You cannot hide from radioactivity. Even the book you are holding is slightly radioactive, less so if it is an e-book. Radioactivity — the breakdown of unstable atomic nuclei, releasing radiation — is a fundamental process in nature. It is a process that has been harnessed to provide wide and important applications in science, medicine, and energy production. But it remains much misunderstood — and feared, perhaps because nuclear radiation cannot be detected by human senses, and can undoubtedly do great harm if appropriate precautions are not taken. The traces of radioactive atoms in rock have allowed us to understand the nature and history of the Earth, in particular to date events in that history. Radioactive dating has been used for a variety of purposes, from archaeology to the dating of the Turin Shroud. In medicine, MRI scans and use of radioactive tracers have saved lives, and radioactivity is used widely in industry. And of course, it can provide a relatively cheap and clean source of energy, though the development of nuclear energy has been controversial and in recent times there have been increasing concerns about the dangers of nuclear terrorism. In this Very Short Introduction, Claudio Tuniz explains the nature of radioactivity and discuss its role in nature. Describing radioactivity in the stars and in the Earth, he also looks at its wide range of applications in biomedicine and in science, as well as the mechanisms of nuclear fission and fusion, and the harnessing of nuclear power.

Are we born with our fears or do we learn them? Why do our fears persist? What purpose does anxiety serve? How common are anxiety disorders, and which treatments are most effective? What's happening in our brain when we feel fear? And what are Colombian worry dolls? This Very Short Introduction draws on the best scientific research to offer a highly accessible explanation of what anxiety is, why it is such a normal and vital part of our emotional life, and the key factors that cause it. Insights are drawn from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, and clinical trials. Providing a fascinating illustration of the discussion are two interviews conducted specifically for the book, with the actor, writer, director, and television presenter Michael Palin and former England football manager Graham Taylor. The book covers in detail the six major anxiety disorders: phobias; panic disorder and agoraphobia; social anxiety; generalised anxiety disorder; obsessive compulsive disorder; and post-traumatic stress disorder. With a chapter devoted to each disorder, Daniel and Jason Freeman take you through the symptoms, prevalence, and causes of each one. A final chapter describes the treatments available for dealing with anxiety problems.

What do anaesthetists do? How does anaesthesia work? What are the risks? And how does the anaesthetist know if you are really asleep? Anaesthesia is a mysterious and sometimes threatening process. In this Very Short Introduction, Aidan O'Donnell takes the reader on a tour through the whole of the modern anaesthetic practice. He begins by explaining general anaesthesia: what it is, how it is produced, and how it differs from natural sleep and other forms of unconsciousness. He goes on to consider the main categories of anaesthetic drugs, including anaesthetic vapours, intravenous agents, muscle relaxants, and analgesics, together with explanations of how they work and what their purpose is. Set against the historical background of anaesthetic and surgical practice, O'Donnell examines the large role anaesthetists play in specialised areas such as intensive care medicine, pain medicine, and childbirth; and finally, he considers the risks of anaesthesia, putting in to context that anaesthesia is a very safe process.

The word governance is ubiquitous. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund make loans conditional on good governance. Climate change and avian flu appear as issues of global governance. The European Union issues a White Paper on Governance. The U.S. Forest Service calls for collaborative governance. What accounts for the pervasive use of the term governance and to what does it refer? It has a bewildering set of answers. The word governance is used in a variety of contexts, but at a general level, it refers to all forms of social coordination and patterns of rule. In this Very Short Introduction, Mark Bevir considers not only the main theories of governance, but also their impact in a variety of areas including corporate, public, and global affairs.

The Magna Carta has long been considered the foundation stone of the British Constitution, yet few people today understand either its contents or its context. This Very Short Introduction is introduces the document to a modern audience, explaining its origins in the troubled reign of King John, and tracing the significance of the role that it played thereafter as a totemic symbol of the subject's right to protection against the raw and absolute authority of the sovereign. Drawing upon the great advances that have been made in the past two decades in our understanding of thirteenth-century English history, Nicholas Vincent demonstrates why the Magna Carta continues to be of enormous popular interest.

This Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. Readers meet a people highly skilled in sculpture, astronomy, city planning, poetry, and philosophy, who were also profoundly committed to cosmic regeneration through the thrust of the ceremonial knife and through warfare. Dav d Carrasco looks beyond Spanish accounts that have colored much of the Western narrative to let Aztec voices speak about their origin stories, the cosmic significance of their capital city, their methods of child rearing, and the contributions women made to daily life and the empire. Carrasco discusses the arrival of the Spaniards, contrasts Aztec mythical traditions about the origins of their city with actual urban life in Mesoamerica, and outlines the rise of the Aztec empire. He also explores Aztec religion, which provided both justification for and alternatives to warfare, sacrifice, and imperialism, and he sheds light on Aztec poetry, philosophy, painting, and especially monumental sculpture and architecture. He concludes by looking at how the Aztecs have been portrayed in Western thought, art, film, and literature as well as in Latino culture and arts.

In this Very Short Introduction, D. Kern Holoman considers the structure, roots, and day-to-day functioning of the modern philharmonic society. He explores topics ranging from the life of a musician in a modern orchestra, the recent wave of new hall construction from Berlin to Birmingham, threats of bankruptcies and strikes, and the eyebrow-raising salaries of conductors and general managers. At the heart of the book lies a troubling pair of questions: Can such a seemingly anachronistic organization long survive? Does the symphony matter in contemporary culture? Holoman responds to both with a resounding yes. He shows that the orchestra remains a potent political and social force, a cultural diplomat par excellence. It has adapted well to the digital revolution, and it continues to be seen as an essential element of civic pride. In a time of upheaval in how classical music is created, heard, distributed, and evaluated, the orchestra has managed to retain its historic role as a meeting place of intellectual currents, an ongoing forum for public enlightenment.

With startling speed, Spanish conquistadors invaded hundreds of Native American kingdoms, took over the mighty empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and initiated an unprecedented redistribution of the world's resources and balance of power. They changed the course of history, but the myth they established was even stranger than their real achievements. This Very Short Introduction deploys the latest scholarship to shatter and replace the traditional narrative. Chapters explore New World civilizations prior to the invasions, the genesis of conquistador culture on both sides of the Atlantic, the roles black Africans and Native Americans played and the consequences of the invasions. The book reveals who the conquistadors were and what made their adventures possible.

The building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 shocked the world. Ever since, the image of this impenetrable barrier between East and West, imposed by communism, has been a central symbol of the Cold War. Based on vast research in untapped archival, oral, and private sources, Burned Bridge reveals the hidden origins of the Iron Curtain, presenting it in a startling new light. Historian Edith Sheffer's unprecedented, in-depth account focuses on Burned Bridge-the intersection between two sister cities, Sonneberg and Neustadt bei Coburg, Germany's largest divided population outside Berlin. Sheffer demonstrates that as Soviet and American forces occupied each city after the Second World War, townspeople who historically had much in common quickly formed opposing interests and identities. The border walled off irreconcilable realities: the differences of freedom and captivity, rich and poor, peace and bloodshed, and past and present. Sheffer describes how smuggling, kidnapping, rape, and killing in the early postwar years led citizens to demand greater border control on both sides-long before East Germany fortified its 1,393 kilometer border with West Germany. It was in fact the American military that built the first barriers at Burned Bridge, which preceded East Germany's borderland crackdown by many years. Indeed, Sheffer shows that the physical border between East and West was not simply imposed by Cold War superpowers, but was in some part an improvised outgrowth of an anxious postwar society. Ultimately, a wall of the mind shaped the wall on the ground. East and West Germans became part of, and helped perpetuate, the barriers that divided them. From the end of World War II through two decades of reunification, Sheffer traces divisions at Burned Bridge with sharp insight and compassion, presenting a stunning portrait of the Cold War on a human scale.

Stimulating activities within a graded syllabus. — It follows a carefully graded syllabus which allows for recycling of language. — A complete comic-strip adventure story runs through each book, featuring ace detective Captain Shadow. This provides a memorable context for new language and maintains motivation. — It involves children in a variety of other fun activities, such as songs, rhymes, games, and puzzles, which are all used to practise language in an enjoyable way. — It gives children a thorough grounding in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The long-awaited, totally new edition of the Advanced level, providing a real challenge and stimulus for Advanced learners. — Building on the original Headway Advanced grammar syllabus, challenging language work really stretches advanced learners. — Rich, thought-provoking texts and topics actively engage students and stimulate discussion. — A focus on features of spoken language extends and develops learners' language awareness. — In-depth study of lexis, with a focus on synonyms, collocation, and idiom, improves learners' command. — Streamlined units encourage a real sense of progress through the course. — Listening material from a range of sources, including broadcast material, commissioned interviews with famous people, and vox pops, exposes students to a variety of language. — A range of reading texts of different genres – newspaper articles, magazine extracts, literature – cater for various interests within a group.

