring, heartfelt and with wonderful recipes to boot. The best recipes are filled with heart and this book is just that -- Georgina HaydenWe have been following Kitty and Al's journey with wonder and amazement. It is proof, if one was needed, that a loaf of bread can have the power to heal, bring joy, bring together a family and a community and give life flavour and purpose. In this book they share with their stories and recipes, both are utterly delicious -- Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, Honey & CoBreadsong is an extraordinary father and daughter duet, a baking book that’s dazzling with easy ideas and strong techniques for exactly what you want to bake and eat right now -- Dan LepardBreadsong is a beautifully soul-stirring book about overcoming personal anxieties and depression through the nurturing joys of baking. I loved it from start to finish! -- Gurd LoyalKitty and her father plot the journey from rock bottom to redemption through dough. A hilarious catalogue of the pitfalls of setting up your own artisan bakery with an inspiring tale about learning to recognise what’s important – being brave enough to frame your life around it -- Xanthe ClayMore than a book about baking. Breadsong made me hungry (very!) but it also filled me with admiration for Al, Kitty, their family and their friends. Inspiring, honest, generous and optimistic -- Janet EllisA wonderful exploration around the seemingly (and often not so) simple process of making bread and how it can help to heal and restore. Breadsong is truly inspiring and will no doubt encourage everyone to bake, for both their mind and their mouth -- Flora SheddonThe Tait's vision of baking as a joyous, life-enhancing thing is infectious, and their Miracle Overnight White Loaf is proof that “making bread is magic”. * Bee Wilson, The Sunday Times *‘A book to warm heart and soul – and satisfy the stomach’ * Delicious Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times Bestseller and instant Sunday Times Bestseller The only official companion to the Harry Potter stories – the ultimate compendium of wizarding lists, charts, maps and all things magical! Whisk yourself away to Harry Potter’s wizarding world with this Whiz-bang of an illustrated companion, suitable for readers of all ages. Discover magical places, study wandlore, encounter fantastic beasts and find out about the witches and wizards who lived. From the Sorting Hat to spell-casting, it’s all packed inside! This dazzling gift book brings together beloved characters, unforgettable moments and iconic locations from the seven Harry Potter novels. It’s the ultimate magical miscellany, filled with facts and fun about the wizarding world, beautifully catalogued and brilliantly explored. Joyfully illustrated throughout in full colour by seven stunning artists and tingling with things to spot on every page, this is the ideal introduction to the Harry Potter stories for new readers and the perfect book for families to share. The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac also features an astonishing level of detail that is sure to surprise and fascinate lifelong fans. From incredible cross-sections to magical maps and ingenious lists, lose yourself exploring Hogwarts and beyond … Wherever you are in your Harry Potter journey, the Wizarding Almanac is for you. Although the pages feature characters, objects and plot points from throughout the series, including He Who Must Not Be Named, the information has been carefully crafted to not spoil your reading experience of the stories. If you are an advanced reader, story secrets are hidden on every page – how many can you find? #1 New York Times Bestseller (20th October) and instant Sunday Times Bestseller (w/e 14th October)

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Book SynopsisMICHAEL ALEXANDER is Emeritus Professor of English Literature, University of St Andrews, UK. He is a poet and translator and has international experience of teaching English literature, both medieval and modern.Trade ReviewPraise for the third edition: 'Michael Alexander is a writer of rare skill: he is learned, as befits a former professor of English literature, and yet he is able to write about reading in a way that is accessible and pleasurable but never lightweight. Above all, he is an astute guide through the classical landscape of English writing...' - Alexander Lucie-Smith, The Tablet 'A reliable and readable guide for all students of literature. The new final chapter manoeuvres its way skilfully through the treacherous waters of contemporary writing, retaining that distinctive individual voice which makes the whole book so worthwhile.' - David Newell, Glasgow University, UK 'Lucid, learned, judicious and informative.' - Stephen Arata, University of Virginia, USA 'An intelligent and comprehensive guide. Michael Alexander has certainly accomplished a mammoth task in providing a summary of a vast literary landscape in the new final chapter.' - Sara Thorne, author of Mastering Poetry 'Alexander's book is still by far the best of its kind available on the market. The new final chapter is clear and superbly written.' - Jorge Luis Bueno Alonso, University of Vigo, Spain 'An excellent reference book on the history of English literature from the earliest times to the present.' - Jeo-Yong Noh, Yeungnam University, Korea 'Hugely enjoyable and stimulating, not least in its nicely modulated value judgments!' - Till Kinzel, Technische Universitat Berlin, Germany Praise for previous editions: 'If I had my way, every student of English would be supplied with a copy of this book.' - Gary Day, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'A text that will and should endure for many generations...an indispensable guide for any Literature student who wishes to have a complete and logical understanding of the traditional canon.' - WordPlay, Council for College and University English 'An ideal starting point for any English student who is serious about the subject. It manages to provide a comprehensive overview of English literary history