The French Riviera

Herbs for Medicinal Use: Get Health, Longevity, Reduce Inflammation, Anxiety, & Increase Well Being

100 Dicas de viagem

Scozia

Kokoda Trek

A complete celebration of Britain’s favourite architectural show. Grand Designs is broadcast in over 130 countries and regularly gleans 5 million viewers in the UK. Its success, says Kevin, is due to 'good old-fashioned story telling; of joy and sorrow, torment and triumph, expressed tangibly in the making of a building'. To celebrate fourteen glorious years of film-making, 100 editions of Grand Designs Magazine, 100 separate programmes and ten years of hosting the Stirling Prize, Kevin now delves into the archives to highlight his favourite projects. The Best of Grand Designs charts where domestic architecture has come from, and is moving to, in the first decade or so of a new millennium. And it places people at the centre of the stories of these buildings. Each project is supported by beautiful photography, building plans and Kevin’s own personal analysis, together with commentary from his long-time collaborator, Isabel Allen. From the off-grid ecological approach of woodsman Ben Law in Sussex to the quirky experimentalism of Sarah Wigglesworth and Jeremy Till’s straw bale house in London, Kevin demonstrates how Grand Designs continues to contribute to television history and why it provides an important legacy for good house design.

Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in the fascinating book that orginally accompanied his journey for the BBC1 series. 'Stephen Fry is a treasure of the British Empire.' - The Guardian Stephen Fry has always loved America, in fact he came very close to being born there. Here, his fascination for the country and its people sees him embarking on an epic journey across America, visiting each of its 50 states to discover how such a huge diversity of people, cultures, languages, beliefs and landscapes combine to create such a remarkable nation. Starting on the eastern seaboard, Stephen zig-zags across the country in his London taxicab, talking to its hospitable citizens, listening to its music, visiting its landmarks, viewing small-town life and America's breath-taking landscapes - following wherever his curiosity leads him. Stephen meets a collection of remarkable individuals - American icons and unsung local heroes alike. Stephen starts his epic journey on the east coast and zig-zags across America, stopping in every state from Maine to Hawaii. En route he discovers the South Side of Chicago with blues legend Buddy Guy, catches up with Morgan Freeman in Mississippi, strides around with Ted Turner on his Montana ranch, marches with Zulus in New Orleans' Mardi Gras, and drums with the Sioux Nation in South Dakota; joins a Georgia family for thanksgiving, 'picks' with Bluegrass hillbillies, and finds himself in a Tennessee garden full of dead bodies. Whether in a club for failed gangsters (yes, those are real bullet holes) or celebrating Halloween in Salem (is there anywhere better?), Stephen is welcomed by the people of America - mayors, sheriffs, newspaper editors, park rangers, teachers and hobos, bringing to life the oddities and splendours of each locale. A celebration of the magnificent and the eccentric, the beautiful and the strange, Stephen Fry in America is our author's homage to this extraordinary country.

‘The Gustav Holst Way’ is the first guidebook to describe the 35-mile rambling route across the Cotswolds to celebrate the life and work of the composer Gustav Holst. Published exactly 100 years after Holst began work on The Planets, the route visits many of the places that were important to the young Holst as his musical career took wing. Among the highlights are the house in Cheltenham where he was born (now the Holst Birthplace Museum) and several venues in the Cotswolds where he played, conducted and taught music. The richly illustrated guidebook divides the walk into five easy/moderate sections (with four optional detours) and includes detailed maps, points of historical interest and all the practical information you need to follow in Gustav Holst’s footsteps from Cranham to Wyck Rissington. The Holst Birthplace Museum Gustav Holst, one of England’s greatest composers, was born in a Regency terraced house in Cheltenham in 1874. The house has been carefully restored and converted into a ‘living museum’ that captures the atmosphere of the era, both above and below stairs. The most eye-catching of the museum’s collection of 3,000 items is the piano on which Holst composed The Planets, as popular as ever nearly 100 years after it was published. Step inside the Museum and see the piano Holst used to compose The Planets. Find out how he developed into a world-class composer by examining and listening to original manu*s written when he was a schoolboy in Cheltenham. "

