Introduction to Computing

Stone Tools in the Paleolithic and Neolithic Near East: A Guide surveys the lithic record for the East Mediterranean Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and adjacent territories) from the earliest times to 6,500 years ago. It is intended both as an introduction to this lithic evidence for students and as a resource for researchers working with Paleolithic and Neolithic stone tool evidence. Written by a lithic analyst and professional flintknapper, this book systematically examines variation in technology, typology, and industries for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic; the Epipaleolithic; and Neolithic periods in the Near East. It is extensively illustrated with drawings of stone tools. In addition to surveying the lithic evidence, the book also considers ways in which archaeological treatment of this evidence could be changed to make it more relevant to major issues in human origins research. A final chapter shows how change in stone tool designs points to increasing human d

This 2007 volume presents the lectures from the sixteenth Winter School of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, which was dedicated to extrasolar planets. Research into extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting fields of astrophysics, and the past decade has seen a research leap from speculations on the existence of planets orbiting other stars to the discovery of around 200 planets to date. The book covers a wide range of issues, from the state-of-the-art observational techniques used to detect extrasolar planets, to the characterizations of these planets, and the techniques used in the remote detection of life. It also looks at the insights we can gain from our own Solar System, and how we can apply them. The contributors, all of high-standing in the field, provide a balanced and varied introduction to extrasolar planets for research astronomers and graduate students, bridging theoretical developments and observational advances.

This textbook provides an intuitive yet mathematically rigorous introduction to the thermodynamics and thermal physics of planetary processes. It demonstrates how the workings of planetary bodies can be understood in depth by reducing them to fundamental physics and chemistry. The book is based on two courses taught by the author for many years at the University of Georgia. It includes 'Guided Exercise' boxes; end-of-chapter problems (worked solutions provided online); and software boxes (Maple code provided online). As well as being an ideal textbook on planetary thermodynamics for advanced students in the Earth and planetary sciences, it also provides an innovative and quantitative complement to more traditional courses in geological thermodynamics, petrology, chemical oceanography and planetary science. In addition to its use as a textbook, it is also of great interest to researchers looking for a 'one stop' source of concepts and techniques that they can apply to their research pro

"An excellent introduction. It is not just a well-laid-out narrative, it is a thought-provoking reflection on the arguments that swirl around the image of Africa today." Richard Dowden-Director of the Royal African Society and author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles"Clear, well written, and provocative. Be prepared to have your prejudices challenged." Ray Bush-Professor of African Studies and Development Politics, University of Leeds"Informed, challenging, and thought provoking." Peter Woodward-Professor of Politics, University of ReadingBeset by war, famine, and corruption, Africa is viewed by many in the West as a helpless charity case. Little seems to change despite decades of massive financial assistance, prompting many to question whether Africa is a lost cause. Although home to diverse and dynamic societies, the continent is often seen as a single entity, and the West treats it as a problem to be `solved'.This unsentimental and hard-hitting account of the continent to

Many climatic extremes around the globe, such as severe droughts and floods, can be attributed to the periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific sea surface, termed the El Niño or Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Advances in our understanding of ENSO, in which Edward S. Sarachik and Mark A. Cane have been key participants, have led to marked improvements in our ability to predict its development months or seasons, allowing adaptation to global impacts. This book introduces basic concepts and builds to more detailed theoretical treatments. Chapters on the structure and dynamics of the tropical ocean and atmosphere place ENSO in a broader observational and theoretical context. Chapters on ENSO prediction, past and future, and impacts, introduce broader implications of the phenomenon. This book provides an introduction to all aspects of this most important mode of global climate variability, for research workers and students of all levels in climate science, oceanography and related fields.

Do you want a rigorous book that remembers where PDEs come from and what they look like? This highly visual introduction to linear PDEs and initial/boundary value problems connects the math to physical reality, all the time providing a rigorous mathematical foundation for all solution methods. Readers are gradually introduced to abstraction – the most powerful tool for solving problems – rather than simply drilled in the practice of imitating solutions to given examples. The book is therefore ideal for students in mathematics and physics who require a more theoretical treatment than given in most introductory texts. Also designed with lecturers in mind, the fully modular presentation is easily adapted to a course of one-hour lectures, and a suggested 12-week syllabus is included to aid planning. Downloadable files for the hundreds of figures, hundreds of challenging exercises, and practice problems that appear in the book are available online, as are solutions.

