Non Fiction Books

Book SynopsisA fascinating slice of East End life, from the No.1 bestsellilng author of CALL THE MIDWIFE, soon to be a major BBC TV series.In this follow up to CALL THE MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered. There''s Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House - she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Peggy and Frank''s parents both died within 6 months of each other and the children were left destitute. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse. The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, visits the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jeTrade ReviewBe warned, it's a real tear-jerker - but it also makes you very grateful for the life we have today. * Woman *

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Book SynopsisA treasure trove of coping, regulating, grounding, and soothing activities and techniques for working with children (aged 6+), teens and adults. This pack of 70 cards and explanatory guide offers a playful, non-threatening way to explore feelings, and to form effective coping, regulating, soothing, and grounding strategies through a range of games and activities. Designed to work with both the brain and body, the cards address a wide range of common issues including anxiety, stress, low mood, sleep difficulties and emotional dysregulation. To do so, they employ a range of proven strategies including cognitive techniques, nurturing activities, sensory strategies, body-based activity and creative exercises. Developed by specialist clinical psychologist, trainer and author Dr. Karen Treisman, this deck is a little treasure for professionals, parents, carers supporting children and adolescents aged 6+.Table of ContentsN/A

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Book SynopsisIn the late Iron Age, Rome was a small collection of huts arranged over a few hills. By the third century BC, it had become a large and powerful city, with monumental temples, public buildings and grand houses. It had conquered the whole of Italy and was poised to establish an empire. But how did it accomplish this historic transformation? This book explores the development of Rome during this period, and the nature of its control over Italy, considering why and how the Romans achieved this spectacular dominance. For Rome was only one of a number of emerging centres of power during this period. From its complex forms of government, to its innovative connections with other states, Kathryn Lomas shows what set Rome apart. Examining the context and impact of the city's dominance, as well as the key political, social and economic changes it engendered, this is crucial reading for anyone interested in Ancient Rome.Trade ReviewLomas' clear narrative and up-to-date archaeological knowledge is just the right combination to illuminate the fascinating story of the emergence of Rome as a world power. -- Christopher Smith, Director of the British School at Rome and Professor of Ancient History at St AndrewsKathryn Lomas has excavated the complexities of myth, written sources and archaeological stratigraphy to produce her clear historical synthesis of the political foundations of early Europe. -- Simon Stoddart, Fellow in Archaeology, Magdalene College, CambridgeLomas shows great skill in uncovering reliable and fascinating information about an obscure and poorly documented period of history, and presenting it in an engaging and straightforward way. Her book is original for its extensive use of new archaeological evidence, and for telling the remarkable story of the Italian background to the rise of Rome. -- Timothy Cornell, Emeritus Professor of Ancient History, The University of ManchesterThis is an admirably clear and engagingly written book. It offers an impressively wide-ranging and up-to-date synthesis, and does an excellent job of situating the city-state of Rome and its rise to hegemony in their wider Italian context. -- J.H. Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Classical Studies, Massey UniversityThe remarkable story of how a great empire sprang from such innocuous beginnings is chronicled in this compelling work, which couples a sweeping narrative with a wealth of historical detail including maps, plans and illustrations. * History Revealed *Lomas's fully reference and detailed, authoritative book admirably fulfils its remit to understand Rome in its wider Italian setting. -- Peter Jones * BBC History Magazine *The strengths of this book are many. ... she writes in a lucid and engaging way. ... If one asks whether Lomas has achieved the goal that she set herself, the answer must be a resounding yes. -- Mark Grahame * Rivista *

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Book SynopsisWhat do you do when you wake up in your mid-forties and realize you've been living a lie your whole life? Do you tell? Or do you keep it to yourself?Laura James found out that she was autistic as an adult, after she had forged a career for herself, married twice and raised four children. This book tracks the year of Laura's life after she receives a definitive diagnosis from her doctor, as she learns that 'different' doesn't need to mean 'less' and how there is a place for all of us, and it's never too late to find it.Laura draws on her professional and personal experiences and reflects on her life in the light of her diagnosis, which for her explains some of her differences; why, as a child, she felt happier spinning in circles than standing still and why she has always found it difficult to work in places with a lot of ambient noise.Although this is a personal story, the book has a wider focus too, exploring reasons for the lower rate of diagnosed autism in women and a wide range of topics including eating disorders and autism, marriage and motherhood.Odd Girl Out gives a timely account from a woman negotiating the autistic spectrum, from a poignant and personal perspective.Trade ReviewThere are so many myths about what it means to be autistic and Laura tells her story beautifully and truthfully. You will live every moment with her, feel her pain and want to right the wrongs. Some books make a big difference, this is one of them. It should be read by everyone -- Natasha Harding, the SunA moving, lucid account of feeling different and ‘other’, Odd Girl Out is an invaluable insight that allows you to see the world through autistic eyes -- Get the GlossAn important, touching and incredibly honest book with a wry sense of humour, which challenges the preconceived ideas people have about autistic life -- Rachael Lucas, author of Sealed With a Kiss and The State of GraceLaura James has dug deep into her 'differentness' and emerged with a book of breathtaking honesty, humour and insight. Odd Girl Out is a brilliant antidote to all the cliches and misinformation surrounding autism -- Stephen Sackur, journalist and presenter of BBC HARDtalk

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Book Synopsis'Peter Hopkirk is truly the Laureate of the Great Game' Jan MorrisTrade Review'Brilliant' * Patrick Leigh Fermor, Daily Telegraph *'There can be few more fascinating subjects, or few authors better qualified to write about it' * Fitzroy Maclean, Independent *'Immensely readable and magisterially detached. A gripping and impressive narrative of adventure and war' * Financial Times *'Hopkirk's brilliant and engrossing account remains the classic text on how to handle the various and often dangerous people who inhabit the region, fill of tips and warnings for the Game's current players.' * BBC History Magazine *'Fans of political history and adventure are in for a treat as publishing house John Murray reissues its Peter Hopkirk series' * Siân Gibson, Geographical Magazine *

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Book Synopsis''Betrayal is a new departure and a bold one . . . Pinter has found a way of making memory active and dramatic, giving an audience the experience of the mind''s accelerating momentum as it pieces together the past with a combination of curiosity and regret. He shows man betrayed not only by man, but by time - a recurring theme which has found its proper scenic correlative . . . Pinter captures the psyche''s sly manoeuvres for self-respect with a sardonic forgiveness . . . a master craftsman honouring his talent by setting it new, difficult tasks'' New Society''There is hardly a line into which desire, pain, alarm, sorrow, rage or some kind of blend of feelings has not been compressed, like volatile gas in a cylinder less stable than it looks . . . Pinter''s narrative method takes what''s next? out of the spectator''s and replaces it with the rather deeper how? and why? Why did love pass? How did these people cope with the lies, the evasions, the sudden dangers, panic and the contradictory feelings behind their own deftly engineered masks? The play''s subject is not sex, not even adultery, but the politics of betrayal and the damage it inflicts on all involved.'' The TimesFirst staged at the National Theatre in 1978, Betrayal was revived at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 1991. Twenty years after its first showing, it returned to the National in 1998.

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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fourteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, the writings were translated into Slavonic and later into Russian.

