Most people are familiar with the dodo and the dinosaur, but extinction has occurred throughout the history of life, with the result that nearly all the species that have ever existed are now extinct. Today, species are disappearing at an ever increasing rate, whilst past losses have occurred during several great crises. Issues such as habitat destruction, conservation, climate change, and, during major crises, volacanism and meteorite impact, can all contribute towards the demise of a group. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul B. Wignall looks at the causes and nature of extinctions, past and present, and the factors that can make a species vulnerable. Summarising what we know about all of the major and minor exctinction events, he examines some of the greatest debates in modern science, such as the relative role of climate and humans in the death of the Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoths and giant ground sloths, and the roles that global warming, ocean acidification, and deforestation are playing in present-day extinctions ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Unraveling the mystery of the catastrophic age of extinctions Two hundred sixty million years ago, life on Earth suffered wave after wave of cataclysmic extinctions, with the worst wiping out nearly every species on the planet. The Worst of Times delves into the mystery behind these extinctions and sheds light on the fateful role the primeval supercontinent, known as Pangea, might have played in causing these global catastrophes. Drawing on the latest discoveries as well as his own firsthand experiences conducting field expeditions to remote corners of the world, Paul Wignall reveals what scientists are only now beginning to understand about the most prolonged and calamitous period of environmental crisis in Earth's history. Wignall shows how these series of unprecedented extinction events swept across the planet, killing life on a scale more devastating than the dinosaur extinctions that would follow. The Worst of Times unravels one of the great enigmas of ancient Earth and shows how this ushered in a new age of vibrant and more resilient life on our planet.
Part of a series of books that provide informative and supportive reading on complex and sometimes painful issues and situations teenagers face. This text examines animal rights and includes: cases studies; facts and figures; tips and points of view; and addresses of support agencies.
The life and times of a professional actor, businessman, and playwright who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and whose plays are still performed and valued for their insights into human nature.
Macbeth is a play that mixes ambition, mystery, murder, and revenge. Find out about what happens in the play, the characters, and the actors who have played them. Is Macbeth a true story? What are the themes of the play? What is the character of Lady Macbeth like? Book jacket.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is an enchanting play that combines romance, magic, and comedy. Find out about what happens in the play, meet the characters and the actors who have played them. Discover where the story came from and the themes of the play. Get acquainted with Puck and find out what his character is like. Learn about William Shakespeare's life and this play that has been performed for more than 400 years.
Readers will learn about the historical background of the play, the plot of the play, the roles and actions of the main characters, and the ideas of actors, directors, and designers who have worked on the play over the years. Color photos from many professional productions highlight the different choices made by artists performing this play.
Globalisation and the governance of the international financial system have arrived at the crossroads, where either a coherent level playing field for the cross-border activities of banks and multinational enterprises is settled upon, or the risk of another crisis will build up again. This book will explore the underlying problems alongside inconsistent economic and financial trends as a guide for researchers, advanced students and professionals to think about the interconnectedness of the factors involved. Readers will gain insights drawn from recent developments in economic theory and empirical research—a toolkit to help them in their future careers in economics and finance—illustrated with an analysis of the 2008 crisis and its aftermath.
This book tells about the actors who performed in Shakespeare's time - Styles of acting - The Master of the Revels - The Lord Chamberlain's Men - The Boy Players - Richard Tarlton - William Kemp - Robert Armin - Richard Burbage - Puritan backlash.
Presents the life of William Shakespeare, describing his early years, his development as a poet and playwright, and the historical context in which he lived and worked.
This book gives the historical background to the play, the story of the play and the ideas of the actors, designers and directors who have worked on the play.
The citizenship curriculum, which becomes statutory in 2002, aims to create informed citizens by enabling pupils to play an effective role in society. This series examines the institutions, rights and responsibilities of living in the UK.
This series offers the reader insight into Shakespearian theater as we enjoy it today - and as it was intended when first performed, including detail about some of the most popular plays, and background on Shakespeare's life.
This new series provides informative and supportive reading on complex and sometimes painful issues and situations that teenagers encounter and need to be informed about. The approach, positive rather than problem-focused, is designed to equip the reader with the facts and familiarise them with a wide range of points of view and perspectives in difficult issues. The enables them to come to their own balanced conclusions.
Provides informative and supportive reading on complex and sometimes painful issues facing teenagers today. The approach is designed to equip the reader with the facts and familiarize them with a wide range of points of view and perspectives on difficult issues. This enables them to come to their own balanced conclusions.
The citizenship curriculum, which became statutory in 2002, aims to create informed citizens by enabling pupils to play an effective role in society. This series examines the institutions, rights and responsibilities that underpin our lives in the UK and relates them to the experience of the reader. Each book looks at a different aspect of UK society, such as the law, national and local government or the media.
This biography of William Shakespeare includes: a timeline tying in Shakespeare's life with other historical events; a map of Shakespeare's London; details of places to visit; and a list of recommended further reading.
Provides informative and supportive reading on complex and sometimes painful issues facing teenagers today. The approach is designed to equip the reader with the facts and familiarize them with a wide range of points of view and perspectives on difficult issues. This enables them to come to their own balanced conclusions.
This volume provides an integrated compilation of selected major articles published by the author in several fields of international finance. These include contributions to the understanding of currency crises and financial contagion, the evolution of exchange rate regimes, the interaction between national fiscal policies and regional monetary unions, and the effect of uncertainty on the gains from international economic policy coordination. The author spent most of his career doing research at established institutions (the Bank of Canada, OECD, and IMF), and these articles emerged from the need to understand the major economic policy issues of the day. In the book's introduction, the author discusses the motivation for these contributions and the unifying themes that emerged, while a concluding chapter provides his personal reflections and suggestions about promising avenues for further research.
Fact is never more strange than fiction than when it comes to crime, and the crimes described here are so bizarre it's inconceivable that they could have been made up. In this all-new collection of truly unusual crimes, a sequel to the bestselling Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes, Odell and Donnelley tell the extraordinary stories of criminal acts far stranger than any fiction, including the murder of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace by spree-killer Andrew Cunanan and the killing of intern Chandra Ann Levy, who had had an affair with US Representative Gary Condit, though he was cleared of any involvement in her murder. They reveal how Danilo Restivo was eventually convicted of the murder of Heather Barnett in England after the ritualistic placing of hair connected him to another murder in Italy. They tell the terrible story of the inexplicably brutal murder, over a number of days, of 15-year-old Kristy Bamu by his sister and her lover because they believed him to be practising 'witchcraft'. They also give a chilling account of the thirty-one-year-old mother-of-two, Joanna Dennehy, who killed three men. 'I started killing,' she said, 'to see if I was as cold as I thought I was. Then it got moreish and I got a taste for it.
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