Search results for ""Author Matt"
University of California Press Audiotopia: Music, Race, and America
Ranging from Los Angeles to Havana to the Bronx to the U.S.-Mexico border and from klezmer to hip hop to Latin rock, this groundbreaking book injects popular music into contemporary debates over American identity. Josh Kun insists that America is not a single chorus of many voices folded into one, but rather various republics of sound that represent multiple stories of racial and ethnic difference. To this end, he covers a range of music and listeners to evoke the ways that popular sounds have expanded our idea of American culture and American identity. Artists as diverse as The Weavers, Cafe Tacuba, Mickey Katz, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Bessie Smith, and Ozomatli reveal that the song of America is endlessly hybrid, heterogeneous, and enriching - a source of comfort and strength for populations who have been taught that their lives do not matter. Kun melds studies of individual musicians with studies of painters such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and of writers such as Walt Whitman, James Baldwin, and Langston Hughes. There is no history of race in the Americas that is not a history of popular music, Kun claims. Inviting readers to listen closely and critically, "Audiotopia" forges a new understanding of sound that will stoke debates about music, race, identity, and culture for many years to come.
£27.00
Yale University Press The Last Revolutionaries: The Conspiracy Trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the Equals
The story of a poor man and radical activist who fought to revive the French Revolution, and whose failure heralded the republic’s defeat “Very much a book for our times. Mason’s retelling of the trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the French Revolution shows how democracies end. Historians of revolutions and all those concerned with the arc of social justice movements have much to learn from this remarkable story.”—Sophia Rosenfeld, University of Pennsylvania Laura Mason tells a new story about the French Revolution by exploring the trial of Gracchus Babeuf. Named by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as the “first modern communist,” Babeuf was a poor man, an autodidact, and an activist accused of conspiring to reignite the Revolution and renew political terror. In one of the lengthiest and most controversial trials of the revolutionary decade, Babeuf and his allies defended political liberty and social equality against a regime they accused of tyranny. Mason refracts national political life through Babeuf’s trial to reveal how this explosive event destabilized a fragile republic. Although the French Revolution is celebrated as a founding moment of modern representative government, this book reminds us that the experiment failed in just ten years. Mason explains how an elected government’s assault on popular democracy and social justice destroyed the republic, and why that matters now.
£25.00
Indiana University Press Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa
When Dr. Ellen Einterz first arrives in the town of Kolofata in Cameroon, the situation is dire: patients are exploited by healthcare workers, unsterilized needles are reused, and only the wealthy can afford care. In Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa, Einterz tells her remarkable story of delivering healthcare for 24 years in one of the poorest countries in the world, revealing both touching stories of those she is able to help and the terrible suffering of people born in extreme poverty. In one case, a 6-year-old burn victim suffers after an oil tanker tips and catches fire; in another story, Dr. Einterz delivers a child in the front yard of her home. In addition to struggling to cure diseases and injuries and combat malnutrition, Einterz faced another kind of danger: the terrorist organization Boko Haram had successively kidnapped politicians from Cameroon and foreigners, and they had set their sights on Americans in particular. It would only be a matter of time before they would come for her. Tragic, heartwarming, and at times even humorous, Life and Death in Kolofata illustrates daily life for the people of Cameroon and their doctor, documenting both the incredible human suffering in the world and the difference that can be made by those willing to help.
£21.99
Indiana University Press Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa
When Dr. Ellen Einterz first arrives in the town of Kolofata in Cameroon, the situation is dire: patients are exploited by healthcare workers, unsterilized needles are reused, and only the wealthy can afford care. In Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa, Einterz tells her remarkable story of delivering healthcare for 24 years in one of the poorest countries in the world, revealing both touching stories of those she is able to help and the terrible suffering of people born in extreme poverty. In one case, a 6-year-old burn victim suffers after an oil tanker tips and catches fire; in another story, Dr. Einterz delivers a child in the front yard of her home. In addition to struggling to cure diseases and injuries and combat malnutrition, Einterz faced another kind of danger: the terrorist organization Boko Haram had successively kidnapped politicians from Cameroon and foreigners, and they had set their sights on Americans in particular. It would only be a matter of time before they would come for her. Tragic, heartwarming, and at times even humorous, Life and Death in Kolofata illustrates daily life for the people of Cameroon and their doctor, documenting both the incredible human suffering in the world and the difference that can be made by those willing to help.
£45.00
Columbia University Press Staged: Show Trials, Political Theater, and the Aesthetics of Judgment
Theater requires artifice, justice demands truth. Are these demands as irreconcilable as the pejorative term “show trials” suggests? After the Second World War, canonical directors and playwrights sought to claim a new public role for theater by restaging the era’s great trials as shows. The Nuremberg trials, the Eichmann trial, and the Auschwitz trials were all performed multiple times, first in courts and then in theaters. Does justice require both courtrooms and stages?In Staged, Minou Arjomand draws on a rich archive of postwar German and American rehearsals and performances to reveal how theater can become a place for forms of storytelling and judgment that are inadmissible in a court of law but indispensable for public life. She unveils the affinities between dramatists like Bertolt Brecht, Erwin Piscator, and Peter Weiss and philosophers such as Hannah Arendt and Walter Benjamin, showing how they responded to the rise of fascism with a new politics of performance. Linking performance with theories of aesthetics, history, and politics, Arjomand argues that it is not subject matter that makes theater political but rather the act of judging a performance in the company of others. Staged weaves together theater history and political philosophy into a powerful and timely case for the importance of theaters as public institutions.
£55.80
Columbia University Press Debating Race, Ethnicity, and Latino Identity: Jorge J. E. Gracia and His Critics
The philosopher Jorge J. E. Gracia engages fifteen prominent scholars on race, ethnicity, nationality, and Hispanic/Latino identity in the United States. Their discussion joins two distinct traditions: the philosophy of race begun by African Americans in the nineteenth century, and the search for an understanding of identity initiated by Latin American philosophers in the sixteenth century. Participants include Linda M. Alcoff, K. Anthony Appiah, Richard J. Bernstein, Lawrence Blum, Robert Gooding-Williams, Eduardo Mendieta, and Lucius T. Outlaw Jr., and their dialogue reflects the analytic, Aristotelian, Continental, literary, Marxist, and pragmatic schools of thought. These intellectuals start with the philosophy of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and then move to the philosophy of African Americans and Anglo Americans in the United States and the philosophy of Latin Americans in Latin America. Gracia and his interlocutors debate the nature of race and ethnicity and their relation to nationality, linguistic rights, matters of identity, and Affirmative Action, binding the concepts of race and ethnicity together in ways that open new paths of inquiry. Gracia's Familial-Historical View of ethnic and Hispanic/Latino identity operates at the center of each of these discussions, providing vivid access to the philosopher's provocative arguments while adding unique depth to issues that each of us struggles to understand.
