THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The world-famous cosmologist & 1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the universe`s biggest questions in this brilliant posthumous work. Is there a God? How did it all begin? Can we predict the future? What is inside a black hole? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future? Will we survive on Earth? Should we colonise space? Is time travel possible? Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe & unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time & multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet. & now, as we face potentially catastrophic changes here on Earth
- from climate change to dwindling natural resources to the threat of artificial super-intelligence
- Stephen Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues for humankind. Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating, passionately argued, & infused with his characteristic humour, BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, & where we, as a planet, are heading next. A percentage of all royalties will go to charity.` The best, most mind-bending sort of physics: black holes, time travel, the origins of the universe` The Times ` It is that ultra-distinctive voice (modest, profound, sometimes very funny) that knits this book together` Sunday Times ` It is that ultra-distinctive voice (modest, profound, sometimes very funny) that knits this book together` Sunday Times ` The best, most mind-bending sort of physics: black holes, time travel, the origins of the universe` The Times ` Almost everything in Brief Answers is effortlessly instructive, absorbing, up to the minute &
- where it matters
- witty` Guardian `A beautiful book from a brilliant mind` Daily Telegraph



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In An Appetite for Wonder Richard Dawkins brought us his engaging memoir of the first 35 years of his life from early childhood in Africa to publication of The Selfish Gene in 1976, when he shot to fame as one of the most exciting new scientists of his generation. In Brief Candle in the Dark he continues his autobiography, following the threads that have run through the second half of his life so far & homing in on the key individuals, institutions & ideas that inspired & motivated him. He paints a vivid picture, coloured with wit, anecdote & digression, of the twenty-five postgraduate years he spent teaching at Oxford. He pays affectionate tribute to past colleagues & students, recalling the idiosyncrasies of an establishment steeped in ancient tradition & arcane ritual while also recording his respect for the profound commitment to learning & discovery that lies at its core. He invites us to share the life of a travelling scientist, from fieldwork on the Panama Canal to conferences of stratospheric eminence in exotic locations in the company of some of the most prominent of the world`s scientific luminaries. And he describes his experiences with his many publishers, television producers, interviewers & partners in debate, not least in the heady period when, after publication of The God Delusion in 2006, he is dubbed the world`s most outspoken & controversial atheist. Most important of all, for the first time he reviews with fresh & stimulating insights the evolving narrative of his ideas about science over the course of his highly distinguished career as thinker, teacher & writer. In Brief Candle in the Dark we are invited to enter with him a constantly stimulating world of discovery & to meet a fascinating cast of exceptional characters described by the talented pen of one of the most exceptional of them all. ...

Here are fifty concise, entertaining histories on a broad, eclectic range of ideas (borders, feminism), global issues (migration, world trade), commodities (bananas, jeans), regions (Africa, Ireland), & institutions (corporations, the World Bank). Lucid & irreverent, ” Brief Histories of Almost Anything” challenges common perceptions associated with the subjects by going behind the facts. Each history has been selected from the ” New Internationalist” magazine, a leading authority on alternative history & ” Best International Coverage” winner in the ” Utne Reader” Independent Press Awards. Edited by Chris Brazier, author of the best-selling ” No-Nonsense Guide to World History.” ...

Sharp & enjoyable new portraits of the English kings & queens. Hunchbacked Richard III, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I, the grieving widow Victoria, & the romantic who gave up his throne for love, Edward VIII
- often the colourful kings & queens of England seem like mere caricature, while less familiar rulers like William IV or Henry VI have faded into the shadows of history. Carolly Erickson`s sensitive & revealing portrayals bring new life to the big names, & light up some of our most neglected but intriguing royals. Here is the puny Charles I, nervous, tense & socially awkward, the frail slight Richard II, melancholic & sad, the homosexual James I with his handsome favourites, & the stuttering William II. Every monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II is covered. Award winning historian Erickson tells the human stories with her characteristic blend of authenticity, engaging style & psychological insight.
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Topographic survey of France at 1:25, 000 in IGN`s excellent TOP25 / Série Bleue series. All the maps are GPS compatible, with a 1km UTM grid plus latitude & longitude lines at 5’ intervals. Contours are at 5m intervals except for mountainous areas where the maps have contours at 10m intervals, vividly enhanced by hill shading & graphics for rocky terrain. Colouring with graphics indicates different types of vegetation or land use (deciduous or coniferous forests, moors, orchards, vineyards, etc). PLEASE NOTE: coverage of France at this scale is currently being revised – the format & the presentation of each title are indicated by the letters at the end of its Sheet Reference number (e.g. 0416ET, 3531ETR, 1923SB, etc.)MAPS WITH FULL TOURIST OVERPRINT & AN ENGLISH MAP LEGEND: all TOP25 maps & the SB editions of Série Bleue have an overprint highlighting waymarked walking trails including long-distance GR routes &, where appropriate, ski routes. Symbols indicate campsites, gîtes d’etape, refuges, equestrian centres & other recreational facilities or sites, tourist information centres, cultural heritage, etc. Towns & locations of particular interest are highlighted.- ET or OT = single-sided TOP25 map covering approx. 29x 21 km / 18x 13 miles.- ETR or OTR = waterproof & tear resistant TOP25 map covering the same area as the corresponding ET or OT number, but double-sided, printed on a smaller size sheet with a good overlap between the sides.- SB = Série Bleue map with full tourist overprint; these maps, first introduced in summer 2014, each cover approx. 29x 24km / 18x 15 miles.SÉRIE BLEUE maps with numbers ending in E (Est) or O (Ouest): most editions now indicate the GR routes, but do not show any other tourist information. Map legend is in French only. Each map covers approx. 14x 20km / 9x 12 miles. ...

