Search results for ""Author Michael Brown""

The battle of Bannockburn, fought on the fields south of Stirling at midsummer 1314, is the best known event in the history of Medieval Scotland. It was a unique event. The clash of two armies, each led by a king, followed a clear challenge to a battle to determine the status of Scotland. As a key point in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the fourteenth century, the battle has been extensively discussed, but Bannockburn was also a pivotal event in the history of the British Isles. This book analyses the road to Bannockburn, the campaign of 1314 and the aftermath of the fight. It demonstrates that in both its context and legacy the battle had a central significance in the shaping of nations and identities in the late Medieval British Isles.

Read more less

Did you know you’re likely to have had over 89,000 heated altercations with your closest relations before you reached the age of eight? By age 16, thousands more hours will have been spent by most of us in some form of disagreement with those in our extended social networks. As a species, we’re well practised at falling out with each other. We may even have a gene for it – certainly, some of us seem to be gifted. When it comes to finding resolutions, however, things don’t come quite so naturally: as much as 90% of all inter-personal conflicts never reach agreement. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I Don’t Agree is a fascinating exploration of new, powerful and surprising solutions to an ancient problem: why we disagree so much. It shows how to sidestep our animosities and get great things done, despite our differences. Underpinned by cutting-edge research and academic thinking (as well as fascinating real-life case studies and easy-to-use tools), author and marketeer Michael Brown reveals the eye-opening secrets that can lead to better leadership, stronger teams, swifter promotions, more effective collaboration, better organisational culture – as well as radically improving your life outside of work.

Read more less

Mankind has always had a morbid fascination with poisonous plants; how their poisonous properties were discovered and developed will most likely be left unknown. Over the centuries poisonous plants have been used to remove garden pests, unwanted rivals and deceitful partners. They have also been used for their medicinal qualities, as rather dangerous cosmetics, even to help seduce a lover when perceived as an aphrodisiac. Some of these and other uses originate in a medieval book that has not yet been translated into English. Shamans and priests used these plants for their magical attributes, as a means to foretell the future or to commune with the gods. Discover how a pot of Basil helped to conceal a savage murder. Learn the truth about the mysterious mandrake, a real plant although many do not realise it. Jane Austen wrote a conundrum to entertain her family; the answer is one of the plants in the book. Will you be able to solve the mystery? _Death In The Garden_ is based on Michael Brown s most popular talk, popular as this subject holds a strange interest, for many will enjoy learning about these treacherous and peculiar plants, their defensive and deadly traits, as well as the folklore that has grown around them. This title will appeal to gardeners, horticulturalists, nature enthusiasts and anyone who holds an interest in this strange and enchanting corner of the garden. But be warned, many of these deathly plants may already be taking root in your very own garden

Read more less

When the heart is allowed to work its alchemy, we discover that we can transmute our pain into peace, our grief into joy, and our anger into serenity. Alchemy of the Heart shows that transformation happens differently from how we expect. Our tendency is to avoid experiences we think of as negative, to shy away from situations that may be painful, and to suppress our real feelings. The heart can only come to our aid if, instead of running from what we dislike, we become fully present with what we are experiencing. Alchemy of the Heart explains that when we accept the unacceptable instead of pushing it away, we discover that the flip side of psychological pain is personal growth -- and that our pain is simply our healing wanting to break through.

Read more less

The battle of Bannockburn, fought on the fields south of Stirling at midsummer 1314, is the best known event in the history of Medieval Scotland. It was a unique event. The clash of two armies, each led by a king, followed a clear challenge to a battle to determine the status of Scotland. As a key point in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the fourteenth century, the battle has been extensively discussed, but Bannockburn was also a pivotal event in the history of the British Isles. This book analyses the road to Bannockburn, the campaign of 1314 and the aftermath of the fight. It demonstrates that in both its context and legacy the battle had a central significance in the shaping of nations and identities in the late Medieval British Isles.

Read more less

Plants were an essential part of medieval life. Most people lived in houses made of wood and thatch, which often accidentally burned down when they cooked their food or huddled over wood fires to keep warm. People wore linen clothing dyed with plants. They drank ale, cider and wine as they danced to music played on wooden instruments. Beauty, love and seduction could all be made easier with a few herbal preparations. If you became ill, plants provided many of the cures. The unwary may have mistaken a poisonous plant for one that was good to eat, with fatal consequence. Others may have used the poisonous plant to remove an unwanted rival. Some plants had magical properties. The mysterious mandrake could kill anybody who tried to dig it up without taking the appropriate precautions. Demons could be summoned or dismissed by the aid of plants. The church used powerful incense to clean the air and induce a sense of religious euphoria. This book is designed to give a broad introduction to the plants that were used during the medieval period. With many colourful photos, a list of plants that were available and some original medieval recipes to try, you can set out on an adventure to explore the wonderful world of medieval plants.

