From Indian vultures to Chinese bees Nature provides the 'natural services' that keep the economy going. From the recycling miracles in the soil; an army of predators ridding us of unwanted pests; an abundance of life creating a genetic codebook that underpins our food pharmaceutical industries & much more it has been estimated that these & other services are each year worth about double global GDP. Yet we take most of Nature's services for granted imagining them free & limitless.. .until they suddenly switch off. This is a book full of immediate impactful stories containing both warnings (such as in the tale of India's vultures killed off by drugs given to cattle leading to an epidemic of rabies) but also the positive (how birds protect fruit harvests coral reefs protect coasts from storms & how the rainforests absorb billions of tonnes of carbon released from cars & power stations). Tony Juniper's book will change whole way you think about life the planet & the economy. ...

The Oxford History of the United States is by far the most respected multi-volume history of our nation. In this prize-winning critically acclaimed addition to the series historian Daniel Walker Howe illuminates the period from the battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War an era when the United States expanded to the Pacific & won control over the richest part of the North American continent. Howe's panoramic narrative portrays revolutionary improvements in transportation & communications that accelerated the extension of the American empire. Railroads canals newspapers & the telegraph dramatically lowered travel times & spurred the spread of information. These innovations prompted the emergence of mass political parties & stimulated America's economic development from an overwhelmingly rural country to a diversified economy in which commerce & industry took their place alongside agriculture. In his story the author weaves together political & military events with social economic & cultural history. He examines the rise of Andrew Jackson & his Democratic party but contends that John Quincy Adams & other Whigs--advocates of public education & economic integration defenders of the rights of Indians women & African-Americans--were the true prophets of America's future. He reveals the power of religion to shape many aspects of American life during this period including slavery & antislavery women's rights & other reform movements politics education & literature. Howe's story of American expansion culminates in the bitterly controversial but brilliantly executed war waged against Mexico to gain California & Texas for the United States. Winner of the New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize Finalist 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction ...

Victim awareness & the needs of victims of crime are a major societal concern. What Have I Done?" is a course to encourage empathy in young people who commit crimes or hurt others through their actions. It is designed to be used directly with young people who have committed a specific crime or caused harm & distress to others through their actions & challenges the young person to face the harm they have caused & consider what they can do to help put things right. The course is flexible & interactive & can be used on an individual basis or with small groups & is suitable for young people with limited literacy. The exercises are challenging & aim to be engaging through the use of creative arts film role-play & discussion. Clear guidance is provided for the course leader & evaluation is built into the course including a psychometric test. A DVD to help stimulate discussion is also included. " What Have I Done?" will be ideal for victim empathy work in Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions & can equally be used in schools children homes youth groups & any context with young people." ...

Kathryn Brooker is the headmaster's wife at a prestigious prep school. This morning she will cook breakfast for her family & launder last night's sheets. This afternoon she will prune the flowerbeds & bake a cake for her son's cricket match. This evening she will kneel before her husband & await his judgment. For every rule broken she receives a punishment. Her body is a latticework of scars. For the sake of her children she never makes a sound. Tonight Kathryn Brooker snaps. She takes a paring knife from her pocket & kills the man who has abused her for sixteen years. Tomorrow she will face prison a trial & the loss of her children. Only then can she begin slowly to rebuild her life. ...

We all know Jeeves & Wooster but which is the best Jeeves story? We all know Blandings but which is the funniest tale about Lord Emsworth & his adored prize-winning pig? & would the best of Ukridge or the yarns of the Oldest Member or Wodehouses Hollywood stories outdo them? This bumper anthology means that you can choose bringing you the cream of the crop of stories by the twentieth centurys greatest humorous writer. There are favourites aplenty in this selection which has been compiled with enthusiastic support from P.G. Wodehouse societies around the world. With additional material including novel extracts working drafts articles letters & poems this anthology provides the best overall celebration of side-splitting humour & sheer good nature available in the pages of any book. ...

