Clinical Updates in the Management of Severe Asthma

Atopic Dermatitis: New Perspectives on Managing a Chronic Inflammatory Disease

This gripping read is based on an original book by Sabine Baring-Gould, which details historical reports of alleged Were-Wolf reports over many hundreds of years. Some are clearly just deranged people who slaughtered people due to insanity and murderous intents, some are more mysterious and potentially could be real.... Newly edited, and with some new illustrations added, this is a must have book for the person interested in Werewolves

Majoritatea deceselor cauzate de cancer ar putea fi evitate ?Marele c?l?u“ al secolului XXI, cancerul este ?n mod gre?it perceput ca o calamitate ce love?te la ?nt?mplare, o nenorocire ?mpotriva c?reia suntem neputincio?i. Cartea arat? c? exist? o leg?tur? ?ntre tabagism, surplusul de greutate, sedentarism, alimenta?ie, expunerea la razele ultraviolete, lipsa de somn ?i cancer, precum ?i c? majoritatea deceselor cauzate de aceast? boal? ar putea fi evitate prin modific?ri simple ale stilului de via??. Cele 10 reguli pentru reducerea riscurilor, izvor?te din analiza mai multor decenii de cercet?ri ?tiin?ifice, reprezint? o arm? puternic? ?mpotriva cancerului ?i le ofer? pentru prima dat? celor care au supravie?uit bolii un instrument concret de prevenire a recidivelor, ?n scopul cre?terii speran?ei de via??. ? excesul de zah?r ?i gr?simi din produsele alimentare industriale ar putea induce o dependen?? similar? celei asociate consumului de droguri ? dou? ore ?i jum?tate de activitate fizic? de intensitate moderat?, s?pt?m?nal, reduc riscul de mortalitate al bolnavilor de cancer ? cei care consum? trei por?ii de legume crucifere pe s?pt?m?n? prezint? un risc de recidiv? redus la jum?tate

IT was just a year after the death of Galileo, that an infant came into the world who was christened Isaac Newton. Even the great fame of Galileo himself must be relegated to a second place in comparison with that of the philosopher who first expounded the true theory of the universe. Isaac Newton was born on the 25th of December (old style), 1642, at Woolsthorpe, in Lincolnshire, about a half-mile from Colsterworth, and eight miles south of Grantham. His father, Mr. Isaac Newton, had died a few months after his marriage to Harriet Ayscough, the daughter of Mr. James Ayscough, of Market Overton, in Rutlandshire. The little Isaac was at first so excessively frail and weakly that his life was despaired of. The watchful mother, however, tended her delicate child with such success that he seems to have thriven better than might have been expected from the circumstances of his infancy, and he ultimately acquired a frame strong enough to outlast the ordinary span of human life.For three years they continued to live at Woolsthorpe, the widow's means of livelihood being supplemented by the income from another small estate at Sewstern, in a neighbouring part of Leicestershire. In 1645, Mrs. Newton took as a second husband the Rev. Barnabas Smith, and on moving to her new home, about a mile from Woolsthorpe, she entrusted little Isaac to her mother, Mrs. Ayscough. In due time we find that the boy was sent to the public school at Grantham, the name of the master being Stokes. For the purpose of being near his work, the embryo philosopher was boarded at the house of Mr. Clark, an apothecary at Grantham. We learn from Newton himself that at first he had a very low place in the class lists of the school, and was by no means one of those model school-boys who find favour in the eyes of the school-master by attention to Latin grammar. Isaac's first incentive to diligent study seems to have been derived from the circumstance that he was severely kicked by one of the boys who was above him in the class. This indignity had the effect of stimulating young Newton's activity to such an extent that he not only attained the desired object of passing over the head of the boy who had maltreated him, but continued to rise until he became the head of the school.The play-hours of the great philosopher were devoted to pursuits very different from those of most school-boys. His chief amusement was found in making mechanical toys and various ingenious contrivances. He watched day by day with great interest the workmen engaged in constructing a windmill in the neighbourhood of the school, the result of which was that the boy made a working model of the windmill and of its machinery, which seems to have been much admired, as indicating his aptitude for mechanics. We are told that Isaac also indulged in somewhat higher flights of mechanical enterprise. He constructed a carriage, the wheels of which were to be driven by the hands of the occupant, while the first philosophical instrument he made was a clock, which was actuated by water. He also devoted much attention to the construction of paper kites, and his skill in this respect was highly appreciated by his schoolfellows. Like a true philosopher, even at this stage he experimented on the best methods of attaching the string, and on the proportions which the tail ought to have. He also made lanthorns of paper to provide himself with light as he walked to school in the dark winter mornings.