Stimulating activities within a graded syllabus. • It follows a carefully graded syllabus which allows for recycling of language. • A complete comic-strip adventure story runs through each book, featuring ace detective Captain Shadow. This provides a memorable context for new language and maintains motivation. • It involves children in a variety of other fun activities, such as songs, rhymes, games, and puzzles, which are all used to practise language in an enjoyable way. • It gives children a thorough grounding in listening, speaking, reading and writing

Stimulating activities within a graded syllabus. • It follows a carefully graded syllabus which allows for recycling of language. • A complete comic-strip adventure story runs through each book, featuring ace detective Captain Shadow. This provides a memorable context for new language and maintains motivation. • It involves children in a variety of other fun activities, such as songs, rhymes, games, and puzzles, which are all used to practise language in an enjoyable way. • It gives children a thorough grounding in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

New Chatterbox brings this much loved series up-to-date with brand-new content reflecting changes in teaching practice and an increase in cross-cultural awareness. The core syllabus, structure, and approach remain the same. The new Starter level makes the course ideal for complete beginners. • New Captain Shadow stories, with story exploitation pages in the Activity Book for each episode. • 'My World' pages in the Pupil's Book feature life in the English-speaking world. • 'My World' pages in the Activity Book offer cross-cultural comparison and creative projects. • Assessment section in the Teacher's Book containing progress tests and a self-assessment portfolio. • Communicative games allow children to review key language. • Festival-based activities and class plays extend language skills.

A two-level course that allows language to emerge naturally through songs, pictures, stories, and activities. — It creates a lively classroom atmosphere that encourages children to participate actively in every lesson. — The action centres around the adventures of an appealing group of children, their imaginary friend, their teddy, and their dog. The themes are central to children's lives and stimulate their imaginations. — New language is presented through chants, songs, pictures, and stories. There are no words in the Class Book, so children can concentrate on developing listening skills by linking the illustrations with what they hear. — A range of activities — drawing, craft work, games, and music — caters for different teaching techniques and situations while keeping young learners interested and involved. — Each unit has a story in the accompanying Story Book. The children follow the pictures and listen either to the teacher or the cassette in an enjoyable whole-class activity. The children have the pleasure of a shared experience, and the teacher is able to keep the ending a surprise. — The humorous, colourful illustrations maintain a high level of motivation.

This is a clear, comprehensive reference grammar.

Oxford Team! is an exciting new three-level English course for younger students by Norman Whitney. Its key features are: • a lively cartoon adventure story at the beginning of each unit • a clear and systematic introduction to English grammar • careful attention to vocabulary development • reading texts on a wide variety of up-to-date topics • a thorough approach to writing, including model texts and plenty of preparation • helpful practice in speaking and listening • a song in every unit • regular and thorough revision work • optional projects and stories Each level of Oxford Team! consists of: • Student's Book • Workbook • Teacher's Book (including tests) • Class cassettes • Class CDs

«This anthology traces the history of modern Irish literature from the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth century to the early years of political independence. From Charlotte Brooke and Edmund Burke to Elizabeth Bowen and Louis MacNeice, the anthology shows how, in forging a tradition of their own, Irish writers have continually challenged and renewed the ways in which Ireland is imagined and defined. The anthology includes a wide-ranging and generous selection of fiction, poetry, and drama. Three plays by W. B. Yeats, Augusta Gregory, and J. M. Synge are printed in their entirety, along with the opening episode of James Joyce's «Ulysses». The volume also includes letters, speeches, songs, memoirs, essays, and travel writings, many of which are difficult to obtain elsewhere.»

Shewring's superb prose translation comes as close to the spirit of the original Greek as our language will allow.

«'Yes, what is Dionysian? — This book provides an answer — «a man who knows» speaks in it, the initiate and disciple of his god'. «The Birth of Tragedy» (1872) is a book about the origins of Greek tragedy and its relevance to the German culture of its time. For Nietzsche, Greek tragedy is the expression of a culture which has achieved a delicate but powerful balance between Dionysian insight into the chaos and suffering which underlies all existence and the discipline and clarity of rational Apollonian form. In order to promote a return to these values, Nietzsche undertakes a critique of the complacent rationalism of late nineteenth-century German culture and makes an impassioned plea for the regenerative potential of the music of Wagner. In its wide-ranging discussion of the nature of art, science and religion, Nietzsche's argument raises important questions about the problematic nature of cultural origins which are still of concern today.»