ABOUT THE BOOK I love Steve Martin’s An Object of Beauty for the same reasons I love the novels of Edith Wharton. It’s about a doomed heroine who seeks to make her fortune and seems to have the world by the tail, even as she and society both have fatal flaws that lead to her downfall. It’s full of richly-detailed characters and descriptions of the turn-of-the-twenty-first-century art world, and it is a true portrait of the modern age. An Object of Beauty also includes a number of full-color reproductions of paintings, which are central to the book’s story-telling and plot. The reproductions – including James Tissot’s La Mondaine, Ed Ruscha’s Los Angeles County Museum on Fire, Joseph Beuys’ Felt Suit, and many others – are almost as much fun to look at as the novel is to read, and they flesh out the storytelling in surprising ways. I found myself going back and forth between reading the novel and looking at the images of art, and this back-and-forth motion between text and image is one of the novel’s primary delights. This is a novel for people who love novels and art. It’s a pleasure to read, and it leaves you wanting more of this story. When I first read it, I wanted to go back and read all of Edith Wharton’s repertoire again, and I know it will do the same for other readers. Anyone who enjoys nineteenth-century novels of manners will enjoy this novel, and it’s all the more enjoyable because it updates those story lines and brings them to life in the modern era. MEET THE AUTHOR professional writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK An Object of Beauty is divided in three sections. Part I begins by introducing the voice of the narrator, Daniel Franks. It opens with Daniel giving us a sense of who he is, as a relatively distant, and yet involved, narrator: “I am tired, so very tired of thinking about Lacey Yeager, yet I worry that unless I write her story down, and see it bound and tidy on my bookshelf, I will be unable to write about anything else.” The occasion of this writing – trying to get down the story of Lacey once and for all – returns throughout the novel, as the narrator tries to come to terms with his complicated feelings for Lacey. This first book sets up their rocky relationship, and it also shows us the beginnings of Lacey’s career in the art world of New York in the 1990s, where she works in the basement of Sotheby’s preparing paintings for auction. She and Daniel share some features of their careers, since they’re both involved in art, though he’s more interested in the aesthetics, whereas she gradually becomes more interested in the monetary value of that art. When the story opens, they’re both 23 years old, fresh out of college, and eager to make it in the big world. This first part of the novel shows Lacey coming of age, becoming an adult, and growing beyond the furniture and boyfriends of her past. Buy a copy to keep reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK I first heard of Partners in Health, the organization founded by Dr. Paul Farmer, after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January, 2010. I was impressed by this organization and its commitment to the long-term welfare of the people of Haiti, and I sent in an online donation. That small gesture led me to Tracy Kidders, Mountains Beyond Mountains, a nonfiction book focusing on the life and mission of Farmer. The book is a gripping story of a doctor who has changed the face of global medicine and public health; particularly in impoverished countries like Haiti. Kidder tells Farmers life story using interviews, observations, and extensive first-hand. MEET THE AUTHOR Freelance writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Mountains Beyond Mountains is a biography of Paul Farmer, as well as a narrative about the work that Farmer has done in the field of global medicine and poverty. To write the book, Tracy Kidder spent extensive time with Farmer and his colleagues, friends, and family members, conducting interviews, observing, and even participating in the action. The book was published in 2003 to much critical acclaim. In USA Today Nicolas Thomas remarks, Mountains Beyond Mountains is an astonishing book that will leave you questioning your own life and political views. Its the perfect testament to a man who continues to reshape medicine and who has become, undoubtedly, an uncommon savior to a country that desperately needed one. A review in the San Jose Mercury News said, with gripping descriptions of the plight of the people Farmer treats, Kidder makes us see the urgency of Farmers mission. Buy a copy to keep reading! CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains + Introduction to Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World + About Tracy Kidder + About the Book + Overall Summary + ...and much more
