The Wirral in the Cassini Past & Present map series which covers town & cities of England & Wales & offers a unique way of tracing their history & expansion by showing four different periods of their development using Ordnance Survey mapping from the mid-19th century, the late 19th century, the 1920s & the present day. Coverage

Includes:: Bebington, Birkenhead, Heswall, Hoylake, central Liverpool, Wallasayand West Kirby. Each Past & Present map consists of four panels, all centred on a city or a town & covering exactly the same 15km x 15km area. Three of the panels reproduce Ordnance Survey

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When Andy Merrifield made his first trip to America aged ten, he vowed that one day he would leave his native Liverpool & live in New York. He eventually got there, but his dream quickly turned sour. In 2003, weary of city life & fed up with university teaching, he moved to central France & embarked upon a journey of the soul, walking amid the ruins & spectacular vistas of the Auvergne. This book is the story of that slow pilgrimage, on which his only companion is Gribouille, a tender & intelligent donkey with soft, thick fur on his brow & calm, dark eyes. Shadowed by Robert Louis Stevenson, who 130 years earlier trekked through another part of the region with the donkey Modestine, Merrifield gradually settles into the purposeful pace of his journey, allowing him to confront himself, as well as the larger mysteries of existence. He marvels at his tranquil surroundings & revels in the oddities of French rural life, musing all the while on the subtle wisdom of his companion, & the humble virtues of donkeys throughout history. The Wisdom of Donkeys reminds us that observing, being mindful, & being present in the moment are essential to a fulfilled life. It teaches us that enlightenment is all around us if we only take the time to seek it. ...

Loved Ruth Hogan`s The Keeper of Lost Things? Keep on reading...` Warm & wise` Guardian `A book to really love.. . makes reading a joy` Stylist ` Will soften even the hardest of hearts` Red ` Subtle & poignant` Good Housekeeping ` Plenty of spirit & heart` Daily Mail ` An adorable heartfelt story` Prima ` Filled with hope & the power of friendship` Evening Standard `A whimsical, wistful affair` Sunday Express `A wrenching story of recovery` Metro Once a spirited, independent woman with a rebellious streak, Masha`s life has been forever changed by a tragic event twelve years ago. Unable to let go of her grief, she finds comfort in her faithful canine companion Haizum, & peace in the quiet lanes of her town`s lido. Then a chance encounter with two extraordinary women
- the fabulous & wise Kitty Muriel, a convent girl turned magician`s wife turned seventy-something roller disco fanatic, & the mysterious Sally Red Shoes, a bag lady with a prodigious voice
- opens up a new world of possibilities, & the chance to start living again. But just as Masha dares to imagine the future, her past comes roaring back.. . Like her bestselling debut, The Keeper of Lost Things, Ruth Hogan`s second novel introduces a cast of wonderful characters, both ordinary & charmingly eccentric, who lead us through a moving exploration of the joy of friendship & the simple human connections that make life worth living. Praise for The Keeper of Lost Things, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick 2017 Winner of the Richard & Judy Readers` Award 2017`A gem` Huffington Post` Exquisite` The Lady` Delightful` Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew`s Last Stand

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In the 6th-century BC, a prince from Northern India left family & fortune in search for answers to the great questions of life & death. Known as Buddha, his teaching soon spread over the world. This book explores the life, teachings & philosophy of this man. ...

A passionate & informative celebration of trees & of man`s ingenuity in exploiting their resources: the perfect gift for anyone who cares about the natural world. Trees are marvels of nature, still-standing giants of extraordinary longevity. In a beautifully written sequence of essays, anecdotes & profiles of Britain`s best-loved species (from yew to scots pine), Max Adams explores both the amazing biology of trees & humanity`s relationship with wood & forest across the centuries. Embellished with images from the 1776 edition of John Evelyn`s classic Sylva, The Wisdom of Trees is a gift book that will delight anyone who cares about the natural world & our interaction with it. ...

