Mathematics of Discrete Structures for Computer Science

An easy-to-understand synopsis of identification systems, presenting in simple language the process of fingerprint identification, from the initial capture of a set of finger images, to the production of a Rapsheet. No other single work exists which reviews this important identification process from beginning to end. We examine the identification process for latent (crime scene) prints and how they are identified with these systems. While the primary focus is automated fingerprint identifications, the book also touches on the emergence and use of fingerprints in other biometric systems.Criminal justice administrators, policy makers, and students of forensic science and criminal justice will find a reference to the known limitations and advantages of these systems.This book provides information as to the critical and continual need for properly trained individuals as well as an understanding of the direct and indirect costs associated with maintaining these systems.An understanding of t

The First New Science gives a clear account of Vico's mature philosophy: the belief that certain functions which are necessary for the maintenance of human society and culture, including philosophy, also condition them historically. This challenges the traditional view that philosophy can lay claim to an historically independent viewpoint, thus bringing into question the legitimacy of the claims of universal prescriptive political theories as against the de facto political beliefs of particular historical societies. This is the first of Vico's later major books in which he wrote in Italian in order not merely to expound but to demonstrate in practice, his conception of the philosophical importance of etymology. This 2002 Cambridge Texts edition is the first complete English translation of the 1725 text. Accompanied by a glossary, bibliography, chronology of Vico's life and expository introduction, it makes this important work accessible to students for the first time.

The First New Science gives a clear account of Vico's mature philosophy: the belief that certain functions which are necessary for the maintenance of human society and culture, including philosophy, also condition them historically. This challenges the traditional view that philosophy can lay claim to an historically independent viewpoint, thus bringing into question the legitimacy of the claims of universal prescriptive political theories as against the de facto political beliefs of particular historical societies. This is the first of Vico's later major books in which he wrote in Italian in order not merely to expound but to demonstrate in practice, his conception of the philosophical importance of etymology. This 2002 Cambridge Texts edition is the first complete English translation of the 1725 text. Accompanied by a glossary, bibliography, chronology of Vico's life and expository introduction, it makes this important work accessible to students for the first time.

It is widely recognised that men and women in societies all over the world have very different experiences of sickness and health. This collection brings together biological and social anthropologists whose work illustrates how these sub-disciplines have approached the task of explaining such differences. We demonstrate that an understanding of science and culture, using the notions of biological 'sex' and socio-culturally constructed 'gender' are both essential for furthering analyses of men's and women's, boys' and girls' experiences of health and disease. We address the important topics of gender differences in parental care, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health and psychological illness, and look at how the medicalisation of women and their relative absence from models of population health might affect their experiences of preventative health measures. This book will be particularly useful for students on human sciences or anthropology courses, or anyone wishing to gain an i

It is widely recognised that men and women in societies all over the world have very different experiences of sickness and health. This collection brings together biological and social anthropologists whose work illustrates how these sub-disciplines have approached the task of explaining such differences. We demonstrate that an understanding of science and culture, using the notions of biological 'sex' and socio-culturally constructed 'gender' are both essential for furthering analyses of men's and women's, boys' and girls' experiences of health and disease. We address the important topics of gender differences in parental care, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health and psychological illness, and look at how the medicalisation of women and their relative absence from models of population health might affect their experiences of preventative health measures. This book will be particularly useful for students on human sciences or anthropology courses, or anyone wishing to gain an i

In this important book, Ellery Eells explores and refines philosophical conceptions of probabilistic causality. In a probabilistic theory of causation, causes increase the probability of their effects rather than necessitate their effects in the ways traditional deterministic theories have specified. Philosophical interest in this subject arises from attempts to understand population sciences as well as indeterminism in physics. Taking into account issues involving spurious correlation, probabilistic causal interaction, disjunctive causal factors, and temporal ideas, Professor Eells advances the analysis of what it is for one factor to be a positive causal factor for another. A salient feature of the book is a theory of token level probabilistic causation in which the evolution of the probability of a later event from an earlier event is central. This will be a book of crucial significance to philosophers of science and metaphysicians; it will also prove stimulating to many economists,

A revolutionary textbook introducing masters and doctoral students to the major research approaches and methodologies in the social sciences. Written by an outstanding set of scholars, and derived from successful course teaching, this volume will empower students to choose their own approach to research, to justify this approach, and to situate it within the discipline. It addresses questions of ontology, epistemology and philosophy of social science, and proceeds to issues of methodology and research design essential for producing a good research proposal. It also introduces researchers to the main issues of debate and contention in the methodology of social sciences, identifying commonalities, historic continuities and genuine differences.