Read more less

Medieval gardens usually rate very few pages in the garden history books. The general perception is still of small gardens in the corner of a castle. Recent research has shown that the gardens were larger than we previously believed. This book contains information and pictures that have not been generally available before, including the theory and practice of medieval horticulture. Many features of later gardens were already a part of medieval gardens. The number of plants was limited, but was still no less than many modern gardeners use in their own gardens today. Yet medieval gardens were imbued with meaning. Whether secular or religious, the additional dimension of symbolism, gave a greater depth to medieval gardens, which is lacking in most modern ones. This book will be of interest to those who know little about medieval gardens and to those with more knowledge. It contains some of the vast amount of research that the author carried out to create the medieval gardens at the Prebendal Manor, Nassington, Northamptonshire. The author has tried to use previously unused sources and included his own practical experience of medieval gardening methods that he carried out to maintain the gardens. Some worked, others certainly didn't.

Read more less

Santa Mouse searches for his true Christmas talent in Santa’s workshop in this magical 8x8 storybook about finding your own special way to celebrate the holiday.Life at the North Pole is exciting and different for Santa Mouse, who has become Santa’s littlest helper. Santa Mouse is full of Christmas joy, so he can’t wait to find out the best way to help the others at Santa’s workshop. First, he tries his paws at toy making with the elves, but it’s not quite right. Then he joins the present wrapping station, but it’s still not a good fit. Can Santa Mouse find his true calling?

Read more less

Conditioned by a childhood surrounded by the rivalries of the Stewart family, and by eighteen years of enforced exile in England, James I was to prove a king very different from his elderly and conservative forerunners. This major study draws on a wide range of sources, assessing James I’s impact on his kingdom. Michael Brown examines James’s creation of a new, prestigious monarchy based on a series of bloody victories over his rivals and symbolised by lavish spending at court. He concludes that, despite the apparent power and glamour, James I’s ‘golden age’ had shallow roots; after a life of drastically swinging fortunes, James I was to meet his end in a violent coup, a victim of his own methods. But whether as lawgiver, tyrant or martyr, James I has cast a long shadow over the history of Scotland.

Read more less

Join Santa’s littlest helper, the bestselling, classic Christmas character Santa Mouse, in these three hardcover holiday picture books now available together in a deluxe boxed set!Sometimes giving is the best gift of all. Santa Mouse is a small creature with a big heart who proudly assists Santa every Christmas and knows that little things can be the most important. This kindhearted hardcover boxed set includes: Santa Mouse Santa Mouse, Where Are You? Santa Mouse Finds a Furry Friend

Read more less

The Wars of Scotland is the story of the pivotal period in Scottish history between 1214 and 1371. The century and a half between the death of King William the Lion and the accession of the Stewarts witnessed major changes in the internal character of the kingdom and its place in the wider European world. The opening decades of this era seemed to be dominated by the continued development of a defined Scottish realm but the crisis which engulfed the kings and their people meant that issues of war and allegiance would make fourteenth-century Scotland a very different place. This book is the first detailed discussion of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as a single period of both developing and fragmenting political hierarchies and communities. The Wars of Scotland provides a political narrative which places events in their immediate context as well as highlighting special issues and groups in thematic chapters. It also introduces a new discussion of the stability and unity of Scotland as a realm and community and of the impact of war and dynastic crisis on a Medieval state.

Read more less

When did medicine become modern? This book takes a fresh look at one of the most important questions in the history of medicine. It explores how the cultures, values and meanings of medicine were transformed across the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as its practitioners came to submerge their local identities as urbane and learned gentlemen into the ideal of a nationwide and scientifically-based medical profession. Moving beyond traditional accounts of professionalization, it demonstrates how visions of what medicine was and might be were shaped by wider social and political forces, from the eighteenth-century values of civic gentility to the radical and socially progressive ideologies of the age of reform. Focusing on the provincial English city of York, it draws on a rich and wide-ranging archival record, including letters, diaries, newspapers and portraits, to reveal how these changes took place at the level of everyday practice, experience and representation.

Read more less

"Do this in remembrance of Me." From the very beginning, the Lord's Supper has stood at the heart of Christian worship. But over the years we've trivialized it, squeezing it in between "real" worship. If Jesus lives in us, and the Holy Spirit is poured out on us, why do we need to eat bread and drink grape juice or wine? Does it really matter? It does matter--and it's life-changing, says leading Pentecostal theologian Jonathan Black. With warmth and depth, he explores not only how the table is still a powerful place of transformation and encounter with Jesus, but also how we can experience Christ's promise of presence, glory, healing, forgiveness, victory, and intimacy when we answer His call to come to the table. Whether you're feeling the lack of His presence, are ashamed of sin in your life, or have never felt anything during Communion, Christ's invitation to partake in His feast is your invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Read more less

Santa Mouse becomes Santa’s littlest helper…in the kitchen! Join Santa Mouse and the elves at the North Pole as they bake Christmas cookies in a sweet holiday tale.When Santa Mouse wakes to the delicious aroma of cookies on Christmas Eve, he finds the elves busy baking for Santa’s big day. Always ready to lend a helping paw, Santa Mouse joins in to bake and decorate a surprising plate of cookies for everyone at the North Pole, including Santa’s hardworking reindeer. This stocking stuffer–sized board book with a padded cover is the perfect celebration of the classic Christmas cookie tradition.