Fiddling suddenly seemed vitally important, even necessary, for me to learn. Perhaps it had to do with grief for my mom's death, and with the fact that I was just starting to feel the inklings of a midlife crisis coming on. All I knew consciously, though, was that I had to learn it. After a chance encounter with fiddle music, Vivian Wagner discovered something she never knew she had lacked. The fiddle had reawakened not only her passion for music, but for life itself. From the remote workshop of a wizened master fiddle maker in the Blue Ridge Mountains to a klezmer band in Cleveland, from Cajun fiddle music in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans to a fiddle camp in Tennessee, Vivian's quest to master the instrument becomes a journey populated by teachers and artisans--and ultimately creates a community that fortifies her through an emotionally crushing loss. Intimate and enlightening, this is a story about the unique gifts of the fiddle, the redeeming power of music, the freedom of improvisation--and the importance of knowing that even though a song may reach its end, there's always a new tune to learn. . . "Charming, smart, lyrical and surprising. I recommend it to anyone--savage beast or not--who needs their soul soothed." --Suzanne Finnamore, international bestselling author of Split
ABOUT THE BOOK I first read Hemingway’s posthumously-published memoir, A Moveable Feast (1964), when I was spending my junior year abroad studying at the University of Exeter in England, and I fell in love with the book. I think it appealed to me especially since I imagined myself to be -- like Hemingway and his friends -- an expatriate, at least for those nine months. It’s an exquisitely readable book, peppered with all sorts of literary figures I knew through English classes: Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ford Madox Ford. There is nothing better for a young reader than to learn the secrets and hear the voices of writers known only through their novels, stories, and poems. A Moveable Feast brings them and the 1920s Parisian literary culture that surrounded them alive. MEET THE AUTHOR professional writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK A Moveable Feast is an episodic book, with short chapters devoted to various people, themes, and locations important to Hemingway during the period he and Hadley lived in Paris from 1921 to 1926. The book is roughly chronological, beginning when Hemingway and Hadley first arrive in Paris and ending when Hemingway has an affair and their marriage begins to fall apart. The book’s first chapter is called “A Good Café on the Place St.-Michel,” and it gives readers a first glimpse into the world that Hemingway inhabits. He describes how he’s writing about Michigan and his boyhood while being in the café, and the perspective he has in this opening scene encapsulates the expatriate perspective he has throughout the book: “I was writing about up in Michigan and since it was a wild, cold blowing day it was that sort of day in the story. Buy a copy to keep reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK When I first read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, I was enthralled and amazed. The story he tells about a doomed Mt. Everest expedition in 1996 is both thrilling and terrifying, and it also has a lot to say about the problems with the commercialization of adventure expeditions on the highest mountain in the world. It’s a well-researched and extraordinarily well-written first-hand account of the tragic expedition, and Krakauer’s excellent storytelling makes for gripping reading. Not only was he a member of this expedition, but he knows how to tell a story - how to introduce characters, build drama, and describe situations. He also has a gift for researching and writing history. When I first read Into Thin Air, I was prompted to read everything I could get my hands on about Mt. Everest. You could spend several years reading through this material, since there have been many books published about Mt. Everest, including several about this same disaster. Reading as many as you can will throw you into a fascinating, complex, and sometimes contradictory world of adventurers, scientists, business people, Tibetan and Nepalese guides, socialites, swindlers, politicians, artists, dreamers, and many other characters - as well as the frigid and challenging character of the mountain itself. Whether this is your first or fiftieth foray into the literature of Mt. Everest, you won’t be disappointed by Into Thin Air, and it will certainly draw you into its subzero spell. MEET THE AUTHOR professional writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Into Thin Air (1997) began as a 1996 article for Outside Magazine. Krakauer wanted to develop the story more fully, however, and thus was the book was born. He’d originally been assigned to examine the commercialization of Mt. Everest for the Outside article. That ended up being the focus of the story after all, but with a much more tragic outcome than he or his editors could have imagined. For the article and subsequent book, Krakauer joined an expedition led by Rob Hall’s Adventure Consultants. During that season, a number of other expeditions were also on the mountain along with Krakauer and Hall, including Scott Fischer’s Mountain Madness. Both Hall and Fischer were killed in the May 1996 disaster, along with six other climbers. Since its publication, Into Thin Air has been at the center of controversy surrounding Krakauer’s account of events, particularly in regards to questions about who was responsible for tragic errors made on the mountain. Much of the initial criticism of the book came from the Russian climbing guide Anatoli Boukreev, who disputed Krakauer’s