Gunpowder, TREason or Plot, or How We Dug Up The Ancestors is a new book by respected historical writer Allan Frost.
But Gunpowder, TREason or Plot, or How We Dug Up The Ancestors tends to be a little more hysterical than historical.
In this fictional book, Tim Eason, (described as an unconfirmed batchelor!) visits Priorton in pursuit of a new lead on England's infamous Gunplowder Plot, he could not have anticipated just how close his relationship would become with the pub landlady, Sarah Brewer. But an elderly juke box in he corner of the bar seemed to have some sort of an inkling!
Nor did Tim quite realise that his research work would attract the attention of bungling conspirators Frank Fiddlit (a dubious solicitor), Tom Bleak (of Bleak Homes Limited) and Nevil Strubble (hapless Council Planning Officer).
Tim digs up enough information to attend a court hearing to determine ownership of Prioton Hall. However, Judge Sir Cedric Foot-Wart seems strangely preoccupied. Until an unexpected witness appears...
This somewhat explosive novel, set in an English town ignored by progress and time itself, will keep you intrigued and interested as its thickening plot and unforgettable characters interact.
You'll be chuckling from start to finish as farcical situation follows farcical situation!
This book is released via Amazon Kindle. You can buy it via the That's Books Amazon-powered bookshop. Just look for the Amazon Search Box to the right of That's Books.
Book review blog site, with some entertainment material from time-to-time.
Sunday 19 February 2012
Be That Writer: Competition entry is done!
Be That Writer: Competition entry is done!: My competition entry for a novel writing competition is ready to post off. The top prize is a £20,000 advance and the chance to have my no...
Saturday 18 February 2012
The Ten Questions to Ask For Success
The Ten Questions to Ask For Success is a very lively and helpful book by acknowledged expert Phil Parker.
What use is a self help book that doesn't give you any answers?
In his latest book, Phil points out that the most important discovery he has made in over two decades of working in the field of personal development is this: providing solutions, advice suggestions or answers does not always help everyone.
Phil opines that there can be a problem with just providing the answer to a particular problem, or set of problems. Because if people do not go through the process of finding their own solution, the next time they are faced with another problem, they will tend to turn for help again. (EDITOR: I think it is also referred to as 'learned helplessness'.)
Parker takes the position that learning the skill of creating our own solutions lets us become more independent and skilled at finding and making the right choices and decisions for ourselves, not merely relying on other people for the answers all the time.
Parker points out that it is all about learning to ask what he describes as the key questions, at the right time in order for us to reach the right solution.
He has distilled these to a list of ten key questions. Questions which will, argues Parker, prove to be powerful tools to enable you to draw on the fields of personal and spiritual development, business, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, hostage negotiation (yes, really!) that should see you equipped to make "great decisions" in all aspects of your life.
Parker has used these techniques to help thousands of his clients to help themselves or other people to rid them of stress, worry, feeling dis-empowered, unmotivated or frustrated and can help them identify and counter self-sabotage.
Parker feels that if you read his book you will be able to feel more motivated, be better able to motivate others, find solutions in a calm, collected manner, even when under extreme stress, design your dreams and achieve them, ensure all the relationships in your life (be they work or life related) work well, flourish and fulfil you.
You'll also be able to manage your business affairs in a more effective way. Whilst also offering assistance to others to help them, too.
The book is out now. It is published by Hay House in paperback at £10.99.
The author Phil Parker is a qualified NLP practitioner, osteopath, hypnotherapist and an executive coach.
He operates a private practice in London. You can visit his website at www.philparker.org
What use is a self help book that doesn't give you any answers?
In his latest book, Phil points out that the most important discovery he has made in over two decades of working in the field of personal development is this: providing solutions, advice suggestions or answers does not always help everyone.
Phil opines that there can be a problem with just providing the answer to a particular problem, or set of problems. Because if people do not go through the process of finding their own solution, the next time they are faced with another problem, they will tend to turn for help again. (EDITOR: I think it is also referred to as 'learned helplessness'.)