《大脑传》内容简介：我们的感觉和身体活动的指令来自何方，情绪、意识、学习与记忆等认知活动的居所又在哪里？自有文字记载起，人类对这些问题就从未停止过好奇。漫漫几千年来，我们对这些问题的认识从朴素、粗浅的心灵中心观，走到了精细、深入的脑中心观。脑，这个“已知宇宙中*复杂的物体”，吸引了人类历史上很多聪颖的头脑去破解它的秘密。 在认识脑工作机制的过程中，人类一直在使用各种隐喻，这些隐喻无一不受技术、时代以及人类当时对脑认知水平的限制，在完成自己的历史使命后会被新的隐喻所取代。在《大脑传》中，作者马修·科布以脑的隐喻为切入点，介绍了人类脑的认识史上一个又一个里程碑，以及那些做出伟大发现的科学家。从心智源自心脏的观点到把脑视作机器的机械观，从电与神经活动的关系到神经系统的神经元学说，从神经信号如何表征信息到脑功能的局域化定位与分散式分布之争，从把脑看作一成不变的电路到把脑视作一个具有可塑性的网络，作者历数了人类对脑认识的曲折演进历程，讲述了脑科学研究对计算机、人工智能等领域的诞生和发展产生的深远影响，勾勒出了一部群星闪耀、波澜壮阔的科学史诗。 《逆龄大脑：保持大脑年轻敏锐的新科学》内容简介：我们都会变老，大脑也一样，大脑的生长在24岁这个年轻得令人惊讶的年龄开始减速，但这并不意味着它会失去敏锐度，而且不同的认知技能可以在不同的年龄达到顶 峰。在你的一生中，不论你的年龄或获取资源的途径如何，大脑都可以持续不断地得到加强。 经外科医生古普塔通过几十年的临床医学和持续研究指出，我们在任何年龄都可以改善并拥有一个更好的大脑。作者依据脑科学、神经学、病理学近30年的研究，揭示了大脑衰老和认知能力下降的原因。通过对比全球脑健康理事会近百名专家的 神研究报告数据库中的方法，提出从运动、营养、休息、社交联系、提高大脑可塑性几个方向来科学优化大脑。当你把大脑放在第 一位时，其他关乎健康方面的东西也就迎刃而解了。没有健康的大脑，你甚至无法做出健康的决定。 生活习惯比你的基因更能影响你大脑的命运。患痴呆的人正在逐渐年轻化。大脑衰退是可以预防和进行早期干预的，本书为读者提供了一个可立即实践的12周大脑强化计划，在日常生活中启动你的“敏锐大脑”程序，用简单且科学的方法修复大脑，提升脑力。健康的大脑不仅会带来健康的身体、体重、心脏等，还会带来更强的自信、更坚实的财务未来。 《我们如何看见，又如何思考》内容简介：这是一本从视觉神经生物学角度介绍人类视觉认知的科普读物，讨论的主题是我们无比重要的眼睛，以及我们的视觉。作者为领域内具有开创性研究的专家，现就职于哈佛大学医学院。 我们为何总是说“眼见为实”，背后有什么科学原理吗？我们每一天睁开眼就在接收来自外界的信息，那我们的眼睛究竟是如何承载这个世界的信息的，又是如何传递到我们的大脑的？人人都说眼睛是心灵和灵魂的窗户，这又是为什么？ 在人群中要找一张熟悉的脸是再简单不过的事，我们习以为常。但是人类是怎么办到这件事的，这是科学界的重要谜题。我们大脑的运作有三分之一与视觉相关。基本上科学家要讲清处人类是如何看见感知人事物，背后牵连到人类独有的认知本能。 哈佛大学医学院特聘教授、眼科学家及脑神经科学家理查德·马斯兰在本书中试图以科学的角度来解释人类如何透过双眼与大脑去感知、学习与记忆。这本书涵盖的主题很广，从光线射到视网膜，到脑部的神经网络如何把光线承载的讯息转化成人脑可以辨识与运用的知识，到计算机计算法要具有什么样的功能我们才能称为“人工智能”，以及我们在回忆过去时为什么会呈现出一种第三人视角……在这本书里都有了专业的学术解答。 《大脑修复术》内容简介：无法长时间集中注意力； 感觉无缘由地坐立不安； 以前*喜欢的事现在提不起兴趣； 记忆力越来越差； 明知道该出门社交，却找各种借口宅在家里； 长时间玩游戏或刷手机； 外出期间总担心家门没锁、炉火未关； 凌晨两点，却辗转反侧，毫无睡意； …… 缺乏专注力、焦虑、抑郁、记性变差、社交恐惧、成瘾、强迫症、失眠……现代社会中几乎每个人都会受到各种各样心理和精神问题的困扰。