Do you want a rigorous book that remembers where PDEs come from and what they look like? This highly visual introduction to linear PDEs and initial/boundary value problems connects the math to physical reality, all the time providing a rigorous mathematical foundation for all solution methods. Readers are gradually introduced to abstraction – the most powerful tool for solving problems – rather than simply drilled in the practice of imitating solutions to given examples. The book is therefore ideal for students in mathematics and physics who require a more theoretical treatment than given in most introductory texts. Also designed with lecturers in mind, the fully modular presentation is easily adapted to a course of one-hour lectures, and a suggested 12-week syllabus is included to aid planning. Downloadable files for the hundreds of figures, hundreds of challenging exercises, and practice problems that appear in the book are available online, as are solutions.

Callimachus was one of the most important and influential writers in the ancient world. He was the outstanding poet of the Hellenistic period and had a profound effect on the subsequent course of Greek and Roman literature. The hymns are intricate, allusive and difficult poetry, and need elucidation for the modern reader. 'The Fifth Hymn: The Bath of Pallas', is considered by many to be Callimachus' finest surviving poem. Anthony Bulloch has established a new text of the poem, which is printed here with facing English translation. The substantial introduction and full commentary aim to introduce the poem to a wide audience and to help the modern reader to reconstruct what the ancient reader may have taken for granted as part of the crucial and intellectual background and to achieve an informed and sensitive appreciation of the poem in its full perspective. This will be welcomed by Greek scholars and those interested in Greek and Roman poetry.

This is one of the first studies to treat Valéry's theory and practice of poetry together and is the first full-length study of his poetry in English. Discussion of his ideas on poetic composition leads to a detailed analysis of the principal poetry: the long term poem La Jeune Parque and all the poems in the main collection. While serving as a step-by-step introduction to Valéry's poetic achievement, the argument is not merely neutral; it elicits and comments on his little-known concept of 'Voice', now seen increasingly to be central. This is not simply the acoustic or musical effect of one poet's verse: it relates to the inner monologue we all hear within ourselves. By concentrating on Valéry's unusually thorough understanding of this area of exchange between willed and spontaneous modes of perception and creativity, the book is able to approach without jargon the much debated question of the subject - 'Who speaks in a poem?' It proposes some unexpected conclusions concerning Valéry'

In this work, which has survived only in manuscript form and in Italian, Gardiner analyses the great dynastic changes in England's past in order to provide Phillip II with a guide to ruling England and establishing a Catholic dynasty. He adapts historical example to practical political purposes with great subtlety, quoting at length (but without saying so) from Machiavelli to show that a new prince can rule England - if he eliminates those of royal blood and respects the laws and customs of his new possessions. This edition is a carefully edited text of the Italian and Professor Donaldson has provided an English translation and an introduction setting the treatise in its immediate historical context. Gardiner's work is perhaps the clearest example of an attempt to relate Machiavelli's political theories to practical political problems. Its publication will interest historians and students of politics as well as those with an interest in the influence of Machiavellianism as an important

This book examining diagnosis was first published in 1985. Diagnosis is at the centre of medical practice and depends on skilled information processing and decision making. Medical students, who will spend their working lives gathering information from patients, making decisions and solving problems need to be taught the necessary techniques. One aim of the book is, therefore, to give teachers an account of some of the basic ideas which have been applied to the diagnostic process and to medical problem solving in general. Another aim is to make teachers more aware of the principles underlying their clinical work, for it has been shown repeatedly that clinicians' actions do not always coincide with their teaching and there is a distinct gap between what they do and what they teach. This introduction to the fundamental concepts of information processing and decision making is written at a level which makes it appropriate reading for those who have not previously read widely in these area

The theory of Lie groups rests on three pillars: analysis, topology and algebra. Correspondingly it is possible to distinguish several phases, overlapping in some degree, in its development. It also allows one to regard the subject from different points of view, and it is the algebraic standpoint which has been chosen in this tract as the most suitable one for a first introduction to the subject. The aim has been to develop the beginnings of the theory of Lie groups, especially the fundamental theorems of Lie relating the group to its infinitesimal generators (the Lie algebra); this account occupies the first five chapters. Next to Lie's theorems in importance come the basic properties of subgroups and homomorphisms, and they form the content of Chapter VI. The final chapter, on the universal covering group, could perhaps be most easily dispensed with, but, it is hoped, justifies its existence by bringing back into circulation Schreier's elegant method of constructing covering groups.

