Your Search Results

      • Trusted Partner
        November 2021

        The Forest of the Future – A New Reality

        Understanding the ecosystem

        by Hans Jürgen Böhmer

        What happened with forest dieback? The predictions of the 1980s that forests would be in decline across Europe have not come true. Currently, attention again focuses on the doom scenarios of the loss of entire forests and cultural landscapes in an emotional and sometimes hysterical debate. Biogeographer Hans Jürgen Böhmer refers to updated case studies and his 30 years of research experience on global ecosystems to demonstrate extremely complex interrelations of the natural world that various actors monitor in contrasting ways and characterized by different times and ideologies. Böhmer advocates to embed the sustainability debate more strongly in the living environment, rather than relying exclusively on model calculations.

      • Trusted Partner
        Children's & YA

        THE BUTTON THAT WANTED TO COME BACK HOME

        A sentimental and heartfelt story about a happy little Button and his big and cozy feeling of HOME. A kind book about the pain of loss and the joy of rediscovering one’s true self, about a tiny ray of hope and compassion that are often met along the way.

        by Author — Slava Svitova, Illustrator — Halyna Verheles

        This magically crafted story is here to remind us all that home is where our heart is. The Button had a home and lived a simple, happy life surrounded by the music of his native language and the voices of those he loved, the warm cosiness of the house, and many other details that made his life complete. Until one day he got lost. He travelled from someone’s pocket into a beautiful treasure box, and met a lot of people, and buttons, along his way. All the time during his sentimental journey, he only had but one wish — to be back home. One day, a little girl found him in the vintage shop and asked her mom to take him. This was the moment when the Button had found friends. And cried a happy tear for he had finally realized he was where he had to be and became the symbol of home for those who desperately needed it.The story of a little and brave Button will tug at the heartstrings of those who once had to abandon home for various reasons, and unexpectedly found home within themselves.   Selling points: □ The story teaches empathy and compassion, trust and resilience, it also shows that no matter where we go and what happens to us in life, there will always be good people along the way. □ In any language, the book will still have the same core values: the feeling of home and safety, the treasures that are hidden in one’s heart, the healing memories that never fade with time, the music of one’s native language, and the road that unfolds to teach us who we truly are. □ The book evokes questions and promts the answers gently inspiring young readers to discover the magic of a simple story and the unexpctedness of life. □ This story is perfect for familiy readings where children and parents sit together in a safe and comfortable circle.

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        June 2023

        Border images, border narratives

        The political aesthetics of boundaries and crossings

        by Johan Schimanski, Jopi Nyman

        This interdisciplinary volume explores the role of images and narratives in different borderscapes. Written by experienced scholars in the field, Border images, border narratives provides fresh insight into how borders, borderscapes, and migration are imagined and narrated in public and private spheres. Offering new ways to approach the political aesthetics of the border and its ambiguities, this volume makes a valuable contribution to the methodological renewal of border studies and presents ways of discussing cultural representations of borders and related processes. Influenced by the thinking of philosopher Jacques Rancière, this timely volume argues that narrated and mediated images of borders and borderscapes are central to the political process, as they contribute to the public negotiation of borders and address issues such as the in/visiblity of migrants and the formation of alternative borderscapes. The contributions analyse narratives and images in literary texts, political and popular imagery, surveillance data, border art, and documentaries, as well as problems related to borderland identities, migration, and trauma. The case studies provide a highly comparative range of geographical contexts ranging from Northern Europe and Britain, via Mediterranean and Mexican-USA borderlands, to Chinese borderlands from the perspectives of critical theory, literary studies, social anthropology, media studies, and political geography.

      • Trusted Partner
        Environmental factors
        April 2014

        Natural Environments and Human Health

        by Alan Ewert, Alan W Ewert, Denise Mitten, Jill Overholt, Jillisa Overholt

        The role natural environments play in human health and wellbeing is attracting increasing attention. There is growing medical evidence that access to the natural environment can prevent disease, aid recovery, tackle obesity and improve mental health. This book examines the history of natural environments being used for stress-reduction, enjoyment, aesthetics and catharsis, and traces the development of the connection between humans and the environment, and how they impact our personal and collective health.