如何识别自己的心理和精神问题，如何应对快节奏生活带来的压力和成长中必经的心理困境，如何在适应社会的过程中保持心理健康，并拥有满意的学习和工作表现，本书作者——耶鲁大学精神医学博士后姚乃琳——给出了答案。 这本书将帮助你了解焦虑、抑郁、强迫症、拖延、社交恐惧、失眠等困扰你的精神症状，页将让你了解专注力、记忆力、创造力等大脑认知功能的底层规律。通过深度阅读本书，你将知道如何正确应对生活中的压力、情绪和认知方面的困扰，如何通过掌握正确的思维和生活习惯来提升学习和工作表现。这本书可以让你学会如何随时地修复大脑，从而拥有更具“免疫力”的强壮大脑，游刃有余地应对人生中层出不穷的挑战。 《创新大脑》内容简介：新的想法、概念和技能是如何产生的？ 社会和文化的变迁会如何影响我们的认知方式？ 数字革命将如何催生伟大的创意文化？ 人工智能、虚拟现实技术的发展和聚变革命，会在哪些方面改变我们的大脑处理信息的方式？ 了解人脑处理新奇事物的机制以及培养创新型大脑的方法，成为当前对我们每个人来讲都很重要的问题。 作者基于大量的新研究成果，提出了自己对“创造力”的看法：创造力是一个衍生性概念，不应该被理解为一种单一的属性，也不是与某一组狭隘的神经结构直接相关，它虽然在一 定程度上跟前额也皮质和右半脑有关，但它总体上是由一系列神经过程决定的，而且，它不能用简单的生物学术语来定义，而是和人类整体的历史和文化息息相关，和集体创作、知识积累息息相关。 尤其作者提出的“创造性火花”的产生机制，对广大读者具有重要的参考意义。 《大脑帝国》内容简介：我们为什么会有不同的人格？ 学习和记忆的方式有何不同？ 男人和女人的方向感为何不同？ 喜怒哀乐与大脑有什么关系？ 听莫扎特的音乐就能变聪明吗? 你的大脑让你成为你自己。是大脑让你得以与其他人沟通，从简单的寒暄交流，到理解别人说的是“反话”或“话里有话”，都靠它。大脑也赋予你不同的感受和个性。大脑会记得童年发生的事，会学习，会恋爱，也会解读复杂的模式。然而大脑也可能会诱使你做出错误的选择，还会对依赖成瘾给出奖励。了解大脑的运作方式将为你提供**可能。 喜怒哀乐、学习、考试、天才、智力、记忆、感性、理性、情感、恋爱、自我、人格、方位感、个性、情绪、失忆、自恋、抑郁、人格障碍、精神疾病、癫痫、被洗脑、GPS依赖症、拖延症、压力、焦虑、恐惧、失恋、失眠、头型、头围、大脑与AI、一心多用、多任务处理、胎教、音乐对大脑的魔力、品尝味道、饮食与大脑、盐糖脂肪与大脑、健脑食品、上瘾、咖啡对大脑的作用、香烟与大脑、酒精与大脑、大麻上瘾、气味与大脑、现实与感知、声音与大脑、视觉与大脑…….360°*透视大脑，揭开人格、记忆、情绪、智商等的奥秘；从日常生活习惯入手，轻松挖掘大脑潜能，充分释放大脑价值。 《健康基因的开关》内容简介：每个人体内都有一种古老的机制，它可以消除有害物质，启动脂肪燃烧，并保护我们的细胞免于功能失调或癌变—它被称为“自噬”。当自噬开启时，一系列复杂的操作不仅可以帮我们延缓衰老过程，还可以从整体上优化生物功能，使我们远离各种疾病，拥有健康与长寿。这是身体中生命终 极开关。 我们如何才能积极激活这个开关呢？ 我们应该多久禁食一次，每次禁食多久？ 哪些食物会促进自噬，哪些食物会降低自噬？ 多少运动量和什么类型的运动是合适的？ 间歇性禁食、蛋白质循环和生酮饮食之间的* 佳平衡点是什么？ 这本书基于大量科学研究解答了上述问题，内容既专业又浅显易懂，有助于我们掌握身心健康之道。 《记忆的革命》内容简介：《记忆的革命》一书，揭示了在学习和记忆过程中，大脑接受和处理声音、文字、图像三种信息时形成学习链，但唯有图像记忆才是高 效学习和记忆的秘密。 学习的本质是透过文字把握图像，我们的大脑在储存记忆时青睐的就是图像。记忆效率高、容易形成长期有效的记忆，且能摆脱“艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线”规律的记忆方式就是尽可能地把信息资料构建为图像。而这种构建的能力可以通过一系列科学有效的方法来练习和得到：画图记忆法、联想记忆法、定桩法、左右脑针对性训练等。