A revolutionary textbook introducing masters and doctoral students to the major research approaches and methodologies in the social sciences. Written by an outstanding set of scholars, and derived from successful course teaching, this volume will empower students to choose their own approach to research, to justify this approach, and to situate it within the discipline. It addresses questions of ontology, epistemology and philosophy of social science, and proceeds to issues of methodology and research design essential for producing a good research proposal. It also introduces researchers to the main issues of debate and contention in the methodology of social sciences, identifying commonalities, historic continuities and genuine differences.

Milton and the Natural World overturns prevailing critical assumptions by offering a fresh view of Paradise Lost, in which the representation of Eden's plants and animals is shown to be fully cognizant of the century's new, scientific natural history. The fabulous lore of the old science is wittily debunked, and the poem embraces new imaginative and symbolic possibilities for depicting the natural world, suggested by the speculations of Milton's scientific contemporaries including Robert Boyle, Thomas Browne and John Evelyn. Karen Edwards argues that Milton has represented the natural world in Paradise Lost, with its flowers and trees, insects and beasts, as a text alive with meaning and worthy of close reading.

A breathing guide for everyone, offering own-to-earth, powerful support that tackles stress, anxiety, and more Breathe out your worries and breathe in calm. This friendly support is an essential handbook to help tackle stress, anxiety, and to make everyday living easier for everyone. Breathwork is an ancient practice backed up by modern science. It is not just for the spiritually enlightened! It is a simple but powerful way for everyone to boost their health and happiness. Rebecca Dennis is the UK's leading breath coach, amd has helped hundreds of people for over a decade to overcome all kinds of common issues simply using breathing exercises. Dive into bite-size sections with easy, immediately impactful methods to help you with: anxiety and stress, grief, to find happiness and positivity, confidence, focus at work, energy, deeper sleep, stronger immunity and to slow ageing, find resilience and recovering (from illness), as well as family-friendly exercises to help both children and pa

First published in 1977, this book shows the positions of the major continental areas during the past 220 million years as four series of computer-drawn maps. The maps have been drawn for the present day, 10 and 20 million years ago, then at 20-million-year intervals back to 220 million years. All the maps are based on quantitative geophysical or topographic information: paleomagnetic pole positions, ocean floor magnetic anomalies, and best fits of the continental margins. Mercator, north polar and south polar sterographic, and Lambert equal-area maps of each selected time interval are provided. Many interesting problems in the Earth Sciences are global; they need to be seen in a proper global setting. The maps provide such a framework on which a very wide range of geological information may be plotted. Problems in fields as widely separated as palenontology, stratigraphy, geochemistry and tectonics may usefully be displayed on these maps.

WINNER OF THE 2024 PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHYA finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award | Named one of the ten best books of 2023 by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and TimeA New York Times bestseller and notable book of 2023 | One of Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2023One of The New Yorker’s essential reads of 2023 | A Christian Science Monitor best book of the year | One of Air Mail’s twelve best books of 2023A Washington Post and national indie bestseller | One of Publishers Weekly’s best nonfiction books of 2023 | One of Smithsonian magazine’s ten best books of 2023“Supple, penetrating, heartstring-pulling and compulsively readable . . . Eig’s book is worthy of its subject.” ―Dwight Garner, The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)“[King is] infused with the narrative energy of a thriller . . . The most compelling account of King’s life in a generation.” ―Mark Whitake