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Book SynopsisEric Karpeles's lavishly illustrated and comprehensive guide offers a feast for the eyes as it celebrates the close relationship between the visual and literary arts in Proust's masterpiece. Karpeles has identified and located all of the paintings to which Proust makes exact reference. Where only a painter's name is mentioned to indicate a certain mood or appearance, he has chosen a representative work to illustrate the impression that Proust sought to evoke. Botticelli's angels, Manet's courtesans, Mantegna's warriors and Carpaccio's saints stand among Monet's water lilies and Piranesi's engravings of Rome, while Karpeles's insightful essay and lucid contextual commentary explain their significance to Proust. The book closes with extensive notes and a comprehensive index of all painters and paintings mentioned in the novel. With over 200 beautifully reproduced paintings, drawings and engravings, and accompanying texts drawn from the Moncrieff/Kilmartin/Enright translation of In Search of Lost Time, this book is an essential addition to the libraries of Proustians worldwide and a handsome volume in its own right.Trade Review'Will thrill any Proust lover' - Financial Times'Will undoubtedly be greeted with the literary equivalent of a hosanna' - The New York Times'Intelligent and passionate … a window into Proust’s sharp, eccentric wit' - The Irish Times'Indispensable to the [Proust] addict, but also enticing for the casual browser' - ObserverTable of ContentsIntroduction • Volume I: Swann’s Way • Volume II: Within a Budding Grove • Volume III: The Guermantes Way • Volume IV: Sodom and Gomorrah • Volume V: The Captive • Volume VI: The Fugitive • Volume VII: Time Regained • Notes • Index of Painters and Paintings

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Book SynopsisThe first Westerner to meet Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist leaders in 1936, Edgar Snow came away with the first authorised account of Mao's life, as well as a history of the famous Long March and the men and women who were responsible for the Chinese revolution. Out of that experience came Red Star Over China, a classic work that remains one of the most important books ever written about the birth of the Communist movement in China.This edition includes extensive notes on the military and political developments in China, further interviews with Mao Tse-tung, a chronology covering 125 years of Chinese revolution and nearly a hundred detailed biographies of the men and women who were instrumental in making China what it is today.Trade ReviewThe remarkable thing about Red Star Over China was that it not only gave the first connected history of Mao and his colleagues and where they had come from, but it also gave a prospect of the future... This book has stood the test of time on both these counts - as a historical record and as an indication of a trend. * From the Introduction by John K. Fairbank *It truly was a book that shook the world. * China Daily *Irreplaceable... by far the most important single source regarding [Mao's] life * Stuart R. Schram *Scoop of the century * Foreign Affairs *

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Book SynopsisWhere I Find Myself is the first major single book retrospective of one of America's leading photographers. It is organized in inverse chronological order and spans the photographer's whole career to date: from Joel Meyerowitz's most recent picture all the way back to the first photograph he ever took. The book covers all of Joel Meyerowitz's great projects: his work inspired by the artist Morandi, his work on trees, his exclusive coverage of Ground Zero, his trips in the footsteps of Robert Frank across the US, his experiments comparing color and black and white pictures, and of course his iconic street photography work. Joel Meyerovitz is incredibly eloquent and candid about how photography works or doesn't, and this should be an inspiration to anyone interested in photography.

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Book Synopsis âIf in this book harsh words are spoken about some of the greatest among the intellectual leaders of mankind, my motive is not, I hope, to belittle them. It springs rather from my conviction that, if our civilization is to survive, we must break with the habit of deference to great men.â- Karl Popper, from the PrefaceWritten in political exile during the Second World War and first published in two volumes in 1945, Karl Popperâs The Open Society and Its Enemies is one of the most influential books of all time. Hailed by Bertrand Russell as a âvigorous and profound defence of democracyâ, its now legendary attack on the philosophies of Plato, Hegel and Marx exposed the dangers inherent in centrally planned political systems and through underground editions become an inspiration to lovers of freedom living under communism in Eastern Europe.Popperâs highly accessible style, his erudite and lucid explanations of the thoughts of great philosophers and the recTrade Review'Some time ago a wise old man came to see me in Prague and I listened to him with admiration. Shortly afterwards I learned that this man had died. His name was Karl Popper'. - Vaclav Havel, from the Preface '!a work of first-class importance which ought to be widely read for its masterly criticism of the enemies of democracy, ancient and modern. ..The book is a vigorous and profound defence of democracy, timely, very interesting, and very well written.' - Bertrand Russell 'One of the great books of the century' - The Times '!a modern classic' The Independent 'Few philosophers!have combined such a vast width of knowledge with the capacity to produce important original ideas as he did.' - The Guardian '!a powerful and important book. Dr Popper writes with extreme clarity and vigour. His studies in Greek history and Greek thought have obviously been profound and original. Platonic exegesis will never be the same again. Nor, I think, will Marxist exegesis.' - Gilbert Ryle '! a brilliant polemic. ..It remains the best intellectual defence of liberal democracy against know-it-all totalitarianism.' - The EconomistTable of ContentsForeword Preface: ‘Karl Popper’s The Open Society and Its Enemies in the contemporary global world’ by Václav Havel. ‘Personal Recollections of the Publication of The Open Society’ by E.H. Gombrich. Acknowledgements Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Introduction VOLUME 1: THE SPELL OF PLATO THE MYTH OF ORIGIN AND DESTINY 1. Historicism and the Myth of Destiny 2. Heraclitus 3. Plato's Theory of Forms or Ideas PLATO'S DESCRIPTIVE SOCIOLOGY 4. Change and Rest 5. Nature and Convention PLATO'S POLITICAL PROGRAMME 6. Totalitarian Justice 7. The Principle of Leadership 8. The Philosopher King 9. Aestheticism, Perfectionism, Utopianism THE BACKGROUND OF PLATO'S ATTACK 10. The Open Society and its Enemies Addenda VOLUME 2: THE HIGH TIDE OF PROPHECY THE RISE OF ORACULAR PHILOSOPHY 11. The Aristotelian Roots of Hegelianism 12. Hegel and The New Tribalism MARX'S METHOD 13. Sociological Determinism 14. The Autonomy of Sociology 15. Economic Historicism 16. The Classes 17. The Legal and the Social System MARX'S PROPHECY 18. The Coming of Socialism 19. The Social Revolution 20. Capitalism and Its Fate 21. An Evaluation MARX'S ETHICS 22. The Moral Theory of Historicism THE AFTERMATH 23. The Sociology of Knowledge 24. Oracular Philosophy and the Revolt against Reason CONCLUSION 25. Has History any Meaning? Addenda (1961, 1965) NOTES Notes to Volume 1 Notes to Volume 2 Index

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Book SynopsisSuitable for goths, art historians and everyone in between, this book includes images of more than seventy spectacular jeweled skeletons and the stories of dozens more, accompanied by rare archive material.Trade Review'It’s utterly spectacular, hugely interesting and almost unbelievable' - All About History'Bling from the edges of eternity' - Annie Lennox'The grinning, bejewelled catacomb saints who stare our from the pages of Koudounaris challenge us to engage in deeper exercises, spiritual and intellectual; to recreate lost forms of devotional life; to understand how they inspired and deformed the study of the Christian past; and to imagine what it felt like to believe that the gauze-wrapped skeleton in your church was a time lord, whose sight and touch could help to save your soul' - The London Review of Books'Suitable for goths, art historians and everyone in between … Incredible relics' - Book DepositoryTable of ContentsIntroduction: Blessed Bones • 1. Holy Bodies: Relics and the Roman Catacombs • 2. The Church Triumphant: Constructing the Catacomb Saints • 3. Communal Property: Jeweled Skeletons and Civic Identity 4. The Mighty Will Fall: The End of the Reign of the Catacomb Saints Notes, Acknowledgments, List of Sites, Index

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Book SynopsisThe Bondage mini book is filled with everything you need to know about the basics of bondage, including 32 sexy knots and all in one petite mini-book. Whether you’re male or female, top or bottom, dominant or submissive, this pocket guide to bondage has the rope tying techniques you need to know for a wild and fun night. This quick and handy reference takes you through the basics of BDSM, tying techniques, safety considerations, and an overview of kink culture. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step photographs, you can use these restraints and ties with your partner tonight. Embrace your kinky side with the Bondage mini book!