Psychiatry has ignored the normal. The focus on defining abnormal behavior has obscured what turns out to be a more fundamental question how does the biology of the brain give rise to the mind, which in turn gives rise to everything we care about: thoughts, feelings, desires, and relationships In The Other Side of Normal , Harvard psychiatrist Jordan Smoller shows us that understanding what the mind was designed to do in the first place demystifies mental illness and builds a new foundation for defining psychiatric disorders from autism to depression. Smoller argues there are no bright lines between normal and abnormal. Psychiatric disorders are variations of the same brain systems that evolved to help us solve the challenges of everyday life. How do we become who we areSmoller explains where our personalities come from, and how the temperaments we had as infants actually stay with us into adulthood. Why do we choose to date, love, and marry the people we doWhy do some of us form healthy relationships while others form unstable onesOur relationships are shaped by the biology that drives two imperatives: maternal-child bonding and child-parent attachment. Along the way, Smoller tackles an even greater question what do we mean by "normal" as he explores the puzzles behind the epidemics of multiple personalities and koro, the shocking phobia that one's penis is shrinking. He also looks at the controversial history of psychiatric classification and the explosive debates over how much early experiences influence our minds and to what degree genetics affect our temperaments, personalities, and emotional lives. Throughout this examination, Smoller explores the hidden sides of such questions as: How are trust and love rooted in biologyHow much does sexual attraction stem from biology rather than cultureAnd what can the scientific study of normal behavior tell us about what it means to be human Based on the author's groundbreaking research and personal experiences treating psychological disorders, The Other Side of Normal changes the way we think about the human condition.

Think of Ireland and what comes to mind. Forty shades of greenThis ancient mystic land is much more colourful than that - with a stunning variety of flora and fauna waiting to be enjoyed. And Co. Wexford, located in the southeast corner of the island, is particularly rich in its diversity of wildlife and habitats. Bordered by a mountain range on its western flank and by seas to the east and south, Co Wexford is a feast for the senses - with spectacular coastlines and islands, rolling hills, rich patchwork countryside, rugged cliffs, ever changing sand-dune systems, brackish lagoons, large estuaries and meandering streams and rivers. Come with us and explore all this natural beauty in 'Wexford's Wild Heritage'. This book encompasses the locations visited and the wildlife experienced by Alan, Chris and Don during a year-long recording of a radio series. Page after colourful page features wonderful wildlife photos and unique artwork. The images speak for themselves with just a smattering of explanatory text to help with locations and identifications. You don't have to be Irish to appreciate and enjoy 'Wexford's Wild Heritage, a wildlife book produced by people like yourself with a love for the natural world. The enthusiastic people who contributed their time and knowledge to help us achieve our goal made our journey through the seasons even more enjoyable. We express our sincere gratitude to you all. Based on 'Wexford's Wild Heritage', a twenty-five part Radio Series grant-aided by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and broadcast by South East Radio this publication brings together some of the natural wildlife delights of Co. Wexford. The opportunity for the Wildside Team to explore Co. Wexford, which is not only steeped in history, but can boast such rich and varied landscapes, was a tremendous privilege. There are many un-spoilt areas to discover that are a feast for the senses - stunning coastlines and islands, rolling hills, rich patchwork countryside, rugged cliffs, ever changing sand-dune systems, brackish lagoons, large estuaries and meandering streams and rivers. And it is the flora and fauna, both resident and migrant, to be found in these habitats that we have tried to encompass within the pages of this book. The twelve months we spent visiting as many locations as we could around the County happened to coincide with some of the wettest and coldest weather on record for decades. In spite of this we had some wonderful wildlife encounters -- from the top of Mount Leinster to the rocky outcrop of Hook Head, from Camolin Woods to the Ballyteigue Dunes, from the Slaney to Great Saltee - our yearlong journey through Co. Wexford's seasons was inspirational. The enthusiastic people who contributed their time and knowledge to help us achieve our goal made that journey easier and more enjoyable. We express our sincere gratitude to you all. Lets hope this book will encourage you to get out and discover more of what our amazing County has to offer -- Wexford's Wild Heritage.

If you have ever dreamed of having your own calm, tranquil and beautifully designed Japanese garden space at your home then '11 Simple Ways To Turn Your Garden Japanese' will give you some inspiring ideas that won't break the bank. From basic small space gardens to much larger Japanese style gardens this book explains the principles of Japanese garden design, shows you design plans, pictures, gives some very useful tips and all in plain English. Learn the methods of Japanese gardening that stretch back hundreds of years and how to use them with a more contemporary twist. Bridges, edging, Rocks, Stones, Moss, Dry water, Trees, Shrubs , Courtyard gardens are just some of the ways that you can add a touch of Japan to your garden space. Author Russ Chard is an expert on Japanese gardens and has published 3 books and has numerous websites on the subject as well as a weekly newsletter for lovers of Japanese gardens. Landscape designer Tim Sykes shares a full domestic Japanese themed garden design in the book as well.