      • Trusted Partner
        Medicine
        September 2019

        Natural Environments and Human Health

        by Alan Ewert, Denise Mitten, Jill Overholt

        The role natural environments play in human health and wellbeing is attracting increasing attention. There is growing medical evidence that access to the natural environment can prevent disease, aid recovery, tackle obesity and improve mental health. This book examines the history of natural environments being used for stress-reduction, enjoyment, aesthetics and catharsis, and traces the development of the connection between humans and the environment, and how they impact our personal and collective health.

      • Trusted Partner
        Children's & YA

        The Nest of Magpies

        by Hai Fei

        This is a very realistic original picture book. The author turns his attention to the northwest of China, where strong winds and sands dominate the sky, and tells a touching story that depicts the scene that "when the sand advances, humans retreat; when humans advance, the sand retreats." The hero of the book is a boy called Shawa, who is good friends with the magpies on a white poplar. He has been curious about the magpies' nest and wanted to know what it looks like inside, but he has never had a chance. Finally, his curiosity is satisfied after the white poplar is destroyed by a sandstorm and then falls. Surprisingly, there is water, the source of life, inside the nest where magpies fly away and their eggs are broken. Nature gives Shawa a life lesson with its double face of tenderness and grimness.   The book, with its concise and powerful narrative and liberal painting style, integrates paintings with texts, in which the scenery of the northwest, the mighty power of nature, and the simplicity and warmth of personal relationships have all been vividly expressed. It makes readers consider the relationship between humanity and nature from a small but large perspective: humans are both small and great in a harsh natural environment. Only by respecting nature and learning to live in harmony with nature can we have a peaceful and happy life. This book is a beautiful hymn to nature and humanity.

      • Trusted Partner
        Sociology & anthropology
        February 2017

        Environment, labour and capitalism at sea

        'Working the ground' in Scotland

        by Penny McCall Howard. Series edited by Alexander Smith

        This book explores how fishers make the sea productive through their labour, using technologies ranging from wooden boats to digital GPS plotters to create familiar places in a seemingly hostile environment. It shows how their lives are affected by capitalist forces in the markets they sell to, forces that shape even the relations between fishers on the same boat. Fishers frequently have to make impossible choices between safe seamanship and staying afloat economically, and the book describes the human impact of the high rate of deaths in the fishing industry. The book makes a unique contribution to understanding human-environment relations, examining the places fishers create and name at sea, as well as technologies and navigation practices. It combines phenomenology and political economy to offer new approaches for analyses of human-environment relations and technologies. It contributes to the social studies of fisheries through an analysis of how deeply fishing practices and social relations are shaped by political economy. It will be read in universities by social scientists and anthropologists and also by those with an interest in maritime Scotland.

      • Trusted Partner
      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        April 2021

        The Irish tower house

        Society, economy and environment, c. 1300–1650

        by Victoria L. McAlister

        The Irish tower house examines the social role of castles in late-medieval and early modern Ireland. It uses a multidisciplinary methodology to uncover the lived experience of this historic culture, demonstrating the interconnectedness of society, economics and the environment. Of particular interest is the revelation of how concerned pre-modern people were with participation in the economy and the exploitation of the natural environment for economic gain. Material culture can shed light on how individuals shaped spaces around themselves, and tower houses, thanks to their pervasiveness in medieval and modern landscapes, represent a unique resource. Castles are the definitive building of the European Middle Ages, meaning that this book will be of great interest to scholars of both history and archaeology.

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        January 2025

        Worlds of the ring

        Nation and empire in the British and German circus

        by Sabine Hanke

        Worlds of the Ring is a groundbreaking exploration of the interwar European circus scene, focusing on the German Sarrasani and British Bertram W. Mills' circuses. This study illuminates the correlation between the circus's evolution and imperialism/nationalism, revealing how these enterprises shaped national identities for popular audiences. Examining the years 1918-45, the book takes a transnational perspective, uncovering the interplay of international and national forces that influenced the modern circus. Through case studies, it delves into the lives of individuals in the industry, using diverse sources like newspapers, legal documents, and performer archives. The book introduces the concept of Orientalism to analyse how circuses depicted foreign worlds, and provides a fresh perspective on interwar popular culture, globalising forces, and the circus's ties to European imperialism in the early 20th century.