£45.00
Columbia University Press New Frontiers for Youth Development in the Twenty-First Century: Revitalizing and Broadening Youth Development
Practical guide and theoretical manifesto, New Frontiers for Youth Development is a vital roadmap to the problems and prospects of youth development programs today and in the future. In response to an unprecedented array of challenges, policy makers and care providers in the field of youth dvevelopment have begun to expand the field both practically and conceptually. This expansion has thus far outstripped comprehensive analysis of the issues it raises, among them the important matter of establishing common standards of legitimacy and competence for practitioners. New Frontiers for Youth Development is an overview of the field designed to foster a better understanding of the multifaceted aspects and inherent tensions of youth development. Melvin Delgado outlines the broad social forces that affect youth, particularly at-risk or marginalized youth, and the programs designed to address their needs. He stresses the importance of a contextualized approach that avoids rigid standardization and is attuned to the many factors that shape a child's development: cognitive, emotional, physical, moral, social, and spiritual. The key characteristic of youth development in the twenty-first century, Delgado suggests, is the participation of young people as practitioners themselves. Youth must be seen as assets as well as clients, incorporated into the educational process in ways that build character, maturity, and self-confidence.
£90.00
Columbia University Press Systematics, Ecology, and the Biodiversity Crisis
Which species can be saved, when all cannot? "Systematics, Ecology, and the Biodiversity Crisis" provides critical tools for finding answers to the current of systematic biology. Systematists are in a unique position to identify ciritcal areas of endemism and additional criteria for the identification of habitats and species most urgently in need of protection. The result of a symposium held at the American Museum of Natural History, this book fills a void created by other volumes that have explored the biodiversity crisis exclusively from an ecological stance."It may well be that the dynamics of extinction processes will prove to be exclusively in the domain of moment-by-moment interactive processes of matter-energy transfer: the realm of ecology. But the problems of extinction," Eldredge argues, "can be defined, recognized, measured, and assessed only through the tools of the systematists, paleontologists, and ecologists who explore the relationship between ecology and systematics as it pertains to understanding the origin, maintenance, and loss of biological diversity. The role of museums, zoos, and related institutions is also examined. At a time when our country has only recently awakened to the environmental crisis, "Systematics, Ecology, and the Biodiversity Crisis" provides urgently needed information for any attempts to understand and ameliorate the present dilemma of extinction and preservation.
£63.00
The University of Chicago Press Boggs: A Comedy of Values
In this text, Lawrence Weschler chronicles the antics of J.S.G. Boggs, a young artist with a certain panache, a certain flair, an artist whose consuming passion is money, or perhaps, more precisely, value. What Boggs likes to do is to draw money - actual paper notes in the denominations of standard currencies from all over the world - and then to go out and try to spend those drawings. Instead of selling his money drawings outright to interested collectors, Boggs looks for merchants who will accept his drawings in lieu of cash payment for their wares or services as part of elaborately choreographed transactions, complete with receipts and even proper change - an artistic practice which regularly lands him in trouble with treasury around the world. This volume teases out these transactions and their sometimes dramatic legal consequences, following Boggs on a larkish, though at the same time disconcertingly profound, econo-philosophic chase. For in a madcap Socratic fashion, Boggs is raising all sorts of truly fundamental questions - what is it that we value in art, or, for that matter, in money? Indeed, how do we place a value on anything at all? And in particular, why do we, why should we, how can we place such trust in anything as confoundingly insubstantial as paper money? In passing, Weschler frames a concise, highly entertaining history of money itself - from cowrie shells through hedge funds.
£20.61
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Maya and the Lord of Shadows
In the thrilling third and final book in the acclaimed Maya and the Rising Dark trilogy that Kirkus calls "truly #BlackGirlMagic," Maya must face off with the Lord of Shadows to save the human world from impending war with the Dark.War is coming. Despite everything Maya and her father have done, the veil that protects the human world is failing. The Lord of Shadows has raised an army powerful enough to challenge the orishas. And it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through the veil and destroys Maya’s neighborhood and the rest of the world.Maya and her friends aren’t going down without a fight. She’s honing her guardian powers, with the help of two new allies—her long lost guardian sister and a mysterious darkbringer (who might be a double agent). But when an attack hits close to home, Maya doesn’t have any more time to prepare. She must face the Lord of Shadows or risk losing everything. With her friends—Eli, Frankie, Zeran, and Eleni—by her side, Maya leads the charge in an epic showdown that takes her across worlds and to the edge of the universe.Will she succeed or will Darkness prevail, once and for all?
£7.99
Bonnier Books Ltd Soar: As heard on Desert Island Discs
'Simon Woolley revolutionised British politics' - GuardianCan an outsider ever become a member of the establishment?Simon Woolley is a member of the House of Lords, the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college, and a policy changemaker who has the ear of prime ministers and the future King. But this is a Lord who wants to shake up the establishment; an outsider who knows how important it is to bring underrepresented voices to the table.Raised by loving white foster parents on the impoverished St Matthew's Estate in Leicester, young Simon soon learnt about politics while in line at the barber's and about racism as one of the few Black children in the neighbourhood. The desire to make the world better was awakened during a trip to South America, where he saw revolutionary politics first hand, and discovered how activism could change people's lives. Inspired, he co-founded Operation Black Vote in 1996, credited with encouraging thousands of Black men and women to exercise their right to vote over the past 25 years.Soar is a story of courage and commitment, of perseverance and remaining positive despite the challenges of institutional racism. It's about becoming a father and honouring your heritage. But most of all, it's about being your own role model, when no others have been available to you.
£10.99
Penguin Random House South Africa Protect our Planet: Take Action with Romario
Meet Romario Valentine, an 11-year-old eco-warrior from Durban, South Africa. Through his tree planting, beach clean-ups, avian art and other conservation projects in Africa and other parts of the world, this young activist has become a dynamic campaigner for the future health of our planet. In Protect our Planet, Romario enthusiastically guides young nature lovers through key environmental topics – from recycling and reforestation to pollution solutions and climate change. Topics covered in this book overlap with the Foundation Phase curriculum, and include: The relationship between people and the environment; renewable resources, such as solar power; forestation and why trees matter; types of pollution and the problem with plastic; reducing, reusing and recycling; climate change; the importance of clean water; craft ideas, art activities and backyard projects. Includes step-by-step projects suitable for Foundation Phase learners, such as building a bug hotel, birdfeeder and water filter. Sales points: Lively design with colourful illustrations and caricatures; includes step-by-step projects and green tips; explains environmental topics in an accessible and friendly way; aligns with the National Curriculum for Foundation Phase Life Skills; inspires children to take care of the environment.