depiction of him as neglecting his mountain guide duties. In response to Krakauer’s book, Boukreev published his own account of the tragedy, co-authored by G. Weston DeWalt, called The Climb (1997). In postscript to a later edition of Into Thin Air, Krakauer took up this debate and defended his account of the tragedy against Boukreev’s criticism. Buy a copy to keep reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK So, you want to become a professional writer? It might seem to be a daunting task, but luckily, it’s more attainable than you think. Many publications, websites, and companies, from niche magazines to large corporations, hire professional writers. Much of the writing you read on the web, in fact, is done by professionalrs. If you have a flair for words, a responsible attitude, and persistence, this is a great way to develop your career or earn extra money on the side. If you’re a skilled writer, getting professional writing work is not difficult; it’s just a matter of knowing where to look for assignments, understanding how to get them, and delivering what you promise. MEET THE AUTHOR professional writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK professional writers just starting out are likely to make a few common mistakes. Here are a few you’ll want to avoid: Expecting too much too soon It will take time to develop your professional career, just as it takes time to develop any career. For a while, you’ll just be establishing your professional identity, and then you might get a little work here and there. It won’t be enough to pay the bills, at least at first, but that’s to be expected. Stay committed and be persistent, and your professional writing will eventually pay dividends. Lacking confidence You might be afraid to start because you don’t think you’re qualified. You’ll need to conquer that fear, however, and develop confidence in yourself and your abilities. As professionalr Anne Wayman argues in “6 professional Writing Careers and How to Overcome Them,” on her site About professional Writing, “the bottom line is if you want to be a successful writer you’ve got to quit giving into your fears. You’ve got to write and submit or market and write. It simply won’t get done any other way.” Buy a copy to keep reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island is a quirky, funny book filled with amazing and intriguing details about Britain. I love this book, just as I love all of Bryson’s writing. It reminds me of the first book I read by him – A Walk in the Woods – because it, too, is a travel story that has him ambling around the countryside and reporting his observations. In fact, he has such a likable voice and an engaging manner that he could walk around the block and still make it fun to read. That’s the wonderful thing about Bryson, and it’s why I love him. He has a wry sense of humor that makes anything interesting, funny, and endearing, and this book about Britain is no exception. You’ll read it and laugh, and at the same time you’ll learn a lot about this country, its history, its politics, and its people. You’ll also learn a lot about Bryson himself, and that’s enjoyable, as well. The thing about Bryson is that he sees everything through the lens of his own perspective, but that personal perspective never obscures the subject that he’s looking at. The more you learn about him, the more you understand his take on his subject matter. That is exactly what happens in Notes from a Small Island. MEET THE AUTHOR professional writer Vivian Wagner has wide-ranging interests, from technology and business to music and motorcycles. She writes features regularly for ECT News Network, and her work has also appeared in American Profile, Entrepreneur, Bluegrass Unlimited, and many other publications. She is also the author of Fiddle: One Woman, Four Strings, and 8,000 Miles of Music (Citadel 2010). For more about her, visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Notes from a Small Island was published in 1997 as a kind of love story about the country Bryson was getting ready to leave. It’s told as a travel narrative, and in order to write it as such, he travels around the country as a tourist, trying to see it with fresh eyes after having lived there for a number of years as a resident. The book opens with him arriving in England via Calais, just as he arrived years before, and it continues by following him on his journey through the country. As Publisher’s Weekly says in a review of the book, “his trenchant, witty and detailed observations of life in a variety of towns and villages will delight Anglophiles. Traveling only on public transportation and hiking whenever possible, Bryson wandered along the coast through Bournemouth and neighboring villages that reinforced his image of Britons as a people who rarely complain and are delighted by such small pleasures as a good tea. In Liverpool, the author's favorite English city, he visited the Merseyside Maritime Museum to experience its past as a great port. Interweaving descriptions of landscapes and everyday encounters with shopkeepers, pub customers and fellow travelers, Bryson shares what he loves best about the idiosyncrasies of everyday English life in this immensely entertaining travel memoir.” Buy a copy to keep reading!
Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Law - Media, Multimedia Law, Copyright, grade: First, distinction, University of Wales, Aberystwyth (Law Faculty), course: Seminar: International Copyright Law, 24 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper tries to examine the impact of technological change and thus asks, in how far copyright laws have developed as a direct answer to technological inventions and which other factors supported or delayed its development. After a short presentation of the concept of copyright, it is argued that worldwide technological change was and still is one of the most important factors influencing the development of copyright laws. However, it is also shown that this impact has not always been the same. This paper identifies four distinguishable 'epochs' which reflect different impacts of technology on the development of copyright law and it can be seen that basically the following 'epochs' can be found in various jurisdictions: 1. from 1445-1500 technological change was the initial drive for copyright law; 2. from 1500-1700 the stabilisation of political power through censorship determined copyright law; 3. from 1700-1886 technological progress is again in the centre of copyright developments and 4. from 1886-today technological progress is still highly influential, but the aim of international uniformity and economic considerations are of equally strong influence. Having a closer look on these four 'epochs', it is also shown that they cannot be seen as fixed, as not all countries fit nicely into this scheme.
Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription is the definitive resource for learning testing protocols for five physical fitness components--cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular fitness, body composition, flexibility, and balance--and designing personalized exercise programs based on assessment outcomes.
From Caligula to Stalin and beyond, this book offers a unique and pioneering look at the recurring phenomenon of the 'mad king' from the early centuries of the Christian era to modern times.
Master's Thesis from the year 2004 in the subject Law - Media, Multimedia Law, Copyright, grade: first, distinction (mit Auszeic, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, course: LL.M. Programm, language: English, abstract: This Dissertation aims to assess the effectiveness and suitability of European regulation in respect to E-Commerce. Taking the European 'Lisbon Strategy' as set out in 2000 as a starting point, this paper examines whether Europe is on the right track to becoming "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy (...) by 2010". Hereby, the scope of this paper is limited to E-Commerce only as one essential part of a 'knowledge-based economy' and an 'e-ready' Europe. After outlining the special nature of E-Commerce, the rationale behind regulation and the historical background of European regulation in this field, this paper concentrates on four issues where the EU has become active in regulating E-Commerce, namely, the essential prerequisite of an existing 'e-infrastructure', e-signatures, privacy and consumer protection. The European approach to each of these issues is assessed to reveal its strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, this European way of regulating E-Commerce is then compared with other regulative attempts. Hereby, special attention is paid to the US approach to regulating E-Commerce which is mostly based on self-regulation. Thus, this paper comes to the conclusion that Europe is on the right track to becoming 'e-ready' in respect to E-Commerce. Basic regulatory decisions have the potential to lead in the right direction, although they do not always provide the most effective solution. Often European Directives do not reach far enough and are outdated. Thus, they do not address E-Commerce sufficiently, give too much discretion to the Member States and leave prevalent gaps or do not interoperate properly. Therefore, the European regulation on E-Commerce needs some revision and has to take some brave and innovative steps to establis
Describes the author's passion for the fiddle and how learning the craft helped awaken her love of life and become connected to a nationwide community of teachers and artisans.
The author analyzes the considerable legislation enacted between 1945 and 1970 and its effect on labour-management-public relations. He looks at their relevance for Britain today, and offers the most complete survey yet available of the operations of American labour as a pressure group.
Our Emily Dickinsons situates Dickinson's life and work within larger debates about gender, sexuality, and literary authority in America. Examining Dickinson's influence on Marianne Moore, Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Bishop and others, Vivian R. Pollak complicates the connection between authorial biography and poetry that endures.
