Reluctant Cook gives the no-frills low-down on how to cope as Chief Cook & Bottlewasher in cramped & difficult conditions or when time, ingredients or equipment are short. Here are quick & easy ways of producing tasty meals with ordinary ingredients, using easy cup measures & handy gadgets to replace powered appliances. This book will be a boon for reluctant cooks everywhere. ...

The Euro crisis has served as a stark reminder of the fundamental importance of Germany to the larger European project. But the image of Germany as the dominant power in Europe is at odds with much of its recent history. ” Reluctant Meister ”is a wide-ranging study of Germany from the Holy Roman Empire through the Second & Third Reichs, & it asks not only how such a mature & developed culture could have descended into the barbarism of Nazism but how it then rebuilt itself within a generation to become an economic powerhouse. Perhaps most important, Stephen Green examines to what extent Germany will come to dominate its relationship with its neighbors in the European Union, & what that will mean. ...

Leon & his younger sister, Grace, have recently moved to London from New York & are struggling to settle into their new school when rumours of an unidentified virus in Africa begin to fill the news. Within a week the virus hits London. The siblings witness people turning to liquid before their eyes, & they run for their lives. A month after touching Earth`s atmosphere the virus has assimilated the world`s biomass. But the virus isn`t their only enemy, & survival is just the first step.. . ...

Remaking Beijing traces China's modern & contemporary experience, focusing on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, still the most exalted space in China today. Wu Hung describes the square's transformation from a proscribed imperial space to a public arena of political expression, & from a monumental Communist complex to a holy relic of the Maoist era. For over half a century, since the square became the symbolic center of the new socialist capital, it has determined the city's development; in examining the square, the author examines the city as a whole. The author also explores the importance of Tiananmen as a locus of art production in China: as the site for Mao's standard portrait on Tiananmen's facade; as the location of museums & monuments showcasing masterpieces of socialist art; & as a parade ground for extravagant National Day celebrations representing the revolutionary masses. In recent years it has also inspired unofficial artists to create a large body of works
- paintings, photographs, real & simulated performances
- which challenge its authority. Using a wide range of sources including government archives, newspapers, photography, architecture, literature, art exhibitions & advertisements, this book explores the history & complex meaning of Beijing's public spaces. As a native of Beijing, Wu Hung witnessed the construction & transformation of the city; in this book he combines historical enquiry with his own personal experience, offering a case study of a particular type of modern metropolis whose construction is intertwined with the creation of a political nation-state.

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What is a Treevipus? A fantastic creature with the head of a trunkfish, the body of a weevil & the tail of a platypus, of course! Here, a host of creatures presented in humorous pictures & informative captions take on new names, & a hilarious new identity when their heads, bodies & legs are swapped around as the pages are flipped. In this Mini Edition, Tony Meeuwissen`s witty interchangeable text & beautifully detailed artwork combine to make an exceptional novelty book. To see some artwork inspired by this book click here. ...

Remarkable birds of South Africa is not meant to be a field guide, but rather gives the reader an overview of the huge variety of birds right on our doorstep. Arranged in taxonomic order, it provides the reader with fascinating notes about the weird & wonderful lives & habits of many bird families or species. There is information on their appearance, voice, preferred habitat, distribution, feeding behaviour, breeding method & much more. Each family is illustrated with carefully chosen full colour photographs. This title is a celebration of our great avian diversity. But sadly, many of South Africa`s bird species are endangered & even face extinction due to habitat modification & human disturbance. Remarkable Birds offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of birds & hopefully this title will contribute to knowledge & interest in the remarkable diversity of birds with which South Africa has been blessed. ...

We share the Earth with more than 10, 000 species of birds & we have always been enchanted by them. Here, over 60 birds, organized thematically into eight sections, cover all aspects of our relationship with birds. ` Songbirds` celebrates the greatest bird virtuosi, such as the Nightingale, while ` Birds of Prey` include majestic hunters such as the Harpy Eagle, which catches prey as large as monkeys & sloths. ` Feathered Travellers` describes astounding journeys made by birds
- even some tiny Hummingbirds migrate huge distances. ` The Love Life of Birds` can rival any soap opera & involves the most brilliant displays, notably the Birds of Paradise, with their extravagant feathers & dances. ` Avian Cities` explores species such as the Flamingo that live in spectacular large colonies. ` Useful to Us` examines the ways we find birds of value, such as the Turkey, but also the Canary. ` Threatened & Extinct` describes some no longer living & others that seem on the brink. Birds have also had great mystical significance, both for good & evil, & ` Revered & Adored` considers such species as the Sacred Ibis, believed by the ancient Egyptians to represent the god Thoth. For anyone interested in the natural world & the wonderful variety of birds around us, this beautifully illustrated book is a visual treat that will inspire, inform & delight.
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Remarkable Buildings of the World is a beautifully presented, unique visual profile of the most iconic buildings in the world, spread through 25 of its most architecturally rich cities. Featuring the clean, monochrome illustrations of Studio Esinam, these unique artworks & the accompanying text will help you to learn the building`s origins & understand what makes them so iconic. Inspired by the studio’s ‘ Landmarks & Elevations’ series of prints, the illustrations are distinctive & elegant, & the authors offer unique architectural insights.‘ Whether the unique feeling of a city, the texture of a façade, or the balance of an interior space, our aim is to explore & communicate the deeper qualities of architecture by looking at it from new angles & presenting it in fresh & engaging ways’, say Studio Esinam. Featured buildings include Tokyo’s Bloomberg Pavilion, Berlin’s partly destroyed Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral, Stockholm’s Kaknästornet TV tower & New York’s Empire State Building. Stripped of colour, & drawn in elegant black & white, Remarkable Buildings of the World will give you a much deeper understanding of buildings both new & familiar. ...

A stunning novel of female friendship, forbidden love & evolution from the bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring. ...

In 1809, when Darwin was born, much of the world was an unexplored wilderness. Our knowledge of the past was nonexistent, & our picture of our species` history little more than a set of fantastic myths & fairytales. But a new era was dawning. Five decades later, On the Origin of the Species was able to draw on the pioneering work of explorers & naturalists to produce a theory that revolutionized our conception of our world. & the revolution didn`t stop with the publication of Darwin`s masterwork. 150 years later, his `dangerous idea` is still headline news, denied by many, capable of enraging & dividing, even as biologists decipher the 3-billion-year history of life as written in our very DNA. This book tells the stories of the most dramatic adventures & important discoveries in two centuries of natural history
- from Alexander von Humboldt`s epic journeys in South America to the hi-tech genome-reading projects making headlines today
- & how they gave birth to & have nourished the evolution revolution.

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