The desire for humanity and the desire for security have co-existed as long as humans have been alive. As science has become increasingly sophisticated, so have the methods of self-defence by States. Nanotechnology is already changing warfare by increasing capabilities upon which armed forces are heavily reliant: more efficient energy storage, advanced photovoltaics, and improved military protective equipment to name a few of these developments. Some applications of nanomaterials by the military are both powerful and subtle, and have neurological and biological applications: 'devices that can infiltrate electronics and seize control at crucial moments, artificial “disease” agents that can rest harmlessly in victims' bodies until activated by an external signal'. The advance of the use or contemplation of use of these types of nanoscale applications by the military requires urgent analysis in light of existing international law, particularly in light of their potential effects on humans

This book is written for academics, students, policymakers, practitioners, and non-governmental organisations interested in the legal recognition of LGBT+ parenting. The book presents arguments in favour of the legal recognition of gay and lesbian families that are based on consideration of the best interests of the child. In this context, 'best interests' is informed by reference to children's rights and to social science data. Applied in this manner, it is argued that the best interests of children can be used to demand that same-sex parenting arrangements are afforded legal recognition and protection. Suggestions are also presented as to the most appropriate manner of providing for this recognition in the areas of parental responsibility, adoption, donor-conception and surrogacy. These suggestions are drawn from comparative case studies, focusing on England and Wales, Ireland and South Africa, that are used to facilitate assessment of the best interests principle.

Originally published in 1950, this textbook was intended for school students with the aim of providing an introductory understanding of chemistry. The book introduces physical chemistry through multiple and diverse experiments; each experiment designed to reinforce a new topic and reflect theorems, approaches and historical development. Notably, the treatment throughout is from the point of view of the kinetic-molecular theory rather than that of the laws of thermodynamics, whilst emphasis is also placed upon physico-chemical phenomena and their significance in various branches of science, such as metallurgy, chemical syntheses and mineralogy. There are twelve chapters in total, with chapter titles ranging from 'Atoms and molecules' to 'Mass action and the ionic dissociation theory'. Various diagrams and plate sections are also included for reference. This book will be of value to chemistry students and scholars as well as those interested in the history of education.

Medical writing tells us a great deal about how the language of science has developed in constructing and communicating knowledge in English. This volume provides a new perspective on the evolution of the special language of medicine, based on the electronic corpus of Early Modern English Medical Texts, containing over two million words of medical writing from 1500 to 1700. The book presents results from large-scale empirical research on the new materials and provides a more detailed and diversified picture of domain-specific developments than any previous book. Three introductory chapters provide the sociohistorical, disciplinary and textual frame for nine empirical studies, which address a range of key issues in a wide variety of medical genres from fresh angles. The book is useful for researchers and students within several fields, including the development of special languages, genre and register analysis, (historical) corpus linguistics, historical pragmatics, and medical and cult

The resolution of the sixty-year debate over continental drift, culminating in the triumph of plate tectonics, changed the very fabric of Earth science. This four-volume treatise on the continental drift controversy is the first complete history of the origin, debate and gradual acceptance of this revolutionary theory. Based on extensive interviews, archival papers and original works, Frankel weaves together the lives and work of the scientists involved, producing an accessible narrative for scientists and non-scientists alike. This second volume provides the first extensive account of the growing paleomagnetic case for continental drift in the 1950s and the development of apparent polar wander paths that showed how the continents had changed their positions relative to one another, more or less as Wegener had proposed. Paleomagnetism offered the first physical measure that continental drift had occurred and helped determine the changing latitudes of the continents through geologic tim

Medical writing tells us a great deal about how the language of science has developed in constructing and communicating knowledge in English. This volume provides a new perspective on the evolution of the special language of medicine, based on the electronic corpus of Early Modern English Medical Texts, containing over two million words of medical writing from 1500 to 1700. The book presents results from large-scale empirical research on the new materials and provides a more detailed and diversified picture of domain-specific developments than any previous book. Three introductory chapters provide the sociohistorical, disciplinary and textual frame for nine empirical studies, which address a range of key issues in a wide variety of medical genres from fresh angles. The book is useful for researchers and students within several fields, including the development of special languages, genre and register analysis, (historical) corpus linguistics, historical pragmatics, and medical and cult