The year before he wrote his famous book on fixed stars, Vivian Robson (1890-1942) wrote this one. In it, he put the distillation of four years intense work, spent in the British Museum Reading Room, where he studied very nearly every astrology book ever written, in English and Latin. To this day, he is virtually the only man to have ever undertaken a study of this magnitude. What makes the Student's Text-Book of Astrology unique is its unparalleled wealth of detail. Topics include Personal Appearance, Character and Mind, Health and Accidents, Finance, Occupation, and much more. For each, Robson gives specific rules of judgment and then supplies aphorisms collected from many ancient sources. The result is one of the most comprehensive astrology books ever written. ". . . [I]n private conversation he would talk for hours on the science of which he was a master. Indeed, his knowledge, not only of astrology but of many other sciences, was phenomenal; and few who enjoyed his conversation could fail to go away with an enhanced knowledge of whatever subject had been under discussion. He will be remembered best by his two chief books, A Student's Text-book of Astrology and The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology. Of these the former is deservedly popular and the latter is a classic, containing as it does a mass of information dating from the days of Greek mythology up to modern times." - C.E.O. Carter "I have heard him converse knowledgeably on a dozen and one different subjects. I really believe he knew something about everything, but so far as astrology was concerned his versatility showed forth in a phenomenal knowledge of his subject. To converse on astrology with him, even if only for one short hour, was inevitably to gain something new and valuable in the way of experience and information." - Dorothy Ryan In this Memorial Edition, Obituaries by Charles Carter and George H. Bailey; Prof. Hugh S. Torrens' monograph, Curator Turned Astrologer; an Appreciation, by Dorothy Ryan; an Afterword by the publisher, David R. Roell, a newly prepared index, Robson's Death Certificate, and more. The finest of all of Vivian Robson's books, back in print at last.
Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription, Seventh Edition With Online Video, provides a comprehensive approach to physical fitness appraisal and exercise prescription. The text bridges the gap between research and practice and synthesizes concepts and theories from exercise physiology, kinesiology, measurement, psychology, and nutrition to provide a clearly defined approach to physical fitness testing and the design of individualized exercise programs. The accompanying online videos enhance the learning experience and teach the techniques necessary for conducting fitness testing and program design. More than 40 clips featuring common exercise assessments will help users learn essentials of fitness testing, such as calibration of blood pressure cuffs, functional movement assessment, and push-up and pull-up testing. Unlike introductory texts, which typically focus on field testing for evaluating physical fitness, this text includes both field and laboratory assessment techniques. Readers will find the latest information on maximal and submaximal graded exercise testing in healthy populations, muscular fitness testing protocols and norms for children and adults, and field tests and norms for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, body composition, flexibility, and balance. The seventh edition of Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription reflects current guidelines and recommendations, including new physical activity recommendations from the U.S. government, American Heart Association, and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), as well as the latest ACSM guidelines for medical exam and exercise testing requirements before beginning exercise programs. Additional updates to the seventh edition include the following: • New research substantiating the link between physical activity and disease risk • Expanded information on prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and overweight and obesity, including updated statistics on the global prevalence of obesity • New dietary guidelines for Americans, including information on MyPlate • Inclusion of SCORE system to estimate 10-year risk of fatal cardiac event due to atherosclerosis • Expanded information on the use of technology to monitor physical activity • Updated information on the use of exergaming and social networking to promote physical activity and exercise • Additional OMNI pictorial scales for ratings of perceived exertion during exercise • Latest ACSM FITT-VP principle for designing aerobic exercise programs • Whole-body vibration as an adjunct to resistance training and flexibility training Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription, Seventh Edition, is organized around physical fitness components, providing information on assessment followed by guidelines for designing exercise programs to improve each fitness component. The text begins with an overview of physical activity, health, and chronic disease, followed by discussion of preliminary health screening and risk classification, including the principles of fitness assessment, exercise prescription, and exercise program design. The remainder of the text provides in-depth coverage of assessment and exercise prescription for each of five physical fitness components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular fitness (strength, endurance, and power), body composition, flexibility, and balance. In each chapter, key questions help readers focus on essential information. Key points, review questions, and key terms reinforce concepts and summarize chapter content. An instructor guide, test package, chapter quizzes, and presentation package plus image bank provide tools for lecture preparation, creative content delivery, and class assessment. New to the seventh edition are online video clips for both students and instructors to further aid comprehension of the text and provide an additional tool for classroom demonstration. By integrating the latest research, recommendations, and information into guidelines for application, Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription, Seventh Edition, bridges the gap between research and practice for fitness professionals. Its unique scope, depth of coverage, and clearly outlined approach make it a valuable resource for students and exercise science professionals who want to increase their knowledge, skill, and competence in assessing clients’ fitness and designing individualized exercise programs.