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Book SynopsisThe classic Cold War thriller, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.Alec Leamas is tired. It''s the 1960s, he''s been out in the cold for years, spying in Berlin for his British masters, and has seen too many good agents murdered for their troubles. Now Control wants to bring him in at last - but only after one final assignment. He must travel deep into the heart of Communist Germany and betray his country, a job that he will do with his usual cynical professionalism. But when George Smiley tries to help a young woman Leamas has befriended, Leamas''s mission may prove to be the worst thing he could ever have done. In le Carré''s breakthrough work of 1963, the spy story is reborn as a gritty and terrible tale of men who are caught up in politics beyond their imagining.''Superbly constructed, with an atmosphere of chilly hell'' J.B. Priestley''The best spy story I have ever read'' Graham Greene''The master storyteller ... has lost none of his cunning'' A. N. Wilson''I have re-read The Spy Who Came In From The Cold over and over again since I first encountered it in my teens, just to remind myself how extraordinary a work of fiction can be'' Malcolm Gladwell''One of those very rare novels that changes the way you look at the world. Unflinching, highly sophisticated, superb'' William BoydTrade ReviewPassionate, intense, wonderful -- David NichollsThe best spy story I have ever read -- Graham GreeneA masterpiece, the best espionage novel ever written -- John BanvilleOne of those writers who will be read a century from now -- Robert Harris

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Book SynopsisThe central argument of "Chromophobia" is that a chromophobic impulse - a fear of corruption or contamination through colour - lurks within much Western cultural and intellectual thought. This is apparent in the many and varied attempts to purge colour, either by making it the property of some 'foreign body' - the oriental, the feminine, the infantile, the vulgar, or the pathological - or by relegating it to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential, or the cosmetic. Chromophobia has been a cultural phenomenon since ancient Greek times; this book is concerned with forms of resistance to it. Writers have tended to look no further than the end of the nineteenth century. David Batchelor seeks to go beyond the limits of earlier studies, analysing the motivations behind chromophobia and considering the work of writers and artists who have been prepared to look at colour as a positive value. Exploring a wide range of imagery including Melville's "Great White Whale", Huxley's "Reflections on Mescaline", and Le Corbusier's "Journey to the East", Batchelor also discusses the use of colour in Pop, Minimal, and more recent art.Trade ReviewFull of good writing, good anecdotes, devastating quotes, deft arguments, and just the sort of mysterious anomalies one would expect from an artist writing about the enemies of his practice -- Dave Hickey Bookforum A hugely entertaining guide to our ongoing obsession with white' Time Out A provocative contribution to the discourse of color theory -- James Meyer Artforum This beautifully produced book is an intelligent and provocative essay on why Western culture hates and fears colour. The prose is cumulative and passionate in its effect and widely referential - from Barthes to Melville, Wim Wenders to Huysmans ... you cannot fail to be stimulated by his thoughts RA (Royal Academy Magazine) Switching from novels and movies to art and architecture, Batchelor clearly and cleverly traces the cultural implications of the 100 year-plus Colour War between Chromophobes like Le Corbusier, with their hosannas to whiteness, and Chromophiliacs like Warhol, the great artist of cosmetics. A succinct book of art theory which goes down smoothly i-D Magazine Batchelor has found an irresistible selection of anecdotes and quotes relating to the experience of color ... thoughtful and entertaining -- Tema Celeste a theoretical and cultural banquet ... The book's narrative quality goes beyond the telling of color theory's history and other approaches to color, coming to read like a psychological thriller: how the West crushed color - or at least thought it did so New Art Examiner, Chicago

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Book SynopsisChallenging the legacy of slavery, colonization, and ongoing racism that portrays African-American people as unable to love, the author of 'All About Love' explores how the ethic of love has become the foundation of hope and survival.

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Book SynopsisHow to Teach Fiction Writing is a practical manual to help teachers of junior classes to focus on the key aspects of developing children's storywriting. The book presents a series of essential writing workshops full of creative ideas and fun activities. It also offers a range of advice including how to set up and run an effective workshop and how to monitor NLS links. Workshops focus on capturing stories, characterization, creating settings, skilful paragraphing, writing in a variety of genres from myths and fables to adventures and science fiction, and writing style.Table of ContentsIntroduction, Capturing stories, Characterisation, Settings, Openings, Paragraphing, Different types of story

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Book SynopsisAn evangelistic booklet based on The Purpose Driven Life.

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Book SynopsisSince first published in 1991 Pocket Jackson's, as it is most often called, has enjoyed enormous success and is constantly rated as a bestseller in the Arts & Antiques category. During the last twenty-three years important developments have taken place in the Hallmarking system. Most notably the introduction within Europe of a universally accepted system of marking has lead not only to the addition of new marks, but also to a change of status of several historic marks. This edition brings up to the present day all the date letters and commemorative marks. It also includes the recently introduced marks for Palladium and a section illustrating the Assay Office identification marks of those countries that are signatories to the International Convention marking system. In addition and of importance are the changes made in the early cycles of Dublin date letters which result from recent research by silver scholars in Ireland.

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOKThe Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshipped it, and the Christian Church used it to fend off heretics. Today it's a timebomb ticking in the heart of astrophysics. For zero, infinity's twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything.Zero has pitted East against West and faith against reason, and its intransigence persists in the dark core of a black hole and the brilliant flash of the Big Bang. Today, zero lies at the heart of one of the biggest scientific controversies of all time: the quest for a theory of everything. Within the concept of zero lies a philosophical and scientific history of humanity.Charles Seife's elegant and witty account takes us from Aristotle to superstring theory by way of Egyptian geometry, Kabbalism, Einstein, the Chandrasekhar limit and Stephen Hawking. Covering centuries of thought, it is a concise tour of a world of ideas, bound up in the simple notion of nothing.Trade ReviewThis is one of the best-written popular science books to have come this way for quite a while. -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *A witty but lucid account... A must for armchair logicians. * Focus *A breathless tour of the 'dangerous idea' of zero. * New Scientist *Seife is a gifted explicator of hard science. * Spectator *Moves from Pythagoras to Hawking, accompanying his arguments with well laid-out graphs. A painless way to acquire complex knowledge. * Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR The definitive biography of one of the greatest, most extraordinary runners and Olympic heroes of all time, from the author of running classic Feet in the Clouds. Emil Zátopek won five Olympic medals, set 18 world records, and went undefeated over 10,000 metres for six years. He redefined the boundaries of endurance, training in Army boots, in snow, in sand, in darkness. But his toughness was matched by a spirit of friendship and a joie de vivre that transcended the darkest days of the Cold War. His triumphs put his country on the map, yet when Soviet tanks moved in to crush Czechoslovakia's new freedoms in 1968, Zátopek paid a heavy personal price for his brave defence of socialism with a human face'. Rehabilitated two decades later, he was a shadow of the man he had been and the world hadTrade ReviewA tale from athletics' age of innocence... He was a sporting hero not just for his time but for all time * Spectator *A wonderfully in-depth and often emotionally charged piece of writing * Athletics Weekly *An astonishing achievement... There are few writers as adept at capturing so lyrically the utter and incomprehensible strangeness of distance running... A joy to read * Literary Review *Sport book of the year… A fascinating tale, showing all sides of Zátopek, injecting humanity and humour into a dramatic life -- Matt Butler * i, Book of the Year *Reminds us of the pain and the glory behind every victory and the power of sport to bring people together and make history -- Martina NavratilovaA warm, honest and moving account of one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. Richard Askwith brings to life both the epic triumphs but also the difficulties and complexities of Zatopek's role in Communist Czechoslovakia -- Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the KenyansA portrait of a fine but flawed human. -- Nick Pitt * Sunday Times, Book of the Year *A tremendous read and also a reminder of the lost purity of track and field -- Eileen Battersby * The Irish Times *Terrific -- Huw Richards * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisNorman Ackroyd CBE RA has spent over four decades recording the coastal landscapes of the British archipelago. All his watercolours and many of his etchings are executed en plein air, mainly from chartered boats chosen for their skippers' local knowledge and expertise in landing on the more remote rocks and islands. These journeys, which can last up to fourteen hours, are the result of extensive reading and research. A Shetland Notebook contains 39 watercolours selected from several journeys to the edges of Shetland in the spring and summer of 2012. From the verdant flora of the southern isles to the rugged northern cliffs of Unst and Esha Ness, the book paints a vivid portrait of one of the most intriguing yet inhospitable corners of the British Isles. Each sketch is accompanied by a brief but engaging commentary by the artist.