Parker takes the position that learning the skill of creating our own solutions lets us become more independent and skilled at finding and making the right choices and decisions for ourselves, not merely relying on other people for the answers all the time.
Parker points out that it is all about learning to ask what he describes as the key questions, at the right time in order for us to reach the right solution.
He has distilled these to a list of ten key questions. Questions which will, argues Parker, prove to be powerful tools to enable you to draw on the fields of personal and spiritual development, business, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, hostage negotiation (yes, really!) that should see you equipped to make "great decisions" in all aspects of your life.
Parker has used these techniques to help thousands of his clients to help themselves or other people to rid them of stress, worry, feeling dis-empowered, unmotivated or frustrated and can help them identify and counter self-sabotage.
Parker feels that if you read his book you will be able to feel more motivated, be better able to motivate others, find solutions in a calm, collected manner, even when under extreme stress, design your dreams and achieve them, ensure all the relationships in your life (be they work or life related) work well, flourish and fulfil you.
You'll also be able to manage your business affairs in a more effective way. Whilst also offering assistance to others to help them, too.
The book is out now. It is published by Hay House in paperback at £10.99.
The author Phil Parker is a qualified NLP practitioner, osteopath, hypnotherapist and an executive coach.
He operates a private practice in London. You can visit his website at www.philparker.org
Thursday 16 February 2012
A Dictionary of Forensic Science
A Dictionary of Forensic Science is an important book on this very diverse field.
There are over 1,300 entries, some with very helpful illustrations and the book is written in a very clear and entertaining way by Dr Suzanne Bell, one of the leading experts in the field.
If you are a student of forensic science, a forensic scientist or technician, a law student, a barrister, a solicitor, a police officer (long-served or a cadet) a journalist or an author needing to do research for a novel, or even just a fan of CSI on the TV, then this book is one that must be on your bookshelf or in your work bag.
It not only covers forensic terms it also covers relevant jurisprudence terms, engineering references, case histories, biographies of leading figures from the field and gives clear and concise explanations of what the terms used mean.
It also tells you what Luminol is and how it works its apparent magic with blood stains.
It also contains a bibliography for further reading and identifies links to useful websites throughout the book, yet in a way that is totally non-intrusive.
It's out this month in paperback and costs £12.99.
Students should be aware that this is probably a book that you will use until you retire from your chosen field, it really is that good a book, in the opinion of your reviewer.
There are over 1,300 entries, some with very helpful illustrations and the book is written in a very clear and entertaining way by Dr Suzanne Bell, one of the leading experts in the field.
If you are a student of forensic science, a forensic scientist or technician, a law student, a barrister, a solicitor, a police officer (long-served or a cadet) a journalist or an author needing to do research for a novel, or even just a fan of CSI on the TV, then this book is one that must be on your bookshelf or in your work bag.
It not only covers forensic terms it also covers relevant jurisprudence terms, engineering references, case histories, biographies of leading figures from the field and gives clear and concise explanations of what the terms used mean.
It also tells you what Luminol is and how it works its apparent magic with blood stains.
It also contains a bibliography for further reading and identifies links to useful websites throughout the book, yet in a way that is totally non-intrusive.
It's out this month in paperback and costs £12.99.
Students should be aware that this is probably a book that you will use until you retire from your chosen field, it really is that good a book, in the opinion of your reviewer.
“Bird flu will remain a threat as long as factory farms exist” claims author of new book on public health
The author of a pioneering new book on animals and public health, published this month, claims that “as long as factory farms exist; we will continue to be at risk from bird flu”.
Dr Aysha Akhtar, the author of 'Animals and Public Health: Why treating animals better is critical to human welfare', considers that while Bird Flu is currently receiving much attention owing to recent deaths in Vietnam and its potential use in bio-terrorism “We don't need a terrorist to wreak havoc. By confining billions of animals on factory farms, we have created a worldwide natural laboratory for the rapid development of a deadly and highly infectious form of the virus. The stressful and crowded conditions make a perfect breeding ground for new infectious diseases that can harm humans."
