Conjuring images of nomadic horsemen, spectacular monuments, breathtaking scenery & crippling poverty, Central Asia remains an enigma. Home to the descendants of Jenghiz Khan’s Great Horde, in the nineteenth century the once powerful Silk Road states became a pawn in the ‘ Great Game’ of expansion & espionage between Britain & Russia, disappearing behind what would become known as the ‘ Iron Curtain’. With the collapse of the USSR, the nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan were born. Since independence, Central Asia has seen one civil war, two revolutions & eight dictators. An insightful mix of travel, history & reportage, in Does it Yurt? journalist Stephen M. Bland takes the reader on a voyage of discovery. Travelling to a desert sea, a collapsed Russian gas rig daubed the ‘ Gate to Hell’ & along the ‘ Heroin highway’ atop the roof of the world, the author sets out to explore these lands, unearthing the stories of the people & places behind this fascinating region. ...

” This book is invaluable!” Alexander Armstrong Children ask the funniest questions: Why does sweetcorn come out the same as when I ate it? Do spiders speak? Why does Daddy never win the lottery? Which is faster, a Velociraptor or a cheetah? How does the lady in the satnav know where to go? Does my goldfish know who I am? (Do you think fish have two-second memories? Find out the truth on page 94!) This book takes real children`s questions gathered from primary schools across the UK & asks some of the greatest thinkers & experts of our time to give short & accessible answers. Brian Cox explores the edge of the universe, Sir David Attenborough tells us whether monkeys could ever turn into men, & Miranda Hart ponders why it`s funny when someone farts. Other contributors include Bear Grylls, Sir Paul Mc Cartney, Kate Humble, Sir Quentin Blake, Bettany Hughes, Heston Blumenthal, Alice Roberts, John Lanchester, A. C. Grayling, Annabel Karmel, Jeremy Paxman, Dan Snow, Jojo Moyes, Madhur Jaffrey & Tony Robinson. Does My Goldfish Know Who I Am? is a treasury of surprising facts & insights inspired by the curiosity of children. It is the perfect family gift
- because sometimes grown-ups need help with the answers too. At least 33% of the publisher`s advance payments & 67% of net royalty income in respect of sales of this book is donated to the NSPCC (Registered Charity Numbers 216401 & SC037717).
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Metaphysics isn`t ordinarily much of a laughing matter. But in the hands of acclaimed comedy writer & scholar Eric Kaplan, a search for the truth about old St. Nick becomes a deeply insightful, laugh-out-loud discussion of the way some things exist but may not really be there. Just like Santa & his reindeer. Even after we outgrow the jolly fellow, the essential paradox persists: There are some things we dearly believe in that are not universally acknowledged as real. In Does Santa Exist? Kaplan shows how philosophy giants Bertrand Russell & Ludwig Wittgenstein strove to smooth over this uncomfortable meeting of the real & unreal
- & failed. From there he turns to mysticism`s attempts to resolve such paradoxes, surveying Buddhism, Taoism, early Christianity, Theosophy & even the philosophers at UC Berkeley under whom he studied. Finally, this brilliant comic writer alights on
- surprise!
- comedy as the ultimate resolution of the fundamental paradoxes of life, using examples from The Big Bang Theory, Monty Python`s cheese shop & many other pop-culture sources. Kaplan delves deeper into what all this means, from how our physical brains work to his own personal confrontations with life`s biggest questions: If we`re all going to die, what`s the point of anything? What is a perfect moment? What can you say about God? Or Santa?


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Frog is lost, looking for his dad. But his dad doesn`t roar, does he? Maybe he whoops or squawks or growls instead? Find out in this hilarious changing faces book. Small children love to read books about animals & to see animal characteristics displayed through their sounds & expressions. This title in the Little Faces series of four books combines the two brilliantly with a venetian window device that allows the reader to have fun imitating different actions while getting ready for bed. ...

A new book from the winner of the Guardian Children`s Fiction Prize When Tom meets Spider, he thinks he has found a friend for life. But their friendship doesn`t run smoothly; Spider can`t help being a naughty puppy, while Tom has to deal with his parents` separation, the pressure of a new school & a bully`s unwanted attention. But when Tom & Spider become separated, they learn that they are far braver & more determined than anyone could have imagined. & in losing each other, they discover an unbreakable bond of love. ...

Travelling with man`s best friend allows Bruce Fogle to savour landscape in a way he couldn`t alone. Macy introduces him to an eclectic mix of rural folk & local animals, as well as other travellers. Together, Macy & Bruce walk for miles through peaceful woods & empty shores, taking time off from the frenetic bustle of urban life to appreciate the unspoilt beauty of landscapes still frozen in the aspic of time. In this, their second adventure together, Bruce & Macy travel through the little known lands of Europe; tracking down the Fogle family roots. In their compact motorhome, they travel through the Netherlands, northern Germany & Scandinavia, the altics, & finally down the eastern rim of Poland to Slovakia & Slovenia. With Macy at his side, Fogle discovers new revelations about his ancestrey & as well as discovering the real central Europe. The perfect travelling companion, ”A Dog Abroad” is an enchanting read. ...

This beautifully illustrated bingo game features 64 breeds of dog from around the world. This book helps you to spot all kinds of dogs from the tiny chihuahua to the noble Great Dane, from the sleek Saluki to the dreadlocked Hungarian Puli, mark them off on your card & bingo! Dog Bingo brings a fun & educational twist to the traditional game as players learn the names & colourings of both their favourite breeds & weird & wonderful exotic dogs. It contains 64 superbly illustrated dog tokens, one board, 12 bingo cards & brightly coloured counters for you to mark up your card, as well as a leaflet containing basic information & a few quirky traits for all of the dogs featured. ...

Four-year-old Romochka is left alone in a dark, empty Moscow apartment. After a few days, hunger drives him outside, where he sees a large, yellow dog loping past & follows her to her lair on the outskirts of the city. During the seasons that follow, Romochka changes from a boy into something far wilder. He learns to see in the dark, attack enemies with tooth & claw, & understand the strict pack code. But when he begins to hunt in the city, the world of human beings, it is only a matter of time before the authorities take an interest. ...

It was love at first sight: the huge pale-green eyes, the ruffled tawny hair & the cute way he held his head to one side. What really swung it, though, was his feet being way too big for his body, his ears too big for his head & that, while trying to look brave, he was obviously terrified. Charly was the first of what grew to be a large family of abandoned Spanish dogs taken in by Jackie Todd & her husband Stephen after they emigrated in 1997 to Frigiliana, a picturesque Spanish village in Andalucia. By the time Charly was four, something magical had happened: the people of the village had become close friends & the Todds' memories of their old lives were as weak as British sunshine. Fourteen years on from that first arrival they have ten dogs & eight cats of their own & regularly foster tiny strays that need bottle-feeding until they can be found homes. In 2007, 123 puppies & kittens passed through their door; in 2008, it was 119; & the tragic procession continues today. Millions of people dream of turning their summer holiday into permanent reality. Dog Days in Andalucia is the heart-warming & inspirational story of an ordinary British couple who did just that, making a mighty impression on the village, its people & its surrounding animal population along the way. ...

These much-loved guides celebrate, as ever, hundreds of authentic & delightful places to stay. Here is the latest
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