We live surrounded by the beauty--and the bounty--of the botanical world but rarely do we stop to think seriously about all the roles plants play many of them crucial to life on earth. After reading Why People Need Plants " however we wont be likely to take the earths flora for granted ever again. Accessible & wide-ranging " Why People Need Plants" covers such topics as food production biofuels medicine biodiversity conservation economics genetic modification & many more--all aimed at demonstrating the importance of plants to nearly every aspect of human life & society. A collaboration between the Open University & the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew with assistance from the Royal Horticultural Society the book will inform--and surprise--plant lovers gardeners & students of all levels of knowledge." ...

It is a complete mystery why anyone would choose to murder the trusted old butler of Norton Manor. Barrister turned amateur detective Frank Amberley has reason to suspect that the shooting involves the nervy young lady discovered at the scene of the crime a snooping gentleman in the halls of Greythorne & then a second dead body. This is a dramatic tale of upstairs downstairs & family secrets. ...

Too many companies are managed not by leaders but by mere role players & faceless bureaucrats. What does it take to be a real leader-one who is confident in who she is & what she stands for & who truly inspires people to achieve extraordinary results? Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones argue that leaders don't become great by aspiring to a list of universal character traits. Rather effective leaders are authentic: they deploy individual strengths to engage followers' hearts minds & souls. They are skillful at consistently being themselves even as they alter their behaviors to respond effectively in changing contexts. In this lively & practical book Goffee & Jones draw from extensive research to reveal how to hone & deploy one's unique leadership assets while managing the inherent tensions at the heart of successful leadership: showing emotion & withholding it getting close to followers while keeping distance & maintaining individuality while conforming enough." Underscoring the social nature of leadership the book also explores how leaders can remain attuned to the needs & expectations of followers. Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? will forever change how we view develop & practice the art of leadership wherever we live & work." ...

This is an informative guide to one of the hottest subjects around at the moment; mankind's effects on the planet & how we can reverse them. Written in a conversational style this book offers children an approachable source of information on key subjects such climate change recycling energy sources & the small differences we can all make to save our planet. It is accompanied by the witty & vibrant illustrations of Adam Larkum. It is written in conjunction with climate change experts. ...

One day a little boy goes on a school trip & they have a picnic in a wood. The class start misbehaving
- throwing litter breaking
...

Why does the West rule? Eminent Stanford polymath Ian Morris answers this provocative question drawing uniquely on 15 000 years of history & archaeology & the methods of social science. In the middle of the eighteenth century British entrepreneurs unleashed the astounding energies of steam & coal & the world changed forever. Factories railways & gunboats then propelled the West's rise to power & computers & nuclear weapons in the twentieth century secured its global supremacy. Today however many worry that the emergence of China & India spell the end of the West as a superpower. How long will the power of the West last? & in order to find out we need to know: why has the West been so dominant for the past two hundred years? With flair & authority historian & achaeologist Ian Morris draws uniquely on 15 000 years of history to offer fresh insights on what the future will bring. Deeply researched & brilliantly argued Why The West Rules
- For Now" is a gripping & truly original history of the world."
...

The Birdman puts spells on people. We mustn't talk to him. We're not supposed to. Gracie & Daniel have been warned to stay away from the mad Birdman- but the message in the sand tells them that the Birdman isn't what he seems. Then they get lost in the fog & stranded on Samson Isl&- should they believe the Birdman's story that the island is cursed?" ...

Why was the partridge in the pear tree? Who was Good King Wenceslas? & what are the pagan origins behind The Holly & the Ivy? Discover the hidden stories behind our best-loved Christmas carols from their earliest incarnations in the Middle Ages & their banning under the Puritans to the wassailing traditions of the nineteenth century & the carols that united soldiers on the Western Front during the First World War. This fascinating book charts the history of one of Christmas longest-running traditions & is sure to appeal to all those who love the festive season. ...

Im telling you why we broke up Ed. Im writing it in this letter the whole truth of why it happened." Min Green & Ed Slaterton are breaking up so Min is writing Ed a letter & giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps a movie ticket a folded note a box of matches a protractor books a toy truck a pair of ugly earrings a comb from a motel room & every other item collected over the course of a giddy intimate heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated & accounted for & then the box like a girlfriend will be dumped." ...

Revolutionary retail guru Paco Underhill is back with a completely revised edition of his classic witty bestselling book on our ever-evolving consumer culture -- full of fresh observations & important lessons from the cutting edge of retail which is taking place in the worlds emerging markets. New material
Includes::
- The latest trends in online retail -- what retailers are doing right & what theyre doing wrong -- & how nearly every Internet retailer from i Tunes to Amazon can drastically improve how it serves its customers.
- A guided tour of the most innovative stores malls & retail environments around the world -- almost all of which are springing up in countries where prosperity is new. An enormous indoor ski slope attracts shoppers to a mall in Dubai; an uber luxurious Sao Paolo department store provides its customers with personal shoppers; a mall in South Africa has a wave pool for surfing. The new Why We Buy is an essential guide -- it offers advice on how to keep your changing customers & entice new & eager ones.


...