The book reveals how the link between how we treat animals and human health goes far beyond bird flu, however. "A significant number of the most urgent health issues we face today are intricately linked with poor treatment of animals.”
The book to be published on 17 February is the sixth volume published as part of the Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics book series in partnership with the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. In a lively manner, this book describes the link between the way we treat animals and human health across a wide range of health topics.
Dr Akhtar explores the lives of animals in violent homes, factory farms, experimental laboratories, the entertainment industry and the wildlife trade. She reveals how their treatment is related to issues as diverse as domestic violence, the obesity epidemic, the world's most ominous infectious diseases, animal attacks, high-profile drug failures and climate change.
In the first academic text to address the relationship between animals and public health, Dr Akhtar argues that "... public health has long-ignored the relationship between our health and animal treatment, largely owing to a misconception that animal welfare is in opposition to human welfare”.
Using a wealth of scientific information, the book demonstrates that in order to best promote human health, we have to improve our treatment of animals. Dr Akhtar hopes that this book will lead to a new public health paradigm, one that considers animals as part of the "public" in public health.
Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H., is a neurologist and public health specialist and a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. She works for the Office of Counter-terrorism and Emerging Threats of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The book is written in her personal capacity and is the result of many years of scientific research.
The Palgrave Macmillan book series is jointly edited by the internationally known theologian the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Professor Priscilla Cohn, Emeritus Professor in Philosophy at Penn State University and Associate Director of the Centre.
Commenting on the publication of Dr Akhtar’s Animals and Public Health, Professor Linzey says, “This is a must read for all those who think caring for animals is a separate issue from human welfare. The scientific evidence marshalled in this book ought to dispel any lingering doubts that a world in which animal abuse goes unchecked is a less safe world for human beings. This first book linking animals to public health is truly ground-breaking."
'Animals and Public Health: Why treating animals better is critical to human welfare', is published on 17 February in both the U.S. and the U.K. priced $85 / £50.
Dr Aysha Akhtar, the author of 'Animals and Public Health: Why treating animals better is critical to human welfare', considers that while Bird Flu is currently receiving much attention owing to recent deaths in Vietnam and its potential use in bio-terrorism “We don't need a terrorist to wreak havoc. By confining billions of animals on factory farms, we have created a worldwide natural laboratory for the rapid development of a deadly and highly infectious form of the virus. The stressful and crowded conditions make a perfect breeding ground for new infectious diseases that can harm humans."
The book reveals how the link between how we treat animals and human health goes far beyond bird flu, however. "A significant number of the most urgent health issues we face today are intricately linked with poor treatment of animals.”
The book to be published on 17 February is the sixth volume published as part of the Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics book series in partnership with the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. In a lively manner, this book describes the link between the way we treat animals and human health across a wide range of health topics.
Dr Akhtar explores the lives of animals in violent homes, factory farms, experimental laboratories, the entertainment industry and the wildlife trade. She reveals how their treatment is related to issues as diverse as domestic violence, the obesity epidemic, the world's most ominous infectious diseases, animal attacks, high-profile drug failures and climate change.
In the first academic text to address the relationship between animals and public health, Dr Akhtar argues that "... public health has long-ignored the relationship between our health and animal treatment, largely owing to a misconception that animal welfare is in opposition to human welfare”.
Using a wealth of scientific information, the book demonstrates that in order to best promote human health, we have to improve our treatment of animals. Dr Akhtar hopes that this book will lead to a new public health paradigm, one that considers animals as part of the "public" in public health.
Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H., is a neurologist and public health specialist and a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. She works for the Office of Counter-terrorism and Emerging Threats of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The book is written in her personal capacity and is the result of many years of scientific research.
