Life in a workhouse during the Victorian & Edwardian eras has been popularly characterised as a brutal existence. Charles Dickens famously portrayed workhouse inmates as being dirty neglected overworked & at the mercy of exploitative masters. While there were undoubtedly establishments that conformed to this stereotype there is also evidence of a more enlightened approach that has not yet come to public attention. This book establishes a true picture of what life was like in a workhouse of why inmates entered them & of what they had to endure in their day-to-day routine. A comprehensive overview of the workhouse system gives a real & compelling insight into social & moral reasons behind their growth in the Victorian era while the kind of distinctions that were drawn between inmates are looked into which along with the social stigma of having been a workhouse inmate tell us much about class attitudes of the time. The book also looks at living conditions & duties of the staff who in many ways were prisoners of the workhouse. Michelle Higgs combines thorough research with a fresh outlook on a crucial period in British history & in doing so paints a vivid portrait of an era & its social standards that continues to fascinate & tells us much about the society we live in today. ...

In the mid 1980s Erwin James was sentenced to life imprisonment. Over recent years he has written powerfully about prison life for the Guardian. James writes candidly about learning the who what why & when of the prison world. He describes the struggle to keep sane; the dynamics of paranoia & solidarity; & the commitment that it takes to prepare for life outside. Along the way James introduces us to other prisoners. There is Rinty the big Dundonian & enthusiastic fan of Antiques Roadshow"; Cody the elderly former sergeant who still protests his innocence after 24 years; & Felix the Gambler
- serial schemer & sometime Buddhist. It is through their stories told with humour & warmth that James reveals the reality of prison life. "A Life Inside" does not glorify wrongdoing nor does it seek to justify the crimes of its author or any other prisoners. Rather it is a portrayal of life behind Britains prison walls that no one who reads it will readily forget."
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This book offers a compelling look at the Asian life insurance industry. Despite the recent financial crisis the Asian markets recovered remarkably swiftly. Markets such as China & India are approaching a size & scale which make them extremely relevant in the worlds life insurance landscape. The winners in the Asian insurance marketplace will be determined over the next several years & they will all have to overcome significant challenges in distribution product operations & risk management. They will have to leverage growth opportunities in the region by winning the war for talent keeping up with the innovative product development & avoiding significant risks over the next decade. ...

If you have a dream you can make it come true. You can create your own heaven on earth no matter what your starting point. You simply need to focus on what you desire then get out of your own way. Whatever you ask for this loving Universe always says yes
- & it wants to deliver your gifts. So it is guiding you every step of the way.
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In this jolly little gem of a book Miss Hope & Mr Greenwood offer 50 of their most delectable sweet recipes
- delights such as
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101 inspirational lessons on how to achieve true happiness find fulfilment & live peacefully & meaningfully every day from Robin Sharma leading life coach & author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. How can one achieve true happiness? Is it possible to live with joy passion & purpose every day? It is & this potent book
- with its powerful life lessons & profound wisdom
- can show you how. Here Robin Sharma one of the worlds leading life teachers & bestselling authors takes you on a journey towards a new way of living allowing you to re-purpose your time to make every day meaningful. Offering simple solutions to lifes most frustrating challenges this is a guide to rebalancing the conflicting forces in your life. Its lessons include: * How to discover your calling * How to see your troubles as blessings * How to enjoy the path
- not just the rewards * How to live fully so you can die happy This is a truly remarkable book that you will treasure for a lifetime.


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Every child has the right to a good life
- one of peace health & dignity. But have you ever thought about what this really means?
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Alan Bennetts A Life Like Other Peoples" is a poignant family memoir offering a portrait of his parents marriage & recalling his Leeds childhood Christmases with Grandma Peel & the lives loves & deaths of his unforgettable aunties Kathleen & Myra. Bennetts powerful account of his mothers descent into depression & later dementia comes hand in hand with the uncovering of a long-held tragic secret. A heartrending & at times irresistibly funny work of autobiography by one of the best-loved English writers alive today." ...

Alan Bennetts A Life Like Other Peoples" is a poignant family memoir offering a portrait of his parents marriage & recalling his Leeds childhood Christmases with Grandma Peel & the lives loves & deaths of his unforgettable aunties Kathleen & Myra. Bennetts powerful account of his mothers descent into depression & later dementia comes hand in hand with the uncovering of a long-held tragic secret. This is a heartrending & at times irresistibly funny work of autobiography by one of the best-loved English writers alive today." ...

John Forsters original three-volume text is abridged & brought to life with the addition of illuminating extracts from Dickens own work & from recent criticism biography & fiction. It is also generously illustrated with materials including original artwork from the serial parts of Dickens novels rare photographs & portraits of Dickens & his circle as well as specially commissioned images from the Charles Dickens Museum of the authors personal possessions & favoured locations. ...