Behavioral economist & New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely returns to offer a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives our workplace experiences & our general behaviour up close & personal. In The Upside of Irrationality behavioral economist Dan Ariely will explore the many ways in which our behaviour often leads us astray in terms of our romantic relationships our experiences in the workplace & our temptations to cheat. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research Ariely explains how expectations emotions social norms & other invisible seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities. Among the topics Dan explores are: / What we think will make us happy & what really makes us happy; / How we learn to love the ones we are with; / Why online dating doesnt work & how we can improve on it; / Why learning more about people make us like them less; / Why large bonuses can make CEOs less productive; / How to really motivate people at work; / Why bad directions can help us; / How we fall in love with our ideas; / How we are motivated by revenge; & / What motivates us to cheat. Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational such a hit Dan will emphasize the important role that irrationality plays in our day-to-day decisionmaking--not just in our financial marketplace but in the most hidden aspects of our lives. ...

Suddenly risen to power & influence Samuel Fairbrother manufacturer & retailer of boots shoes & clogs decided that his new station in life deserved a more imposing residence. Accordingly he bought himself a thirty-four-roomed mansion situated on the outskirts of Fellburn. With the house came the butler Maitland who at once made plain his belief that Samuel far from the gentleman his predecessor had been was no more than an upstart. So began a clash of wills between master & man at which Samuel Fairbrother discovered he was at a distinct disadvantage for Maitland was well skilled in the art of maintaining his indispensability. Fairbrother for his part was only too aware that he dare not dispense with Maitlands services. & so an uneasy truce was declared between them. As the years went by & the century turned Samuel Fairbrother saw his children one by one leave the big house to make lives of their own
- all except his eldest daughter Janet who by means of a legacy was enabled to shape the destiny of her fathers scattered family & effect the reconciliation that he thought was impossible.
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At a time when the UK bee population is in decline theres no better way to make a difference than to start up your own beehive. Steve Benbows enormous success with urban beekeeping shows how easy it is to keep bees whether youre in the city or in the countryside a beginner or an experienced beekeeper & youll never look back once youve tasted your very own sticky golden honey or lit a candle made from the beeswax from your beehive. Steve Benbow is a visionary beekeeper who started his first beehive ten years ago on the roof of his tower block in Bermondsey & today runs 30 sites across the city. His bees live atop the Tate Modern & Tate Britain Fortnum & Mason & the National Portrait Gallery & he supplies honey to the Savoy tearooms Harvey Nichols Harrods & delis across London. His bees forage in parks cemeteries along railway lines & in window boxes & because of the diversity of the plants & trees in the city produce far richer honey & greater yields than they would in rural areas. The Urban Beekeeper is a fact-filled diary & practical guide to beekeeping that follows a year in the life of Steve & his bees & shows how keeping bees & making your own delicious honey is something anyone can do. It is a tempting glimpse into a sunlit lifestyle that starts with the first rays of the morning & ends with the warm glow of sunset filled with oozing honeycomb recipes for sensational honey-based dishes & honey that tastes like sunshine. A hugely affectionate but practical diary of a beekeepers year & the immense satisfaction of harvesting your own delicious honey. Read it & join the revolution. ...

Anyone can become an Urban Birder. You can do it anywhere & any time whether youve got the day to spare on your way to work during your lunch break or just looking out of a window. Look up & you will see. The book is an inspirational look at the birdlife in our cities or more accurately the authors personal journey of discovery involving encounters with racism air rifle-toting youths girls alcohol music finding urban wildlife oases & of course birds. His story is entertaining & sometimes controversial but the one guarantee is that the reader will be left feeling inspired enough to pick up a pair of binoculars & head to the nearest park. The Urban Birder will be launched at The British Birdwatching Fair in August 2011. ...