Heat provides the energy that drives almost all geological phenomena and sets the temperature at which these phenomena operate. This book explains the key physical principles of heat transport with simple physical arguments and scaling laws that allow quantitative evaluation of heat flux and cooling conditions in a variety of geological settings and systems. The thermal structure and evolution of magma reservoirs, the crust, the lithosphere and the mantle of the Earth are reviewed within the context of plate tectonics and mantle convection - illustrating how theoretical arguments can be combined with field and laboratory data to arrive at accurate interpretations of geological observations. Appendices contain data on the thermal properties of rocks, surface heat flux measurements and rates of radiogenic heat production. This book can be used for advanced courses in geophysics, geodynamics and magmatic processes, and is a reference for researchers in geoscience, environmental science, p

One of the major experimental difficulties in studying materials at extreme temperatures is unwanted contamination of the sample through contact with the container. This can be avoided by suspending the sample through levitation. This technique also makes metastable states of matter accessible, opening up new avenues of scientific enquiry, as well as possible new materials for technological applications. This book describes several methods of levitation, the most important being aerodynamic, electromagnetic and electrostatic. It summarizes the state-of-the-art of the measurement of structural, dynamic and physical properties with levitation techniques, the considerable progress made in this field in the past two decades, and prospects for the future. It also explores the concepts behind the experiments and associated theoretical ideas. Aimed at researchers in physics, physical chemistry and materials science, the book is also of interest to professionals working in high-temperature mat

Lacewings are predatory insects which attack and kill large numbers of insect pests. Lacewings in the Crop Environment addresses both the theoretical and practical aspects of lacewing biology and their use in crop protection. The book opens with a section on lacewing systematics and ecology. Next, lacewings as predators in a wide variety of commercially important crops are reviewed and this is followed by a section on the principles of using lacewings in pest control. The possible impact of genetically modified crops on lacewing populations is also discussed. Finally, a fascinating array of case studies of lacewing use in many crops from around the world is presented, and future uses of lacewings speculated upon. Lacewings in the Crop Environment is an essential reference work and practical handbook for students, researchers of biological control, integrated pest management and agricultural science, and for field workers using lacewings in pest management programmes worldwide.

Lacewings are predatory insects which attack and kill large numbers of insect pests. Lacewings in the Crop Environment addresses both the theoretical and practical aspects of lacewing biology and their use in crop protection. The book opens with a section on lacewing systematics and ecology. Next, lacewings as predators in a wide variety of commercially important crops are reviewed and this is followed by a section on the principles of using lacewings in pest control. The possible impact of genetically modified crops on lacewing populations is also discussed. Finally, a fascinating array of case studies of lacewing use in many crops from around the world is presented, and future uses of lacewings speculated upon. Lacewings in the Crop Environment is an essential reference work and practical handbook for students, researchers of biological control, integrated pest management and agricultural science, and for field workers using lacewings in pest management programmes worldwide.

The Hubble Deep Field (HDF) is the deepest optical image of the Universe ever obtained. It is the result of a 150-orbit observing programme with the Hubble Space Telescope. It provides a unique resource for researchers studying the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. This timely volume provides the first comprehensive overview of the HDF and its scientific impact on our understanding in cosmology. It presents articles by a host of world experts who gathered together at an international conference at the Space Telescope Science Institute. The contributions combine observations of the HDF at a variety of wavelengths with the latest theoretical progress in our understanding of the cosmic history of star and galaxy formation. The HDF is set to revolutionize our understanding in cosmology. This book therefore provides an indispensable reference for all graduate students and researchers in observational or theoretical cosmology.

