How can one think about the same thing twice without knowing that it's the same thing? How can one think about nothing at all (for example Pegasus, the mythical flying horse)? Is thinking about oneself special? One could mistake one's car for someone else's, but it seems one could not mistake one's own headache for someone else's. Why not? R. M. Sainsbury and Michael Tye provide an entirely new theory — called 'originalism' — which provides simple and natural solutions to these puzzles and more. Originalism's central thesis is that concepts, the constituents of thoughts, are to be individuated by their origin, rather than epistemically or semantically. The doctrine has further valuable consequences for the nature of thought, our knowledge of our own thoughts, the nature of experience, the epistemology of perception-based beliefs, and for arguments based on conceivability. Sainsbury and Tye argue that although thought is special, there is no special mystery attaching to the nature of thought. Their account of the mind considers it as part of nature, as opposed to something with supernatural powers — which means that human beings have more opportunities to make mistakes than many have liked to think.

There's a hidden science that affects every part of your life. You are fluent in its terminology of email, WiFi, social networking, and encryption. You use its results when you make a telephone call, access the Internet, use any factory-produced product, or travel in any modern car. The discipline is so new that some prefer to call it a branch of engineering or mathematics. But it is so powerful and world-changing that you would be hard-pressed to find a single human being on the planet unaffected by its achievements. The science of computers enables the supply and creation of power, food, water, medicine, transport, money, communication, entertainment, and most goods in shops. It has transformed societies with the Internet, the digitization of information, mobile phone networks and GPS technologies. Here, Peter J. Bentley explores how this young discipline grew from its theoretical conception by pioneers such as Turing, through its growth spurts in the Internet, its difficult adolescent stage where the promises of AI were never achieved and dot-com bubble burst, to its current stage as a (semi) mature field, now capable of remarkable achievements. Charting the successes and failures of computer science through the years, Bentley discusses what innovations may change our world in the future.

One of the most important religious sites in the world is largely hidden and rarely visited. It lies under the piazza in front of Milan's cathedral, and was uncovered by archaeologists only after World War II. It is part of the foundations of a fourth century cathedral from the time of Bishop Ambrose, the most powerful figure in the Christian West during Late Antiquity. To reach it, one must go inside the huge later cathedral and find a stairway by its western wall. After descending narrow stairs one reaches an eight-sided pool (piscine) that was used for total-immersion baptisms by Ambrose. There at dawn on Easter of 387, a cluster of people seeking baptism had gathered after an all-night vigil. Among those seeking baptism was Augustine, an African who had served as the imperial orator at the Milan court of the Emperor. Augustine would go back to his native Africa to become the bishop of Hippo and the most influential writer of the Christian West during the whole later course of the Middle Ages. Alongside him stood his son, his mother, his brother, and two of his pupils and academic colleagues. Nothing less than the future of the Western church was being formed in this cluster of talent and devotion. The Font of Life tells the story of this crucial event in the history of the Church. Beginning with the archaeology of Ambrose's Milan and the discovery of the baptistery, Garry Wills tells the story of the at times prickly relationship between Ambrose and Augustine and its importance for the future history of the Church, illuminating the scene of the baptism itself, along with the sources of its ritual, and introducing us to the company of the relatives and friends who greeted Augustine as he emerged from the pool. Appropriately, the book ends with a reflection on the later relationship between Augustine and Ambrose and the influence of the latter upon Augustine's later thought — which has been so seminal in the development of Christian thought ever since.

The Oxford Mini School German Dictionary is the perfect bilingual dictionary for pupils learning German. The two sides of the dictionary are clearly divided into German-English and English-German, with an essential verb table list in the centre with essential English translations for the different tenses. The headwords are carefully selected to suit beginners, and particular attention is given to computing, word-processing, and ICT terms. In line with curriculum requirements, there is a special section dedicated to vocabulary and phrases on German life and culture. The simple layout, the alphabet down the side of each page, and the clear print will help pupils navigate around the dictionary and take them straight to the translation they are looking for. This dictionary comes in a handy mini-size format with a new eco-friendly binding, perfect for school bags and for taking on holiday. For free downloadable fun activities in German, go online to the www.oxforddictinaries.com website.