in an accessible, practical format. Moreover it is genuinely entertaining - Alexander's style is pithy, pungent and personal...The reader is constantly reminded that this is a history, not the history, of English literature, and the writer's own strong opinions encourage the reader to discover his or her own views and preferences...I strongly recommend it to all students of English literature, and to their teachers.' - Sarah Annes Brown, Anglia Ruskin University, UK 'To write a linear history of a great literature is a difficult task, verging on the impossible these days. Professor Alexander has brought off a remarkable feat. His history is comprehensive, clear, judicious and sometimes punchy. This is an account of English writing which can be of great use to the student, the fact-hound, the teacher or the general reader. Above all, it is a triumph of reason and judgement, never cranky, nor exclusive. I shall recommend it widely.' - Chris Wallace-Crabbe, University of Melbourne, Australia 'The book is a miracle of compression...To maintain the same qualities of wit, crispness and sharp but essentially generous judgement...in a book which is something very much more than a 'survey' of the whole field of English Literature is an extraordinary achievement.' - John Rathmell, Cambridge University, UK '...eminently fit to excite the critical consciousness of the student.' - Philip Smallwood, Essays in Criticism '...a fantastic mine of information in which writers are seen within their chronological and literary context. Although, inevitably, there is no room for detailed analysis within such a wide-ranging book, the content provides an effective starting point for readers whatever their literary intentions.' - Sara Thorne, author of Mastering Poetry 'A succinct, comprehensive and readable chronological account...[Alexander] threads the history and literature together with authority and occasional wit.' - Jim Sweetman, The Professional Journal of the National Association for the Teaching of English 'I got a clear sense of the methodological overview, sensitively presented. It seems to be a book that could be both read as a whole and used selectively ... it will be useful for foundation course students, undergraduates, both majoring in English and otherwise, and also to A-level students.' - Ian McMechan, Hampton School, Middlesex, UK 'The book is a fine achievement, and sixth-formers and undergraduates should be encouraged to have their own copies.' - Martin Dodsworth, English Association Newsletter 'For students of A-level English literature, a wide contextualising book of this kind is not just a good read: it is essential reading.' - Bernard O'Donoghue, The English Review 'I would go so far as to say that every literature student should buy this book.' - David McLaurin, The New TabletTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Timelines Acknowledgements Preface Preface to Second Edition Preface to Third Edition Abbreviations Introduction PART I: MEDIEVAL Old English Literature: to 1100 Middle English Literature 1066-1500 PART II: TUDOR AND STUART Tudor Literature: 1500-1603 Shakespeare and the Drama Stuart Literature: to 1700 PART III: AUGUSTAN AND ROMANTIC Augustan Literature: to 1790 The Romantics: 1790-1837 PART IV: VICTORIAN LITERATURE TO 1880 The Age and its Sages Poetry Fiction Late Victorian Literature: 1880-1900 PART V: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEYOND Ends and Beginnings: 1901-19 From Post-War to Post-War: 1920-55 New Beginnings: 1955-80 Contemporaries Further Reading Index.

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Book SynopsisMartin Davies is Professor Emeritus at the University of East Anglia, UK. He has extensive social science research experience, having held research posts in the Home Office, the National Health Service and the Universities of Manchester and East Anglia, where he supervised the research dissertations of more than 750 graduate and undergraduate students. Nathan Hughes is Director of Education and Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Social Work at the Institute of Applied Social Studies, University of Birmingham, UK.Trade Review"This book contains all the advice a student needs to design a hands-on methods project, to reflect on the process and to acquire transferable skills for the future." - Ann Taylor, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Newcastle NSW, Australia "This is an excellent guide for undergraduate students conducting research projects in the social sciences. It addresses many of the issues that students encounter and offers excellent practical advice. It is the best text on this topic I have seen." - Patrick White, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Leicester, UK "Clearly-written and well-organized, this book is an excellent, introductory text covering a broad scope of research methods for beginning students." - Gerardo Marti, L. Richardson King Associate Professor of Sociology, Davidson College, USA 'I became really engaged with this text from the offset. The authors' straightforward approach belies significant depth and sophistication which is clearly underpinned by their own expert advice... I would highly recommend it.' Trish Hafford-Letchfield, Reader in Social Work, Middlesex University, UKTable of ContentsPART 1 PLANNING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT 1. So you’re going to do a research project 2. Let’s make a start 3. Preparing for a successful research project 4. The principles of sampling 5. Carrying out your survey 6. Questionnaires 7. The art and science of survey interviewing 8. Analysing your survey data 9. Testing for statistical significance: into more complex territory 10. A quantitative researcher’s briefing sheet PART 3 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 11. Studying a small sample 12. Qualitative research interviewing 13. There is more to qualitative research than interviewing 14. Analysing qualitative data 15. A qualitative researcher’s briefing sheet PART 4 THE LAST LAP 16. Writing your report.