£9.99
Verso Books A World Without Police: How Strong Communities Make Cops Obsolete
Tens of millions of people poured onto the streets for Black Lives Matter, bringing with them a wholly new idea of public safety, common security, and the delivery of justice, communicating that vision in the fiery vernacular of riot, rebellion, and protest. A World without Police transcribes these new ideas-written in slogans and chants, over occupied bridges and hastily assembled barricades-into a compelling, must-read manifesto for police abolition.Compellingly argued and lyrically charged, A World without Police offers concrete strategies for confronting and breaking police power, as a first step toward building community alternatives that make the police obsolete. Surveying the post-protest landscape in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Oakland, as well as the people who have experimented with policing alternatives at a mass scale in Latin America, Maher details the institutions we can count on to deliver security without the disorganizing interventions of cops: neighborhood response networks, community-based restorative justice practices, democratically organized self-defense projects, and well-resourced social services.A World without Police argues that abolition is not a distant dream or an unreachable horizon but an attainable reality. In communities around the world, we are beginning to glimpse a real, lasting justice in which we keep us safe.
£19.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Menswear
Whether it’s a military inspired trench coat or a Savile Row tailored suit, menswear design increasingly demands originality, innovation and above all, choice. Menswear, 2nd edition explores the evolution of menswear styles, from the origins of tailoring right through to modern sportswear – showing how historical and social influences continue to endure and influence the menswear collections of today. Interviews offer insight from a range of practitioners, including designer Lou Dalton, fashion entrepreneur Alan Maleh and tailor Ray Stowers. There’s also practical advice on research for design innovation, street style, trends and forecasting and collection development. With a wealth of stunning new images and contemporary examples, new to this edition are end-of-chapter exercises to encourage design work, such as Design for Sportswear Fabrication and Tailoring for Menswear. Featured topics Historical Research for Design Innovation Counterculture Dressing Design Process Street Style Trends and Forecasting Tailoring for Menswear Collection Development Drawing for Men CAD for Menswear Menswear Portfolios Featured interviewees Lou Dalton Guy Hill and Kirsty McDougall, Dashing Tweeds Alan Maleh, Man of the World Ray Stowers, Stowers Bespoke Seung Won Hong, Fashion Illustrator Matthew Zorpas, The Gentleman Blogger
£26.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd 1919: Britain's Year of Revolution
1919; Britain's Year of Revolution tells the story of an almost unknown passage in British history. On the August Bank Holiday that year, the government in London despatched warships to the northern city of Liverpool in an overwhelming show of force. Thousands of troops, backed by tanks, had been trying without success to suppress disorder on the streets. Earlier that year in London, 1,000 soldiers had marched on Downing Street, before being disarmed by a battalion of the Grenadier Guards loyal to the government. In Luton that summer, the town hall was burned down by rioters, before the army was brought in to restore order and in Glasgow, artillery and tanks were positioned in the centre of the city to deter what the Secretary of State for Scotland described as a Bolshevik uprising. Industrial unrest and mutiny in the armed forces combined together to produce the fear that Britain was facing the same kind of situation which had led to the Russian Revolution two years earlier. Drawing chiefly upon contemporary sources, this book describes the sequence of events which looked as though they might be the precursor to a revolution along the lines of those sweeping across Europe at that time. To some observers, it seemed only a matter of time before Britain transformed itself from a constitutional monarchy into a Soviet Republic."
£13.44
Thames & Hudson Ltd Hannah Ryggen: Threads of Defiance
The significance of Hannah Ryggen (1894–1970) as one of the most important figures in the history of Scandinavian art has only recently been recognized internationally. Beloved and renowned for her original contributions to modernist tapestry, Ryggen made radical political statements against Fascism and Nazism before and during the Second World War. Using primary sources, Ryggen expert Marit Paasche brings us a much fuller knowledge of the artist, weaving her life and work into a story that illuminates not only the artist herself, but also 20th-century art history in general. Hannah Ryggen’s visually spellbinding tapestries, made on a homemade handloom in her small farm on the remote Norwegian coast, depict a wealth of subjects: Mussolini’s Abyssinian campaign, her husband’s internment in a Nazi camp in occupied Norway, the post-war growth of nuclear power, and media coverage of the Vietnam War. At once hard-hitting and humorous, her works combine personal candour, social and political engagement and visual majesty. Paasche explores both the artist’s bold subject matter and particular balance of abstraction and figuration within the context of her life and beliefs. Including a comprehensive selection of works, this book provides an enthralling account of a remarkable, and unjustly overlooked, artist.
£22.46
Vintage Publishing Gift Songs
To the Shakers, a good song was a gift; indeed the test of a song's goodness was how much of a gift it was. In their call to 'labour to make the way of God your own', Shaker artists expressed an aesthetic that had much in common with the old Japanese notion, attributed to Hokusai, that to paint bamboo, one had first to become bamboo. In his tenth collection, John Burnside begins with an interrogation of the gift song, treating matters of faith and connection, the community of living creatures and the idea of a free church - where faith is placed, not in dogma or a possible credo, but in the indefinable - and moves on through explorations of time and place, towards a tentative and idiosyncratic re-ligere, the beginnings of a renewal of the connection to, and faith in, an ordered world. The book closes with a series of meditations on place, entitled 'Four Quartets', intended both as a spiritual response to the string quartets of Bartók and Britten (as Eliot's were to Beethoven's late quartets), and as an experiment in the poetic form that the finest of poets, the true miglior fabbro, chose as a medium for his own declaration of faith. The poems in this collection are true gifts: thrillingly beautiful, charged with power and mystery, each imbued with the generous skills of a master of his craft.
£12.00
DruckVerlag Kettler Circus Noir
Freedom, adventure, romance; a spellbound audience, bright-eyed children, rolling drums, a brass band playing lively music; intrepid acrobats in colourful costumes and garishly made-up clowns. The same old stereotypes about the world of the circus are trotted out on many occasions. Over a period spanning more than 15 years, the photographer Oliver Stegmann visited different circuses to take photos of what happens behind the curtains. His muted images attempt to break the usual stereotypes. Again and again, the photographer captured protagonists in moments of unawareness, showing scenes that the audience would normally never get to see from the edge of the ring. Above all, Stegmann is interested in the atmosphere of tense expectation and utmost concentration when the artists are about to perform their hair-raising acts. Using neither colour nor flash, he creates an enigmatic atmosphere reminiscent of expressionist films. For his circus series, Stegmann develops a kind of imagery that has rarely been applied to the small world of the circus as consistently and confidently as in this case. In terms of subject-matter, design, and production, Circus Noir takes a different approach to this genre by adding an entirely unromantic perspective that focuses on the true essence of what it means to work in a circus. Text in English and German.
