Hip-hop is in crisis For the past dozen years the most commercially successful hip-hop has become increasingly saturated with caricatures of black gangstas thugs pimps & 'hos The controversy surrounding hip-hop is worth attending to & examining with a critical eye because as scholar & cultural critic Tricia Rose argues hip-hop has become a primary means by which we talk about race in the United States In The Hip-Hop Wars Rose explores the most crucial issues underlying the polarized claims on each side of the debate Does hip-hop cause violence or merely reflect a violent ghetto culture? Is hip-hop sexist or are its detractors simply anti-sex? Does the portrayal of black culture in hip-hop undermine black advancement? A potent exploration of a divisive & important subject The Hip-Hop Wars concludes with a call for the regalvanization of the progressive & creative heart of hip-hop What Rose calls for is not a sanitized vision of the form but one that more accurately reflects a much richer space of culture politics anger & yes sex than the current ubiquitous images in sound & video currently provide ...

This is the first history of the Hippie Trail It records the joys & pains of budget travel to Kathmandu India Afghanistan & other 'points east' in the 1960s & 1970s Written in a clear simple style it provides detailed analysis of the motivations & the experiences of hundreds of thousands of hippies who travelled eastwards The book is structured around four key debates were the travellers simply motivated by a search for drugs? Did they encounter love or sexual freedom on the road? Were they basically just tourists? Did they resemble pilgrims? It also considers how the travellers have been represented in films novels & autobiographical accounts & will appeal to those interested in the Trail or the 1960s counterculture as well as students taking courses relating to the 1960s -- ...

Come now or come never! The invitation was delivered by bees It wasn't addressed to anyone at all but Ben knew it was for him It would lead him to an old shambolic museum full of strange & bewitching creatures It would lead him to curious family secrets & mysteries
- & some really quite dangerous magic The stunning debut novel from twice Kate Greenaway medal-winning Helen Cooper
...

Princess Flo has pocket money to spend so she's off to Fluffley's Fine Toys the best toy shop in town There are cuddly teddies cute kittens & perky penguins
- all perfect for a royal princess! But to everyone's dismay Princess Flo spots a strange looking toy It's part hippo part panda & part mouse & a total & utter mistake! But luckily for all Princess Flo sees something unique & special
- the perfect toy All he needs now is a name! An incredibly funny debut from the winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2013 A brilliant big-hearted story with an important message; our imperfections make us perfect

...

Ted Wallace is an old sour womanising cantankerous whisky-sodden beast of a failed poet & drama critic but he has his faults too Fired from his newspaper months behind on his alimony payments & disgusted with a world that undervalues him Ted seeks a few months repose & free drink at Swafford Hall the country mansion of his old friend Lord Logan But strange things have been going on at Swafford Miracles Healings Phenomena beyond the comprehension of a mud-caked hippopotamus like Ted With this funny & deliciously readable novel Stephen Fry takes his place as one of the most talented comic novelists of his generation ...

Mums- & dads-to-be both want the best for their baby but often their experiences of the journey to parenthood can be quite different In this book leading antenatal teachers Dean & Steph Beaumont offer a new way to prepare for your new arrival Covering everything from first finding out you are pregnant to the early weeks with your baby you'll find practical advice reassurance & guidance on how you can support each other as well as your growing baby Divided into sections with targeted information for mum & dad addressing their concerns & questions The His & Hers Guide to Pregnancy & Birth will support you as individuals giving you the confidence & knowledge you need Each chapter also

Includes:: a ' Get Together' section which provides ideas for bonding advice on what dad can do to help & ways to connect with & understand each other

...

Late one night exploring her father's library a young woman finds an ancient book & a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to ' My dear & unfortunate successor' Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of
- a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past & her mother's mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history In those few quiet moments she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright
- a hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the Dracula myth Deciphering obscure signs & hidden texts reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions & evading terrifying adversaries one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past & a confrontation with the very definition of evil Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions
- a captivating tale that blends fact & fantasy history & the present with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful
- & utterly unforgettable



...

Written in an engaging & entertaining style this widely-used how-to guide introduces readers to the theory craft & methods of history & provides a series of tools to help them research & understand the past Part I is a stimulating philosophical introduction to the key elements of history--evidence narrative & judgment--that explores how the study & concepts of history have evolved over the centuries Part II guides readers through the workshop of history Unlocking the historian's toolbox the chapters here describe the tricks of the trade with concrete examples of how to do history The tools include documents primary & secondary sources maps arguments bibliographies chronologies & many others This section also covers professional ethics & controversial issues such as plagiarism historical hoaxes & conspiracy theories Part III addresses the relevance of the study of history in today's fast-paced world The chapters here will resonate with a new generation of readers on everyday history oral history material culture public history event analysis & historical research on the Internet This Part also

Includes:: two new chapters for this edition GIS & CSI examines the use of geographic information systems & the science of forensics in discovering & seeing the patterns of the past Too Much Information treats the issue of information overload glut fatigue & anxiety while giving the reader meaningful signals that can benefit the study & craft of history A new epilogue for this edition argues for the persistence of history as a useful & critically important way to understand the world despite the information deluge

...

A biography of the historical figure of Jesus The book studies the relationship between Judaism & Christianity distinguishing the certain from the improbable & assessing the historical & religious context of Christ's time The spread of Christianity is also discussed ...

This title offers an up-to-date picture of Jesus of Nazareth highlighting the problems & pitfalls encountered in such a venture & including a survey of current scholarship The introduction to this new guide sets out the sources (Graeco-Roman Jewish & Christian) noting the problems connected with them paying particular attention to the nature of the gospels & the Synoptic versus the Johannine tradition There is a substantial section that will discuss scholarship on Jesus from the nineteenth century to the explosion of works in the present day introducing & explaining the three different 'quests' for the historical Jesus Subsequent chapters of this title will analyse key themes in historical Jesus research Jesus' Galilean origins; the scope of his ministry & models of 'holy men' particularly that of prophet; Jesus' teaching & healing; his trial & crucifixion; the highly contentious question of his resurrection; & finally an exploration of the links between the Jesus movement & the early church Throughout the (often opposing) positions of a variety of key scholars will be explained & discussed (eg Sanders Crossan Dunn Wright Brown) Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear concise & accessible introductions to thinkers writers & subjects that students & readers can find especially challenging
- or indeed downright bewildering Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp these books explain & explore key themes & ideas guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material
...