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Book SynopsisVivian Lowndes is Professor of Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK.David Marsh is Director of Research, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Australia.Gerry Stoker is Professor at the University of Southampton and Centenary Research Professor, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker PART I: THEORY AND APPROACHES 1. Behavouralism; David Sanders 2. Rational Choice; Andrew Hindmoor and Brad Taylor 3. Institutionalism; Vivien Lowndes 4. Constructivism and Interpretive Theory; Craig Parsons 5. Feminist and Gender Approaches; Meryl Kenny and Fiona Mackay 6. Marxism: A global perspective; Ray Kiely 7. Poststructuralism; Mark Wenman 8. Political Psychology; Frank Mols and Paul 't Hart 9. Normative Theory; Chris Armstrong PART II: METHODS AND RESEARCH DESIGN 10. Ontology and Epistemology in Political Science; David Marsh, Selen A. Ercan and Paul Furlong 11. Meta-Theoretical Issues in Political Analysis; David Marsh 12. Research Design; Dimiter Toshkov 13. Qualitative Methods; Ariadne Vromen 14. Quantitative Methods; Peter John 15. Comparative Methods; Matt Ryan 16. The Experimental Method: Prospects for field and laboratory studies; Helen Margetts and Gerry Stoker 17. Big Data: Methods for collection and analysis; Michael J. Jensen 18. The Relevance of Political Science; B. Guy Peters, Jon Pierre and Gerry Stoker.

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Book SynopsisThis hands-on guide to advanced critical analysis and argumentation will help readers to communicate in way that is orderly, rigorously supported, persuasive and clear. It demonstrates how criticality can be paired with creativity to produce an insightful and engaging piece of research, and explores how narrative styles and rhetorical devices can be used to boost the persuasiveness of an argument. Chapters blend theory with practice and contain a wealth of activities designed to help students put new skills into practice or revitalise those they already have. This is an essential resource for postgraduates and advanced undergraduates looking to hone their skills in critical analysis and communicate their ideas with precision and clarity.Table of ContentsCritical Thinking in Context Critical Reflection: Introducing the Domains of Critical Thought Critical Analysis of Texts: Is it Useful? What is its Value? Critical Analysis of Images: Interpreting Visual Rhetoric Creative Critical Thinking and Writing: Breaking Down Dichotomies The Critical Researcher Referencing and Writing: Negotiating the Literature and Entering the Conversation Persuasive Writing: Rhetorical Techniques Persuasive writing: Developing a Narrative Subjectivity, Playfulness, and Uncertainty in Academic Writing.

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Book SynopsisAround the globe, contemporary protest movements are contesting the oligarchic appropriation of natural resources, public services, and shared networks of knowledge and communication. These struggles raise the same fundamental demand and rest on the same irreducible principle: the common.In this exhaustive account, Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval show how the common has become the defining principle of alternative political movements in the 21st century. In societies deeply shaped by neoliberal rationality, the common is increasingly invoked as the operative concept of practical struggles creating new forms of democratic governance. In a feat of analytic clarity, Dardot and Laval dissect and synthesize a vast repository on the concept of the commons, from the fields of philosophy, political theory, economics, legal theory, history, theology, and sociology.Instead of conceptualizing the common as an essence of man or as inherent in nature, the thread developeTrade ReviewIf we accept the authors’ repeated contention that our present and future are profoundly bleak, we must equally recognize that a new way of engaging our present and future in common is required. This new way of engaging is precisely what Dardot and Laval offer under the name the common—the political principle that informs the collaborative, deliberative activity whereby new customs and institutions may be formed to transcend the social and political conditions threatening humanity and our world itself. * Confluence: The Journal of the AGLSP *The common has emerged as a key concept in 21st century struggles for justice. Dardot and Laval not only explain why, they also inspire us to build and strengthen commoning movements. An important intervention. -- Jodi Dean, Professor of Political Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA and author of 'The Communist Horizon'In the past few years, movements across the planet have fought bravely for the re-appropriation of plundered and privatized goods, while revitalizing the critique of property, understood as the legal form structuring our political economy and everyday life. Common is a sweeping, erudite and combative attempt to draw the theoretical balance-sheet of these movements and critiques, to anatomize their spontaneous philosophies, and to transform ‘common’ into a political principle for a new model of revolutionary politics that could break through the impasses of contemporary radical thought and practice. An indispensable contribution to one of the central debates of our time. -- Alberto Toscano, Co-director of Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK and author of 'Fanaticism'What do you do after you have written one of the most devastating criticisms of neoliberal reason? Dardot and Laval’s answer is to turn to the exact opposite to neoliberalism’s reduction of nature to private property and society to competition, to the common. The common is framed here not as something lost in precapitalist mists, or something that only appears sporadically in moments of revolt, but as that which must be instituted and created by practices. There are no shortages of criticisms of the existing order, but Common is the rare book that takes the next step, not just