£43.20
JCB Mohr (Paul Siebeck) Optimal Unemployment Insurance
Designing a good unemployment insurance scheme is a delicate matter. In a system with no or little insurance, households may be subject to a high income risk, whereas excessively generous unemployment insurance systems are known to lead to high unemployment rates and are costly both from a fiscal perspective and for society as a whole. Andreas Pollak investigates what an optimal unemployment insurance system would look like, i.e. a system that constitutes the best possible compromise between income security and incentives to work. Using theoretical economic models and complex numerical simulations, he studies the effects of benefit levels and payment durations on unemployment and welfare. As the models allow for considerable heterogeneity of households, including a history-dependent labor productivity, it is possible to analyze how certain policies affect individuals in a specific age, wealth or skill group. The most important aspect of an unemployment insurance system turns out to be the benefits paid to the long-term unemployed. If this parameter is chosen too high, a large number of households may get caught in a long spell of unemployment with little chance of finding work again. Based on the predictions in these models, the so-called "Hartz IV" labor market reform recently adopted in Germany should have highly favorable effects on the unemployment rates and welfare in the long run.
£103.70
Three Rooms Press Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar
Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Books: Young Adult Literature —LAMBDA LiteraryMust-Have 2023 Queer Book Releases —The Nerd DailyMost Anticipated Young Adult Books —LGBTQ ReadsRecommended LGBTQ+ YA —Reads Rainbow Acclaimed musician Jessamyn Violet’s debut LGBTQA+ novel sizzles with a coming-of-age story set in an industry of ambition, secrets, lies, and utter joy. Eighteen-year-old Kyla Bell dreams of one day being a professional musician... but gets little to no support from her parents. Still, she practices every day and performs locally, harboring her own secret hopes. One night, her dreams are answered in the form of sultry rocker Ruby Sky, the magnetic frontwoman of her favorite band, Glitter Tears. Ruby hears Kyla perform and asks her to join the band on keys for their upcoming tour. In order to accept, Kyla must drop out of her Western Massachusetts high school and move to Los Angeles immediately to live with a renowned yet highly volatile producer who has agreed to put her through "rock star boot camp" in a matter of weeks. Blindsided by her emerging feelings for Ruby Sky, Kyla tumbles through the lights and shadows of the 90s music scene in Los Angeles.
£11.99
RIBA Publishing Approved Document B: Fire safety – Volume 1: Dwellings (2019 edition incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments)
This new, revised edition of Approved Document B incorporates the June 2022 amendment booklet which takes effect on 1st December 2022. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations covers fire safety matters within and around buildings. Published in two volumes, this volume – Volume 1 – deals solely with dwellings, including blocks of flats, while Volume 2 deals with all other types of building cover by the Building Regulations. The aim of each volume is to set out the guidelines that need to be followed in order to prevent the spread of fire over linings, such as walls and ceilings. Each volume also states what materials can be used and what British Standards each should conform to, to ensure that they provide the required level of protection. Main changes made by the 2022 amendments The changes focus on the following fire safety provisions: a. Ban of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings: Consequential amendments following the laying of the Building (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022. Updated provisions in Section 10 for residential buildings (purpose groups 1 and 2) with a storey 11m or more in height. b. Secure information boxes: A new recommendation for secure information boxes in blocks of flats with storeys over 11m. c. Evacuation alert systems: A new recommendation for evacuation alert systems in blocks of flats with storeys over 18m.
£30.00
University Science Books,U.S. Discovering the Cosmos, second edition
Based on the very popular liberal arts course Bob Bless has taught at University of Wisconsin for many years, this book provides a rich, historical approach to introductory astronomy. It is ideal for use in an introductory astronomy course for nonmajors. In the fifteen years since the first edition of this text was published, several new concepts such as dark matter, dark energy, and an incredible expansion of the universe (inflation) have been developed. Furthermore, many of the exotic effects predicted by General Relativity (e.g. black holes, warped space) have gone from being interesting theoretical speculations to useful practical tools for understanding the universe. This book aims to give an overview of astronomy, but in such a way that the non-science major can get a feeling for how science actually developed with its false starts and wrong turns, which observational evidence eventually corrected, and also to describe the incredible recent developments in our understanding of the physical universe. Several chapters of this 2nd edition have been extensively revised to include these recent developments. Because it has become increasingly difficult to “cover” all of astronomy in a one-semester course, this edition has largely omitted coverage of the physical nature of the objects in our, and other, planetary systems, although a discussion of the possibility of life elsewhere closes the book.
£65.99
Rowman & Littlefield The Art of Looking at Art
A readable guide to the art of looking at art.There’s an art to viewing art. A sizable portion of the population regards art with varying degrees of reverence, bewilderment, suspicion, contempt, and intimidation. Most people aren’t sure what to do when standing before a work of art, besides gaze at it for what they hope is an acceptable amount of time, and even those who visit galleries and museums regularly aren’t always as well versed as they wish they could be. This book will help remedy that situation and answer many of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to the matter of art in general: When was the first art made? Who decides which art is “for the ages”? What is art’s purpose? How do paintings get to be worth tens of millions of dollars? Where do artists get their ideas? The Art of Viewing Art addresses these and countless more of the issues surrounding this frequently misunderstood microcosm, in a highly informative, yet conversational tone. History, fascinating and altogether human backstories, and information pertaining to every conceivable aspect of visual art are interwoven in twelve concise chapters, providing all the information the average person needs to comfortably approach, analyze, and appreciate art. Readers with a background in art will learn a few new things as well. This beautiful full-color book includes 45 full-page reproductions.
£66.06
Rowman & Littlefield Rugged Access for All: A Guide for Pushiking America’s Diverse Trails with Mobility Chairs and Strollers
When Kellisa Kain was born premature with significant developmental and physical disabilities, she wasn’t expected to survive her first 24 hours. She defied the odds, and 20 years later she and her father, Christopher Kain, have pushiked using a specialized mobility chair in all 50 states. Now Chris wants to inspire other families, whether with children in strollers or in mobility chairs, to get outside and experience the country’s natural landscapes. Rugged Access for All: A Guide for Pushiking America’s Diverse Trails with Mobility Chairs and Strollers showcases some of the greatest trails across the US that can be completed while pushiking—hiking with someone in a wheelchair, mobility chair, or stroller. Part narrative, part guide, this book chronicles their hikes in all 50 states. It includes detailed trail descriptions, full-color trail maps, and vibrant stories from Chris and Kellisa’s own experiences. Trails vary in difficulty, from deserts to mountains and everything in between. Sometimes even a stroll around the block can have frustrating barriers to those with wheels, and this can lead to families staying inside too often. Rugged Access for All gives families the knowledge, confidence, and direction to travel and experience the wonders of nature, no matter what mobility challenges they may face.