      • Trusted Partner
        Animal husbandry
        December 2006

        Inositol Phosphates: Linking Agriculture and the Environment

        by Edited by Benjamin L Turner, Alan E Richardson, Edward Mullaney

        Inositol phosphates are a group of organic compounds found widely in the natural environment. They are important in agriculture because they constitute most of the phosphorus in grain seeds, but they cannot be digested by some animals. As a result, considerable research has been directed towards improving the digestibility of inositol phosphates in animal diets. Inositol phosphates are also abundant in soils and water bodies, yet a clear understanding of their behaviour in the environment remains elusive. This is surprising given the importance of phosphorus in the nutrition of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Written by leading experts, this book brings together critical reviews on inositol phosphates in agriculture, ecology, and the environment. The sixteen chapters cover a diverse range of topics, including the synthesis and hydrolysis of inositol phosphates, their role in animal nutrition, and their fate in soils and aquatic ecosystems. It will prove valuable to a wide readership in the agricultural and biological sciences, and will serve as a unique reference source on this emerging topic.

      • Trusted Partner
        Fiction
        2020

        A Laughing Sun

        by Bayan Al Safadi

        These poetic tales for children address things around us such as the wall, the stone, the ear, the river, and others, humanize them, and present them as free verse poetry. It also includes an audio CD containing song versions of the tales, all of which are loaded with pedagogical, aesthetic, and humanitarian messages. The importance of “A Laughing Sun” stems from its adoption of the poetic tale in most poems. It carries implications for reverence of science, arts, freedom, and human diversity, and highlights the beauty of nature and the protection of the environment. The poems are replete with a sense of cheerfulness and humor, and the collection focuses on the imagination and stimulates both scientific and creative thinking.

      • Trusted Partner
        Forestry & silviculture: practice & techniques
        November 1995

        Forestry, Economics and the Environment

        by Edited by Wiktor L Adamowicz, P C Boxall, M K Luckert, William E Phillips, William White

        Global interest in forest conservation, biodiversity preservation, and non-timber values has risen while pressures on the forest as a source of income and employment have also increased. These demands are often conflicting, making forest planning, allocation and policy formation very complex. This volume explores theoretical and applied issues surrounding forest resource allocation. The book is divided into three main subject areas: tropical forests - environment, economics and trade; non-timber valuation - theory and application; and ecosystem management. The first of these focuses on tropical forests, reflecting the fact that global environmental concerns surrounding these regions are often in conflict with local economic objectives. The second section examines non-timber values, which are important in planning and policy decisions, but are also very controversial. The third group of chapters consider ecosystem management, a concept that promotes the use of forest harvesting practices that mimic natural disturbance patterns. Overall, the book will be of interest to readers in forestry and environmental economics.

      • Trusted Partner
        2024

        Brave new city

        Smart Cities - a survaillance-nightmare?

        by Peter Schaar

        The dream of the ideal city is as old as the city itself. Since real cities often develop chaotically, the idea of perfecting them, even tearing them down if necessary, and rebuilding them according to the prevailing patterns of thought is an obvious one. The latest manifestation of this utopia is the smart city - the intelligent city, packed with the latest technology and extensively digitised. But will air taxis and hyperloops, ubiquitous sensors, access control systems and data-driven management really make the city of the future a better place to live? Are they the answer to the enormous challenges facing today's fast-growing metropolises? Or will the supposed administrative paradise ultimately mutate into a digital juggernaut?