imagining a new world, but showing us the conditions for its creation. -- Jason Read, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Southern Maine, USA, author of 'The Politics of Transindividuality'After their massive tome on Karl Marx, Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval strike again, this time with an even more wide-ranging militant investigation into the common. Combining long-term legal and conceptual history with classical and present-day political theory, they invite us to leave behind the habitual focus on either the tragic story of the enclosure of the commons or the heroic example of the Paris Commune and instead argue for an all-encompassing understanding of the common as the pivotal ground for a future politics. This is a must-read for each and everyone interested in the shared practice of instituting new forms of life in common. -- Bruno Bosteels, author of 'The Actuality of Communism'This new and exciting translation of Dardot’s and Laval’s Common: On Revolution in the 21st Century is the best account of the communal idea available in contemporary theory and criticism. Philosophically rich and archeologically exhaustive, it stands as a founding text in the growing field of commons studies that will appeal to a wide variety of teachers, scholars, and activists who share a commitment to exploring a new reason of the common in everyday activities and practices. -- Davide Panagia, Professor of Political Science, University of California Los Angeles, USATable of ContentsIntroduction: The Common: A Political Principle Chapter 1: Archaeology of the Common PART 1: The Emergence of the Common Chapter 2: The Communist Burden; or Communism Against the Common Chapter 3: The Great Appropriation and the Return of the “Commons” Chapter 4: Critiquing the Political Economy of the Commons Chapter 5: Common, Rents, and Capital PART 2: Law and Institution of the Common Chapter 6: The Law of Property and the Unappropriable Chapter 7: Law of the Common and “Common Law” Chapter 8: The “Customary Law of Poverty” Chapter 9: The Workers’ Common: Between Custom and Institution Chapter 10: Instituent Praxis PART 3: Nine Political Propositions Postscript on the Revolution of the 21st Century Index

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Book SynopsisNow thoroughly revamped with a diverse selection of poetic voices from the last fifty years, this third edition of Rhian Williams's bestselling book, The Poetry Toolkit guides readers through key terms, genres and concepts that help them to develop a richer, more sophisticated approach to reading, thinking and writing about poetry. Combining an easy-to-use reference format with in-depth practice readings and further exercises, the book helps students master the study of poetry for themselves. As well as featuring more contemporary voices, the 3rd edition of The Poetry Toolkit includes an expanded practical section giving guidance on close reading, comparative reading and advice on writing critically about poetry. In addition, the book is accompanied by a companion website offering audio recordings of poetry readings, weblinks and overviews of key theoretical approaches to support advanced study. Head to bloomsbury.com/Williams-the-poetry-toolkit for a host of Trade ReviewThis is an inspirational guide to studying poetry, exciting for beginners and experienced readers alike. A tour de force of succinctness, clarity, and adroit cross referencing, it is not only a tour through every conceivable feature a reader could need - from the sonnet form to synloepha, from sesta rima to syllepsis - but an imaginative and arresting exposition of the way poets have used them, whether Dante or David Jones, Sappho or E E Cummings, Milton or Deryn Rees-Jones. Rhian Williams aims to set readers free by building confidence with genre and form, metre and rhyme, demystifying technicalities and terminology, providing follow up reading, and appealing to curiosity and the sense of experiment. She urges readers to read poems aloud, to listen to sounds, mark rhythms, and imagine themselves inside the poem before moving out to its history and context. After reading this book newcomers to poetry will learn to love reading and writing about it. -- Isobel Armstrong, FBA and Emeritus Professor of English at Birkbeck, University of London, UKWhether you're a new-comer to poetry or a longtime reader, Rhian Williams' The Poetry Toolkit offers welcomed guidance. The book ranges from the introductory (what does "stress" mean?) to the sophisticated and complex. Throughout, the author provides clear frameworks for interpreting how poetry's formal structures participate in the work of meaning-making. This book will relieve students' anxiety and deepen their understanding. -- Dr Jason R. Rudy. Assistant Professor of English University of Maryland, College Park, USAThe Poetry Toolkit will be a valued for many readers, both academic and ‘general'. Every reader will learn something from it - it is rare to have riches such as this in a single textbook. -- WordPlayHow does one get started in the world of poetry, either as the consumer or the producer? The Poetry Toolkit: the Essential Guide to Studying Poetry hopes to educate and inspire readers to better understand the world of poetry. Chapters cover the eccentricities of truly understanding poetry from a reader's perspective. Packed with advice and tips for poetry appreciation, The Poetry Toolkit is an intriguing introductory dive in the world of the poet. The Poetry Toolkit is just what some people need to break that daunting poetry wall. -- Midwest Book ReviewThe Poetry Toolkit conveys Williams's genuine enthusiasm for the genre's expressive and descriptive possibilities - an excitement that the volume's accessible style and layout make it easy for students to share. I have tried many "introduction to poetry" volumes during the ten-plus years I've been teaching such classes; in The Poetry Toolkit, I've finally found one that I happily foresee using for many years to come. -- Evan Gottlieb, Associate Professor of English, Oregon State University, USATable of ContentsAcknowledgements Copyright Acknowledgements Preface to the Third Edition Part I: Introducing Poetry Introduction How to Use This Book 1. Types and Traditions Part II: Technical Vocabulary 2. Form 2.1 Variable Forms 2.2 Fixed Forms 2.3 Visual Forms 2.4 Hybrid Forms 2.5 'Formless' Forms 3. Prosody 3.1 Stress 3.2 Metre 3.3 Feet 3.4 Metrical Lines 4. Rhyme 4.1 Perfect Rhymes 4.2 Imperfect Rhymes 4.3 Sight and Sound Effects 4.4 Rhyme Schemes 5. Stanza 5.1 One-line Stanzas and Refrains 5.2 Two-line Stanzas (Couplets) 5.3 Three-line Stanzas (Tercets) 5.4 Four-line Stanzas (Quatrains) 6. Wordplay 6.1 Tropes 6.2 Schemes Part III: Practical 7. Close Readings 8. Comparisons 9. Suggested Exercises 10. Writing About Poetry Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading Guide to the Companion Website Index