£22.50
McGraw-Hill Education Never Say Whatever: How Small Decisions Make a Big Difference
Life Is Choices. Make Them.An email here, a post there. Late to a Zoom meeting with a crying child in the background. . . we think we have been given permission to let the small stuff go. We have not.In Never Say Whatever, LinkedIn Influencer Richard A. Moran delivers an important message: “You should care. You need to care.” Moran wants you to make choices, no matter how small, in order to move ahead in your career and lead a satisfying life. He cuts to the chase of the wishy-washy mindset that holds careers back and provides the tools you need to reframe seemingly nonessential moments into prime opportunities for moving ahead. Chapters include: Making the Choice—Being Intentional The Road to Awareness—Gaining Perspective The Work Whatevers—Accountability As A Cure Leaders, Managers, and Everyone Else—The Road to Success Is Paved with Risk The Entrepreneurs Guide—Choices, Actions and Reactions Being Human—Whatever in A Worried World Whatever Can Turn Into Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda—Regrets, I’ve Had a Few Living Without Whatever: Kicking the Habit Saying “whatever” is a choice with negative consequences on one’s career.Never Say Whatever explains why this word is no good and provides the tools you need to erase it from your vocabulary—so you can start building a serious career today.
£20.69
Manchester University Press The European Union, Counter Terrorism and Police Co–Operation, 1991–2007: Unsteady Foundations?
This volume examines the underlying foundations on which the European Union's counter-terrorism and police co-operation policies have been built since the inception of the Treaty on European Union, questioning both the effectiveness and legitimacy of the EU's efforts in these two critically important security areas. Given the importance of such developments to the wider credibility of the EU as a security actor, this volume adopts a more structured analysis of key stages of the implementation process. These include the establishment of objectives, both at the wider level of internal security co-operation and in terms of both counter-terrorism and policing, particularly in relation to the European Police Office, the nature of information exchange and the 'value added' by legislative and operational developments at the European level. It also offers a more accurate appraisal of the official characterisation of the terrorist threat within the EU as a 'matter of common concern'. In doing so, not only does it raise important questions about the utility of the European level for organising internal security co-operation, but it also provides a more comprehensive assessment of the EU's activities throughout the lifetime of the Third Pillar, placing in a wider and more realistic context the EU's reaction to the events of 11 September 2001 and the greater prominence of Islamist terrorism.
£85.00
HarperCollins Publishers A Time to Lie
An explosive, fast-paced espionage thriller for fans of Frank Gardner and Mick Herron. ‘Dark and twisted, A Time to Lie is a tense and timely novel’ Adam Hamdy A divisive prime minister. A long-buried body. A plot to bring him down… The bigger the secret the more dangerous it is to lie… On the morning of the Tory Party conference, the bones of a young woman’s hand are discovered in a London building site. Jed Fowkes, Special Adviser at the Treasury, confronts Prime Minister Robin Sandford with a terrible accusation. He claims the hand belongs to someone they once knew well: a young woman whom Sandford murdered years ago. With his career on the brink of ruin, the Prime Minister’s only hope is to enlist the unofficial help of MI5. A decision which leads him into a new world of espionage, illegal trafficking and murder. And the deeper he goes, the more treacherous the game becomes. Because now it’s not just his life on the line; it’s the future of the state itself… ‘A pulse-pounding thrill-ride that hooked me from the chilling opening, A Time To Lie delivers on every, explosive level’ Chris Whitaker ‘Dark and twisted, A Time To Lie is a tense and timely novel’ Adam Hamdy Perfect for fans of TM Logan, Ruth Ware and Matthew Hart.
£12.99
3DTotal Publishing Ltd Sketching from the Imagination: Storytelling
Following the success of the established titles in this popular series, Sketching from the Imagination: Storytelling brings to life the characters, worlds, and tales of traditional stories and modern tales alike. 50 professional storybook artists from around the globe take inspiration from folklore and fairytales, myths and legends, and modern books and novels. Many of these artists create their own narratives, exploring their storytelling skills through an extraordinary talent for transforming words into compelling visual concepts. Children eagerly turn the pages of illustrated storybooks – some of those illustrations would be enchanting and dream-like, others were menacing and ugly (but no less intriguing). Those images often linger into adulthood, when graphic novels and illustrated books take over to feed our adult curiosity and child-like sense of adventure. Each artist not only shares several pages of their original art, but also the story behind it – the narrative of the art itself, and their fascinating account of the artistic process. From traditional children’s characters to the fantastical, surreal, and terrifying worlds, every genre imaginable is covered. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced artist, no matter what your style and medium, this book will have you telling tales in no time.
£23.39
Harriman House Publishing No Worries: How to live a stress-free financial life
No Worries shows how anyone can live a stress-free financial life and build wealth for the long term. This is not about millions of tiny decisions that drain the joy from life, like skipping daily coffee to save a few bucks. And it's not simply about having more money. The secret lies in adopting the right attitude to money and getting a small number of big things right. In his unique style, drawing on decades of expertise, finance expert Jared Dillian tells the truths about essential personal finance topics and helps you to see things as you never have before. Jared reveals: how the right kind of abundance mindset works wonders how to purge the urge to splurge (without making life a drag) the most effective ways to use credit cards that no one tells you about the smart ways to buy big-ticket items, from houses to cars what's gone wrong with student loans and how to use them sensibly how to ace investing with the set-and-forget Awesome Portfolio. No matter where you're at, Jared can help you get your finances in better shape than 99% of other people - so that you can get on with your life as your wealth builds. Do that and you'll have no financial stress, and no worries.
