About 50 species of shorebirds breed in the Arctic where they constitute the most characteristic component of the tundra avifauna. Here we review the impact of weather & climate on the breeding cycle of shorebirds based on extensive studies conducted across the Arctic. Conditions for breeding shorebirds are highly variable among species sites & regions both within & between continents. Weather effects on breeding are most moderate in the Low Arctic of northern Europe & most extreme in the Siberian High Arctic. The decision of whether or not to breed upon arrival on the breeding grounds the timing of egg-laying & the chick-growth period are most affected by annual variation in weather. In large parts of the Arctic clutch initiation dates are highly correlated with snowmelt dates & in regions & years where extensive snowmelt occurs before or soon after the arrival of shorebirds the decision to breed & on the breeding ecology of clutch initiation dates appear to be a function of food availability for laying females. Once incubation is initiated adult shorebirds appear fairly resilient to variations in temperature with nest abandonment primarily occurring in case of severe weather with new snow covering the ground. Feeding conditions for chicks a factor highly influenced by weather affects juvenile production in most regions. Predation has a very strong impact on breeding productivity throughout the Arctic & subarctic with lemming Dicrostonyx spp. & Lemmus spp. fluctuations strongly influencing predation rates particularly in the Siberian Arctic. The fate of Arctic shorebirds under projected future climate scenarios is uncertain but High Arctic species & populations appear particularly at risk. Climatic amelioration may benefit Arctic shorebirds in the short term by increasing both survival & productivity whereas in the long term habitat changes both on the breeding grounds & on the temperate & tropical non-breeding areas may put them under considerable pressure & may bring some of them near to extinction. Their relatively low genetic diversity which is thought to be a consequence of survival through past climatically-driven population bottlenecks may also put them more at risk to anthropogenic-induced climate variation than other avian taxa. ...

Telling the tragic tale of a socially advantageous but emotionally ruinous match Theodor Fontanes Effi Briest" is translated from the German by Hugh Rorrison with an introduction by Helen Chambers in " Penguin Classics". Unworldly young Effi Briest is married off to Baron von Innstetten an austere & ambitious civil servant twice her age who has little time for his new wife. Isolated & bored Effi finds comfort & distraction in a brief liaison with Major Crampas a married man with a dangerous reputation. But years later when Effi has almost forgotten her affair the secret returns to haunt her
- with fatal consequences. In taut ironic prose Fontane depicts a world where sexuality & the will to enjoy life are stifled by vain pretences of civilization & the obligations of circumstance. Considered to be his greatest novel this is a humane unsentimental portrait of a young woman torn between her duties as a wife & mother & the instincts of her heart. Hugh Rorrisons clear modern translation is accompanied by an introduction by Helen Chambers which compares Effi with other literary heroines such as Emma Bovary & Anna Karenina. Theodor Fontane (1819-98) was a German novelist & potitical reporter. Along with " Effi Briest" Fontane is remembered for " Frau Jenny Treibel" (1892) an ironic criticism of middle-class hypocrisy & small-mindedness. If you enjoyed " Effi Briest" you may like Leo Tolstoys " Anna Karenina" also available in " Penguin Classics". "I have been haunted by it...as I am by those novels that seem to do more than they say to induce strong emotions that cant quite be accounted for". (Hermione Lee " Sunday Times")."
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A reprint of one of the classic volumes on racetrack efficiency this book is the only one in its field that deals with the racetrack betting market in-depth containing all the important historical papers on racetrack efficiency. As evidenced by the collection of articles the understanding of racetrack betting is clearly drawn from & has correspondingly returned something to all the fields of psychology economics finance statistics mathematics & management science. ...

After being caught in the middle of a love triangle which led to a devastating betrayal Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she'd made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone especially the soulful talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship & when Kiera's love is put to the ultimate test will it survive? Love is easy.. .trust is hard. ...

The Egg was young. It didn't know much. We tried to tell it but of course it didn't listen. If only it had waited.. . The Egg loved the sky. It saw all the birds insects aeroplanes balloons helicopters bats & clouds. It dreamed of being up there flying with them all. So the Egg went to a very high place.. .and jumped.. . ...

Egils Saga tells the story of the long & brutal life of tenth-century warrior-poet & farmer Egil Skallagrimsson: a morally ambiguous character who was at once the composer of intricately beautiful poetry & a physical grotesque capable of staggering brutality. The saga recounts Egils progression from youthful savagery to mature wisdom as he struggles to avenge his fathers exile from Norway defend his honour against the Norwegian King Erik Bloodaxe & fight for the English King Athelstan in his battles against Scotl&. Exploring issues as diverse as the question of loyalty the power of poetry & the relationship between two brothers who love the same woman Egils Saga is a fascinating depiction of a deeply human character. ...

Are you still the person who lived fifteen ten or five years ago? Fifteen ten or five minutes ago? Can you plan for your retirement if the you of thirty years hence is in some sense a different person? What & who is the real you? Does it remain constant over time & place or is it something much more fragmented & fluid? Is it known to you or are you as much a mystery to yourself as others are to you? With his usual wit infectious curiosity & bracing scepticism Julian Baggini sets out to answer these fundamental & unsettling questions. His fascinating quest draws on the history of philosophy but also anthropology sociology psychology & neurology; he talks to theologians priests allegedly reincarnated Lamas & delves into real-life cases of lost memory personality disorders & personal transformation; & candidly & engagingly he describes his own experiences. After reading The Ego Trick you will never see yourself in the same way again. ...

The series has always been highly regarded for its insight & authority providing an invaluable introduction to key artists & movements in art history. Each volume contains an introductory essay forty-eight full-page colour plates accompanied by extensive notes & numerous comparative illustrations in colour or black & white. ...

Take a journey back in time to the glory days of Ancient Egypt when pharaohs ruled the pyramids were built & the mighty Nile was the source of all life. This book contains fascinating information such as how Egyptians worshipped their Gods buried their dead & built the pyramids as well as amazing details about day-to-day life. With over 50 embedded flaps to lift this book is not only informative but interactive making it an accessible & engaging way for children to learn about life in Ancient Egypt. It is intricately illustrated by David Hancock. ...

Pyramids ancient temples camels: everything you ve seen on the postcards is true. But the full picture of Egypt

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