This text is important both as one of the most interesting contributions to the liberalism of the German Enlightenment, and as the most significant source for the ideas which John Stuart Mill popularized in his essay On Liberty. Humboldt's concern is to define the criteria by which the permissible limits of the state's activities may be determined. His basic principle, like that of Mill, is that the only justification for government interference is the prevention of harm to others. He discusses in detail the role and limits of the state's responsibility for the welfare, security and morals of its citizens. Humboldt's special achievement in this work is to enlarge our sense of what a liberal political theory might be by his particularly sensitive grasp of the complexity of our attitudes to and our need of other people. Dr Burrow has based his translation on Coulthard's version of 1854. In an important introduction, he provides a most perceptive as well as scholarly guide to Humboldt's p

A study of the Pharisees, in particular as they appear in the New Testament and in relation to Jesus. The main part of the book brings together the most important Greek and Semitic source material in translation. This facilitates reference, and it makes possible group and seminar discussion of documents which have hitherto been difficult to study in English. As in his book The Targums and Rabbinic Literature Mr Bowker makes available and accessible to students material which tends to be removed from them by language and technicality. In his introduction he explains the many problems and uncertainties which surround this apparently well-known but actually little-understood group. He shows that they were far from constituting a static, uniform sect, and that they had an important history of their own. He finally suggests an approach to understanding Jesus' relations with them, which in turn suggests an understanding of Jesus' conception of his own relation to God, and also of his 'trial'

The contributors to this 1992 book examine various aspects of the relationship among Christianity and the visual arts, architecture and music in Russia. Within this broad area the book concentrates on specific topics rather than attempting a broad survey. Nonetheless, the range of material extends from the earliest stages of the introduction of Byzantine art forms in Kievan Russia to the relation between Christian and folk decorative/iconographic motifs to the use of religious imagery in the work of contemporary filmmaker Andrei Tarkovskii. The related interests of the contributors create a concentration of topics in certain periods such as the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of the chapters are academically specialized, others are easily accessible to a general audience; but all are based on thorough and careful scholarship. Christianity and the Arts in Russia is based on, but not limited to, a symposium held at the Library of Congress in 1988 to mark the millenniu

“Long a secret weapon for the hedge-fund elite,” says Trader Monthly, the DeMark Indicators are now used by more than 35,000 traders. This book provides an easy-to-follow system for using the indicators to identify market turns as they happen.Author Jason Perl gives a concise introduction to thirty-nine of the DeMark Indicators, and then shows how to combine the indicators and time frames to achieve a higher probability of trading success. Thomas R. DeMark, the creator of the DeMark Indicators and one of the most well-respected practitioners of technical analysis wrote the Foreword to this book. This is the second book in the Bloomberg Market Essentials™: Technical Analysis series, which covers the key elements of the most widely used technical analysis tools. Silver Medal Winner, Investing Category, Axiom Business Book Awards (2009)Winner: Book Series Cover Design, The Bookbinders Guild of New York/2009 New York Book Show Awards

This 2007 volume presents the lectures from the sixteenth Winter School of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, which was dedicated to extrasolar planets. Research into extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting fields of astrophysics, and the past decade has seen a research leap from speculations on the existence of planets orbiting other stars to the discovery of around 200 planets to date. The book covers a wide range of issues, from the state-of-the-art observational techniques used to detect extrasolar planets, to the characterizations of these planets, and the techniques used in the remote detection of life. It also looks at the insights we can gain from our own Solar System, and how we can apply them. The contributors, all of high-standing in the field, provide a balanced and varied introduction to extrasolar planets for research astronomers and graduate students, bridging theoretical developments and observational advances.

A history of the bacterial disease of bubonic plague, and of the mortality, distress and panic fear that it caused in the British Isles from The Great Pestilence of 1348 to The Plague of London in 1665, with a brief account of its transient reappearances between 1900 and 1912. Professor Shrewsbury draws on his knowledge as a bacteriologist in describing the way in which the disease was transmitted from the rat, its natural host, to man and emphasizes that the Black Rat was solely responsible for its introduction to the British Isles, and for its spread from one place to another; he is thus able to identify genuine outbreaks of plague from those of other diseases. Among the consequences of the plague which Professor Shrewsbury discusses are its effect upon the growth of population, and on social and economic life, the harsh and useless regulations made in vain efforts to control it, and the collapse of law and order during its great outbursts.