Read more less

Santa’s littlest helper gets lost and must find his way back to Santa’s sleigh in time to save Christmas in this delightful holiday picture book.Every Christmas, Santa Mouse becomes Santa’s little helper. This year, when Santa’s ready to take off in his sleigh, Santa Mouse scurries onto his shoulder—only to fall off into the deep, dark snowy ground below. How will he ever find Santa and help him deliver presents to the children?

Read more less

Now available as a Classic Board Book, little ones will love this heartfelt, joyous story of how a kindhearted mouse becomes Santa’s littlest helper in this true Christmas classic.Sometimes giving is the best gift of all. In this charming holiday story, meet a tiny mouse with no name who is nevertheless blessed with a large imagination and a generous spirit. He lives a very lonely life in a very big house. He dearly loves Christmas and one Christmas Eve he surprises Santa Claus with a most unusual present. How does this small mouse with a big heart become Santa’s special helper? Written by Michael Brown and illustrated in a timeless style by Elfrieda De Witt, Santa Mouse is a Christmas family favorite that parents and grandparents are sure to share with their little ones.

Read more less

Santa’s littlest helper returns in this novelty lift-the-flap board book. Can you find where Santa Mouse is hiding?Who’s the little friend on Santa’s shoulder? Who is it we look for when it’s colder? Join one of the bestselling Christmas book characters, Santa Mouse, on a holiday search-and-find adventure. Lift the flaps to see where Santa Mouse is hiding on each spread!

Read more less

The story of how Robert Bruce outwitted Edward I, the shrewd and ruthless King of England, defeated his son Edward II, and in doing so regained Scotland's independence. Professor Barrow describes the dazzling and tragic career of William Wallace, the English military occupation of Scotland that was its consequence, and the emergence of Robert Bruce as the centre of Scottish resistance. The author pieces together from the surviving evidence a vivid and almost day-by-day account of Bruce's daring tactics, his crowning at Scone in March 1306, his defeat by the English three months later, and his life as a fugitive.

Read more less

A Rapid Load Test (RLT), developed to determine the initial stiffness and bearing capacity, is an economical and practical alternative to a Static Load Test (SLT). The broad application of RLT, however, was hampered by uncertainty about the interpretation of the test results. This book offers clear guidance on the available analysis techniques and their reliability.The guidelines were related to an international standard that is drawn up by CEN and can be used in two ways: Straightforward interpretation of test results, chapters 1-3 Interpretation with additional background information about the possibilities and limitations, chapters 4-8 The guidelines were drawn up by the Dutch CUR-committee on rapid load testing on piles.Chapters 1 and 2 deal with the practical execution of the test and the presentation of the results. Chapter 3 gives a general overview of existing interpretation methods and refers to step-by-step descriptions of the two advised interpretation methods.The aspects that are important for the interpretation are discussed in chapter 4, also showing that the inertia of the pile should be taken into account. In clay soil the rate effect (the dependency of strength and stiffness on loading rate) is also of importance, whereas in sand and silt the generation of pore water pressures during an RLT plays a role. The velocity of the RLT is such that the reaction of sand and silt might be considered as partially drained. These guidelines indicate how these effects can be compensated to obtain the static resistance in the final results. Chapter 5 presents two interpretation methods (a method for piles in sand, gravel, silt and piles on rock and a method for piles in clay). For practical use, the methods are described in a step-by-step scheme in an appendix.

Read more less

Winner of the 2022 Broadcast Education Association Book Award One of the first books to examine the status of broadcasting on its one hundredth anniversary, Radio’s Second Century investigates both vanguard and perennial topics relevant to radio’s past, present, and future. As the radio industry enters its second century of existence, it continues to be a dominant mass medium with almost total listenership saturation despite rapid technological advancements that provide alternatives for consumers. Lasting influences such as on-air personalities, audience behavior, fan relationships, and localism are analyzed as well as contemporary issues including social and digital media. Other essays examine the regulatory concerns that continue to exist for public radio, commercial radio, and community radio, and discuss the hindrances and challenges posed by government regulation with an emphasis on both American and international perspectives. Radio’s impact on cultural hegemony through creative programming content in the areas of religion, ethnic inclusivity, and gender parity is also explored. Taken together, this volume compromises a meaningful insight into the broadcast industry’s continuing power to inform and entertain listeners around the world via its oldest mass medium--radio.

Read more less