Bøger i Reflections serien

Play is not just for kids and the young at heart. Boring grown-ups play too, but we only unleash our imagination with close friends and family. Still, our propensity to play is nothing to be ashamed of, according to Marc Malmdorf Andersen, play aficionado at Aarhus University. In fact, play is a sort of scientific process, and by testing one hair-brained idea after another we not only become better, more creative adults. We can also make love grow, and maybe even save the world. This might not be as crazy as it sounds, and it’s guaranteed to be a barrel of fun.

We love democracy, but few of us can explain this affection. That is probably why dictators can pose as true democrats, and why the subdued can see despotism as the answer to their prayers. But a government of, by and for the people does not always make prudent decisions. It is contentious and unfair, and it cannot magically solve all the world’s problems – although it does keep tyrants at bay. Luckily, Svend-Erik Skaaning, democracy scholar at Aarhus University, is not afraid to speak up: We love democracy because it is less flawed than all other forms of rule

“We are the champions – of the world!” This line from a chart-topping rock ballad could have come from Mette Frisk Jensen, corruption expert at Aarhus University. A constitutional monarchy with a queen of its own, Denmark has long been among the world’s top-five least corrupt countries. Fortunately, kickbacks and pay-offs are not dissolving its social glue, which is more than a lucky blend of trust and democracy. But people might not expect to find Denmark’s way to the top paved by absolute monarchs, wars with Sweden, and even national bankruptcy.

Although Liverpool's history goes back to the Middle Ages, the opening of the port to the Atlantic trade in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries allowed it to grow rapidly. It became one of the richest cities in the country and as a port city attracted settlers from across the British Isles and the rest of Europe and beyond. The city still boasts an impressive legacy of buildings from this era, although many have been lost following industrial decline, Second World War aerial bombardment and post-war urban planning. During the last century, many who were living in social housing in the city centre were moved out to the suburbs and although the city suffered in the period of industrial decline following the reduction of the docks and manufacturing industries, today the city is thriving again with evidence of massive regeneration along the waterfront and across much of the rest of the city. Liverpool Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the city has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Liverpool with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Author Dan Longman presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Liverpool. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the city.

Colchester's history goes back to the Iron Age and the Roman settlement that was for a while the capital of Britain. There are extensive remains of Roman Colchester that can still be seen today, as well as from its medieval and later history, including its Norman castle built on Roman foundations. The wool trade brought prosperity and many buildings date from the Tudor period, but much of today's Colchester dates from its expansion in the nineteenth century. In the years after the Second World War, areas of the town were redeveloped and this has continued in recent years, including its extensive garrison area. Colchester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Colchester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Patrick Denney presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Colchester. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

In this provocative, raw and deeply honest book, Leslie Malin opens the door to allow bravery and transformation to enter for all of us. Who has not suffered from self-doubt, fear of failure, and loss? The essential question is "Can I brave life's storms or will I curl up in thedesire to be safe rather than venture forth to meet my future?"Cracked Open is a meditation. This volume combines quotations from many traditions, eras, and genres, coupled with the author's reflections on their meaning. Leslie Malin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years in the field. Her reflections are grounded in her personal history, as well as enriched by standing witness for her clients as they triumphed over daunting challenges.This book can: Embolden you to take back your power Use difficulties as inspiration Embrace your discomfort, fear, and shame Throw off your fear of failure and discover lessons for transformation Turn loss and sorrow into hope, courage, and joy. Change you and thereby change your future. Cracked Open's interior four-colored presentation presents a quotations page with a corresponding reflections page. Read this book cover to cover. Then explore its deeper value when you randomly enter at any page to discover just the right quotation and reflection that can lead your thinking into channels of deeper personal awareness.

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and has been a major port and industrial city since the nineteenth century. Shipbuilding has long been an important industry in the city and the Titanic Quarter, named after its most famous ship, is one of the largest waterfront developments in Europe. In the last two decades the city has become transformed, attracting large numbers of visitors to its cultural heritage. Large areas of the city have been redeveloped but much of it would also be recognisable to previous generations. Belfast Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Belfast with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Aidan Campbell presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Belfast. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

After many years of expansion and redevelopment Bicester has grown and changed considerably from the little Oxfordshire market town that it once was. Some parts of the town appear noticeably different to how they were a few generations ago, and when you look at some photographs of Victorian or pre-war Bicester it seems almost unrecognisable. Amidst all the changes however, some familiar landmarks have remained largely untouched, such as the town's medieval St Edburg's parish church and Market Square. This collection of photographs tries to cover both the changes and the consistencies to show how Bicester has developed and how its character remains. Bicester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Bicester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Matthew Hathaway presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Bicester.