£13.49
Liverpool University Press Treatise on the Whole-World: by Édouard Glissant
This exciting, challenging book covers a wide range of subject matter, but all linked together through the key ideas of diversity and ‘Relation’. It sees our modern world, shaped by immigration and the aftermath of colonization, as a multiplicity of different communities interacting and evolving together, and argues passionately against all political and philosophical attempts to impose uniformity, universal or absolute values. This is the ‘Whole-World’, which includes not only these objective phenomena but also our consciousness of them. Our personal identities are not fixed and self-sufficient but formed in ‘Relation’ through our contacts with others. Glissant constantly stresses the unpredictable, ‘chaotic’ nature of the world, which, he claims, we must adapt to and not attempt to limit or control. ‘Creolization’ is not restricted to the Creole societies of the Caribbean but describes all societies in which different cultures with equal status interact to produce new configurations. This perspective produces brilliant new insights into the politicization of culture, but also language, poetry, our relationship to place and to landscapes, globalization, history, and other topics. The book is not written in the style conventionally associated with essays, but is a mixture of argument, proclamation, and poetic evocations of landscapes, lifestyles and people.
£22.99
PublicAffairs,U.S. Bossed Up: A Grown Woman's Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together
Young women today face an uncertain job market, the pressure to ascend at all costs, and a fear of burning out. But the landscape is changing, and women are taking an assertive role in shaping our careers and lives, while investing more and more in our community of support.Bossed Up teaches you how to:* Break out of the "martyrdom mindset," and cultivate your Boss Identity by getting clear on what you really want for your career and life without apology;* Hone the self-advocacy skills necessary for success;* Understand the differences between being assertive (which is part of being a leader) and being aggressive (which is more like being a bully) - and how that clarity can transform your trajectory;* Beat burnout by identifying how the warning signs may be showing up in your life and how to prioritize bringing more rest, purpose, agency, and community to your day-to-day life;* Unpack the steps to cultivating something more than just confidence; a boss identity, which will establish your ability to be the boss of your life no matter what comes your way.Drawing from timely research, and with personal stories, and spotlights on a diverse group of women from the Bossed Up community, this book will show you how to craft a happy, healthy, and sustainable career path you'll love.
£14.99
John Wiley and Sons Ltd In a Human Voice
Carol Gilligan's landmark book In a Different Voice – the "little book that started a revolution" – brought women's voices to the fore in work on the self and moral development, enabling women to be heard in their own right, and with their own integrity, for the first time. Forty years later, Gilligan returns to the subject matter of her classic book, re-examining its central arguments and concerns from the vantage point of the present. Thanks to the work that she and others have done in recent decades, it is now possible to clarify and articulate what couldn't quite be seen or said at the time of the original publication: that the "different voice" (of care ethics), although initially heard as a "feminine" voice, is in fact a human voice; that the voice it differs from is a patriarchal voice (bound to gender binaries and hierarchies); and that where patriarchy is in force or enforced, the human voice is a voice of resistance, and care ethics is an ethics of liberation. While gender is central to the story Gilligan tells, this is not a story about gender: it is a human story. With this clarification, it becomes evident why In a Different Voice continues to resonate strongly with people's experience and, perhaps more crucially, why the different voice is a voice for the 21st century.
£12.99
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Knowing Pain: A History of Sensation, Emotion, and Experience
Pain, while known to almost everyone, is not universal. The evidence of our own pain, and our own experience, does not provide us with automatic insight into the pains of others, past or present. No matter how self-evident and ubiquitous the sting of a paper cut or the desolation of heartbreak might seem, pain is situated and historically specific. In a work that is sometimes personal, always political, Rob Boddice reveals a history of pain that juggles many disciplinary approaches and disparate languages to tackle the thorniest challenges in pain research. He explores the shifting meaning-making processes that produce painful experiences, expanding the world of pain to take seriously the relationship between pain’s physicality and social and emotional suffering. Ranging from antiquity to the present and taking in pain knowledge and pain experiences from around the world, his tale encompasses not only injury, but also grief, exclusion, chronic pain, and trauma, and reveals how knowledge claims about pain occupy what pain is like. Innovative and compassionate in equal measure, Knowing Pain puts forward an original pain agenda that is essential reading for those interested in the history of emotions, senses, and experience, for medical researchers and practitioners, and for anyone who has known pain.
£22.50
John Murray Press The Wolf of Wall Street
NOW AN AWARD-WINNING MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE, STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND JONAH HILL.'What separates Jordan's story from others like it, is the brutal honesty.' - Leonardo DiCaprioBy day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting. From the binge that sunk a 170-foot motor yacht, crashed a Gulfstream jet, and ran up a $700,000 hotel tab, to the wife and kids who waited for him for at home, and the fast-talking, hard-partying young stockbrokers who called him king and did his bidding, here, in his own inimitable words, is the story of the ill-fated genius they called... THE WOLF OF WALL STREET In the 1990s Jordan Belfort, former kingpin of the notorious investment firm Stratton Oakmont, became one of the most infamous names in American finance: a brilliant, conniving stock-chopper who led his merry mob on a wild ride out of the canyons of Wall Street and into a massive office on Long Island. In this astounding and hilarious tell-all autobiography, Belfort narrates a story of greed, power, and excess no one could invent - the story of an ordinary guy who went from hustling Italian ices at sixteen to making hundreds of millions. Until it all came crashing down.
£11.69
Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc Case Closed, Vol. 58
Jimmy Kudo, the son of a world-renowned mystery writer, is a high school detective who has cracked the most baffling of cases. One day while on a date with his childhood friend Rachel Moore, Jimmy observes a pair of men in black involved in some shady business. The men capture Jimmy and give him a poisonous substance to rub out their witness. But instead of killing him, it turns him into a little kid! Jimmy takes on the pseudonym Conan Edogawa and continues to solve all the difficult cases that come his way. All the while, he's looking for the men in black and the mysterious organization they're with in order to find a cure for his miniature malady. Kir, a captured agent of the Men in Black, lies comatose in a hospital, her location a matter of international security. When the Men in Black discover her whereabouts, Conan needs help from the professionals. Time for the pint-size detective to team up with the FBI! Conan, Agent Starling and the mysterious Agent Arakai hatch a plan to transport Kir to a safe location. But can they stay one step ahead as the Men in Black descend on Tokyo and the Metropolitan Police join the fray? The biggest, most explosive, most game-changing case in Conan's career is underway!