In the seventeenth century, a series of proposals and schemes for an artificial language intended to replace Latin as the international medium of communication gained currency. Fully developed, these schemes consisted of a classification of all known 'things' and a set of self-defining names designed to reflect the divisions of the classification. This attempt to create a specialized and scientific form of language was enthusiastically taken up by a number of eminent scientists of the day, including Bacon, Descartes, Newton and other members of the Royal Society. Dr Slaughter demonstrates that the idea of a universal language was a rational response to the inadequacy of seventeenth-century language, a result of social and cultural changes precipitated by the rise of science, the spread of print and literacy, and the subsequent development of a literate culture. A valuable addition to the study of history and literature, this book also has relevance for contemporary languages with simil

What would happen if you never slept? Or if your blood turned blue? Or your bones turned to jelly? Find out the answers to these questions and many more with science author Emma Young! Prepare to learn all about the human body from blood vessels to the brain and nerves to nutrients. However, this isn't another dry textbook. You'll be drawn into each topic with one of 33 amusing questions that are guaranteed to make you think about anatomy in a whole new way. Author Emma Young explains the answers with humor and plenty of science facts that you'll be racing to share with your friends and family. The pages are filled with attention-grabbing photography and quirky illustration, which makes this human body book unlike any you've read before. Even reluctant readers will find What if you didn't make snot? irresistible to dip into to find out the answers to the wacky, bizarre, and gross questions, making this a perfect gift for any child.

Dive into an encyclopedic collection of burning questions asked by children and discover all the fascinating answers. This timeless encyclopedia for children aged 9+ covers all their favourite topics in a friendly, easy-to-read Q&A format, perfect to dip into and browse. Find the answers to big questions like "How do aeroplanes fly?" " Why do tigers have stripes?" " What's inside a black hole?” and much more! Alongside the children's questions and the expert answers are beautiful illustrations, photographs, and diagrams to bring every topic to life in rich detail and with perfect clarity.This children’s encyclopedia of questions offers:1,000 curious questions and answers that will be sure to wow family and friends. Striking CGI graphics, fun visual comparisons, and diagrams make stats and facts easy to understand. Science boxes that are illustrated with engaging diagrams to explain information.Simple and easy-to-understand images explaining the science behind weird and wonderful fa

Discover a unique toolkit of science, self-compassion and intuitive eating practices to help you understand, love and heal your gut. Living with gut problems means it can feel like our insides are working against us, but have you ever taken a moment to really listen to your gut? Inspired by her own healing journey, expert patient Cara Wheatley-McGrain has developed a revolutionary approach to thriving with IBS and IBD through understanding, loving and listening to your gut. As Cara shares her tried-and-tested methods, you'll be empowered to create your own unique gut-led journey based on science, self-compassion and intuitive eating.You'll discover an extensive toolkit of exercises and strategies designed to calm your gut and support you wellbeing at every level. Cara shares how to:* get to know your unique gut microbiome and microbes* cultivate compassion, self-care and greater connection with your gut* use simple techniques for a calmer and more mindful lifestyle* develop intuitive e

Dante's Convivio, composed in exile between 1304 and 1307, is a series of self-commentaries on three of Dante's long poems. These allegorical love poems and philosophical verse become the basis for philosophical, literary, moral, and political exposition. The prose is written in Italian so that those who were not educated in Latin could take part in what Dante called his 'banquet of knowledge'. In this edition, eminent Dante translator-scholar Andrew Frisardi offers the first fully annotated translation of the work into English, with an extensive introduction, making Dante's often complex writings accessible to scholars and students. The parallel Italian text is also included for the first time in an English translation of the Convivio. Readers of this work can gain a strong understanding of the philosophical themes across Dante's work, including the Divine Comedy, as well as the logic, politics and science of his time.

Aristotle's On the Soul aims to uncover the principle of life, what Aristotle calls psuchē (soul). For Aristotle, soul is the form which gives life to a body and causes all its living activities, from breathing to thinking. Aristotle develops a general account of all types of living through examining soul's causal powers. The thirteen new essays in this Critical Guide demonstrate the profound influence of Aristotle's inquiry on biology, psychology and philosophy of mind from antiquity to the present. They deepen our understanding of his key concepts, including form, reason, capacity, and activity. This volume situates Aristotle in his intellectual context and draws judiciously from his other works as well as the history of interpretation to shed light on his intricate views. It also highlights ongoing interpretive debates and Aristotle's continuing relevance. It will prove invaluable for researchers in ancient philosophy and the history of science and ideas.