If you have ever wondered 'What is a Zen garden?' then this 50 page new publication for 2013 will tell you. Zen gardens are beautiful Japanese gardens steeped in history, religious meaning and a visual simplicity. There are many styles and many ingredients, Stones, Rocks, Moss, Sand, Gravel, Plants and Shrubs,Lanterns and Ornaments. Japanese Zen gardens is a book that introduces the reader to the subject and presents the options available for anyone wishing to build their own garden space at home - however large or small. Zen gardens are becoming more and more popular around the world and building one is not as difficult as you may think. With a little knowledge and following our step by step instructions with pictures you will discover how straight forward it is to build a Zen garden in your yard or garden. Japanese Zen gardens are serene havens of tranquil beauty and the perfect antidote to a stressful world. The author Russ Chard has written and published Japanese garden books, articles and videos for the past 10 years.

At the heart of The Republic of Love are the voices of three musicians-queer nightclub star Zeki Muren, arabesk originator Orhan Gencebay, and pop diva Sezen Aksu-who collectively have dominated mass media in Turkey since the early 1950s. Their fame and ubiquity have made them national icons-but, Martin Stokes here contends, they do not represent the official version of Turkish identity propagated by anthems or flags; instead they evoke a much more intimate and ambivalent conception of Turkishness.Using these three singers as a lens, Stokes examines Turkey's repressive politics and civil violence as well as its uncommonly vibrant public life in which music, art, literature, sports, and journalism have flourished. However, Stokes's primary concern is how Mren, Gencebay, and Aksu's music and careers can be understood in light of theories of cultural intimacy. In particular, he considers their contributions to the development of a Turkish concept of love, analyzing the ways these singers explore the private matters of intimacy, affection, and sentiment on the public stage.

Seven decades after his death, German Jewish writer, philosopher, and literary critic Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) continues to fascinate and influence. Here Uwe Steiner offers a comprehensive and sophisticated introduction to the oeuvre of this intriguing theorist.Acknowledged only by a small circle of intellectuals during his lifetime, Benjamin is now a major figure whose work is essential to an understanding of modernity. Steiner traces the development of Benjamin's thought chronologically through his writings on philosophy, literature, history, politics, the media, art, photography, cinema, technology, and theology. Walter Benjamin reveals the essential coherence of its subject's thinking while also analyzing the controversial or puzzling facets of Benjamin's work. That coherence, Steiner contends, can best be appreciated by placing Benjamin in his proper context as a member of the German philosophical tradition and a participant in contemporary intellectual debates.As Benjamin's writing attracts more and more readers in the English-speaking world, Walter Benjamin will be a valuable guide to this fascinating body of work.

After an explosion of conversions to Pentecostalism over the past three decades, tens of millions of Nigerians now claim that "e;Jesus is the answer. But if Jesus is the answer, what is the questionWhat led to the movement's dramatic rise and how can we make sense of its social and political significanceIn this ambitiously interdisciplinary study, Ruth Marshall draws on years of fieldwork and grapples with a host of important thinkers-including Foucault, Agamben, Arendt, and Benjamin-to answer these questions.To account for the movement's success, Marshall explores how Pentecostalism presents the experience of being born again as a chance for Nigerians to realize the promises of political and religious salvation made during the colonial and postcolonial eras. Her astute analysis of this religious trend sheds light on Nigeria's contemporary politics, postcolonial statecraft, and the everyday struggles of ordinary citizens coping with poverty, corruption, and inequality.Pentecostalism's rise is truly global, and Political Spiritualities persuasively argues that Nigeria is a key case in this phenomenon while calling for new ways of thinking about the place of religion in contemporary politics.