£9.80
Quarto Publishing PLC Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes & Memories from Pakistan
Winner 'Best First Book' - Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2016UPDATED WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM SUMAYYA USMANI.Summers Under the Tamarind Tree is a memoir-cookbook that celebrates the varied, exciting and often-overlooked cuisine of a beautiful country. Sumayya Usmani captures the rich and aromatic pleasure of Pakistani cooking through more than 100 recipes as she celebrates the heritage and traditions of her home country and looks back on a happy childhood spent in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother. While remaining uniquely its own, Pakistani food is influenced by some of the world's greatest cuisines. With a rich coastline, it enjoys spiced seafood and amazing fish dishes; while its borders with Iran, Afghanistan, India and China ensure strong Arabic, Persian and varied Asian flavours. Experience the wonderful flavours of Pakistan with: Aloo ki bhujia (spicy potatoes with nigella seeds and fenugreek) Hyderabadi-style samosas, filled with red onion, mint and green chilli Sweet potato and squash parathas Attock chapli kebab (mince beef flat kebab with pomegranate chutney) Cardamom and coconut mattha lassi, and many more sensational recipes. Learn to cook some of the rich, varied and delicious Pakistani dishes with this beautiful showcase of the exotic yet achievable recipes of Pakistan.
£18.00
Thames & Hudson Ltd Design: The Whole Story
A revised edition of this popular history of design, updated to reflect innovations since the book’s first publication in 2016. Design: The Whole Story takes a close look at the key developments, movements and practitioners of design around the world, from the beginnings of industrial manufacturing to the present day. Organized chronologically, it locates design within its technological, cultural, economic, aesthetic and theoretical contexts. From the high-minded moralists of the 19th century to the radical thinkers of modernism – and from the emergence of showmen such as Raymond Loewy in the 1930s to today’s superstars such as Philippe Starck – the book provides in-depth coverage of a subject that touches all our lives. Iconic works that mark significant steps forward or that characterize a particular era or approach – such as Marcel Breuer’s Wassily chair of 1925, Eliot Noyes’ corporate identity work for IBM in the 1950s and Matthew Carter’s Verdana typeface, designed to be read on screen – are analysed in detail, while the text sets out the framework of ideas, intent and technology within which differing approaches to design have evolved. From the cars we drive and the products we buy to the graphics that surround us, we are all consumers of design. Design: The Whole Story provides all the information needed to decode the material world.
£25.20
SPCK Publishing The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For and Believe
'I cannot put this book down' – BONO ‘One of the most influential speakers in the world’ - OPRAH WINFREY In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’ last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understanding has been limited by culture, religious squabbling, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the centre. Drawing on scripture, history and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. ‘God loves things by becoming them,' he writes, and Jesus’ life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God – except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.
£10.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Red: A Crayon's Story
A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as "red" suffers an identity crisis in this picture book by the New York Times-bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It's an Orange Aardvark! Funny, insightful, and colorful, Red: A Crayon's Story, by Michael Hall, is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way. Red will appeal to fans of Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, and The Day the Crayons Quit, and makes a great gift for readers of any age! Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let's draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can't be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He's blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone.
£12.99
HarperCollins Publishers Gordon Ramsay’s Playing with Fire
The bestselling follow-up to Humble Pie, now in paperback. When he was struggling to get his first restaurant in the black, Gordon Ramsay never imagined he'd be famous for a TV show about how to run profitable eateries, or that he'd be head of a business empire. But he is and he did. Here's how. "In the beginning there was nothing. Not a sausage - penniless, broke, fucking nothing - and although, at a certain age, that didn’t matter hugely, there came a time when hand-me-downs, cast-offs and football boots of odd sizes all pointed to a problem that seemed to have afflicted me, my mum, my sisters, Ronnie and the whole lot of us. It was as though we had been dealt the ‘all-time dysfunctional’ poker hand. I wish I could say that, from this point on, the penny dropped and I decided to do something about it, but it wasn’t like that. It would take years before the lessons of life, business and money began to click into place - before, as they say, I had a pot to piss in. This is the story of how those lessons were learned." This is Gordon Ramsay at his raw, rugged best. PLAYING WITH FIRE is the amazing story of Gordon’s journey from sous-chef to superstar. In his no-holds-barred style, Gordon shares his passion for risk and adventure and his hard-won success secrets.
£9.99
Media Lab Books The Official John Wayne Handy Book for Boys: Essential Skills and Fun Activities for Adventurous, Self-Reliant Kids
If there’s one thing John Wayne admired, it was someone who could stand on their own two feet and take care of themselves no matter what the day might bring. Parents who know Wayne (and there are millions of them) admire those skills as well and feel strongly about raising their boys to be just as self-reliant. Similarly, boys are interested in learning how to camp, hike, explore and have adventures of their own. At the same time, they’re struggling to learn how to effectively transition to adulthood. The Official John Wayne Handy Book for Boys helps them learn both the outdoor skills they need to adventure safely, but also the life skills they need to navigate the real world like responsible young men. The book includes 100 essential skills, tips, activities and lessons for outdoor fun, responsible, safe adventures and real-world competence. Lessons are fully explained and enhanced with full colour step-by-step illustrations where needed. From camping and fishing to managing their money, cleaning up and everything in between, readers will discover four big sections covering a range of topics, including Outdoor Skills, Self-Sufficiency at Home, Acting Upwards and Fun & Games.
£12.99
Murdoch Books The Habit Revolution: Simple steps to rewire your brain for powerful habit change
Beyond Atomic Habits, a practical and evidence-based guide by a world-renowned researcher on hacking your habits for lasting change.If you've ever set a goal to start a new habit or break an old one and you fell off the wagon; if you've been in a cycle of yo-yo dieting, phone scrolling or alarm snoozing; or if you intend to do one thing but end up doing another, then you're in the right place.Why do you find yourself repeating unwanted patterns? What do you do when exhaustion creeps in and you lose your willpower? The good news is it's never too late to reprogram your habits. But how long does it really take and how can you make the changes stick?Leading habit researcher Dr Gina Cleo reveals revolutionary breakthroughs in behavioural science that will help you uncover how your brain works, and how to rewire it to make instant and lasting change in your life.Discover evidence-based techniques to break free from unwanted habits, master your motivation and navigate setbacks to achieve the lifestyle you've always wanted, no matter what stage of life you're in.Packed with practical insights, inspiring stories and surprisingly simple activities to try today, The Habit Revolution is your guide to a life magnificently remastered through the incredible power of habits.
£16.99
Bradt Travel Guides Family Wildlife Adventures: 50 breaks in search of Britain's Wildlife
Connecting with nature. Back to the real world. That's what this book is all about. From island-hopping in the Isles of Scilly to wild camping along Scotland's Whale Route, Family Wildlife Adventures is full of inspiration for exploring Britain's amazing wildlife with your children. Family travel expert and father of two William Gray has your weekends and school holidays sorted with exciting ideas for adventures by canoe, bike, campervan, boat and more. From time travel along Dorset's Jurassic Coast to canoe-camping in the Norfolk Broads or sea kayaking in the Hebrides, you'll find 50 experiences in this book guaranteed to fuel any child's love of wildlife and adventure. Some of them might reward you with sightings of puffins, otters, eagles or seals. Others may reveal small wonders, like dragonflies, blennies and lizards. But no matter which adventure you choose, you and your family will be transported to one of Britain's special wild places. Armed with all the practical information you need to plan a fun and safe day out, week or weekend away, this Bradt guide has something for all families keen to discover the natural wonders of Britain - and have unforgettable adventures along the way.