The concept of the developmental state emerged to explain the rapid growth of a number of countries in East Asia in the postwar period. Yet the developmental state literature also offered a theoretical approach to growth that was heterodox with respect to prevailing approaches in both economics and political science. Arguing for the distinctive features of developmental states, its proponents emphasized the role of government intervention and industrial policy as well as the significance of strong states and particular social coalitions. This literature blossomed into a wider approach, firmly planted in a much longer heterodox tradition, that explored comparisons with states that were decidedly not developmentalist, thus contributing to our historical understanding of long-run growth. This Element provides a critical but sympathetic overview of this literature and ends with its revival and a look forward at the possibility for developmentalist approaches, both in the advanced and devel

Dante's Convivio, composed in exile between 1304 and 1307, is a series of self-commentaries on three of Dante's long poems. These allegorical love poems and philosophical verse become the basis for philosophical, literary, moral, and political exposition. The prose is written in Italian so that those who were not educated in Latin could take part in what Dante called his 'banquet of knowledge'. In this edition, eminent Dante translator-scholar Andrew Frisardi offers the first fully annotated translation of the work into English, with an extensive introduction, making Dante's often complex writings accessible to scholars and students. The parallel Italian text is also included for the first time in an English translation of the Convivio. Readers of this work can gain a strong understanding of the philosophical themes across Dante's work, including the Divine Comedy, as well as the logic, politics and science of his time.

Syntax is the system of rules that we subconsciously follow when we build sentences. Whereas the grammar of English (or other languages) might look like a rather chaotic set of arbitrary patterns, linguistic science has revealed that these patterns can actually be understood as the result of a small number of grammatical principles. This lively introductory textbook is designed for undergraduate students in linguistics, English and modern languages with relatively little background in the subject, offering the necessary tools for the analysis of phrases and sentences while at the same time introducing state-of-the-art syntactic theory in an accessible and engaging way. Guiding students through a variety of intriguing puzzles, striking facts and novel ideas, Introducing Syntax presents contemporary insights into syntactic theory in one clear and coherent narrative, avoiding unnecessary detail and enabling readers to understand the rationale behind technicalities. Aids to learning includ

Syntax is the system of rules that we subconsciously follow when we build sentences. Whereas the grammar of English (or other languages) might look like a rather chaotic set of arbitrary patterns, linguistic science has revealed that these patterns can actually be understood as the result of a small number of grammatical principles. This lively introductory textbook is designed for undergraduate students in linguistics, English and modern languages with relatively little background in the subject, offering the necessary tools for the analysis of phrases and sentences while at the same time introducing state-of-the-art syntactic theory in an accessible and engaging way. Guiding students through a variety of intriguing puzzles, striking facts and novel ideas, Introducing Syntax presents contemporary insights into syntactic theory in one clear and coherent narrative, avoiding unnecessary detail and enabling readers to understand the rationale behind technicalities. Aids to learning includ

Colloidal suspensions are encountered in a multitude of natural, biological and industrially relevant products and processes. Understanding what affects the flow behaviour, or rheology, of colloid particles, and how these suspensions can be manipulated, is important for successful formulation of products such as paint, polymers, foods and pharmaceuticals. This book is the first devoted to the study of colloidal rheology in all its aspects. With material presented in an introductory manner, and complex mathematical derivations kept to a minimum, the reader will gain a strong grasp of the basic principles of colloid science and rheology. Beginning with purely hydrodynamic effects, the contributions of Brownian motion and interparticle forces are covered, before the reader is guided through specific problem areas, such as thixotropy and shear thickening; special classes of colloid suspensions are also treated. On line resources include: questions and solutions for self-study, updates, and

Colloidal suspensions are encountered in a multitude of natural, biological and industrially relevant products and processes. Understanding what affects the flow behaviour, or rheology, of colloid particles, and how these suspensions can be manipulated, is important for successful formulation of products such as paint, polymers, foods and pharmaceuticals. This book is the first devoted to the study of colloidal rheology in all its aspects. With material presented in an introductory manner, and complex mathematical derivations kept to a minimum, the reader will gain a strong grasp of the basic principles of colloid science and rheology. Beginning with purely hydrodynamic effects, the contributions of Brownian motion and interparticle forces are covered, before the reader is guided through specific problem areas, such as thixotropy and shear thickening; special classes of colloid suspensions are also treated. On line resources include: questions and solutions for self-study, updates, and