读完本书，就可以系统地了解记忆力提升的方法，并有效地运用到学习和工作之中去。 《脑机革命：引领未来的新科技新产业》内容简介：畅想一下，如果你能用大脑来控制电脑……比如在电脑屏上打字，或者是用意识操控机械臂完成各种动作……这些电影大片描绘的科幻场景，现在看来已经是基于“脑机接口”的合理设想。 那么，脑机接口是什么？目前进展如何？实践中有哪些应用？它如何革新我们的思考、工作和生活方式？屡获大奖的发明家谭乐在书中讲述了脑机结合领域令人兴奋的新兴技术，包括无创性手术工具、大脑探测工具、大脑增强工具、可供医疗工作者使用的工具，以及消费者可用的工具。书中也分享了一些令人难以置信的真实故事，一些人的生活因为这些先进技术的发明而发生了改变。 这本书激情而不失科学地讲解了大脑增强技术可能给人类带来的影响和变革，还不失客观和冷静地提出了其可能带来的技术可及性、数据隐私、数据使用权、法律和伦理道德等一系列社会问题，有助于我们进一步了解大脑的运作方式，预见未来的无限可能性。 《管理敏感》内容简介：精神科医生超过一万次咨询访谈的观察总结 脑科学和精神医学在敏感与创伤心理治疗上的深层应用 敏感的人摆脱焦虑，调整精力值，理清人际关系的实用方法 很多人都被自己的敏感性格深深困扰，它让我们情绪大起大落，内心戏十/足，畏惧社交，缺乏自信，容易有罪恶感，过度内耗，总是讨好迎合他人，察言观色，但又经常不被理解，被人认为“想太多”“玻璃心”“矫情多疑”，严重的还会发展成抑郁。 《管理敏感》这本开创性的书，通过完整严谨的脑科学和精神医学理论体系告诉我们，敏感是可以管理的。一个人性格敏感，说明他的精力没有用在恰当的地方，而且消耗速度比普通人快。敏感还和过去的某些心理创伤有关，需要我们勇敢正视。 在这本书中，全教授通过特别挑选的40个案例和16条法则，告诉我们如何管理敏感，善用敏感。书中所附诊断表和图表，如“抑郁症筛查对照表”“忧虑清单”“人际关系列表”“压力量表”等，帮助读者检查自己的状态，对生活中的多余之人，无益之事做个清理，及时断舍离，以避免继续耗损精力。同时作者还针对敏感之人的典型症状，给出了个性化、差异化、有针对性的心理处/方。 我是一名大学附属医院精神科的医生，在诊疗室里接待了上万名病人，倾听他们的故事，所有故事的中心都有一个内核——一颗高度敏感的心。 我还遇到过一些人，他们并非我的病人，在各自领域取得了卓越的成就，我惊讶地发现他们当中绝大部分也是高敏感的人，饱受敏感之苦。如果说他们和那些病人有区别，那就是他们已经掌握了管理自己敏感情绪的方法。 ——全弘镇（本书作者） 《认识脑电波》内容简介：思维的边界在哪里 你真的了解自己吗？ 这是一本揭开人类思想之谜的书。 大脑是产生人类思想的器官，20世纪初期，对脑电波的检测是神经科学史上的重要进展之一。然而，人们对脑电波的意义甚至脑科学都知之甚少。那些位于神经科学领域的塔尖的科学家都在做什么？R?道格拉斯?菲尔茨博士的这本书带你一探究竟。我们随着博士的视角深入人体精密和高级的装置——大脑，了解思想的产生；深入梦境，了解记忆和遗忘的机制；去看看我们是如何学习的；以及在现代医学中，脑科学如何应用在疾病治疗中…… 疯狂的企业家将人机互动提上议事日程，在这本书中，我们将看到这些实验室的理论如何走进市场，那些曾经出现在科幻电影里的场景究竟离我们还有多远。 《决策大脑》内容简介：要想提升判断力、预测力、领导力，从哪里下手？ 主导人类行为的动机、意图、计划、远见、人格等从何而来？ 就像企业、*、管弦乐队一样，大脑同样有自己的领导者，这个角色属于额叶。额叶在整个大脑内执行极其高级、复杂的功能，在所有人类行为的成功与失败中扮演着关键角色。如果大脑的其他部位受损，就可能造成语言、记忆、感知或运动能力的丧失。而一旦额叶受损，患者所丧失的便不只是某种特质，而是整个心智、人格的核心！ 该书讨论了与额叶密切相关的几种心理品质，还讨论了一些有趣的问题，如男人与女人的差别、社会责任、注意力、衰老和精神疾病等。 作者完整解析了“人格因素”的大脑机制，并指出，认知训练可以有效地提升脑力，抵抗自然或病态衰老导致的记忆力衰退等。