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Book SynopsisDuring the lowest point of his life, a man begins writing letters to God to vent his frustrations - and unexpectedly receives answers to his questions, written by his own hand. The bestselling spiritual classic that has now sold millions of copies world-wide.Neale Donald Walsch was experiencing the lowest point of his life - from a devastating fire to the collapse of his marriage - when he decided to write a letter to God to vent his frustrations. What he did not expect was a response: as he finished his letter, he was moved to continue writing, and out came extraordinary answers to his questions. These answers - covering all aspects of human existence, from happiness to money, to faith - helped Walsch to change himself and his life for better, and the way he viewed other beings. Walsch compiled all of these answers into a book, Conversations with God, which was an instant bestseller on publication in 1995, going straight into the New York Times bestseller list and remaining there for more than 130 weeks. Over twenty years later, it has sold millions of copies world-wide and has changed the lives of countless people all around the world with its profound answers about life, happiness, money, love and faith. Conversations with God is a modern spiritual classic that remains fresh and relevant in a world that needs its powerful messages about who we are and our place in it more than ever.

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Book SynopsisWhen the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving, polyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed. Drawing on the archives of the New Netherland Project, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative that transforms our understanding of early America.The Dutch colony pre-dated the ''original'' thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid Trade ReviewThe Island at the Center of the World must always be near the top of the list of great books about New York Guardian

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Book SynopsisEnjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake with Britain's favourite novelist Inspired by the novels and letters of Jane Austen, this collection of cakes, bakes and pastries is based on authentic recipes from the Regency era, which have been fully updated for modern-day cooks. In Jane Austen's day, tea and cakes were usually served after dinner, or to evening guests, but these rolls, buns, tarts, and biscuits will be equally welcome at breakfast, with mid-morning coffee, or for afternoon tea. Recipes featured in the book include: English Muffins, based on the muffins served with after-dinner tea in 'Pride and Prejudice'; Buttered Apple Tart as offered by Mr. Woodhouse to Miss Bates in 'Emma'; and Jumbles, inspired by the biscuits enjoyed by Fanny in 'Mansfield Park'. From Plum Cake and Gingerbread to Ratafia Cakes and Sally Lunns 'Tea with Jane Austen' has all the recipes you need to create the finest tea time treats, and the original recipes are given alongside, so you can compare them and appreciate modern time-savers such as icing sugar, dried yeast and electric mixers all the more!

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Book Synopsis***THE WORD OF MOUTH INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER NOW UPDATED WITH 15 EXPLOSIVE NEW CHAPTERS***False economics. Threats, bribes, extortion. Debt, deception, coups, assassinations and unbridled military power. These are the tools used by the ‘corporatocracy’ – a vast network of corporations, banks, colluding governments and rich and powerful individuals – to ensure that they retain and expand their wealth and influence, growing richer and richer as the poor become poorer.In his original, post 9/11 book, John Perkins revealed how he was recruited as an economic hit man in the 1970s, and exposed the corrupt methods American corporations use to spread their influence in the developing world, cheating countries out of trillions of dollars. In this new, extensively updated edition he lays bare the latest, terrifying evolution of the economic hit man, and how the system has become even more entrenched and powerful than ever before.In New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins provides fresh and chilling evidence of how the corporatocracy has grown its influence to every corner of the globe, making us all unwitting slaves to their regime. But he also provides advice on how we can end our unconscious support of the system and its self-serving, lethal economy.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Perkins has, once again, made a substantial contribution to a world that needs whistle-blowers to open its eyes to the true sources of political, social, and economic power" - Yanis Varoufakis"It comes from the heart. I highly recommend it." - Michael Brownstein"it’s all here in toe-curling detail' - GuardianTrade ReviewConfessions of an Economic Hit Man is a unique book, brave because it is personal. With unflinching honesty, John Perkins narrates his moral awakening and struggle to break free from the corrupt system of global domination he himself helped to create. This book possesses an immediacy which separates it from the numerous studies we already have of American Empire. It comes from the heart. I highly recommend it. -- Michael Brownstein, author of World on FireWhen I read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, I could not have known that, some years later, I would be on the receiving end of the type of ‘economic hit’ that Perkins so vividly narrated ... Perkins has, once again, made a substantial contribution to a world that needs whistle-blowers to open its eyes to the true sources of political, social, and economic power -- Yanis Varoufakis, former Minister of Finance, GreeceMust reading for those that know another world is possible! Perkins' story, however, is less about individual guilt and more about the systemic programming and tempting of males in patriarchal societies and their global power elites. Perkins' revelations shock us and illuminate how these same incentives in academia keep reproducing the compartmentalized worldviews and sophisticated economic models rationalizing inequity, greed, egotism, competitive self-interest and global expansionism via GDP-growth and debt. * Hazel Henderson, author of Beyond Globalization and Building a Win-Win World *I was hazy on the precise details of how third world debt came about, but after reading Confessions of an Economic Hit Man I consider myself rather better informed. And a lot more dismayed… it’s all here in toe-curling detail * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisWith a Haynes Manual, you can do it yourself, from simple maintenance to full repairs. Every Manual is based on a complete stripdown of the bike. Our authors and technicians work out the best methods to do a job and present this with the home mechanic in mind. Our Manuals have clear instructions and hundreds of photographs that show each step. Whether you're a beginner or a competent mechanic, you can save money with Haynes., Each Manual includes:, Clear and easy to follow page layout, Full procedures written from hands-on experience, Easy-to-follow photos, Faultfinding information, How to make special tools, Colour wiring diagrams (where available)