This unique volume provides a complete reference on variable stars. It presents a wealth of typical light- and colour-curves to allow identification, together with a detailed and up-to-date description of each subclass. The editors, together with seven other world experts, have created a unique pictorial atlas of variable stars. In the first chapter they give a clear introduction to the nomenclature and classification of the light curves of variable stars, and to photometric systems. In the remaining chapters they provide a detailed account of each subclass: from eruptive, pulsating, rotating and cataclysmic variables, through to eclipsing-binary systems and X-ray binaries. Specific variable stars, types and classes of variables, together with key astrophysical terms can be quickly and easily located in the book by means of detailed object-name and subject indexes. This comprehensive and up-to-date volume provides an essential reference for all those interested in variable stars - from

The Education of a Christian Prince is a new student edition of Erasmus's crucial treatise on political theory. It contains a new, excerpted translation from his Panegyric, making it possible for the first time to compare two works which Erasmus himself regarded as closely related. The Education of a Christian Prince was published in 1516 and dedicated to Prince Charles, the future Emperor Charles V, and is one of the most influential books of the 'advice-to-princes' published in the Renaissance era. It is a strongly pacifist work in which Erasmus sought to ensure that the prince governed justly and benevolently. The importance of Erasmus's work lies in his emphasis on virtuous conduct as the backbone of the polity, an argument which has influenced political writing up to the present time. This edition also includes an original introduction, a chronology of the life and work of Erasmus, and a comprehensive guide to further reading.

Modern cosmology and high energy astrophysics have become interdisciplinary research subjects and new graduate students are now expected to assimilate a broad range of physical concepts. This innovative book provides a clear and pedagogical introduction to research in these areas through a series of problems and answers. The problems are designed to develop each core topic in a simple and coherent way and full solutions are provided to make this book completely self-contained. The first half of the book covers the core subjects of astrophysical processes, gravitational dynamics, radiative processes, fluid mechanics and general relativity. The second half uses these concepts to develop modern cosmology: topics include the Friedmann model and thermal history, dynamics of dark matter and baryons in an expanding universe, physics of high-redshift objects and the very early universe. This unique self-study textbook will be of key interest to graduate students and researchers in cosmology, a

This is a comprehensive account of politics, government and society in thirteenth-century England. Three episodes stand out: the revolt of the barons against King John in 1215, the protest against the misgovernment of Henry III which began in 1258, and the resistance to the demands of Edward I on the resources of the land which came to a head in 1297. Professor Harding places these political events in the context of social and economic change, in order to provide a rounded account of the century. The introduction demonstrates the constitutional importance given by past historians to the period which saw the framing of the Magna Carta and the beginnings of Parliament and statute law. The central chapters describe the developing social structure of peasants, townsmen and professional people, knights, clergy and lay magnates. The book finally sees the politics of the century in terms of royal ambitions to dominate Britain and to play a leading role in Europe.

This is a comprehensive account of politics, government and society in thirteenth-century England. Three episodes stand out: the revolt of the barons against King John in 1215, the protest against the misgovernment of Henry III which began in 1258, and the resistance to the demands of Edward I on the resources of the land which came to a head in 1297. Professor Harding places these political events in the context of social and economic change, in order to provide a rounded account of the century. The introduction demonstrates the constitutional importance given by past historians to the period which saw the framing of the Magna Carta and the beginnings of Parliament and statute law. The central chapters describe the developing social structure of peasants, townsmen and professional people, knights, clergy and lay magnates. The book finally sees the politics of the century in terms of royal ambitions to dominate Britain and to play a leading role in Europe.

William of Ockham (c. 1285–c. 1347) was the most eminent and influential theologian and philosopher of his day, a giant in the history of political thought. He was a Franciscan friar who came to believe that the Avignonese papacy of John XXII had set out to destroy the religious ideal on which the Franciscan order was based: the complete poverty of Christ and the apostles. This is the first complete text by Ockham to be published in English. The Short Discourse is a passionate but compelling statement of Ockham's position on the most fundamental political problem of the medieval period: the relationship of supreme spiritual authority, as represented by the pope, to the autonomous secular authority claimed by the medieval empire and the emerging nation-states of Europe. Professor McGrade's introduction, and the notes on the translation make the volume wholly accessible to a modern readership, while a full bibliography and chronology are included as further aids to the reader.