How to be treated like shite in 15 different countries…and still quite like it! Stung by a ten-hour delay and a not-so-bargain fare to Spain on his native 'low fares' airline, Dubliner Paul Kilduff plots revenge. Can Paul beat 'Ruinair' at their low cost game and fly to all fifteen countries in Western Europe for less than the ?300 it cost him to be stranded in an airport lounge surrounded by drunks, bimbos and incompetents (and that was just the flight crew!)? Suffering every low-fares airline indignity: a miniscule carry-on baggage allowance, 6.00 am departures, Six Nations-style boarding scrums, epic bus excursions and terminal anxiety, Paul is doing something he's never done before: travelling to places he never knew he wanted to go, which are probably not quite where he thinks they are, with no idea what he's going to do when he gets there. In a way never before possible Ruinair and its competitors have opened up Europe's treasures to the average traveller, and, as discovered by Paul, a few complete dumps too. In this hilarious, no-holds-barred account of a holiday of a lifetime-cum-human endurance test, Paul takes us on an adventure that is not for the faint-hearted. From Luxembourg to Liechtenstein to Spain and back again, pack your bags (maximum 10kg, please) and join Paul Kilduff on this is a whirlwind no-frills tour of Europe and the low-cost airlines that help make that colourful continent a smaller, and somewhat angrier, place.

Account of a trip to America. Here's how he begins his description of San Francisco: " 'Serene, indifferent to fate, Thou sittest at the Western Gate; Thou seest the white seas fold their tents, Oh, warder of two continents; Thou drawest all things, small and great, To thee, beside the Western Gate.' This is what Bret Harte has written of the great city of San Francisco, and for the past fortnight I have been wondering what made him do it. There is neither serenity nor indifference to be found in these parts; and evil would it be for the continents whose wardship were intrusted to so reckless a guardian."

Christine Shaw is the author of the hugely successful Collins Practical Gardener: Architectural Plants. She studied horticulture at the Isle of Wight Horticultural College while working nights as a croupier. She has worked at Angus White's famous Architectural Plants nursery near Horsham, and set up a new branch at Chichester in 1996, which she continues to run. In addition, Christine has established a successful career for herself as a freelance horticultural journalist, writing articles for The English Garden, Garden Inspirations, RHS The Garden and Exotic Gardening.

According to Wikipedia: "John Ruskin (8 February 1819 – 20 January 1900) is best known for his work as an art critic, stage writer, and social critic, but is remembered as an author, poet and artist as well. Ruskin's essays on art and architecture were extremely influential in the Victorian and Edwardian eras."

According to the Preface: "...the rare charm of Japanese life, so different from that of all other lands, is not to be found in its Europeanised circles. It is to be found among the great common people, who represent in Japan, as in all countries, the national virtues, and who still cling to their delightful old customs, their picturesque dresses, their Buddhist images, their household shrines, their beautiful and touching worship of ancestors. This is the life of which a foreign observer can never weary, if fortunate and sympathetic enough to enter into it--the life that forces him sometimes to doubt whether the course of our boasted Western progress is really in the direction of moral development." According to Wikipedia: "Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (27 June 1850 – 26 September 1904), also known as Koizumi Yakum after gaining Japanese citizenship, was an author, best known for his books about Japan. He is especially well-known for his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things... The Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi adapted four Hearn tales into his 1965 film, Kwaidan. Some of his stories have been adapted by Ping Chong into his trademark puppet theatre, including the 1999 Kwaidan and the 2002 OBON: Tales of Moonlight and Rain... Hearn was a major translator of the short stories of Guy de Maupassant. In Ian Fleming's 1964 novel You Only Live Twice, James Bond retorts to his nemesis Blofeld's comment of "Have you ever heard the Japanese expression kirisute gomen?" with "Spare me the Lafcadio Hearn, Blofeld."

Dodo Collections brings you another classic from Irvin S. Cobb, ‘Roughing it De Luxe.’ ? “Cobb is a marvelous writer. The section about his travels in the Grand Canyon needs to be read by every person who likes both travel and humor, because it's hysterically funny. Cobb comes across in some ways like an early Bill Bryson. Highly recommended.” Avis Black ? Cobb joined the staff of the magazine Saturday Evening Post during 1911, and covered the Great War for the magazine. At the same time, he wrote a book about his experiences, published during 1915, titled Paths Of Glory. After a second visit to France to cover the Great War, Cobb publicized the achievements of the unit known as theHarlem Hellfighters, most notably, Croix de Guerre recipients Henry Lincoln Johnson and Needham Roberts. His article "Young Black Joe," published on August 24, 1918 in theSaturday Evening Post and later republished in Cobb's book, The Glory of the Coming, highlighted the discipline and courage displayed by black American soldiers fighting in Europe during World War I. The three-page article and half-page photograph reached a national audience of more than two million readers, and was widely reprinted in the black press.