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Book SynopsisOil paint is such a responsive and versatile medium that no two painters need use it in exactly the same way, and since its invention in Renaissance times it has never lost its popularity with artists. Amateurs also find it appealing, both because it is enjoyable to use and because mistakes can be so easily rectified. This compact book explains all the materials, techniques and different approaches to painting with oils. Step-by-step sequences show how to paint a range of themes, from still life to portraits and landscapes, with advice on more difficult subjects. There are also suggestions for presenting your finished paintings and how to go about getting your work seen and exhibited.Trade ReviewI received this book from Search Press in return for an unbiased and honest review. It's been a long time since I dabbled in Oils so this book was a nice refresher for the returning amaturer oil painter. The book is aimed primarily at those who are new to oil painting and Amateurs' rather than the professional Oil painter. I found it well laid out and easy to understand. It talks about the paints themselves and how amatur and professional paints are different in shade and amount of pigment they contain. It covers tools required and how to use them and also how the paint itself can look different depending on the painting surface. I was impressed with how well it covers mixing colours for skin tone, sunsets, water and skies to name but a few. It is certainly a book that is well worth purchasing for anyone wishing to start or improve their skills with oil paints, Art students who need a backup or just those wishing to learn more techniques than the mere basics. * Laura Mackenzie-Hawkins *A great guide for the beginner in oils I received this book from Search Press in return for an unbiased and honest review. I am a long-term painter in oils, so I was very interested in seeing how this book came across. Subtitled “An essential reference for the practising artist”, this book is aimed primarily at those new to oil painting, although the more experienced will also find parts of the book useful. This is a 2016 reprint of the original 2005 edition. I’m not sure whether there have been any updates to the original but the book does not feel out of date in any way. The book is about A5 in size and printed on high quality paper with easy to read text. A two-page introduction gives a well presented precis of the contents and how they are organised. There are four main section to the book: Materials, Colour, Techniques and Subjects. I shall deal with each in turn. Many of the subjects include an analysis and tips for the artist. Materials Straight away, the author highlights the difference between artist and student quality paint and the benefits of buying only the tubes you need, rather than a boxed set. The different types of brush shape and composition are well covered, with illustrations to back-up the text. There are sections on painting knives, surfaces, painting mediums and surface preparation. Each is well presented in just a couple of pages with good quality supporting illustrations. This section will be of great use to the beginner, with the occasional snippet for the more experienced. Colour Making sense of the multitude of colours available can be a daunting task for all of us. However, the author, Marylin Scott, presents the various aspects of the colour wheel and the differing characteristics of the various colours in a clear and methodical way. Once again, the accompanying illustrations are of a high quality and support the text extremely well. Advice is given on choosing an initial palette, with examples of the mixes that could be achieved from the selection. The author goes on to cover the mixing of greens, browns etc, with pictorial examples of how one might use the mixes. Techniques One term often bandied around is “Fat over Lean”. Marlin gets straight to the point and illustrates how the technique is used, why it is used and the results. An excellent description in my view and one that could be of use to many painters. The section continues with basic and advanced subjects. Basic techniques cover painting Alla Prima (and what that means), blending, building up, underdrawing, brushwork, dry brush, hard and soft edges, coloured grounds (including what we men by a ‘ground’), we-in-wet, wet-on-dry, and corrections. Advanced techniques cover glazing, impasto, knife painting, finger painting, sponge painting, scumbling, tonking, scraping back, sgraffito, texturing, underpainting, imprinting, masking, mono printing, and mixed media. Useful hints and tips The author discusses the various materials used to create a painting, how to create darks and adjust perceived colours, preparing a surface, and painting on location. Subjects In this section, Marylin considers a variety of subjects: landscape, still life, buildings etc., with supporting tutorials to follow. Each item has well presented examples of the subject being discussed, helping the reader understand the reasoning behind the text. Conclusion I found this book easy to read and quite interesting. I certainly found snippets that I will refer to and use in my own work. A member of my art group has just started to use oils and I can see that this book would be an extremely useful resource for her. Find a place for this book on your shelves; it will repay your investment. * David Raison *I am an amateur painter and had recently taken up oil paints. I was struggling a bit so switched back to acrylics. This book has made me look at returning to oils as there are many tips, examples and lessons that I have not seen elsewhere. For example I was surprised to see finger painting as I have never encountered this before in any books. The book is well laid out and the content is clear; set out in four comprehensive sections. I particularly like the colour chapter on “Mixing and Using Colours” as I struggle with colours and looking at this I am sure it will be a great help. There is a page on Useful Extra Colours that I found very interesting but feel it could have been expanded on as it was very brief. I was given this book by Search Press Art to provide a review of the book within one week of receipt so I have not been able to use the book on a practical level but am looking forward now to returning to oil painting and using it as it is loaded with useful, interesting information. All in all a nice little bible. * Grace McCarron *

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.Come along, Toto, she said. We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.'Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home.With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger. A much-loved children's classic, The Wizard of Oz continues to delight readers young and old with its enchanting tale of witches, flying monkeys and silver shoes.

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Book SynopsisAn international bestseller which has sold over a million copies in the UK, Dreams From My Father is a refreshing, revealing portrait of a young man asking big questions about identity and belonging. The son of a Black African father and a white American mother, Barack Obama recounts an emotional odyssey, retracing the migration of his mother's family from Kansas to Hawai'i, then to his childhood home in Indonesia. Finally he travels to Kenya, where he confronts the bitter truth of his father's life and at last reconciles his divided inheritance. Written nearly fifteen years before becoming president, Dreams from My Father is an unforgettable read. It illuminates not only Obama's journey, but also our universal desire to understand our history and what makes us who we are.Trade ReviewExtraordinary . . . It's unique. It's his. There are no other ones like that -- TONI MORRISONAn American classic, written with grace and precision * * Observer * *Thoughtful, moving and brilliantly written * * The Times * *A man with a phenomenal life story * * Spectator * *A bestseller because of its freshness and honesty -- CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS * * Sunday Times * *A well-written account of Obama's struggle to establish his own views on identity and race, and all the more entertaining for its honesty * * Financial Times * *The only politician's life I have read that made me cry . . . elegant and surprising prose as well as a solid personal statement -- IAN KELLY * * The Times * *With its honesty and cool language, and by virtue of having a story worth telling, the book impresses far more than the typical political memoir -- COLIN WATERS * * Sunday Herald * *Obama has written a memoir . . . that evokes the anguish of miscegenation yet culminates in a cry of faith in human community . . . Obama is a born narrator, with a mastery of colour, scene and personality, deftly stirring them into the melting pot of a shared American identity. Rarely has that identity found so vivid a portraitist -- SIMON JENKINS * * Sunday Times * *[Obama] writes with candour about racism, bigotry and hardship, but always there is a sense of wisdom - you feel you are in the presence of a very mature man . . . You will not fail to be moved by Obama's warmth and humility * * Good Book Guide * *

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Book Synopsis‘I’m just a cosmic yob, I suppose.’‘I change every day. I’m not outrageous. I’m David Bowie.’‘I’m an instant star. Just add water and stir.’Genre-hopping, gender-bending: Bowie has never been afraid to pushthe boundaries. Whether masquerading as an alien, a spaceman or a goblin king, this rock ‘n’ roll hero was a true visionary. The death of the Man Who Fell to Earth shook fans around the world, but his influence lives on.Pocket Bowie Wisdom is full of insights into music, identity, fame, love and creativity from one of the most pioneering musicians of all time. This collection of quotes makes a perfect gift for the Bowie fan in your life.

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Book SynopsisWith an anthology edited by Tom Wolfe and E. W. Johnson

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES PRIZE FOR HISTORY FINANCIAL TIMES AND NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014On the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Deluge is a powerful explanation of why the war''s legacy continues to shape our world - from Adam Tooze, the Wolfson Prize-winning author of The Wages of DestructionIn the depths of the Great War, with millions of dead and no imaginable end to the conflict, societies around the world began to buckle. As the cataclysmic battles continued, a new global order was being born.Adam Tooze''s panoramic new book tells a radical, new story of the struggle for global mastery from the battles of the Western Front in 1916 to the Great Depression of the 1930s. The war shook the foundations of political and economic order across Eurasia. Empires that had lasted since the Middle Ages collapsed into ruins. New nations sprang up. Strikes, street-fighting and revolution convulsed much of the world. And beneath the surface turmoil, the war set in motion a deeper and more lasting shift, a transformation that continues to shape the present day: 1916 was the year when world affairs began to revolve around the United States. America was both a uniquely powerful global force: a force that was forward-looking, the focus of hope, money and ideas, and at the same time elusive, unpredictable and in fundamental respects unwilling to confront these unwished for responsibilities. Tooze shows how the fate of effectively the whole of civilization - the British Empire, the future of peace in Europe, the survival of the Weimar Republic, both the Russian and Chinese revolutions and stability in the Pacific - now came to revolve around this new power''s fraught relationship with a shockingly changed world. The Deluge is both a brilliantly illuminating exploration of the past and an essential history for the present.Trade ReviewBold and ambitious . . . probably the best of the current books about the First World War * Observer *A remarkable new synthesis which draws on [Tooze's] two particular areas of expertise, Eurasia and especially Germany, and the global financial system revolving around London ... the great strength of his book is that he invites us to look at familiar events in unfamiliar ways ... Tooze's account brims with contemporary resonances ... He is too good a historian, however, to turn this into a simple argument for Keynesian deficit financing ... the general public and policymakers alike will - must! - turn to Adam Tooze for instruction -- Brendan Simms * Tablet *It is particularly refreshing to read Adam Tooze's book ... it confirms his stature as an analyst of hugely complex political and economic issues ... Tooze's book covers a huge geographical sweep ... he shows himself a formidably impressive chronicler of a critical period of modern history, unafraid of bold judgements -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Adam Tooze's masterly book should be required reading for anyone who wants to truly understand the significance of the war ... Extensively researched and written with exemplary clarity, this work is as monumentally ambitious as its subject ... his powers of description and analysis range across all inhabited continents ... this is a valuable look at the ways in which the years after the war came to define the rest of the 20th century * BBC History Magazine *Interesting, engaging and very readable ... Underpinning this account is an impressive facility with numbers and an ability to analyse them that is increasingly rare among historians nowadays ... he has also delivered, for the first time, ...a clear and compelling rationale as to why it is actually worth going back and looking at the era of the First World War at this particular moment in time ... The Deluge reminds us, then, why we write history and why we should read it * Literary Review *Tooze made his name with The Wages of Destruction . . . His study of the post-1918 era is equally impressive, explaining why the US and its allies, having defeated Germany, were unable to stabilize the world economy and build a collective security system in Europe -- Tony Barber * Financial Times BOOKS OF THE YEAR *