William of Ockham (c. 1285–c. 1347) was the most eminent and influential theologian and philosopher of his day, a giant in the history of political thought. He was a Franciscan friar who came to believe that the Avignonese papacy of John XXII had set out to destroy the religious ideal on which the Franciscan order was based: the complete poverty of Christ and the apostles. This is the first complete text by Ockham to be published in English. The Short Discourse is a passionate but compelling statement of Ockham's position on the most fundamental political problem of the medieval period: the relationship of supreme spiritual authority, as represented by the pope, to the autonomous secular authority claimed by the medieval empire and the emerging nation-states of Europe. Professor McGrade's introduction, and the notes on the translation make the volume wholly accessible to a modern readership, while a full bibliography and chronology are included as further aids to the reader.

The contributors to this 1992 book examine various aspects of the relationship among Christianity and the visual arts, architecture and music in Russia. Within this broad area the book concentrates on specific topics rather than attempting a broad survey. Nonetheless, the range of material extends from the earliest stages of the introduction of Byzantine art forms in Kievan Russia to the relation between Christian and folk decorative/iconographic motifs to the use of religious imagery in the work of contemporary filmmaker Andrei Tarkovskii. The related interests of the contributors create a concentration of topics in certain periods such as the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of the chapters are academically specialized, others are easily accessible to a general audience; but all are based on thorough and careful scholarship. Christianity and the Arts in Russia is based on, but not limited to, a symposium held at the Library of Congress in 1988 to mark the millenniu

This book provides an introduction to recent analytical and experimental studies of plant growth in the sea. The physiology and ecology of marine plants are, therefore, emphasized at the expense of a more traditional taxonomic or morphological treatment. The physics and chemistry of the marine environment are examined with specific reference to the requirements of marine plants, and much of the book concentrates on those aspects of their physiology which are unique to marine plants, or which help us to understand their ecology. Since over 90% of the species of marine plants are algae, most of the book is devoted to the marine representatives of this group, with examples from all oceans and coasts of the world where detailed work has been done. Phytoplankton and seaweeds are discussed together in chapters on photosynthesis, growth and productivity, and geographical distribution, in order to provide an integrated picture of the biology of marine plants in general. There is, however, a de

Callimachus was one of the most important and influential writers in the ancient world. He was the outstanding poet of the Hellenistic period and had a profound effect on the subsequent course of Greek and Roman literature. The hymns are intricate, allusive and difficult poetry, and need elucidation for the modern reader. 'The Fifth Hymn: The Bath of Pallas', is considered by many to be Callimachus' finest surviving poem. Anthony Bulloch has established a new text of the poem, which is printed here with facing English translation. The substantial introduction and full commentary aim to introduce the poem to a wide audience and to help the modern reader to reconstruct what the ancient reader may have taken for granted as part of the crucial and intellectual background and to achieve an informed and sensitive appreciation of the poem in its full perspective. This will be welcomed by Greek scholars and those interested in Greek and Roman poetry.

Vibration is a completely non-mathematical account of a subject of vital importance to engineers that is almost invariably discussed in mathematical terms. The description commences with an account of the nature of vibration and its effects on the human body and metals. This is followed by chapters on free vibration, forced vibration, self-excitation, the nature and effect of shocks, and finally an elementary introduction to non-linear vibrations. Many illustrations show the effect of vibration on structures and the methods employed by engineers to suppress unwelcome oscillations. In the second edition of Vibration, Professor Bishop has added two further sections. One is the behaviour of ships in waves and the other on the effects of transient vibration. This book will be of interest to students of mechanical, aeronautical and marine engineering. Its descriptive treatment makes the principles readily accessible to anyone who wants to know why mechanisms and structures fail when they ar

A two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period of transition from medieval to modern political theory. The work is intended to be both an introduction to the period for students, and a presentation and justification of a particular approach to the interpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives an outline account of all the principal texts of the period, discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante, Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther and Calvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he also examines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explain the general social and intellectual context in which these leading theorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a procession of 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces by this means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modern political thought, and in particular the crucia

A two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period of transition from medieval to modern political theory. The work is intended to be both an introduction to the period for students, and a presentation and justification of a particular approach to the interpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives an outline account of all the principal texts of the period, discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante, Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther and Calvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he also examines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explain the general social and intellectual context in which these leading theorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a procession of 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces by this means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modern political thought, and in particular the crucia