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Book SynopsisWhere do shoppers meet before heading out to browse the stores? Why might they go to a particular shop and not another? What first attracts them to a brand or garment? Visual merchandising is concerned with all these questions, spanning the relationship between consumer, environment, brand and product. As part of the Basics Fashion Management series, Bailey and Baker introduce the principles underpinning successful visual merchandising using examples from budget, mid-range and luxury brands. These real-world examples take the form of detailed case studies and interviews, providing hands-on advice from all levels of industry. This revised edition includes additional coverage of online visual merchandising, lighting techniques, mannequin dressing and integrating technology into displays.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Research and Design - Visual design development; Model making and experimentation; Concept development; Presentation and communication of design concepts; 25 visual themes; Interview; Interview; Activities Chapter 2: Display Design Basics – Line; Composition; Texture; Colour; Lighting; Interview: focus on lighting; Activities Chapter 3: Space Planning Principles - Store architecture and retail formats; Space hierarchy; Space planning layouts; Customer navigation; Journey to sale; Case study; Activities Chapter 4: Displaying Merchandise - Retail windows; Mannequins: best practice guide; Selection of fashion merchandise; Landscaping; Fixtures; Case study; Case study; Activities Chapter 5: The Customer Experience - Designing the customer experience; Where do visual merchandisers work?; Working in the visual merchandising industry; Portable and pop-up stores; Interview; Activities Chapter 6: The Future of Visual Merchandising - Shopping trends and innovations; Technology and digital visual merchandising – expanded; Sustainability – expanded; Internationalisation; Case study: technology; Interview: online visual merchandiser; Activities Appendix – Resources; Glossary: expanded from first edition; Index; Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisThe Dress Detective is the first practical guide to analyzing fashion objects, clearly demonstrating how their close analysis can enhance and enrich interdisciplinary research. This accessible book provides readers with the tools to uncover the hidden stories in garments, setting out a carefully developed research methodology specific to dress, and providing easy-to-use checklists that guide the reader through the process. Beautifully illustrated, the book contains seven case studies of fashionable Western garments ranging from an 1820s coat to a 2004 Kenzo jacket that articulate the methodological framework for the process, illustrate the use of the checklists, and show how evidence from the garment itself can be used to corroborate theories of dress or fashion.This book outlines a skillset that has, until now, typically been passed on informally. Written in plain language, it will give any budding fashion historian, curator, or researcher the knowledge and confidence to anaTrade ReviewDetective work is integral to fashion history research, yet very little has been written on how to go about it. Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim fill that gap in the bookshelf with The Dress Detective. … A concise, well organized, and extremely accessible book that deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in fashion research. -- Katy Werlin * The Fashion Historian *Both accessible and academic and a significant contribution to the study of [the history of Western dress] ... This book is well designed and a pleasure to look at. It functions as a practical manual, a ‘how to’ book, a reference work and an enjoyable read for anyone interested in this subject. * Costume *Enormously useful for the budding fashion historian or curator, this publication provides a textbook approach to the study of dress artefacts as a source for research. The authors, both of whom have curatorial backgrounds, provide a practice-based framework and a range of interesting case studies to instruct readers in the methods for observing and reflecting upon objects of dress. This accessible guide will surely become a crucial source for students of fashion studies. * Catwalk: The Journal of Fashion, Beauty and Style *For post-secondary students on fashion courses with access to study garments, or for the novice researcher investigating in a museum or private collection, this book would be an invaluable resource. Even individuals with experience in handling fashion objects may glean new tips, or be reminded of best practice when closely examining dress objects, or in relating these findings to broader socio-economic, historical, or theoretical contexts. This book would also be a useful addition to the shelf of fashion collections in museums, to assist when training staff and volunteers in collection inventory or exhibit preparation. The Dress Detective gives clear clues to becoming a sartorial sleuth. * Museum & Society *The Dress Detective provides an easy-to-use guide for how to look at a dress object and to consider its meaning. The framework, which the authors call “a slow approach