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Book SynopsisINSPIRATION FOR THE TV SHOWIf ever there were a book to make you switch off your television set, The Dangerous Book for Boys is it.How many other books will help you thrash someone at conkers, race your own go-cart, and identify the best quotations from Shakespeare? The Dangerous Book for Boys gives you facts and figures at your fingertips swot up on the solar system, learn about famous battles and read inspiring stories of incredible courage and bravery. Teach your old dog new tricks. Make a pinhole camera. Understand the laws of cricket. There''s a whole world out there: with this book, anyone can get out and explore it.The Dangerous Book for Boys is written with the verve and passion that readers of Conn Iggulden''s number one bestselling novels have come to expect. This book, his first non-fiction work, has been written with his brother as a celebration of the long summers of their youth and as a compendium of information so vital to men of all ages. Lavishly designed and fully ilTrade ReviewPraise for ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys' ‘The perfect handbook for boys and dads.' Daily Telegraph 'Full of tips on how to annoy your parents'. Evening Standard 'An old-fashioned compendium of information on items such as making catapults and knot-tying…the end of the PlayStation may have been signalled.' The Times 'Just William would be proud. A new book teaching boys old-fashioned risky pursuits…has become a surprise bestseller.' Daily Mail 'If you want to know how to make crystals, master NATO's phonetic alphabet…and build a workbench, look no further.' Time Out

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Dutch House, Commonwealth and Bel Canto, Winner of The Women's Prize for Fiction and the Pen/Faulkner Award.When Ann Patchett and Lucy Grealy met in college they began a friendship that would define their lives. Lucy Grealy lost part of her jaw to childhood cancer, and a large part of her life to chemotherapy and endless reconstructive surgeries. Stoic but vulnerable, damaged by bullying but fascinated by fame, Lucy had an incandescent personality that illuminated those around her.In this tender, brutal book, Ann Patchett describes Lucy's life and her own platonic love for her. Truth & Beauty is the story of the part of their lives that they shared the camaraderie and comedy, the tribulations and tragedy of true friendship. A portrait of unwavering commitment through success, failure, despair and drugs, this is what it means to be part of two lives that are intertwined.Trade Review'A luminously detailed book…Truth & Beauty, Patchett's account of her relationship with Grealy, is not a story of commonplace camaraderie. Theirs is a love story, a first-love story, an account of devotion so intense that it compares to conventional friendship as closely as double cream does to Dream Topping' Observer ‘An inspired duet…riveting’ Joyce Carol Oates ‘An extraordinary, painful, but ultimately celebratory memoir’ Red ‘A loving, clear-sighted portrayal’ Elle ‘Equal parts catharsis and work of art, Ann Patchett’s beautifully executed book is sincerely inscribed with Lucy’s inordinate value as a friend’ TLS

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Book SynopsisCreated by one of Japan's most popular artists, this book provides detailed and complete instruction for illustrating fun and appealing characters and elements that celebrate life. The author's special and distinct style is simple, appealing, happy, and cute and offers artists, crafters, and art enthusiasts-with and without experience-the instruction and inspiration to draw in the Japanese character style. This book is for artists and crafters of all skill levels that want to bring their own illustration to their work. It offers both entertaining and fun drawing instruction and techniques along with inspiring and sweet unique style characters and elements.

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Book SynopsisGrammar in Use is the world's best-selling grammar series for learners of English.

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Book SynopsisSoccer is the most mathematical of sports--riddled with numbers, patterns, and shapes. How to make sense of them? The answer lies in mathematical modeling, a science with applications in a host of biological systems. Soccermatics brings the two together in a fascinating, mind-bending synthesis. What''s the connection between an ant colony and Total Football, Dutch-style? How is the Barcelona midfield linked geometrically? And how can we relate the mechanics of a Mexican Wave to the singing of cicadas in an Australian valley? Welcome to the world of mathematical modeling, expressed brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of soccer. Soccer is indeed more than a game and this book is packed with game theory. After reading it, you will forever watch the game with new eyes.Trade ReviewSumpter's deconstruction of formations proved why maths and football can't live without each other. It's every football nerd's dream. * FourFourTwo *A fascinating and entertaining dive into the mathematics of the beautiful game. * The Guardian *...Highly readable... * The Irish Times *...You will love this book. * The Tribune *This is football looked at in a very different way. David Sumpter is mining a rich and deep seam here in Soccermatics, one that will become an increasingly important part of the game. -- Pat Nevin, former Chelsea and Everton star and football media analystA fascinating study of the structures and patterns that underpin football matches, with revealing and surprising conclusions. -- Michael Cox, editor of Zonal Marking and Guardian SportsSoccermatics provides fresh insight into a game we've been watching all of our lives. But it's more than a book about football and is all the better for it. -- Adam Bate, football features writer for Sky SportsDavid Sumpter brings together his two passions, mathematics and football, in a highly original and entertaining way. The beautiful game illustrated through the beauty of mathematics. -- Philip Maini FRS, Professor of Mathematical Biology, University of OxfordTable of ContentsPreface: The Kick-off Part I: On the Pitch Chapter 1: I Never Predict Anything and I Never Will Chapter 2: How Slime Moulds Built Barcelona Chapter 3: Check My Flow Chapter 4: Statistical Brilliance Chapter 5: Zlatan Ibrah Rocket Science Part II: In the Dugout Chapter 6: Three Points for the Bird-brained Manager Chapter 7: The Tactical Map CHapter 8: Total Cyber Dynamo Chapter 9: The World in Motion Part III: From the Crowd Chapter 10: You'll Never Walk Alone Chapter 11: Bet Against the Masses Chapter 12: Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is Chapter 13: The Results Are In The Full-Time Whistle Notes Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisStays and Corsets: Historical Patterns Translated for the Modern Body goes a step beyond traditional historical costuming texts by not only providing you with historical pattern diagrams and information, but by showing you how to adapt these patterns to the contemporary body shape. Using her original pattern-drafting system, author Mandy Barrington will show you how to draft a historical pattern for a modern body shape, while still retaining an accurate historical silhouette.Each pattern has been generated from an original stay, corset, or pattern taken from a historical garment. The instructions to follow these new patterns are designed to accommodate any size of female figure, allowing you to avoid extremely difficult, time consuming, and inaccurate historical pattern re-sizing Requiring only basic prior knowledge of pattern drafting, all calculations have been worked out for the costume maker and are provided in simple tables accompanied by easy-to-read, step-by-step diagrams that clearly show how the historical pattern is plotted onto the female basic block, coupled with photographs of the constructed stays and corsets.Table of ContentsIntroduction How to use this book Guidance on the pattern drafting process A guide to finding the measurements for your historical pattern Pattern Drafting Tools Female Measurements Taking Accurate Measurements Female Measurement Form Female Measurements Guide Standard Female Measurements The Female Basic Block Pattern Female Basic Block Instructions Preparing the Female Basic Block for your Historic Pattern Historical Patterns Introduction1735-50 Fully-boned Corset Bodice1776 Half-boned Stays 1785-88 Half-boned Stays1793 Fully-boned Short Stays 1820 White Cotton Corset1860 Closed Front Corset1875 Corded and Quilted Corset1890 Riding Corset1890 Wasp-waist CorsetGlossaryCostume collectionsSuppliers Further ReadingCreditsAcknowledgements?