In part one read about the time Jon inadvertently made a lewd gesture to a passing fourteen-year-old girl late at night in the lobby of a country-house hotel. & about his burgeoning obsession with a new neighbour who refused to ask him what he did for a living despite Jon's constant dropping of intriguing hints. & about the embarrassment of being caught recycling small talk at a party. In part two read some of Jon's longer stories which explore manifestations of insanity in the wider world: the tiny town of North Pole Alaska where it's Christmas 365 days of the year; behind the scenes at Deal or No Deal which Jon likens to a cult with Noel Edmonds as its high priest; a meeting with TV hypnotist Paul Mc Kenna who has joined forces with a self-help guru who once stood trial for murder -- but can they cure Jon of his one big phobia? As hilarious as it is perturbing Jon Ronson's new collection is a treat for everyone who has ever suspected themselves to be at the mercy of forces they can barely comprehend. ...

This is the story of two men who first become friends in 1970s New York of the women in their lives & of their sons born the same year. Both Leo Hertzberg an art historian & Bill Weschler a painter are cultured decent men but neither is equipped to deal with what happens to their children
- Leos son drowns when hes 12 while Bills son Mark grows up to be a delinquent & the acolyte of a sinister guru-like artist who spawns murder in his wake. Spanning the hedonism of the eighties & the chill-out nineties this multi-layered novel combines a plot of mounting menace with a deeply moving account of familial relationships & a superbly observed portrait of an artist set against the backdrop of a society reaching new depths of depravity in its frenetic quest for the next fashion drug & thrill.
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In 1982 having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later hed completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon & now after dozens of such races he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life & on his writing. Equal parts travelogue training log & reminiscence this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon & settings ranging from Tokyos Jingu Gaien gardens where he once shared the course with an Olympian to the Charles River in Boston. Funny & sobering playful & philosophical What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a must read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running. ...

Valentino Rossi is the greatest living motorcyclist. His legions of fans adore him (over 4 000 turned up to see him in Leicester Square last March). He has fought through the 125 & 250 class groups to win the World Championships five times & has been ranked in the top three places at the World Championships for the last nine years. He is currently the Moto GP World Champion & has won on a Honda bike
- considered the best
- & most recently on a Yamaha
- considered the worst. He is arguably the greatest racer ever
- & certainly the most entertaining
- his post race antics & cheeky personality have won him as many fans as his on-track prowess. He is the kind of star who only comes along once in a while
- a Muhammad Ali or Pele
- hugely talented massively driven yet also scorchingly charismatic unnervingly rebellious & totally endearing
- a twentieth-century version of the hell-raisers of old. All who know Rossi say he is a consummate professional that he works harder than anyone could ever realise but that most of all he still loves what he does. He just seems to win more because hes still enjoying himself so much. He is infamous for his on the edge riding pushing himself & his bike to the very limits of what they can do & screaming around racecourses in record times. But he is also well known for his good looks his techni-coloured hair & cheeky humour
- & for his sheer youthful exuberance in victory
- his post-match victory laps have become a thing of legend. Previously he has driven victory laps in full beach gear including flip-flops with a man sized chicken riding pillion (and also in a jibe to Max Biaggi who had an unceremonious break-up with the model Naomi Campbell with a life size doll of Claudia Schiffer strapped on behind him.) His warmth of character coupled with his amazing career statistics to date
- his first GP win aged 17 his first world title at 18 his first 500 class win at 21 & his first Moto GP win at 22
- mean that this young man has the motorcycle racing world at his feet. His raw talent coupled with his firm belief in the entertainment aspect of his sport & the importance of his fans means that he really is the David Beckham of bikes
- he has done the near impossible & transcended his own territory. His appeal
- being at the top of his game without being a purist still being seen to be young & excited by the game & being a perfectionist on & off the track when it comes to his driving
- means that he really is one of the superstars of the sporting world.














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' Anyone interested in military history or indeed history in general will find it fascinating to read'
- Spectator". " What If?"
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