to seeing,” involves three steps: observation, reflection, and interpretation. It is a revision of Prown’s model of description, deduction, and speculation. * ITAA Online *For the first time, The Dress Detective offers a clear and systematic framework for the object-based study of dress. Advocating a ‘Slow Approach to Seeing’, it arms readers with the tools to learn this important research skill while encouraging them through well-chosen case studies to measure their findings against inter-disciplinary and theoretical writing on fashion. * Edwina Ehrman, Fashion Curator and Historian, UK *This is the book we have been waiting for without realizing it! The Dress Detective offers a rigorous and entirely accessible guide to examining and thinking about dress using objects as evidence. Case studies and checklists guide the reader – specialist and non-specialist alike – to explore and articulate garment construction, materials, design, alterations and the nuances of wear. I have no doubt it will become a seminal text. * Amy de la Haye, Joint Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation, London College of Fashion, UK *The Dress Detective is a smart, accessible text that provides a long-overdue methodology for examining clothing and accessories. This book is essential for new students, but its concise framework will also be useful to seasoned researchers. Diverse, thorough case studies demonstrate the combination of visual analysis, history, and theory that is crucial to fashion studies today. * Colleen Hill, Associate Curator, The Museum at FIT, New York, USA *A long–anticipated guide to object–based dress research … I recommend this outstanding volume to students and faculty alike. * The Journal of Dress History *This book operates as a kind of practical aid, offering a comprehensive methodological framework to both scholars and students. * Textile History *Table of ContentsForeword, Jean L. Druesedow, Kent State University Museum, USA Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: A Brief History of Object-based Research with Dress Artifacts Chapter 2: How to Read a Dress Artifact Chapter 3: Observation Chapter 4: Reflection Chapter 5: Interpretation Chapter 6: Case Study of a Yellow Woolen Pelisse Chapter 7: Case Study of a Gray-blue Sateen Corset Chapter 8: Case Study of a Brown Velveteen and Wool Bodice Chapter 9: Case study of a Man’s Evening Suit Tailcoat and Trousers Chapter 10: Case Study of a Lanvin Wedding Dress and Headpiece Chapter 11: Case Study of a Ruby Red Velvet Jacket by Christian Dior Chapter 12: Case study of a Kimono-Style Jacket by Kenzo Appendix 1: Checklist for Observation Appendix 2: Checklist for Reflection Index

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Book SynopsisZero Waste Fashion Design combines practical examples, flat patterns and more than 20 exercises to help you incorporate this sustainable technique into your portfolio. There are also beautifully illustrated interviews with innovative designers, including Richard Lindgvist, Mary Beth Bentaha and Daniel Desanto to show how sustainable practice continues to evolve within industry.Industry pioneers, Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan, offer flexible strategies and easy-to-master zero waste techniques to help you develop your own cutting-edge fashion designs. This updated edition includes new content on integrating 3D design into a zero waste process, additional coverage of the historical context of zero waste around the world, and expands on the related technique of subtraction cutting to make this the ultimate practical guide to sustainable fashion design.Table of ContentsPreface 1. Zero Waste Fashion Design from History to Now Zero Waste over Time Modern Zero Waste Fashion Design Interview with Lela Jacobs Zero Waste Fashion Design in Research Interview with Maja Stabel Short Cuts 2. Pattern Cutting as a Fashion Design Tool Fashion Design and Pattern Cutting Creative Pattern Cutting Interview with Winifred Aldrich Interview with Rickard Lindqvist Creative Pattern Cutters From Around the World Patterns in Design Ideation Short Cuts 3. Zero Waste Fashion Design: The Basics Criteria for Zero Waste Fashion Design The Design Ideation Toolbox Zero Waste Design Methods Square Cut Garments Tailored Garments Draped Garments Hybrid Practices Zero Waste Design Systems Adapting an Existing Design for Zero Waste Risky Design Practice Designing with the Fabric Width Short Cuts 4. Zero Waste Fashion Design and CAD Marker Making As Design Activity Interview with Julia Banks (Formerly Lumsden) Transforming Zero Waste Design Practice Digital Design Process before 3D Tools The Usefulness of 3D Software for Zero Waste Fashion Design Practice Digital 3D Design Workflow for Zero Waste Design Practice. The Future of Zero Waste Design in a Time of Automation Digital 2D/3D Design Note about the Differences between Tools Digital Tools in Fashion Design Education Case Study: Zero Waste Workshops Digital Tools in the Fashion Industry Case Study: High Price Outdoor Brand: Developing a Digital Prototype of Low Waste Design Using an Existing 2D Pattern Grading and CAD Combining Digital Technologies Digital Tools in Fashion Research Case Study: Zero + One: Developing a Digitized Analogue Drape Design Case Study: Using 3D Software to Develop Zero Waste Whole Garment Weaving Design Workflows Zero Waste Tutorial for 3D Digital Tools Making a Make/Use Coat in 3D Software Things to Consider Interview With Mylène L'Orguilloux – Milan AV-JC Short Cuts 5. Manufacturing Zero-Waste Garments Fashion Design and Fashion Manufacturing Interview with Mary Beth McDermott Sizing Zero Waste Garments Pathway 1: One-Size-Fits-Most Pathway 2: Conventional Grading Pathway 3: Designing Each Size Pathway 4: Mixing Multiple Sizes in a Marker Pathway 5: Using a Different Fabric Width for Each Size Pathway 6: A Hybrid Method Fabric in Manufacturing Zero Waste Garments Cutting Fabric Fabric Selvages Fabric Flaws Short Cuts 6. Zero Waste Fashion Design: Getting Started On Inspiration Interview with Kia Koski Documenting and Reflecting On Design On Sharing Conversation with Yeohlee Teng Zero Waste Fashion Design in Transitions Glossary References Index Acknowledgements Credits