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis''A great mind that is constantly exploring, searching, becoming . . . an impressive collection'' Elif Shafak, Observer''A phenomenal book'' Claire Kohda Hazelton, Guardian''We are fortunate to have Hustvedt voicing doubt so intelligently'' Lara Feigel, Financial TimesA TRAIL-BLAZING AND INSPIRING COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ON ART, FEMINISM, NEUROSCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY FEATURING THE DELUSIONS OF CERTAINTY, WINNER OF THE EUROPEAN ESSAY PRIZE 2019.Internationally acclaimed as a novelist, Siri Hustvedt is also highly regarded as a writer of non-fiction whose insights are drawn from her broad knowledge in the arts, humanities, and sciences. In this trilogy of works collected in a single volume, Hustvedt brings a feminist, interdisciplinary perspective to a range of subjects. Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, Susan Sontag and Knut Ove Knausgaard are among those who come under herTrade ReviewThis is a phenomenal book. Its soul is in the connections it draws between disparate subjects, through which Hustvedt manages to shrink the world into something comprehensible. -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * Guardian *A writer with an unusual blend of incisive intelligence, humour and imagination. There is a moving essay on the blurring of gender in Louise Bourgeois and a brilliantly comic analysis of Karl Ove Knausgaard . . . She is able to combine [a] personal perspective with erudite analysis and, as the personal perspective is at the forefront, she is always open to uncertainty, which she sees, rightly, as itself a political stance . . . as the complicated warnings of experts are decried and swaggering lies broadcast on the news, this kind of uncertainty matters more than ever . . . We are fortunate to have Hustvedt voicing doubt so intelligently. -- Lara Feigel * Financial Times *It is obvious that hers is a great mind that is constantly exploring, searching, "becoming" . . . An impressive collection by a novelist who clearly loves the humanities, the sciences and the ancient art of storytelling. But Hustvedt is not only a writer. She is also a passionate reader and therein lies the secret of this book . . . Here is a great book that invites reading . . . not only to 'look at a woman writer looking at men looking at women', but also to look within, deep inside the recesses of our minds, so as to recognise the fascinating complexity but also the heartbreaking fragility of human existence. -- Elif Shafak * Observer *[The Delusions of Certainty] reads like the work of a talented teacher who has the drive and the ability to organise and present - in an exceptionally clear, clean, even limpid voice - a monumental amount of abstract information. It's hard to overstate the pleasure and the comfort that such demystification provides the scientifically uninitiated; it does indeed make the world feel larger, more expansive, more alive to the touch * New York Times Book Review *Few writers eviscerate bias and flawed logic as elegantly and ruthlessly as Hustvedt . . . she expertly flays assertions about biological and psychological sex differences . . . Hustvedt does not resolve her many questions, but her exhilarating conclusion testifies to the virtues of doubt . . . Her work is cerebral but also warm, deeply felt. * Washington Post *[Hustvedt] impresses as a writer of blazing intelligence and curiosity . . . This is fertile and fascinating territory for scientists and humanists alike. * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisAkin to having a one-on-one carving course with a master carver, this resource-a collection of tips and tricks honed over many years-mentors newcomers and serious beginning woodcarvers alike. A comprehensive guide for those who want to learn carving, this manual provides a handful of lessons, including how to choose the best woods, safe tool handling tips, making cuts, and executing a variety of techniques. The careful step-by-step instructions that are explained in a warm conversational voice help novice crafters find quick success and encouragement as they work on a number of carving motifs and three projects for both relief and in-the-round styles. For serious beginners eager to know more about a timeless craft, this go-to reference provides an answer to every question. Introduction SECTION I: CARVING TOOLS AND SETTING UP *Technical Mastery Chapter 1: Tools of the Trade *Your Tools are Your Carving Chapter 2: Commissioning Your Carving Tools *Understanding Wood Chapter 3: Supporting Cast SECTION II: USING CARVING TOOLS *Getting to Grips Chapter 4: Handling Your Carving Tool *Thin Edge of the Wedge Chapter 5: The Outcome of the Tool SECTION III: EXERCISES *Good Habits Chapter 6: Simple Moldings *Surfaces, Lines & Junctions Chapter 7: Veiner and V-tool SECTION IV: RELIEF CARVING *Form Into Space Chapter 8: An Exercise in Setting-In *Over the Horizon Chapter 9: Low Relief *A Touch of Drama Chapter 10: High Relief *Feel the Form Chapter 11: Pierced Relief SECTION V: CARVING IN THE ROUND *Entering Choas Chapter 12: In the Round: Baseball Cap *Making It Up as You Go Along Chapter 13: In the Round: WrenTable of ContentsIntroduction SECTION I: CARVING TOOLS AND SETTING UP *Technical Mastery Chapter 1: Tools of the Trade *Your Tools are Your Carving Chapter 2: Commissioning Your Carving Tools *Understanding Wood Chapter 3: Supporting Cast SECTION II: USING CARVING TOOLS *Getting to Grips Chapter 4: Handling Your Carving Tool *Thin Edge of the Wedge Chapter 5: The Outcome of the Tool SECTION III: EXERCISES *Good Habits Chapter 6: Simple Moldings *Surfaces, Lines & Junctions Chapter 7: Veiner and V-tool SECTION IV: RELIEF CARVING *Form Into Space Chapter 8: An Exercise in Setting-In *Over the Horizon Chapter 9: Low Relief *A Touch of Drama Chapter 10: High Relief *Feel the Form Chapter 11: Pierced Relief SECTION V: CARVING IN THE ROUND *Entering Choas Chapter 12: In the Round: Baseball Cap *Making It Up as You Go Along Chapter 13: In the Round: Wren

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Book SynopsisThread the love with Tom Daley's eagerly awaited debut knitting and crochet book.Make something you love for someone you love with Tom Daley's eagerly awaited debut knitting and crochet book.Tom Daley is on a mission to inspire the next generation of crafters. In Made With Love you will discover the joys of knitting and crochet, with brilliant and easy to follow masterclasses alongside 30 gorgeous step-by-step projects. Featuring size inclusive garments, covetable gifts, chic homeware and cosy accessories, Tom offers helpful tips and tricks to support even the most tentative of beginners. Whether it's for yourself or a loved one, Made With Love will soon have you making and sharing projects to be proud of.