Through their reminiscences, Ives's relatives, friends, colleagues, and associates reveal aspects of his life, character, and personality, as well as his musical activities.
Mixed-mode surveys have become a standard at many statistical institutes. However, the introduction of multiple modes in one design goes with challenges to both methodology and logistics. Mode-specific representation and measurement differences become explicit and demand for solutions in data collection design, questionnaire design, and estimation. This is especially true when surveys are repeated and are input to long time series of official statistics. So how can statistical institutes deal with such changes? What are the origins of mode-specific error? And how can they be dealt with? In this book, the authors provide answers to these questions, and much more. Features Concise introduction to all the key elements of mixed-mode survey design and analysis Realistic official statistics examples from three general population surveys Suitable for survey managers and survey statisticians alike An overview of mode-specific representation and measurement errors and how to avoid, reduce and adjust them
A Survey of Modern English covers a wide selection of aspects of the modern English language. Fully revised and updated, the major focus of the third edition lies in Standard American and British English individually and in comparison with each other. Over and beyond that, this volume treats other Englishes around the world, especially those of the southern hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa as well as numerous varieties spoken in southern, eastern and western Africa, south and southeast Asia, and the Pacific. The main areas of investigation and interest include: pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary; multiple facets of English dialects and sociolects with an emphasis on gender and ethnicity; questions of pragmatics as well as a longer look at English-related pidgin and creole varieties. This authoritative guide is a comprehensive, scholarly, and systematic review of modern English. In one volume, the book presents a description of both the linguistic structure of present-day English and its geographical, social, gender, and ethnic variations. This is complemented with an updated general bibliography and with exercises at the end of each chapter and their suggested solutions at the end of the volume, all intended to provide students and other interested readers with helpful resources.
This book examines the concept of “ Neurosemantics”, a term currently used in two different senses: the informational meaning of the physical processes in the neural circuits, and semantics in its classical sense, as the meaning of language, explained in terms of neural processes. The book explores this second sense of neurosemantics, yet in doing so, it addresses much of the first meaning as well. Divided into two parts, the book starts with a description and analysis of the mathematics of the brain, including computational units, representational mechanisms and algorithmic principles. This first part pays special attention to the neural architecture which has been used in developing models of neurosemantics. The second part of the book presents a collection of models, and describes each model reproducing specific aspects of the semantics of language. Some of these models target one of the core problems of semantics, the reference of nouns, and in particular of nouns with a strong perceptual characterization. Others address the semantics of predicates, with a detailed analysis of colour attributes. While this book represents a radical shift from traditional semantics, it still pursues a line of continuity that is based on the idea that meaning can be captured, and explained, by a sort of computation.
The History of English: An Introduction provides a chronological analysis of the linguistic, social, and cultural development of the English language from before its establishment in Britain around the year 450 to the present. Each chapter represents a new stage in the evolution of the language, all illustrated with a rich and diverse selection of primary texts. The book also explores the wider global course of the language, including a historical review of English in its pidgin and creole varieties and as a native and/or second language in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. The third edition, carefully revised and updated throughout, includes: ● chapter introductions and conclusions to assist in orientation plus additional marginal references throughout; ● the addition of 21 timelines often running from Old English to Present-Day English and focusing on a variety of features; ● a new focus on the relevance of change for and in Present-Day English; ● discussions on the role and image of women, the (in-)visibility of social classes, and regional variation in English; ● material on bilingualism, code-switching, and borrowing, and on the effects of the social media on language use; ● over 90 textual examples demonstrating linguistic change and over 100 figures, tables, and maps, including 31 colour images, to support and illuminate the text; ● updated online support material including brief introductions to Old and to Middle English, further articles on linguistic, historical, and cultural phenomena which go beyond the scope of the book, additional sample texts, exercises, and audio clips. With study questions as well as recommendations for further reading and topics for further study, The History of English is essential reading for any student of the English language and will be of relevance to any course addressing the origins and development of the English language.
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