      • Trusted Partner
        The Arts

        Representative Works of Chinese Woodblock New Year Paintings

        by Feng Jicai

        Woodblock new year painting is an old handicraft of China, going back thousands of years. People celebrate the Spring Festival by posting up woodblock new year paintings, praying for their good wishes. Chief edited by the contemporary Chinese author, artist, and cultural scholar Feng Jicai, the Representative Works of Chinese Woodblock New Year Paintings is a collection of the masterpieces selected out of over ten thousand woodblock new year paintings. It has two volumes, the Northern and the Southern, from which one can see the differences in the custom of the two regions. The book has received support from scholars and institutions worldwide, among which the Japanese museums' collections of Gusu woodblock new year paintings in the early Qing Dynasty and the Russian museums' collections of late Qing and early Republic China are disclosed to the world for the first time. So the book is not only a historical art collection, but also of high cultural heritage significance.

      • Trusted Partner
        Science & Mathematics
        September 2022

        Companion Animal Behaviour Problems

        Prevention and Management of Behaviour Problems in Veterinary Practice

        by Rachel Casey, Sarah Heath, Helen Zulch, David Ryan, Jon Bowen, Emma Lightfoot, Anne McBride, Clare Wilson, Caroline Bower, Francesca Riccomini, Claire Hargrave, David Appleby, Emily Blackwell, Julie Bedford, Caroline Warnes, Trudi Atkinson, Emma Brown, Amanda Roshier, Stephanie Hedges

        Behaviour problems are a significant cause of companion animal relinquishment and euthanasia. This book provides up to date information about animal behaviour as well as practical advice on how veterinary practice professionals can manage undesirable animal behaviour and give down to earth, appropriate and trusted advice to owners. This book: · Covers the important aspects of behaviour in dogs, cats, rabbits and rodents, parrots and birds, as well as how this behaviour has adapted to the domestic environment. · Discusses the role of the veterinary practice in improving the emotional experience of animals attending the veterinary practice, including practice design, socialisation classes for young animals and effective communication with owners. · Covers the clinical decision-making process in managing the signs of undesirable behaviour, appropriately handling pets in the practice to minimise distress, as well as: behavioural first aid, referral to a specialist, medical influences on behaviour and decisions about euthanasia. This practical and accessible book gives all the essential information needed by veterinary professionals in order to advise clients on the behaviour and well-being of animals in their care.

      • Trusted Partner
        The Arts
        June 2021

        The new pornographies

        Explicit sex in recent French fiction and film

        by Victoria Best, Martin Crowley

        The turn of the twenty-first century has witnessed the striking advance of pornography into the Western cultural mainstream. Symptomatic of this development has been the use by writers, artists, and film-makers of the imagery and aesthetics of pornography, in works which have, often on this basis, achieved considerable international success. Amongst these artists are a number of French authors and directors - such as Michel Houellebecq, Catherine Breillat, Virginie Despentes, or Catherine Millet - whose work has often been dismissed as trashy or exploitative, but whose use of pornographic material may in fact be indicative of important contemporary concerns. In this study of a very significant trend, the authors explore how the reference to pornography encodes diverse political, cultural, and existential questions, including relations between the sexes, the collapse of avant-garde politics, gay sexualities in the time of AIDS, the anti-feminist backlash, the relation to the body and illness, the place of fantasy, and the sexualisation of children. It will be of interest to undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in the fields of French culture, gender, film and media studies.

      • Trusted Partner
        The Arts
        January 2019

        The new pornographies

        Explicit sex in recent French fiction and film

        by Victoria Best, Martin Crowley

        The turn of the twenty-first century has witnessed the striking advance of pornography into the Western cultural mainstream. Symptomatic of this development has been the use by writers, artists, and film-makers of the imagery and aesthetics of pornography, in works which have, often on this basis, achieved considerable international success. Amongst these artists are a number of French authors and directors - such as Michel Houellebecq, Catherine Breillat, Virginie Despentes, or Catherine Millet - whose work has often been dismissed as trashy or exploitative, but whose use of pornographic material may in fact be indicative of important contemporary concerns. In this, the first study of this significant trend, the authors explore how the reference to pornography encodes diverse political, cultural, and existential questions, including relations between the sexes, the collapse of avant-garde politics, gay sexualities in the time of AIDS, the anti-feminist backlash, the relation to the body and illness, the place of fantasy, and the sexualisation of children. It will be of interest to undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in the fields of French culture, gender, film and media studies.

      Subscribe to our

      newsletter