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Book SynopsisWhat is it to practice history in an age in which photographs exist? What is the impact of photographs on the core historiographical practices which define the discipline and shape its enquiry and methods? In Photographs and the Practice of History, Elizabeth Edwards proposes a new approach to historical thinking which explores these questions and redefines the practices at the heart of this discipline. Structured around key concepts in historical methodology which are recognisable to all undergraduates, the book shows that from the mid-19th century onward, photographs have influenced historical enquiry. Exposure to these mass-distributed cultural artefacts is enough to change our historical frameworks even when research is textually-based. Conceptualised as a series of sensibilities' rather than a methodology as such, it is intended as a companion to ''how to'' approaches to visual research and visual sources. Photographs and the Practice of History not only builds onTrade ReviewThe presence of photographs disrupts historical practice, and creates opportunities to re-think our relationship with the past. This is the argument Edwards, one of the world’s leading photo historians, makes in this immensely powerful, dazzlingly learned, and eminently readable book. A must-read for every student of history! * Maiken Umbach, Professor of Modern History, University of Nottingham, UK *This is a provocative exploration of the subtle synergies between photographs and historical sensibility, written by a major historian of photography. Above all, it is a plea to think afresh about how photographs have radically reshaped our understandings of time, space and history in irreversible ways. * Paul Betts, Professor of Modern European History, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, UK *Through photographs, Edwards shoulders a multiplicity of conceptual and methodological threads–time, scale, presence, context, materiality–that all historians should approach with a new level of consciousness in their practice. Here, photographs are the alibi to address the real silences of history, opening floodgates of potentiality for its future practice. * Patricia Hayes, DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Visual History & Theory, University of the Western Cape, South Africa *Photographs and the Practice of History is a profound reflection on how photographs have defined our relationship to the past and its implications in the present, from the foremost scholar in the field. Deftly written and alive with questions on the nature of history itself, this is a book every historian, and anyone who works with photographs, should read. * Christina Riggs, Professor of the History of Visual Culture, Durham University, UK *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Inscription 2. Distance 3. Scale 4. Event 5. Presence 6. Context 7. Materiality 8. Digital Bibliographic Afterword Selected Reading List of Images Notes Index

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Book SynopsisWhile most books on architecture concentrate on spatial themes, this book explores architecture's temporal dimensions. Through a series of close readings of buildings, both contemporary and classic, it demonstrates the centrality of time in modern architecture, and shows why an understanding of time is critical to understanding good architecture.All buildings exist in time. Even if designed for permanence, they change, slowly but inevitably. They change use, they accrue history and meaning, they decay all of these processes are inscribed in time. So too is the path traced by the sun through a building, and the movements of the human body from room to room. Time, this book argues, is the framework for our spatial experience of architecture, and a key dimension of a building's structure and significance. Building Time presents twelve close readings of buildings and artworks which explore this idea. Examining works by distinctive modern architects from Eileen Gray to Álvaro Trade ReviewBuilding Time is based on the author's own physical and mental experience of the objects examined, as well as an almost intimate knowledge of the architect's work, the processes of creation, the craft, the spaces and the details. One senses that this is an architecture that occupies Leatherbarrow, in which he is deeply committed. And perhaps this is precisely one of the explanations why his descriptions and interpretations manage to hit so precisely. * Arkitekten (Bloomsbury translation) *Leatherbarrow focuses his meditative attention on lasting works of architecture and art. Discussing projects and paintings with particular sensitivity to light and material, he works like a clockmaker, patiently disassembling architectural mechanisms into their component parts, and explaining how buildings operate in time. * John Tuomey, O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects, Ireland *When Leatherbarrow writes about time he is also writing about the slow and then ever faster passage of our own lives. Even as we visit the Pantheon to watch time literally move before our eyes and we are reminded that it also measures the span of our own existence. This is a dense, lyrical, and heartbreaking book about our lives and our buildings. * Billie Tsien, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, USA *Linger, return, and remember rhythm this meditation on the interactions of time, space and place for both author and reader. Not since the romantic writers of the early 19th century has the temporal dimension of architecture been viewed patiently from so many facets. * Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History, Columbia University, USA *Building Time suggests that architecture matters partly because architecture weathers orienting and grounding us: by keeping its identity amidst contextual change, inevitable decay, and eventual renewal, as well as recording its own