The story opens in Chihuahua North Mexico with a chance meeting with a group of itinerant Mexican street performers. Entranced by their stories & free-roaming lifestyle author Catriona Rainsford decides to go with them on what becomes a two-year h&-to-mouth journey across Mexico learning to live off nothing more than a few performance skills initiative & the kindness of strangers. Compelling humorous sometimes violent & full of wonderful descriptions of life on the road this is also a discussion of the morality of h&-to-mouth travel. Packed with stories of the characters she meets on the Mexican streets the book offers an insight into the day-to-day experiences of Mexico's urban poor. Above all it is a tale of the struggle of Mexico's youth to transcend the country's current climate of corruption & violence & create a new identity for themselves inspired by aspects of Mexico's surviving indigenous cultures & the desire to make people smile in the most unprepossessing of places. ' They were travelling malabaristas
- itinerant circus performers who wandered the streets of Mexico hitchhiking from town to town & surviving by whatever means they could. They saw themselves as a modern take on the ancient tradition of the wandering entertainer taking their art to the people & taking whatever the people were prepared to give them to help them on their way'.
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With over half of the global human population living in urban regions urban ecosystems may now represent the contemporary & future human environment. Consisting of green space & the built environment they harbour a wide range of species yet are not well understood. This book aims to review what is currently known about urban ecosystems in a short & approachable text that will serve as a key resource for teaching & learning related to the urban environment. It covers both physical & biotic components of urban ecosystems key ecological processes & the management of ecological resources including biodiversity conservation. All chapters incorporate case studies boxes & questions for stimulating discussions in the learning environment. ...

Inspired by the lifestyle of the urban dweller this crochet fashion collection from award-winning designer Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby is vibrant versatile & exciting. Shannon presents 13 garments that are as energising to crochet as they are to wear. Showcasing yarns in light & medium weights the designs include Bangkok Jacket Dublin Cables Dress Rio Sleeveless Hoodie St. Tropez Butterfly Sleeve Top Buenos Aires Maxi Vest Amsterdam Vest Helsinki Sweater Seattle Cross Front Vest Los Angeles Jacket Taos Poncho Milan Cowl Neck Top Paris Wrap (a multifunctional skirt or dress) & NYC Dress. Most patterns are for sizes Small to 3X & Easy to Experienced skill levels. Tutorials help explain foundations & finishing techniques. ...

Growing food is different in the city: life is faster & space is tight. So it is vital to focus on only the most rewarding edible plants. In The Urban Kitchen Gardener" Tom Moggach selects his best city crops from the familiar chillies & strawberries to the more unusual Japanese shiso & Mexican mouse melons. For each entry Tom offers practical advice on growing picking preserving & cooking your harvest. More than 150 delicious recipe ideas include Coriander & Coconut Chutney Chilli Corn Bread Shiso Granita & cocktails such as a Honey & Basil Daiquiri. He also shares expert advice for success with pots & containers & on windowsills patios balconies roof gardens back gardens & allotments. Other chapters cover seed saving & green gardening. This is an inspirational guide to making the most of your urban plot whatever its size." ...

Curry has become an integral part of our staple diet but few of us are aware of what 'authentic' means when it comes to Britain's favourite food
- how it is cooked & what makes it so sublime. Instead we have been patronised with dumbed-down versions of wonderfully spiced dishes through the provision of gooey mixtures that slime their way out of jars. ' No more!' cries self-proclaimed Urban Rajah Ivor Peters. The search for homemade straightforward fragrant food ends here. Packed full of inspiring stories & generations-old recipes this book opens the door into a world of family cooking that will teach us how to cook delicious curry in our own homes. So put down that jar of low-fat chicken tikka masala rip up your takeaway menu & let Ivor lead you through a journey of spice that will leave you revelling in colour yearning for the delicate smells of cardamom & cinnamon & desperate to tear a chapatti to shreds & plunge it into a curry feast of your own making.
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Before roads & rail the industrial hubs of Great Britain were linked to the ports by a network of manmade waterways. These canals fell into disuse in the early part of the twentieth century but in the last fifty years they have undergone a complete revival. These newly transformed waterways have become attractive destinations & for newcomers to a city walking its waterways will unlock famous highlights as well as hidden delights. & that is just what this book does too. With the lavish colour photography for which he is renowned Britains biographer photographer Derek Pratt explores all the major cities & towns linked by waterways bringing to life the canals & their environs with images that are stunning stylish & beautiful. Through interesting informative & typically quirky text Derek also reveals a whole treasure trove of fascinating things most people dont know about these industrial landscapes whilst also explaining the commercial history of the waterways their subsequent decline & recent revitalisation. Towns & cities covered include: London Oxford Bristol Liverpool Manchester Sheffield Stoke on Trent & the Potteries Leeds Gloucester Reading Birmingham & the Black Country Rugby Worcester Coventry Leicester Nottingham & Bath. ...