The Palgrave Macmillan book series is jointly edited by the internationally known theologian the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Professor Priscilla Cohn, Emeritus Professor in Philosophy at Penn State University and Associate Director of the Centre.
Commenting on the publication of Dr Akhtar’s Animals and Public Health, Professor Linzey says, “This is a must read for all those who think caring for animals is a separate issue from human welfare. The scientific evidence marshalled in this book ought to dispel any lingering doubts that a world in which animal abuse goes unchecked is a less safe world for human beings. This first book linking animals to public health is truly ground-breaking."
'Animals and Public Health: Why treating animals better is critical to human welfare', is published on 17 February in both the U.S. and the U.K. priced $85 / £50.
Monday 13 February 2012
Slanguage classes from a master! The Life of Slang
The Life of Slang by Julie Coleman is the type of book I adore, because it covers a subject I am passionate about, the use of language.
A quote from the book: "Slang is a subject that provokes strong emotions. If you use slang, you run the risk of being judged crass, uneducated, stupid, or hopelessly out of date, but the rewards are great: used correctly, slang will easy your entry into the social circles you want to mix in, increase your attractiveness to the opposite sex, and even save your life."
In this very interesting and linguistically important book Julie Coleman (who is a professor of English Language at the University of Leicester) traces the development of English slang words from the earliest know records to some pretty modern examples by way of the Tweets of today.
It examines how slang is used, why it is used and where it is used. It looks at how slang developed amongst the English-speaking populations of the world.
As part of her research tools Julie Coleman has gone through the records of the Old Bailey and searched through the electronic archives of newspapers which, she points out, have provided a wealth of new information and facts about historical slang. Blogs and other online sites and tweets are a very valuable source of information for studying contemporary slang.
The Life of Slang does not make the mistake of some academic works, it does not assume that the reader is an old hand in the field. It covers slang from the Old English period down through the ages to the modern world.
It's an entertaining and informative read (though based on impeccable scholarly sources) and will teach you exactly what people are saying. You will know the "word on the street and on the tweet". It will teach you some new and interesting words. Some of which are best not used in polite society! Unless you really want ot, of course!
The use of slang can be a jolly good show, make you seem the cat's pyjamas, which might make someone ROFL!
The book will be published on 22 March in hardback by the Oxford University Press at a modest £14.99 or $27.95. Although it should be available for a discount through the That's Books online bookshop.
A quote from the book: "Slang is a subject that provokes strong emotions. If you use slang, you run the risk of being judged crass, uneducated, stupid, or hopelessly out of date, but the rewards are great: used correctly, slang will easy your entry into the social circles you want to mix in, increase your attractiveness to the opposite sex, and even save your life."
In this very interesting and linguistically important book Julie Coleman (who is a professor of English Language at the University of Leicester) traces the development of English slang words from the earliest know records to some pretty modern examples by way of the Tweets of today.
It examines how slang is used, why it is used and where it is used. It looks at how slang developed amongst the English-speaking populations of the world.
As part of her research tools Julie Coleman has gone through the records of the Old Bailey and searched through the electronic archives of newspapers which, she points out, have provided a wealth of new information and facts about historical slang. Blogs and other online sites and tweets are a very valuable source of information for studying contemporary slang.
The Life of Slang does not make the mistake of some academic works, it does not assume that the reader is an old hand in the field. It covers slang from the Old English period down through the ages to the modern world.
It's an entertaining and informative read (though based on impeccable scholarly sources) and will teach you exactly what people are saying. You will know the "word on the street and on the tweet". It will teach you some new and interesting words. Some of which are best not used in polite society! Unless you really want ot, of course!
The use of slang can be a jolly good show, make you seem the cat's pyjamas, which might make someone ROFL!
The book will be published on 22 March in hardback by the Oxford University Press at a modest £14.99 or $27.95. Although it should be available for a discount through the That's Books online bookshop.