creation and survival. The world stage, the active body and the project script frame the close reading of chosen modern masterpieces in time and as time. Sound, serviceable, and delightful. * Carlos Eduardo Comas, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil *Building Time is a graceful, timely, and purposeful walk through a garden of architectural knowledge, offering an account—in all, a theory—not just of human spatial experience through time (first we go here, then we go there...), but of the world experiencing itself through the medium of buildings, especially buildings which, in having long-term ethical projects as well as complexities of their own, are works of architecture. With Proustian intimacy and often dizzying insight, Leatherbarrow enlarges the very language we use to understand architecture. Buildings are indifferent only apparently. In marking time, in accommodating the fleeting, in witnessing and in suffering, they bring up the future. * Michael Benedikt, The University of Texas at Austin, USA *The range of examples that Leatherbarrow brings together in Building Time is rich, stimulating, and rooted in the tangible ... He is a patient, knowledgeable, and observant guide to particular buildings and places, and their particular times. * arq: Architectural Research Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Making Space for Time Part One: The Time of the World 2: Day Time 3: Well-Timed Openings 4: Tempered Terrain 5: World Rhythms Part Two: The Time of the Body 6: Taking Steps 7: Pacing and Spacing 8: Wandering Sites 9: Pedestrian Rhythms Part Three: The Time of the Project 10: Past and Present Possibilities 11: Proposing Precedents 12: Recalling Future Projects 13: Project Rhythms Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEarly Childhood and Neuroscience is a practical guide to understanding the complex and challenging subject of neuroscience and its use (and misapplication) in early childhood policy and practice. The 2nd edition has been updated throughout and includes a new Foreword by Dr Laura Jana (Penn State University, USA), a new Introduction and three new chapters on: - the effects of childhood trauma - self-regulation - neurodiversity The book provides a balanced overview of the debates by weaving discussion on the opportunities of using neuroscience in early childhood practice with examination of the limitations and ethical implications throughout the chapters. This enables students to inform their own opinions about the discipline and its use in their future practice. Clear explanations of the main terms and theories are complemented with illustrative case studies of cutting-edge research from around the world, a glossary of key terms and suggestions for further reading. Reflective dTrade ReviewNeuroscience and early childhood! Mine Conkbayir reveals how scientific evidence guided practice make a difference in early years with this second expanded edition. This book, written like the kindness of the honey bees and the hard work of ants, will remain an essential guide for policymakers, early childhood professionals and parents. * Mehmet Toran, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, Istanbul Kültür University, Turkey *What an exciting time to be in the field of supporting our young. In this 2nd edition of Early Childhood and Neuroscience: Theory, Research and Implications for Practice, Mine Conkbayir has expanded her urgent call to transform the way we provide early childhood education. As educators we work with the brains and bodies of children on a daily bases and knowing how stress and adversity impact learning and development is critical to our work. Our ability to effectively teach our students can no longer ignore this critical information. If we want to provide the best possible outcomes for the children we serve and teach this cutting edge work must be integrated into our schools and programs. * Michael McKnight, Special Education, Rowan University, USA *Mine Conkbayir's research is timely showing us the importance of investing in the Early Years of child development. The new chapters outline complex ideas in a clear concise manner to help parents, caregivers, early educators, and others to understand and apply the principles to nurture positive outcomes. * Rena Romano, Author, TEDx Speaker and Well Being Coach, USA *In her book, Early Childhood and Neuroscience, Conkbayir, does an excellent job of examining how the brain works as it relates to learning. I found the chapter on self-regulation particularly insightful, as it examined the 5 domains of self-regulation as it relates to early childhood age children. I would highly recommend this book to teachers, researchers, and university students! * Brad Johnson, Educational and Motivational Speaker and Author, USA *This practical guide translates the complex subject of neuroscience ... and distils its implications for practice. * Nursery World (of the first edition) *I especially enjoyed the myth-busting sections found throughout the book. I thought this was an excellent addition for readers without a neuroscience background ... I think Early Childhood and Neuroscience offers an excellent summary of a variety of topics for a wide range of readers. * The Psychologist (of the first edition) *Table of ContentsList of Figures Foreword, Laura Jana (Pennsylvania State University, USA) Introduction 1. Neuroscience: What is it? 2. Why Should Early Childhood Practitioners Know About Neuroscience? 3. Emotional Wellbeing: How Can We Help to Build Healthy Brains? 4. What Happens in Childhood Does Not Stay in Childhood: The Lasting Legacy of Early Childhood Trauma 5. Self-Regulation: The Key to Developing Positive Adaptive Behaviours across the Life Trajectory 6. Children’s Language and Communication Development: What Can Neuroscience Tell Us? 7. Neurodiversity: The Wonders of the Beautiful Brain 8. Beyond Nature Versus Nurture: Is Neuroscience Relevant to the Debate? 9. Conclusions and Recommendations: Where Do We Go from Here? Glossary of Terms Bibliography Index

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