A two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period of transition from medieval to modern political theory. The work is intended to be both an introduction to the period for students, and a presentation and justification of a particular approach to the interpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives an outline account of all the principal texts of the period, discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante, Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther and Calvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he also examines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explain the general social and intellectual context in which these leading theorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a procession of 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces by this means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modern political thought, and in particular the crucia

A two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period of transition from medieval to modern political theory. The work is intended to be both an introduction to the period for students, and a presentation and justification of a particular approach to the interpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives an outline account of all the principal texts of the period, discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante, Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther and Calvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he also examines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explain the general social and intellectual context in which these leading theorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a procession of 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces by this means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modern political thought, and in particular the crucia

The Fabian Society was founded in the early 1880s. Its members included Sidney and Beatrice Webb. Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells and, for a time, the remarkable Annie Besant. From its position somewhere between Marxist socialism and Radical Liberalism it was able to exercise pressure on many political organisations and among its indirect achievements were the founding of the London School of economics, the Legislation for Poor Law Reform, and the introduction of Old Age Pensions. This book is both a critical exposition of Fabian Socialism and an analysis of its role in English politics. Dr McBriar explains the Society's origins, discusses its contribution to economics and to historical and social theory, and examines its views on the collectivist state, its attitude to international problems, and its approach to the fundamental questions of political philosophy. He then goes on to assess the influence of the Fabians on the politics of London government and the policies of the Liberal party,

This Signet Classics edition of Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd includes an exclusive Introduction by Ruth Ware. In the small English village of King's Abbot, a widow's suicide has stirred up dreadful rumors of blackmail and deception. Most shocking of all is the subsequent murder of her lover Roger Ackroyd, stabbed to death in his own study by an unknown assailant. There are suspects and motives aplenty, and rumors that his neighbor, the recently retired detective Hercule Poirot, doesn't have a clue who did the dastardly deed.... Setting up the traditional rules of mystery only to shatter them, Christie delivers her most famously shocking detective novel. As Dorothy L. Sayers said, "Christie fooled you [all]..."

A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020'Mightily impressive ... a marvellous read' Sunday TimesFrom the acclaimed author of Japan Story, this is the history of Japan, distilled into the stories of twenty remarkable individuals. The vivid and entertaining portraits in Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book take the reader from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako.We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place. For anyone new to Japan, this book is the ideal introduction. For anyone already deeply involved with it, this is a book filled with surprises and pleasures.

The concept of size is relative and takes on prehistoric proportions in a funny and reassuring tale from a maven of childrens books.Some dinosaurs are small and slow. They take their time in the prehistoric jungle, collecting fruits and leaves and using their tiny teeth to munch them. Some dinosaurs are big and fast. With huge teeth and claws, they steal food from small dinosaurs, and theyre always hungry for more. So when three big dinosaurs come across one small one, what or who can save the little plant-eater? Beautifully drawn and brightly colored, Charlotte Voakes imaginative introduction to the concept of size brims with visual humor and culminates in a sweet surprise ending.

In the twentieth century, cumulative millions of readers received books by mail from clubs like the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Book Society or Bertelsmann Club. This Element offers an introduction to book clubs as a distribution channel and cultural phenomenon, and shows that book clubs and book commerce are linked inextricably. It argues that a global perspective is necessary to understand the cultural and economic impact of book clubs in the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. It also explores central reasons for book club membership, condensing them into four succinct categories: convenience, community, concession and, most importantly, curation. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Reproductive medicine and surgery is a major subspecialty in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. This textbook provides an introduction to the field of subfertility and reproductive endocrinology, with contributions written by leading experts in the field. This book is based on and compliments a training programme run jointly by the British Fertility Society and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, making it an indispensable handbook for medical trainees. It will also appeal to clinicians embarking on a career in obstetrics and gynaecology who want an excellent grounding in this area. Specialist nurses will also find the book a valuable resource, and scientists specialising in reproductive medicine and embryology will gain insight into the related clinical areas.

Understanding the role of language within the formation of a sense of self has been revolutionised by developments in social theory, particularly poststructuralism. There is now a new emphasis on the way in which subjects are vulnerable in the face of powerful discourses such as nation, gender, race and sexuality. This book is a clear and engaging introduction to these developments and their relevance to students of language. Using lively and often personal examples throughout, Tim McNamara explores the role of language within processes of subjectivity using the insights of conversation analysis (CA), creating an original conceptual and methodological bridge between the macro- and micro-dimensions of social discourse and everyday conversational interaction.