Knowing the future is the dream of most people. Astrologers, horse tipsters and actuaries all try to assess what will happen tomorrow and the day after. This book sets out 100 questions on subjects as diverse as romance, business, money and jobs. You choose a question, select a letter, consult the location chart...and hey presto - there is the answer that you have been longing to know! The best way to enjoy this trip into the future is with friends where everyone enjoys the pleasure (or discomfort!) of the revealing answers... The book is intended to bring a smile to your face - although feedback suggests that some of the answers have proved to be remarkably accurate!

A hard-hitting memoir about a woman’s search to understand the man who raped her Joanna Connors was thirty years old when she was raped at knifepoint by a stranger. Many years later she realised she had to confront the fear that had ruled her life ever since that day. She needed, finally, to understand. So she went in search of her rapist’s story, determined to find out who he was, where he came from, what his life was like – and what leads a person to do something as destructive as what he did to her. ‘More chilling than a horror film and more thought-provoking than an HBO doc’ Cosmopolitan ‘Brutally affecting’ Guardian ‘Riveting’Mail on Sunday

The New Naturalist editors believe this to be the greatest general work on the subject ever written. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Professor Alistair Hardy is truly obsessed by animals of the sea - devotedly enthusiastic about the nature of their adaptations and life histories, brilliantly critical in the examination of their mysteries, acutely lucid (and at the same time highly artistic) in his de*ions of them in his arresting plates. To describe the relatively unknown and mysterious world of plankton is a task that the greatest of marine zoologists might boggle at. Yet the plankton is to the sea what vegetation is to the land. The study of plankton is a complex discipline which few amateur naturalists have had the privilege to enjoy. Never before has such a synthesis of knowledge been attempted in a community of animals so mysterious, yet so important. Professor Hardy has grasped this problem in a new and exciting way; and at least the common reader can discern the pattern of life that dominates two-thirds of the world’s surface.