Social Network Analysis (SNA), a quantitative approach to the study of social relations, has recently emerged as a key tool for understanding the governance of natural resources. Bringing together contributions from a range of researchers in the field, this is the first book to fully explore the potential applications of SNA in the context of natural resource management. Topics covered include the role of SNA in stakeholder selection; improving fisheries management and conservation; the effect of social network ties on public satisfaction and agrarian communication networks. Numerous case studies link SNA concepts to the theories underlying natural resource governance, such as social learning, adaptive co-management and social movements theory. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities associated with this evolving field, this is an ideal resource for students and researchers involved in many areas of natural resource management, environmental biology, sustainability science and s

For most of his life a clerk in the post office, Frank Podmore (1856–1910) was a prolific author on psychical research. As an undergraduate, Podmore became interested in the ideas of spiritualism, and he joined the British National Association of Spiritualists. Eventually disillusioned, Podmore co-founded several organizations: the Progressive Association (in 1882); the Fellowship of the New Life (1883); and, spurred by his desire to see political change, the Fabian Society (1884). Podmore's membership in the Society for Psychical Research influenced his activities and interests, and he spent the next twenty years investigating and writing on psychical phenomena. His second book (of 1897) discusses a range of topics, from spiritualism to poltergeists to telepathy. Podmore seeks to ascertain the truth about psychical phenomena, and this work will be of great interest to scholars interested in the history of science, psychical research, and Victorian scientific and spiritualist movements

Dinah Craik (1826–1887) was a prolific writer of fiction, poetry and essays. She was best known for her novels, which appropriated well-worked narratives of individuals triumphing over adversity through hard work and moral integrity against a backdrop of industrialisation and the ascent of the middle classes. The most successful, John Halifax, Gentleman, tells the tale of a boy who works his way out of poverty. Craik herself was familiar with hardship: her father Thomas Mulock, a nonconformist minister, had spent periods confined to a lunatic asylum, and abandoned his children after his wife's death in 1854. In this work (originally published serially in Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts), Craik provided support and advice for single women like herself. She was highly critical of learned helplessness and advocated independence and cross-class sympathy, believing women should 'lead active, intelligent, industrious lives: lives complete in themselves'.

From the ideological crucible of the Reformation emerged an embittered contest for the human soul. In the care of souls, the clergy zealously dispensed spiritual physic; for countless early modern Europeans, the first echelon of mental health care. During its heyday, spiritual physic touched the lives of thousands, from penitents and pilgrims to demoniacs and mad people. Ironically, the phenomenon remains largely unexplored. Why? Through case histories from among the records of over 1,000 troubled and desperate individuals, this regional study of Bavaria investigates spiritual physic as a popular ritual practice during a tumultuous era of religious strife, material crises, moral repression and witch hunting. By the mid-seventeenth century, secular forces ushered in a psychological revolution across Europe. However, spiritual physic ensconced itself by proxy upon emergent bourgeois psychiatry. Today, its remnants raise haunting questions about science and the pursuit of objective knowle

Henry Ward Beecher, a nineteenth-century American Congregationalist pastor and journal editor, was a renowned public speaker active in campaigns against slavery and for social reform. He was an advocate of the theory of evolution and firmly believed that Christianity should adapt itself in the face of change. Volume 1 of Evolution and Religion (published in two volumes in 1885, two years before his death) is a compilation of his lectures defending the science of evolution. In them, he discusses the implications of the 'new' evolutionary philosophy for various key Christian doctrines such as the divine nature, human sinfulness, the inspiration of the Bible, and divine providence, and asserts that change will only help and not hinder religious thought. Beecher's charisma, enthusiasm and flamboyant oratory is evident even in print, and this book stands as a lasting testimony to this influential activist and thinker.