£16.99
Vintage Publishing Lowborn: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns
A powerful, personal agenda-changing exploration of poverty in today's Britain.'Totally engrossing and deliciously feisty' Bernardine Evaristo'Staggering... An absolute inspiration' Douglas Stewart, Herald'When every day of your life you have been told you have nothing of value to offer, that you are worth nothing to society, can you ever escape that sense of being 'lowborn' no matter how far you've come?'Kerry Hudson is proudly working class but she was never proudly poor. The poverty she grew up in was all-encompassing, grinding and often dehumanising. Always on the move with her single mother, Kerry attended nine primary schools and five secondaries, living in B&Bs and council flats. She scores eight out of ten on the Adverse Childhood Experiences measure of childhood trauma.Twenty years later, Kerry's life is unrecognisable. She's a prizewinning novelist who has travelled the world. She has a secure home, a loving partner and access to art, music, film and books. But she often finds herself looking over her shoulder, caught somehow between two worlds.Lowborn is Kerry's exploration of where she came from. She revisits the towns she grew up in to try to discover what being poor really means in Britain today and whether anything has changed.'One of the most important books of the year' Guardian
£9.67
Quercus Publishing City of Wonders
Eduardo Mendoza's classic novel about the birth of Barcelona as a world city, embodied in the rise of the ambitious and unscrupulous Onofre Bouvila"Though historical in subject matter, this story of Catalonian enterprise and Barcelonan ambition is thoroughly contemporary in spirit" Jonathan FranzenStung by the realisation that his father is a fraud and a failure, Onofre Bouvila leaves a life of rural poverty to seek his fortune in Barcelona.The year is 1888, and the Catalan capital is about to emerge from provincial obscurity to take its place amongst the great cities of the world, thanks to the upcoming Universal Exhibition. Thanks to a tip-off from his landlord's daughter, Onofre gets his big break distributing anarchist leaflets to workers preparing for the World Fair. From these humble beginnings, he branches out as a hair-tonic salesman, a burglar, a filmmaker, an arms smuggler and a political dealmaker, in a multifaceted career that brings him wealth and influence beyond his wildest dreams.But, just as Barcelona's rise makes it a haven for gangsters, crooks and spivs, vice begins to fester in Onofre's heart. And the climax to his remarkable story will come just as a second World Fair in 1929 marks the city's apotheosis.Translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor
£10.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Racetrack Gangs: Four Decades of Doping, Intimidation and Violent Crime
Between the two World Wars, there was a dramatic upsurge of violence as rival criminal gangs vied for rich pickings from bookmakers at racetracks throughout England. With ready access to cash, 'bookies' were a magnet for mobsters' blackmailing demands. Refusal to pay resulted in severe punishment. Their justified fears spawned a ready 'protection' market . Conflict between rival gangs were frequent and increasingly violent. Charles 'Darby' Sabini with his brothers ran 'The Italian Mob' who clashed with Billy Kimber and his Brummagen Hammers. Uneasy partnerships were formed but seldom lasted. The Sabinis were friendly with the Cortesi family until a rift resulted in one of the Cortesis shooting Harryboy Sabini. Other gangs such as The Titanics and The Nile Mob were ready to fill voids. As well as broken alliances, internal friction and members changing sides resulted in bloodshed on the streets, in pubs and clubs and on the courses. Public order was so threatened that the Flying Squad was tasked with the eradication of the problem and, in 1936, the celebrated Battle of Lewes Racecourse brought matters to a bloody conclusion. This well researched and gripping account describes the vicious dramas played out in the 1920s and 1930s.
£15.99
Microsoft Press,U.S. Programming the Microsoft Bot Framework: A Multiplatform Approach to Building Chatbots
This is the only comprehensive, authoritative guide to building Conversational User Interfaces (CUI, a.k.a. bots, chatbots, or chatterbots) with the Microsoft Bot Framework. Reflecting the next radical revolution in human-computer interaction, it will help you leverage advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing to empower new and existing applications with stunningly intuitive conversational interfaces. Long-time Microsoft MVP Joe Mayo begins with high-level explanations of what Microsoft Bot Framework is, what you can do with it, and why it matters so much. Next, he presents the foundational knowledge you need to start creating real bots and CUIs. Step by step, you'll learn how to build message dialogs, manage conversations, interact with framework APIs, and incorporate powerful natural language processing with Microsoft's advanced Language Understanding Intelligent Service (LUIS). Mayo also offers detailed guidance on deploying your customized bots to key platforms such as Slack, Skype, and Facebook Messenger. Throughout, Mayo's practical examples combine code with clear explanations of when and why you would perform each task. From start to finish, Programming the Microsoft Bot Framework is relentlessly practical, helping you translate the advanced "magic" of intelligent bots into real solutions right now.
£36.99
Hodder & Stoughton Bangkok Wakes to Rain: Shortlisted for the 2020 Edward Stanford 'Fiction with a Sense of Place' award
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 EDWARD STANFORD 'FICTION WITH A SENSE OF PLACE' AWARDPlaces remember us... 'An important, ambitious, and accomplished novel. Sudbanthad deftly sweeps us up in a tale that paints a twin portrait: of a megacity like those so many of us call home and of a world where sanctuary is increasingly hard to come by' Mohsin HamidA missionary begs to be sent home. A jazz pianist is hired to perform for ghosts. An army colonel smells the food of home for the last time. A girl designs herself a new face. An old woman uploads her consciousness. Bangkok Wakes to Rain is an intricately plotted novel where characters and stories are linked by place, not time. As the novel builds to a futuristic crescendo, moments of intimacy serve to remind us that no matter what the ebb of time may change, we humans persevere.Praise for Bangkok Wakes to Rain:'Compelling' Financial Times'Breathtakingly lovely' Kirkus'A sumptuous accomplishment' Esquire'A simple, ingenious conceit' Alexander Chee'Elegant and restrained' Wall Street Journal'Saturated in the senses' Claire Vaye Watkins'A swirling, always surprising storytelling structure' Guardian'An original and quietly memorable reading experience' Washington Post'Beautifully textured and rich with a sense of place' Karen Walker Thompson'Reading this book feels like waking up to a singular and important new voice' Rajesh Parameswaran
£9.99