Vinnie Jones' Toughest Cops brings together stories from the two ITV4 series of the same name in a fascinating, thrilling and often shocking read – in which we meet and get under the skin of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serve and protect in ten of the most dangerous beats in the world. Vinnie takes the reader into the jungles of Colombia – where Sub-Lieutenant John Orejuela of the Special Ops Commando Unit leads a secret mission to take out a terrorist camp – and goes on patrol in the Californian suburb of Compton, following the cops caught up in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the gangs of South Central LA. He recounts the struggles of officer Andre Steyn of the Flying Squad against car-jackings and armed robberies in the desperate streets of Durban, South Africa and joins the few good men trying to police the back-alleys and no-go zones of New Orleans, where the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has seen a tidal wave of violent crime flood the city. Vinnie forged a reputation as a tough guy on the football pitch, and in America he now has a successful career in the cut-throat film business. But even he is in awe of the men and women who are trying to police the most dangerous areas on the planet. If on the pitch he followed Orwell's assertion that 'football is war minus the shooting', here he's discovering what life is like for those dealing with a real war – with real shooting.

A deliciously different travelogue In 2005, Cathy and Jason threw in successful careers as TV presenters and producers to become olive farmers in Italy. With their one year old daughter and Italian dictionary in tow, they found themselves in the middle of a European nowhere untouched by modernity. They were on a steep learning curve in more-or-less everything – finding out how to prune an olive tree so that a sparrow can pass through its branches, learning what beauty products are de rigeur in the changing rooms of a local Italian football team, being trained, by a local Italian choir, how to sing in English but with an Italian accent – and learning the rigorous rules of when one is allowed to consume a cappuccino. Armed with their indefatigable love of food, they headed off many a potentially tricky situation by cooking their way out of it, a sure route to the heart of any Italian. They discover that olive farming is dominated by the big boys and desperate to turn their new home into a way of making a living they cast around for ideas of how they can do so. A flash of inspiration led them to launch an 'Adopt-an-Olive-Tree' scheme. For a fee buyers could adopt a tree, receive produce from it and even go and visit it to give it a hug. The scheme became hugely popular with trees selling out way ahead of expectations. A contract with Selfridges followed and suddenly Cathy and Jason's dream is realised. Or nearly anyway. It's a hard slog and they meet every challenge with fortitude and humour but what they hadn't expected was that the biggest challenge would be the quiet of the countryside. Soon they find themselves hankering for the sounds and stench of the city and facing a difficult decision on what they should do next.