Brierfield in 1910 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. In this title: the map covers the Brierfield & Reedley Hallows area north of Burnley. The eastern part of the map is busy with development along the Colne Road, with coverage stretching from Reedley Grove northward to Bank Street & the gasworks but the western half of the map is quite rural. Features include the railway with Brierfield station, Reedley Hall, tramway, Monkholme, Pendle Water, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Meadow Bank Mills, Lob Lane Shed, Pendle View Shed, Brierfield Mills, St Luke's church, Market Place, town hall, Waterside, Holme End, Hawks House, Greenhead Lane. On the reverse are a 1902 directory of Reedley Hallows & a 1918 directory of Brierfield. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25 ...

Brierfield in 1910 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. The map covers the Brierfield & Reedley Hallows area north of Burnley. The eastern part of the map is busy with development along the Colne Road, & coverage stretching from Reedley Grove northward to Bank Street & the gasworks but the western half of the map is quite rural. Features include the railway with Brierfield station, Reedley Hall, tramway, Monkholme, Pendle Water, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Meadow Bank Mills, Lob Lane Shed, Pendle View Shed, Brierfield Mills, St Luke`s church, Market Place, town hall, Waterside, Holme End, Hawks House, Greenhead Lane, etc. On the reverse are a 1902 directory of Reedley Hallows & a 1918 directory of Brierfield. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Brierley Hill East with Quarry Bank & Merry Hill in 1901 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. The map covers the eastern part of Brierley Hill, extending eastward to Merry Hill, Quarry Bank & Musroom Green. Features include Dudley Canal, mineral railways, Saltwells Colliery, Ninelocks Saw Mills, Delph Locks, Mount Pleasant, Merry Hill area, Merry Hill Colliery, Quarry Bank area with Christ Church, The Coppice, Saltwells House, Birchtree Coppice, Mushroom Green, Saltwells Clay Field, spade & shovel works, etc. On the reverse is a commercial directory, entries K to Z. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Brierley Hill West & Brettell Lane in 1901 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. The map covers a busy industrial area including the western part of Brierley Hill, with the Brettell Lane & Audnam areas. Coverage stretches from Audnam House eastward to Hill St, Brierley Hill. Features include Audnam Glass Works, Camp Hill, Stourbridge Canal, Dudley Canal, Brierley House, Buckpool, Nagersfield Fire Brick Works, Dennis Park, Brettell Lane area with Fire Brick Works, GWR railway with Brierley Hill & Brettell Lane stations, Clattershall Works, Brettell Lane House, Brierley Iron Foundry, Delph Works, tramways, Church Hill, Chapel Hill, St Michael`s church, Glass Works, Bottle Works, Silver End area, Turners Lane Colliery, etc. On the reverse is a commercial directory, entries A to K. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Topographic survey of France at 1:25, 000 in IGN`s excellent TOP25 / Série Bleue series. All the maps are GPS compatible, with a 1km UTM grid plus latitude & longitude lines at 5’ intervals. Contours are at 5m intervals except for mountainous areas where the maps have contours at 10m intervals, vividly enhanced by hill shading & graphics for rocky terrain. Colouring with graphics indicates different types of vegetation or land use (deciduous or coniferous forests, moors, orchards, vineyards, etc). PLEASE NOTE: coverage of France at this scale is currently being revised – the format & the presentation of each title are indicated by the letters at the end of its Sheet Reference number (e.g. 0416ET, 3531ETR, 1923SB, etc.)MAPS WITH FULL TOURIST OVERPRINT & AN ENGLISH MAP LEGEND: all TOP25 maps & the SB editions of Série Bleue have an overprint highlighting waymarked walking trails including long-distance GR routes &, where appropriate, ski routes. Symbols indicate campsites, gîtes d’etape, refuges, equestrian centres & other recreational facilities or sites, tourist information centres, cultural heritage, etc. Towns & locations of particular interest are highlighted.- ET or OT = single-sided TOP25 map covering approx. 29x 21 km / 18x 13 miles.- ETR or OTR = waterproof & tear resistant TOP25 map covering the same area as the corresponding ET or OT number, but double-sided, printed on a smaller size sheet with a good overlap between the sides.- SB = Série Bleue map with full tourist overprint; these maps, first introduced in summer 2014, each cover approx. 29x 24km / 18x 15 miles.SÉRIE BLEUE maps with numbers ending in E (Est) or O (Ouest): most editions now indicate the GR routes, but do not show any other tourist information. Map legend is in French only. Each map covers approx. 14x 20km / 9x 12 miles. ...