Death is the one certainty in life yet with the decline of religion in the West we have become collectively reluctant to talk about it. Our contemporary rituals seek to sanitise death & distance us from our own inevitable fate. If we want to know how previous generations dealt with death graveyards (famous & not) tell us the history -- if we are able to read them. If we want to know how we struggle today with understanding or facing up to death then graveyards provide a starting point. & if we want to escape the present taboo on acknowledging our mortality & contemplate our own end then graveyards offer a rare welcome. From Neolithic mounds to internet memorials via medieval corpse roads & municipal cemeteries war graves & holocaust memorials Roman catacombs Pharaonic grave-robbers Hammer horrors body-snatchers Days of the Dead humanist burials & flameless cremations Stanford shows us how to read a graveyard what to look out for in our own & how even the most initially unpromising exploration can enthral. ...

Latin is very much alive in the poetry written by the great Latin poets & this book is about their poetry their language & their culture. Fitzgerald shows the reader with little or no knowledge of the Latin language how it works as a unique vehicle for poetic expression & thought. Moving between close analysis of particular Latin poems & more general discussions of Latin poets literature & society Fitzgerald gives the un-Latined reader an insider's view of how Latin poetry feels & what makes it worth reading even today. His book explores what can be said & done in a poetry & a language that are both very different from English & yet have profoundly influenced it. He takes the reader through the whole range of Latin poetry from the trivial obscene & vicious to the sublime the passionate & the uplifting. Individual chapters focus on particular authors (such as Vergil & Horace) or on themes (love hate civil war) & together they explain why we should care about what the poets of ancient Rome had to say. If you have ever wondered what all the fuss was about see for yourselves! ...

The book that health professionals turn to for a full & clear explanation of the principles of evidence-based medicine. The authors descriptions of clinical research papers & how to critically appraise them are so simply presented as to be understandable by readers at all levels from student to specialist. Chapters on searching the literature & implementing the evidence provide guidance on using evidence-based medicine in clinical practice. This fourth edition retains the winning style & takes in the recent developments & shifts of emphasis in evidence-based medicine & now
Includes:: * Thoroughly revised & updated chapters on searching qualitative research systematic review & implementing evidence-based practice *2 new chapters on quality improvement & the emerging field of complex interventions This new edition will be welcomed by those who teach & those needing to learn the basics of evidence-based medicine. Praise for previous editions One of the greatest aspects of this book is the section relating to searching the literature & whilst we may think we may all practise this on a fairly regular basis under the assumption that we do a pretty decent job of it this section holds the key to excelling." -From a review in Urology News " This clear & concise book provides an excellent starting point for those interested in finding their way through the medical literature." -From a review in Palliative Medicine"
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Ian Jeffrey is a superb guide in this profusely illustrated introduction to the appreciation of photography as an art form. ...

Richard Taylor author of the best-selling How to Read a Church" joins forces with garden historian Andrew Eburne to produce the ultimate guide to historic & modern gardens. Gardens are amongst the fastest-growing visitor attractions today
- in the UK alone 15 million people will visit a garden this year. " How to Read an English Garden" is the essential book for every garden lover. It provides an account of the different elements of gardens of all ages & explains their meaning & their history. Here you'll find the answer to such questions as: when were tulips introduced into our gardens & what was 'tulip-mania'? What is a knot-garden & what was the origin of its design? Who was ' Capability' Brown & how did he get his name? & why are mazes such a common feature in English garden design? In addition the book explains how lawns flowerbeds trees & ponds came to be a feature not just of grand houses but of gardens everywhere. Among the many subjects covered are: garden design plant introductions & collectors kitchen gardens water gardens & garden styles from around the world
- English American Chinese & Moorish to name just a few. Clearly laid out & beautifully illustrated " How to Read an English Garden" brings historic & modern gardens to life: a book to accompany garden visitors everywhere or to be enjoyed & dipped into at home."

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How to Read Bridges is a practical introduction to looking at the structure & purpose of bridges. It is a guide to reading the structural clues embedded in every bridge that allows their variety & ingenuity to be better appreciated. Small enough to carry in your pocket & serious enough to provide real answers this comprehensive guide:
- analyses & explores all types of bridges from around the world from the first millennium to the present day.
- explores fundamental concepts of bridge design key materials & engineering techniques.
- provides an accessible visual guide with intelligent text using detailed illustrations & cross-sections of technical features.


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This book is a practical primer to looking at architecture & all the elements that are included in buildings from cornices & friezes to columns & porticos
- all facets of buildings are included. Each chapter takes an architectural element & looks at its variety across various historical periods & geographical locations. Examples are shown through dozens of fine engravings with extended captions creating a dip-in read & an effective I-Spy guide. Additional sections look at the clues offerred by history geography & religion (with a timeline showing how & where architectural elements have been introduced) & at the significance of the ornaments.
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A practical teach-yourself course on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs for the general reader. In this text the grammar of ancient Egypt is introduced using the inscriptions found on monuments with an emphasis on learning to read & translate accurately. A series of 43 exercises accompanies an easy to follow ten-step guide & is supported by a reference section of sign-lists & a short dictionary at the end of the text. Background notes on general topics including gods royal dynasties & principal sites aim to help the reader to understand the historical concept. ...

Garden visiting has never been more popular but not many of us understand what we are looking at when strolling through a beautiful garden
- are we looking at an original landscaped sit or a re-creation? Is the planting matter authentic or made up of modern hybrids? Are the steps & terracing in the Italianate style or are they Arts & Crafts? The truth is that most gardens of any age are like a palimpsest: successive generations have changed & influenced the soft & hard fabric of the place over time. Inevitably many of the gardens we wander through today are an amalgam of changing fashions & circumstance. How to Read Gardens provides the reader with all the knowledge he or she needs to tease out the clues that will tell the complete story of a gardens past. From the grandest estate to the smallest suburban plot this book will enliven & inform every visit.
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This is the ideal guide for those who wish to get to grips with music to a greater depth to learn to play faster more complicated scores to compose & arrange music
- the possibilities are endless. This guide provides everything you need to know explaining pitch the treble clef the bass clef rhythm accidentals key signatures scales & chords along with a compendium of additional information. Then practise what you have learnt with the Play Along sections containing simple well-known examples of music from Scarborough Fair to Jerusalem. With helpful diagrams clear accessible text & a practical ringbound format.
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