At a dinner party given by his parents-in-law, Commissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He's charmed
- perhaps too charmed, suggests his wife Paola
- by her love of Virgil & Cicero, but shocked by her appearance.

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The importance of Chekhov's stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes
- alienation, the
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Why does the size of a space shuttle's fuel tanks have more to do with a horse's rump than rocket science? Is there a correlation between the humble pint & the capacity of the human bladder? & why is an old Wellington boot as important an instrument of spacial awareness as was ever invented? About the Size of It is a hugely entertaining history of traditional weights & measures that will make you look at your everyday world in a completely different way.. .'A full & convincing account of why our well-tried & trusted traditional measures make human sense' Alexander Mc Call Smith ' His direct, engaging conversational prose is a delight to read...inspirational' Andrew Roberts ' Absolutely masterly. Lucid & wise & touching & absolutely right' Jilly Cooper ...

When Albert Einstein formulated his theory of relativity it brought about a revolution in our understanding of time, yet also presented a new set of mysteries. In this book, the author tackles the tough questions about time, including the strange relationship between physical time & our psychological perception of it. ...

Something in our world is changing. In ten years time 60% of us will be over 55. The retirement age is likely to move up to 70; modern medicine ensures that most of us will live well in to our 80s & most of us will choose to do some work, paid or voluntary, while we are still physically able. Yet older people have, as yet, no role in modern society. Old age is regarded as an invonvenience, something to be shunned & set apart from our daily lives. In this frank, often funny & always compelling disquisition on ageing, Irma Kurtz sets out to chart the territory through her own & others' experiences. Along the way she meets a diverse group of people whose insights into their own lives have much to offer a younger generation
- from a 90-year-old weekly columnist & a vicar still working in his mid-70s to The Good Granny Guide's Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall & ' London's Rudest Landlord', Normal Balon of the celebrated Coach & Horses. Kurtz is a fearless investigator of the art of growing old
- its pleasures & its griefs
- carrying with her the only tool that sharpens with age: lifelong curiosity.


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The past two centuries have marked the age of the city in Scotl&. Powered by industrial growth & driven by social change, much of the nation has been transformed from the rural to the urban. But the stories of our cities began long before this. From ancient origins to the construction of some of the world s most fascinating architecture, through hardships of war, plague, fire & economic depression to innovative programmes of urban renewal, our cities bear the scars & boast the treasures of hundreds of years of incredible progress & change. Across the central belt, vast, brash Glasgow meets classically austere Edinburgh. Dundee, a city built by an old Empire, now thrives on new technology. In the granite shadows of Aberdeen, a vibrant trading community has been changed forever by the arrival of the oil barons. & then there are Scotland's newest cities: Stirling, once a centre of Royal power, & Inverness, the urban gateway to a wild Highland landscape. This lavishly illustrated volume looks at the character & development of each of Scotland s six cities, drawing on stunning aerial photography from the 1920s to the present day to tell their compelling stories from a unique & illuminating perspective. & for the first time ever, in a special dedicated section, readers can view images of Scotland's cities in 3D, seeing stunning details rise up out of the page, from the imposing rocky heights of the castles of Edinburgh & Stirling, to the ordered grid-iron canyons of central Glasgow. ...

Young Anna Travis has been assigned to her first murder case
- a series of killings that has shocked the most hardened of detectives.
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Young Anna Travis has been assigned to her first murder case
- a series of killings that has shocked even the most hardened of
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Life has been far from happy for Maisie Jackson for a number of years, ever since her mother remarried after her beloved father's death. Tormented by her stepfamily, Maisie dreamed of escaping to a new life far away. & it seems her dreams are about to come true ...

Fourth of the thrilling fantasy adventure series set on the Dark World, where society is ranked according to its colour clan & the most precious commodity is light. Tal & Milla are no longer alone in their quest. They have been joined by the rebel Underfolk led by Crow, Tal's old foe. But now they must all work together to discover the secrets of the Castle & the Dark World they all inhabit before it is too late. The darkness is growing deeper. The shadows are growing stronger. & Tal & Milla are in greater danger than ever before! ...