The true story of a young police officer’s imprisonment for a crime he did not commit It was Michael Bunting's life ambition to follow in his father's footsteps and become a police officer. But six years after his family watch him pass out and begin his life's dream, he is serving a sentence for a crime he didn't commit. This is his story. Beaten almost senseless as he tried to arrest a violent criminal, the 23-year-old PC was left with head injuries and blurred vision that took him months to recover from. Back at work he was astounded to learn that his attacker had filed a complaint against him and that the Police Discipline and Complaints Department were following up the allegation. Two years later he was found guilty of common assault against his assailant and received a prison sentence that left him living his devastated life amongst the criminals he had previously sought to keep off the streets. Hard-hitting and at times heart-breaking the book is a graphic account of life behind bars for a policeman in one of England's hardest prisons. An extract from A Fair Cop: "The prisoner arrived once more with the trolley and placed the plate of food on to my hatch. 'Bunting,' he shouted pleasantly. I wasn't fooled. 'Thanks,' I said, as I walked across the cell to collect it. As I put my hand out to reach for the plate he snatched it away. He held it up to the hatch and peered through at me. 'PC Bunting, isn't it?' he asked, and then took a deep breath to muster as much saliva from the back of his throat as he could. With one swift movement he spat a big glob in to the middle of the food. The white phlegm floated around in brown gravy. 'Hey lads, I'm feeding the pig,' he said. With this, two other prisoners came to my cell hatch. They looked at me, sniggering. They then spat in my food too. The first prisoner put the plate on the hatch and gestured for me to come closer. 'You're in our territory now, you f***ing filth, and we're gonna f***ing carve you up.'

A wealth of restoration tips and techniques covering E12, E24, E28, E34, 5 and 6 Series BMWs built between 1972 and 1995. Covers all models from 518 to M6. Advice is given on acquiring a good 5 & 6 Series model, plus tips on restoring, engines, bodywork, trim, electrics, suspension & much more.

A practical restoration manual written by journalist and E30 enthusiast Andrew Everett. Covers E30 models: 316, 316i, 318i, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325e, 324d and 324td, 318iS, M3 & Alpina in saloon, convertible & touring forms. Professional advice also is given on buying a good used model E30 for restoration.

More people than ever are using alternative medicine. But, as expert Dr Paul Offit explains, these untested therapies are ineffective, expensive and even deadly. Now that homeopathic remedies are offered on the Nhs, it's clear that various therapies once considered alternative or complementary, have become mainstream - prescribed to burn fat, shrink prostates, alleviate colds, reduce stress, eliminate pain and prevent cancer. At the same time, uptake of effective vaccines such as Mmr has fallen - a disturbing trend which, in the case of the Mmr, has lead to a sharp rise in the number of measles cases. In 'Killing Us Softly' Paul Offit reveals, alternative medicine - an unregulated industry under no obligation to prove its claims or admit its risks - can actually be very harmful. In 'Killing Us Softly' he exposes how: * Homeopathic asthma preparations and bogus cancer cures have replaced life-saving medicines. * Acupuncture needles have pierced hearts, lungs, and livers and transmitted viruses, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and Hiv. * Chiropractic manipulations have torn arteries. * Megavitamins increase the risk of cancer and heart disease-a fact well known to scientists but virtually unknown to the public. Using real-life case histories to back his argument, Dr Offit shows us why any medical treatment - alternative or conventional - must be properly evaluated. 'There's no such thing as alternative medicine. There's only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't.'

Lose yourself in the clouds with bestselling and prize-winning biographer and science writer Richard Holmes in this glorious history of hot-air ballooning. Hot-air balloons have drifted through Richard Holmes’s work for many years. And now, in this heart-lifting book he tells the story of these ineffably romantic floating machines and the reckless invention of the adventurers who flew them. His subject is flight itself and the pioneer generation of rival aviators. Ballooning offered a new vision of the earth. The world pondered for the first time reliable weather prediction, observation of the stars from an aerial point of view and the exploration of remote continents. Those in previous centuries who dreamt of flight believed it would open up the secrets of heaven. In fact, as Richard Holmes shows, it revealed the secrets of the world beneath.