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Book SynopsisJonathan Berk is the A. P. Giannini Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University and is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Before coming to Stanford, he was the Sylvan Coleman Professor of Finance at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to earning his PhD, he worked as an Associate at Goldman Sachs (where his education in finance really began). Professor Berk's research interests in finance include corporate valuation, capital structure, mutual funds, asset pricing, experimental economics, and labor economics. His work has won a number of research awards including the Stephen A. Ross Prize in Financial Economics, TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award, the Smith Breeden Prize, Best Paper of the Year in The Review of Financial Studies, and the FAME Research Prize. His paper, A Critique of Size-Related Anomalies, was selected as one of the 2 best paperTable of ContentsBrief Contents PART 1: Introduction The Corporation and Financial Markets Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis Financial Decision Making and the Law of One Price PART 2: Time, Money, and Interest Rates The Time Value of Money Interest Rates Valuing Bonds PART 3: Valuing Projects and Firms Investment Decision Rules Fundamentals of Capital Budgeting Valuing Stocks PART 4: Risk and Return Capital Markets and the Pricing of Risk Optimal Portfolio Choice and the Capital Asset Pricing Model Estimating the Cost of Capital Investor Behavior and Capital Market Efficiency PART 5: Capital Structure Capital Structure in a Perfect Market Debt and Taxes Financial Distress, Managerial Incentives, and Information Payout Policy PART 6: Advanced Valuation Capital Budgeting and Valuation with Leverage Valuation and Financial Modeling: A Case Study PART 7: Options Financial Options Option Valuation Real Options PART 8: Long-Term Financing Raising Equity Capital Debt Financing Leasing PART 9: Short-Term Financing Working Capital Management Short-Term Financial Planning PART 10: Special Topics Mergers and Acquisitions Corporate Governance Risk Management International Corporate Finance

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER''Affectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book'' Nigel Slater''Triumphant, a pastoral for the 21st century'' Helen Davies, Sunday Times, Books of the Year''The nature publishing sensation of the year, unsentimental yet luminous'' Melissa Harrison, The Times, Books of the YearSome people''s lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks'' isn''t. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand, and has been for hundreds of years. A Viking would understand the work they do: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells.Trade ReviewTwo pages into The Shepherd's Life, I was gripped. Twenty pages in, I was amazed. By its end, I knew I'd read an extraordinary book, at once political and beautiful - a major addition to the modern British literature of landscape, that can stand alongside Ronald Blythe's classic Akenfield as a portrait of a place and its people as seen from within -- Robert MacfarlaneA very good book -- Alan BennettAffectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book -- Nigel Slater, author of Toast and The Kitchen DiariesBloody marvellous -- Helen Macdonald, author of H is for HawkA powerful - and quietly electrifying - meditation... Page by page, he builds what amounts to a 21st-century pastoral manifesto. The book is an unsentimental education, part history of farming in the Lake District, part personal memoir. And yet it still soars... Rebanks's prose is beautifully sure-footed -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times *A remarkable achievement... Utterly unsentimental, The Shepherd's Life is, nevertheless, profoundly moving... The human values that imbue The Shepherd's Life are, perhaps, ones that Britain, disillusioned and scandal weary, could do with being reminded of right now -- Melissa Harrison * Financial Times *Rebanks's enthusiasm and talent for poetic writing is infectious... [His] words create not only a gorgeous landscape painting of the Lake District and its inhabitants, human, animal, bird and fish, but also a useful social document... What is most striking about this book is its authenticity; this is the real thing -- Carol Midgley * The Times *A wonderfully detailed and candid account of a life that is both individual and typical of this role in rural society... told with perfect pitch, in prose that flows as easily as speech, cleaves hungrily to the particular, and shifts without strain between the workaday and the imaginative -- David Craig * Guardian *Absorbing, often funny, and beautifully written... a testament to the importance of maintaining a connection to the land * Observer *Captivating... A book about continuity and roots and a sense of belonging in an age that's increasingly about mobility and self-invention. Hugely compelling -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Exceptional... Rebanks's way with words is akin to that of that of an expert shearer with the clippers - swift, deft, skilled - and the resulting prose is lean, vivid, tough and handsome. I loved his book. It is one to restore faith in writing and the business of publishing - a story not like any other, told from the inside by someone whose passion for his subject lights up almost every sentence -- Tom Fort * Literary Review *An unforgettable survivor's book that raises important questions, not least about education... one of the most truthful depictions of contemporary rural life that I have read -- Richard Benson * Independent *More than a tribute to a rare and doughty tribe. If hills could speak, this is surely a tale the fells would tell -- Horatio Clare * Telegraph *An enlightening, exquisitely written account... I was beguiled by this book, an eloquent love-letter to a cherished way of life -- Brian Viner * Daily Mail *May well do for sheep what Helen Macdonald did for hawks -- Stephen Moss * Guardian *Punchy, well-read and occasionally lyrical... a glorious book, alive with the author's voice, which is strong and individual, as befits a man who makes a living in this ancient but precarious way. Most striking is its honesty * Herald Scotland *Rebanks offers a fascinating account of his life in farming that is in equal parts memoir, social commentary and procedural. Even for the most committed urbanite, it's a brilliant read -- Alexander Larman * Observer *James Rebanks's unsentimental, sharply detailed memoir about his life as a shepherd gripped me from the first page -- Moira Hodgson * Wall Street Journal *A timely and important book, with flashes of beauty in its spare and honest prose -- Sadie Jones, author of The OutcastIn James Rebanks we hear a new voice from the fells. The toil and the beauty in The Shepherd's Life are utterly compelling -- Nicholas Crane, author of CoastA vivid, honest, unforgettably written account not just of one shepherd's year, but of an ancient way of life -- Lucy Dillon, author of A Hundred Pieces of MeThe Shepherd's Life is a reader's delight. No tourist wandering the iconic Lake District is Rebanks; coming from centuries of farmers he is as 'hefted' to the fells as the Herdwick sheep he keeps. He lives, breathes and works his landscape - which gives him an inside edge as sharp as shears over most of the flock of current countryside-writers. Rebanks has written a marvellous autobiography - of himself, his family, and the hills themselves. For they are indivisible -- John Lewis-Stempel, author of MeadowlandWhat came through was the stolid humility, gentle stubbornness and genuine care you need to live this life. Many books are written about a thing but this book is of a thing and is valuable for it -- Cynan Jones, author of The DigThe Shepherd's Life is that rare thing, a well-written book about the life of the land by a man who gets his living from the land. It's a paean for a peopled landscape, and a powerful counterblast to the doleful environmentalism that would empty our land of its people -- Philip Walling, author of Counting SheepBeautifully written -- Alan Cumming, actor and author of Not My Father's SonIrreverent, honest, achingly beautiful and totally authentic. Rebanks challenges us to understand what would be lost if no one remembers the seasons of a shepherd's life or the culture of sheep farming. His joy is as contagious as his writing -- Linda Lear, author of Beatrix Potter: The extraordinary life of a Victorian geniusTruly extraordinary... written with a mastery of vivid, concrete detail that makes you gasp * WI Life *A wonderful book which will surely become a Lake District classic. Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, it provides a vivid insight into the realities of hill farming life -- Angus J L Winchester, Professor of Local & Landscape History, Lancaster UniversityA gorgeous book, unsentimental but exultant, vivid and profound, and a fierce defense of small-scale farming -- Maryn McKenna * National Geographic *A beautifully told tale suffused by a profound sense of belonging and a clear-eyed love of the land and its people. * Sunday Morning Herald *His prose is earthed and conversational; it feels as if you're leaning over a gate, listening to his ruminations. The book exudes tough passion, and a sense of belonging and love that holds you rapt to the very last line * Intelligent Life *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhat better gift to give for Christmas than this wonderfully irreverent collection of the great Jilly Cooper's columns from the 60s? * i newspaper *No one else can make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, quite like Jilly Cooper * Gill Sims *Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels * Pandora Sykes *This book has given me so much pleasure * Alan Titchmarsh *Britain needs this jolly Jilly Cooper collection...Line after line, anecdote after anecdote is laugh-out-loud funny, the prose bouncing along like a labrador puppy * The Times *

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Book SynopsisWhen the ill-treated animals of Manor Farm rebel against their masterMr Jones and take over the farm, they believe that this meansfreedom and equality for all. But then a ruthless Napoleon takescontrol and the other animals soon realise that they are not allas equal as they thought.

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