Sunday 12 February 2012
Charles Dickens's Networks
Despite the somewhat wonky title (I was always taught that if it was something 'owned' by Dickens, it should be rendered thus: Dickens') this is a extremely readable and very interesting book by Jonathan H. Grossman.
It is an innovative examination of the novels of Charles Dickens, their interesting, multilevel and criss-crossing plots and how the burgeoning transport networks of that time impacted on the novelists of the Victorian era.
It's an original work, which employs a novel approach to literary history with a thought-provoking look at the 19th century novel from the perspective of the transport networks of that time.
It theorises how passenger networks operate and how narrative forms a part of imagining public transport networks.
The author points out that at the same time as Dickens was writing his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, the first railway line in London opened for business.
Charles Dickens's Networks examines the rise of the global, high-speed passenger transport networks of the 19th century and the important impact they made on the works of Charles Dickens.
It looks at the advent of the stagecoach network, the railways and ocean-going steam liners and how they made transport easy for everyone, but also more affordable, too. Journeys that once seemed unattainable could be made in less than a day. And the strict timetables of the railway companies made such travel predictable and reliable, in the main part.
The railway timetables also changed how time was looked at. Before the advent of the railway, each town had its own, separate time. If it was noon in Birmingham it might be 12.15 in London and 12.10 in Manchester. But to avoid railway accidents the whole rail network must run at precisely the same time, so the standardised railway time was introduced which very quickly became the same standardised time for the whole country. We were all synchronised and are to this very day.
Grossman takes a literary microscope to three of the so-called road novels of Charles Dickens and uses them as a sort of a lens to examine the history of how the public transport network changed how we perceive time and how this impacted on community and how the novelist played a key part in bringing this all together and helping us to have some understanding of it.
It is an extremely important book for Dickens lovers, people who enjoy finding out about how the Victorian era is still impacting on our lives today and students of transport history.
The book will cost £25 in hardback and is published on 1 March.
In association with the Oxford University Press, readers of That's Books can have FREE access to the life of Charles Dickens in the prestigious Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Just visit www.oxforddnb.com/public/dnb/7599.html This free access will last for six months.
It is an innovative examination of the novels of Charles Dickens, their interesting, multilevel and criss-crossing plots and how the burgeoning transport networks of that time impacted on the novelists of the Victorian era.
It's an original work, which employs a novel approach to literary history with a thought-provoking look at the 19th century novel from the perspective of the transport networks of that time.
It theorises how passenger networks operate and how narrative forms a part of imagining public transport networks.
The author points out that at the same time as Dickens was writing his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, the first railway line in London opened for business.
Charles Dickens's Networks examines the rise of the global, high-speed passenger transport networks of the 19th century and the important impact they made on the works of Charles Dickens.
It looks at the advent of the stagecoach network, the railways and ocean-going steam liners and how they made transport easy for everyone, but also more affordable, too. Journeys that once seemed unattainable could be made in less than a day. And the strict timetables of the railway companies made such travel predictable and reliable, in the main part.
The railway timetables also changed how time was looked at. Before the advent of the railway, each town had its own, separate time. If it was noon in Birmingham it might be 12.15 in London and 12.10 in Manchester. But to avoid railway accidents the whole rail network must run at precisely the same time, so the standardised railway time was introduced which very quickly became the same standardised time for the whole country. We were all synchronised and are to this very day.
Grossman takes a literary microscope to three of the so-called road novels of Charles Dickens and uses them as a sort of a lens to examine the history of how the public transport network changed how we perceive time and how this impacted on community and how the novelist played a key part in bringing this all together and helping us to have some understanding of it.
It is an extremely important book for Dickens lovers, people who enjoy finding out about how the Victorian era is still impacting on our lives today and students of transport history.
The book will cost £25 in hardback and is published on 1 March.
In association with the Oxford University Press, readers of That's Books can have FREE access to the life of Charles Dickens in the prestigious Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Just visit www.oxforddnb.com/public/dnb/7599.html This free access will last for six months.
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