Palliative care is now an integral part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Medical education across the board is adopting a case-based approach. This book uses a series of cases to illustrate critical points in palliative medicine. The case-studies have been carefully chosen to reflect real life clinical practice. The contributors illustrate, through the case studies, the desired skills, attitudes, and knowledge required in this field of medicine. Since publication of the second edition, many approaches to palliative care have been further refined and developed. Ongoing research has led to the improved use of existing medications, and the development of several new treatments. More is known about the psychosocial existential distress experienced by patients and their families resulting in an improved understanding by health care providers of how best to approach and assist those affected by advanced illness, and more is known about methadone and other medications with emerging uses. The third edition of this highly popular book continues to offer a panoramic view of palliative care. It introduces a number of new topics including Neurological Disorders, The Last Days, and Palliative Sedation.

This book is at once an edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets and a guide to how to read these exquisite and complex poems, and is designed both for readers new to the poems and for those who are familiar with the Sonnets but are ready to engage with them afresh. It is the only current edition which provides an original-spelling text of the poems: that is, it prints the poems as they appeared in the first edition, Shake-speares Sonnets (1609), preserving the spelling, punctuation, italics, and capitalization of the original, with only minor interventions where that edition manifestly needs correction. The advantages (and occasional hazards) of reading an original-spelling text are explained, and detailed help is provided in order to assist readers who may be unfamiliar with the conventions of early-modern spelling and punctuation. The introduction focuses on how we might read the poetry, discussing the sonnet form, the tradition within which Shakespeare was writing, and the ways in which readers might explore the richly suggestive language which he used. The forms of sexuality evoked in the Sonnets are fully charted, both in the introduction and the notes, but readers are steered away from biographical speculation. The annotation which accompanies the text of the poems provides detailed and carefully-targeted glosses which set out the likely meanings of the words in order to help the reader construct their own understanding of the poem. The text is followed by appendices on Shakespeare's rhetoric and complex words which will enable the modern reader to appreciate the intricate verbal play of the poetry.

The Oxford Mini School Dictionary is the best quick reference tool for students ten years plus, ideal for primary school leavers who are about to start secondary school. Packed with information, it includes thousands of up-to-date words and phrases, with simple definitions and carefully-levelled context. It is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. The clear and accessible design in two-colour, the alphabet down the side of every page, and specially highlighted information on spelling, usage, and word histories, makes finding the word you are looking for quick and easy. A special supplement on tricky words, confusable words, overused words, synonyms and idioms, gives pupils all the reading and writing support they need. The Oxford Mini School Dictionary is compact enough to fit into any pocket, now with an eco-friendly cover, and is perfect to use at home and at school.

Skills for Business Studies is a companion to Business Result for students studying Business Studies and related degree courses.

This is the eighth edition of Sir Ian Brownlie's classic distillation of public international law. Serving as a single volume introduction to the field as a whole, the book seeks to present international law as a system that is based on, and helps structure, relations among states and other entities at the international level. It aims to identify the constituent elements of that system in a clear and accessible fashion. This eighth edition, fully updated by James Crawford, Whewell Professor of International Law at the University of Cambridge, continues to provide the balance, clarity and expertise expected from this classic text. Completely updated to take account of the many areas of expansion and development in international law which have occurred since earlier editions, all chapters have been reviewed and brought up to date. The eighth edition features a new introduction and the chapters on environmental law, immunities, responsibility, use of force and high seas freedoms have been substantially rewritten. It remains an important textbook for students, undergraduate and graduate, treating core issues from a lawyer's perspective. It is also a vade mecum for practitioners desiring a solid footing on which to make further enquiries.

I see Troy in flames years from now — because Paris brings disaster to us, Queen Hecuba says about her son. Paris's father, King Priam, wants to kills him. But Paris lives, and later loves Helen — King Menelaus's queen — from Greece. When Paris brings Helen to Troy, war begins between the Trojans and Greeks. What happens when Paris's brother Hector and the Greek fighter Achilles meet in battle? Who wins the war, and how? Read Troy and find the answers.

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.