Inside this little book lie the secrets of Britain’s only ever Scrabble World Champion.

The Lake District contains some of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain with superb walking areas. These can be explored with these 20 walks, all of which are 5 miles or under in length and can easily be completed in less than 3 hours. This guide, produced in co-operation with the Ramblers and featuring Ordnance Survey mapping, is the perfect way to really appreciate the landscapes of the Lake District. INCLUDES: ? 20 easy to follow walks which can be completed in 3 hours and under. ? Each walk has a detailed 1:25 000 Ordnance Survey map with the route clearly marked plus a detailed de*ion of the route. ? The walks have been chosen with issues like parking and refreshments in mind to make life easy for families. ? Packed with colour photographs of scenes you will see along the walk. The perfect guide for afternoon walks near to Keswick, Windermere, Coniston, Grasmere and Ambleside.

Pioneered in the late 1980s, the concept of macroecology-a framework for studying ecological communities with a focus on patterns and processes-revolutionized the field. Although this approach has been applied mainly to terrestrial ecosystems, there is increasing interest in quantifying macroecological patterns in the sea and understanding the processes that generate them. Taking stock of the current work in the field and advocating a research agenda for the decades ahead, Marine Macroecology draws together insights and approaches from a diverse group of scientists to show how marine ecology can benefit from the adoption of macroecological approaches.Divided into three parts, Marine Macroecology first provides an overview of marine diversity patterns and offers case studies of specific habitats and taxonomic groups. In the second part, contributors focus on process-based explanations for marine ecological patterns. The third part presents new approaches to understanding processes driving the macroecolgical patterns in the sea. Uniting unique insights from different perspectives with the common goal of identifying and understanding large-scale biodiversity patterns, Marine Macroecology will inspire the next wave of marine ecologists to approach their research from a macroecological perspective.

Sunday Times Bestseller A breathtaking and beautiful exploration of our planet, this groundbreaking book accompanies the BBC One TV series, providing the deepest answers to the simplest questions. ‘What is motion’ ‘Why is every snowflake different’ ‘Why is life symmetrical’ To answer these and many other questions, Professor Brian Cox uncovers some of the most extraordinary natural events on Earth and in the Universe and beyond. From the immensity of the Universe and the roundness of Earth to the form of every single snowflake, the forces of nature shape everything we see. Pushed to extremes, the results are astonishing. In seeking to understand the everyday world, the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home, we develop the knowledge and techniques necessary to step beyond the everyday and approach the Universe beyond. Forces of Nature takes you to the great plains of the Serengeti, the volcanoes of Indonesia and the precipitous cliffs in Nepal, to the humpback whales of the Caribbean and the northern lights of the Arctic. Brian will answer questions on Earth that will illuminate our understanding of the Universe. Think you know our planet Think again.

Work is changing. Speed and flexibility are more in demand than ever before thanks to an accelerating knowledge economy and sophisticated communication networks. These changes have forced a mass rethinking of the way we coordinate, collaborate, and communicate. Instead of projects coming to established teams, teams are increasingly converging around projects. These "e;all-edge adhocracies"e; are highly collaborative and mostly temporary, their edge coming from the ability to form links both inside and outside an organization. These nimble groups come together around a specific task, recruiting personnel, assigning roles, and establishing objectives. When the work is done they disband their members and take their skills to the next project.Spinuzzi offers for the first time a comprehensive framework for understanding how these new groups function and thrive. His rigorous analysis tackles both the pros and cons of this evolving workflow and is based in case studies of real all-edge adhocracies at work. His provocative results will challenge our long-held assumptions about how we should be doing work.