In 1560, Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, a site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. Serving Edinburgh's shipbuilding and repair facilities, in subsequent centuries Leith's port saw the opening of a new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events have taken place. From housing the Scottish Court to seeing civil war, being the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh, Leith has seen it all. Leith Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Leith with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local authors Jack Gillon and Fraser Parkinson present this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Leith. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

The North Devon town of Bideford, situated on the estuary of the River Torridge, has a long and fascinating history as a port. From its quays sailed the first colonising venture to the New World under Sir Richard Grenville. The first Native American to be buried in England lies in its churchyard. The town was home to the Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley, who set his novel Westward Ho! in the area, and its tourism industry went on to develop greatly. Still popular with visitors today, Bideford's narrow streets lead to a tree-lined quay bustling with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. In this book, writer Peter Christie and photographer Graham Hobbs have chosen a selection of old and new photographs that are individually merged to reveal how Bideford has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures combines a recent colour view with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers have the opportunity to 'step back in time' and discover what life was like for previous generations. This fascinating visual chronicle reflects past and present glimpses of Bideford and will be enjoyed by residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the town.

From its foundation as a Roman fort, Chester has played an important role in the history of north-west England. Close to the Welsh border, the city is still surrounded by an almost complete circuit of city walls, enclosing the cathedral, castle and many other ancient buildings, including the famous Rows of black and white half-timbered buildings. Chester continued its prominence into the industrial age, with the arrival first of the canal system then the railways. Today, the city of Chester has extended with new housing well beyond the city walls and redevelopments within the city, but still attracts many to its historic centre, its racecourse beside the River Dee and lively cultural scene. Chester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Chester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Paul Hurley presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Chester. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Wolverhampton was a Staffordshire market town in the Middle Ages but became a major industrial town during the Industrial Revolution, renowned for coal mining, metalworking and steel making. The prosperity brought to the town from this era is in evidence in many buildings in the city, and the growing population required a large programme of public housing in the early twentieth century. The development of Wolverhampton continued post-war, with much of the centre being rebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s. Granted city status in 2000, Wolverhampton continues to be redeveloped but despite the many changes, it has retained its strong identity in the West Midlands. Wolverhampton Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Wolverhampton with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Alec Brew presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Wolverhampton. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Situated on the Wirral Peninsula, across the River Mersey from Liverpool, is the town of Birkenhead. It can trace its origins back to the twelfth century when a Benedictine priory and Mersey ferry were established here. Later, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, it expanded and prospered with the shipbuilders Cammell Laird, the docks and the Mersey Railway connecting Birkenhead and Liverpool. The town was the location for Britain's first street tramway and the world's first publicly funded civic park, which was designed by Joseph Paxton and is now a Grade I listed landscape. Birkenhead's other architectural highlights are to be found in Hamilton Square with its many Georgian residences. In Birkenhead Reflections, local author Ian Collard has brought together a fascinating collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the town has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures combines a recent colour view with the matching archive scene. Through the merged-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, industries, the port and aspects of everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. This evocative visual chronicle, which ingeniously reflects Birkenhead past and present, will appeal to residents and everyone with links to the town.

One hundred years ago in Ireland marked a time of change. The continuous rise of an Irish revival, debates over Home Rule and the idea of Irish identity were continuously negotiated by all classes of society. In Cork City Reflections, authors Kieran McCarthy and Daniel Breen focus on the visual changes that have taken place in the port city on Ireland's south-west coast. Using a collection of historic postcards from Cork Public Museum and merging these with modern images they reveal how the town has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures featured combines a recent colour view with the matching sepia archive scene. The authors have grouped the images under thematic headings such as main streets, public buildings, transport, and industry. Readers will be able to appreciate how Cork City has evolved and grown over the last century but also how invaluable postcards can be in understanding the past. In an age where digital photography and the internet have made capturing and sharing images so effortless, it is easy to forget that in the decades before the camera became popular and affordable, postcards were the only photographic souvenirs available to ordinary people. This book, which vividly contrasts Cork past and present, will evoke many memories and appeal to residents and visitors alike.

Greenwich was home to a royal palace from medieval times and was a particular favourite of the Tudor monarchs, and the Royal Observatory was built in Greenwich Park in the reign of Charles II. Lying on the River Thames in South East London, it has a strong maritime heritage, reflected today in the buildings of the Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum, and the Cutty Sark in the dry dock. The centre of Greenwich has long attracted many to its market, shops, museums and theatres, but Greenwich has also been an industrial area and recent decades have seen massive changes along the riverfront and on the peninsula where the old industries have been largely swept away in urban regeneration schemes. Greenwich Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Greenwich with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Author David Ramzan presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Greenwich. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Circular emails sent by a West Wales Vicar, messages of hope and encouragement during the Pandemic.

There is the fleeting kind - like when our team wins, for once. The kind we find with that special someone or feel when reality surpasses our expectations - until we raise the bar, again. There is even the kind of happiness money can buy, provided we spend it on or with other people.

A fascinating collection of merged historic and modern images that reflect the changes in Barrow-in-Furness through the decades.

A fascinating collection of merged historic and modern images that reflect the changes in Trentham through the decades.