Simon Drew would like to be considered a very wise man. His evidence is that wise men drink wine & nobody could be more dedicated to prolonging this state of (dis)graceful wisdom than Simon. He is certain that wine is an excellent aid to inspiration for his word plays, puzzles & drawings. For Simon, less is never more. More is always more. Less is always less. This is more or less true. Such wisdom comes to him after several glasses of wine. Simon has produced this book with due reverence to all viticulturists, vintners, publicans, restaurateurs, bon viveurs & to the god Bacchus & hopes to demonstrate that the way of the wise man is the path through the vineyard. He is fond of"ing a saying oft repeated by his gr&-mother (a reformed Methodist & born-again drinker): I have no pain now, mother dear, but oh I am so dry! Connect me to the vintner`s tap & leave me here to die (or words to that effect). So enjoy the book. Simon suggests you open a bottle of St Emilion, put your feet up, abandon all hope of good sense & read in a disorderly manner. ...

For over 2000 years, Buddhist psychology has offered invaluable insights into the nature of the heart & mind, & transformed the way many people around the world handle life`s challenges. But the ancient texts on which these remarkable teachings are based can be difficult to penetrate for modern seekers. Now, drawing on his experience as a monk trained in Thail&, Burma & India, as well as his expert psychology practice, Jack Kornfield provides an accessible, definitive guide to Buddhism for Buddhists & non-Buddhists alike. This important new work is in the tradition of his classic works A Path with Heart & After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, offering practical tools to coping with modern life & dealing with emotions such as fear, anger & shame. Kornfield also shares the illuminating stories of his students & fellow practitioners, as well as his own journey towards enlightenment, including his recovery from a violence-filled childhood. Here is a rare treasure that will give readers greater access to the secret beauty within
- & without.
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” If I had been present at the Creation, ” the thirteenth-century Spanish philosopher-king Alfonso X is said to have stated, ” Many faults in the universe would have been avoided.” Known as El Sabio, ”the Wise, ” Alfonso was renowned by friends & enemies alike for his sparkling intellect & extraordinary cultural achievements. In The Wise King, celebrated historian Simon R. Doubleday traces the story of the king`s life & times, leading us deep into his emotional world & showing how his intense admiration for Spain`s rich Islamic culture paved the way for the European Renaissance. In 1252, when Alfonso replaced his more militaristic father on the throne of Castile & Leon, the battle to reconquer Muslim territory on the Iberian Peninsula was raging fiercely. But even as he led his Christian soldiers onto the battlefield, Alfonso was seduced by the glories of Muslim Spain. His engagement with the Arabic-speaking culture of the South shaped his pursuit of astronomy, for which he was famed for centuries, & his profoundly humane vision of the world, which Dante, Petrarch, & later Italian humanists would inherit.A composer of lyric verses, & patron of works on board games, hunting, & the properties of stones, Alfonso is best known today for his Cantigas de Santa Maria (Songs of Holy Mary), which offer a remarkable window onto his world. His ongoing struggles as a king & as a man were distilled--in art, music, literature, & architecture--into something sublime that speaks to us powerfully across the centuries. An intimate biography of the Spanish ruler in whom two cultures converged, The Wise King introduces readers to a Renaissance man before his time, whose creative energy in the face of personal turmoil & existential threats to his kingdom would transform the course of Western history. ...

Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love & magic.. .and further along the path that has turned Kvothe, the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into Kote, the unassuming pub landlord. Packed with as much magic, adventure & home-grown drama as The Name of the Wind, this is a sequel in every way the equal to its predecessor & a must-read for all fantasy fans. Readable, engaging & gripping The Wise Man`s Fear is the biggest & the best new fantasy novel out there. ...

Zaki has returned home to Pakistan.. . His childhood friend & cousin Samar is getting married, & he`s come to wish her happiness for the future. But returning to the family home in Lahore
- crammed as it is with relatives
- Zaki is confronted vividly with the past that has shaped not only his & his cousin`s lives, but also those of his extended family. ” The Wishmaker” is a sweeping, powerful epic that stretches back into the past of a troubled family in a troubled country, finding the roots of today`s struggles in the lives & events that shaped yesterday.

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