In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts & bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes whistling languages how parents teach their children to speak how politeness travels across languages & how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where were from & even who we want to be. ...

A thoroughly updated edition of this prize-winning readable introduction to the main theories of first & second language acquisition. This book introduces you to some of the language acquisition research that will help you not just to evaluate existing materials but also to adapt & use them in a way that fits what we currently understand about how languages are learned. -Content including new research & new areas in pedagogy to provide an up-to-date & comprehensive overview of research in the field.-Chapter Preview s & Summaries with round-up questions.-Companion website with vodcasts content updates & shared user content.-Also available as an e-book. ...

Sammys had a bad week
- his wallets gone along with his new shoes hes been arrested then beaten up by the police & thrown out on
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How loud can you burp? Could we use animal poo to make electricity? Why is water wet & is anything wetter than water? What's the deadliest disease in the world? What are clouds for? What's the difference between a brain & a computer? This is a wonderfully funny & informative book which helps us take a fresh look at the world (and universe) we live in with no boring bits & an abundance of fascinating facts! ...

A unique interactive guide to understanding simple machines & mechanisms. Each spread introduces you to a key mechanical principle for example levers gears & pulleys. You then put these into practice by building working models using the perforated workshop board & colour-coded machine parts. A timeline on every spread explores how each machine has been used throughout history. With a hands-on approach that brings theories to life this is a must for budding engineers. ...

Here is a fresh approach to early number concepts. This fun activity book is a perfect way to help children understand quantities rather than just reciting them in order. It helps with the recognition of numerals & words & what they stand for. An activity book to be shared by adults & children which can also be enjoyed by early readers. ...

In recent years economic growth has been regarded as a self-evident good with political debate focussed on the best means to achieve it. But there are now signs that this shared assumption is weakening. Anger at 'greedy' bankers & their 'obscene' bonuses has given way to a deeper dissatisfaction with an economic system geared overwhelmingly to the accumulation of wealth. Huge income disparities & an ever-growing gap between the richest & the rest has brought us to one of those rare moments when the underlying assumptions of society are changing. In How Much is Enough?" Robert & Edward Skidelsky argue that wealth is not an end in itself but a means to the achievement & maintenance of a 'good life' & that our economy should be organised to reflect this fact. The book

Includes:: a definition of the 'good life' discusses the relevance of ' Happiness Studies' & the environmental impact of our ever-growing need to consume. In doing so it offers an escape from the trap of excessive specialization & a way to reinvigorate the idea of economics as a 'moral science'. It concludes by offering a radical new model for income redistribution
- & a consideration of what human beings might really want from their lives."


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Did you know that squirrels cant see the colour red? That Walt Disney the creator of Mickey Mouse was afraid of mice? That only 30 per cent of humans can flare their nostrils? Or that every year the average person eats 438 bugs by mistake? Let Mitchell Symons be your guide into the weird & wonderful world of totally useless trivia! ...

How Music Works is an unparalleled account of a life in music & an explanation of how & why music works from one of the world's most accomplished performers. With his albums for Talking Heads his work with Brian Eno or his solo output David Byrne has been consistently at the forefront of musical
- & artistic
- innovation. In this extraordinary book Byrne explores why the past matters & what the future might bring. From personal accounts of devising & performing his most famous work to an exploration of the possibilities of new technologies Byrne discovers that artistic creation is less about an internal creative spark than we thought & more about external factors such as history architecture & technology. The universe of music follows broad & basic evolutionary patterns-as does birdsong to take one example. It seems the will only triumphs if the context is amenable just as in Darwinian adaptation. What we hear is determined by what we want to hear by what can be heard & by the circumstances that allow it to come into being.""

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A funny & fascinating look at over 300 of the worlds most important inventions from the steam engine to the light bulb
- now in
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