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The world is becoming a busy noisy place and it is good to find a pastime that creates a different space, another dimension. In Parallel Lives in Painting we show how our paintings mean so much to us, they remind us of the lovely places we have visited and enable us to remember them in detail.It takes time to study the colours and contours of a scene. It may be that the drawing is an inadequate representation of the three dimensional scene spread out before us, how can it be anything else, but the process of trying to represent it on the two dimensions of the blank page is intellectually rewarding. The emerging picture is not just about the scene before you but also about your response to it at the time.

A new SOE circuit is formed near Lyon during World War II. In this story of courage and camaraderie young and often inexperienced recruits work to undermine the efforts of the occupying German army, sometimes paying the ultimate price.

Based on over thirty years of research of government sentencing policy and work within the criminal justice system, David Fraser demonstrates that Britain's increased reliance on alternatives to imprisonment has allowed violent crime to flourish. The number of life-threatening attacks has increased rapidly over the last forty years but justice officials have masked this development within a blizzard of deceptive statistics.Anti-prison groups tell the public that violent offenders can be managed in the community under supervision and that prison makes offenders worse. Contrary to this misleading propaganda, the evidence presented here informs us that criminals under probation supervision as an alternative to imprisonment commit hundreds of the most serious crimes every year, while the government's figures - which are kept away from the public eye - make it clear that long prison sentences are our best protection against violent crime.Licence to Kill demonstrates that the death penalty was an effective deterrent to homicide but does not argue for its reintroduction. Instead, by acknowledging its effectiveness, David Fraser argues the case for a re-vamped sentencing system that is as effective as was the fear of the hangman's noose. By providing readers with an alternative perspective, he invites them to consider the idea of a new criminal sentencing framework.

The British public today endure some of the world's worst crime levels. According to the government's own estimates, 132 million indictable crimes alone are committed every year, the vast majority of which go unrecorded and undetected. Burglary is rife; street crime burgeoning and violence is escalating to unprecedented levels. Fear of crime means that many of us - especially the vulnerable and the elderly - have become prisoners in our own homes, leaving predatory criminals free to roam our streets.In this meticulously researched and passionately argued study of the contemporary British justice system, David Fraser offers a sobering indictment of post-war British governments, who have not only overseen but also fostered this spectacular and terrifying rise in crime. Almost without exception, governments - and the civil servants and academics who abet them - have sought to persuade us that criminals are victims of society and that they are best rehabilitated within the community rather than punished inside prisons. So pervasive has this 'anti-prison propaganda' become that few of whatever political complexion are now prepared to question its truth.However, as David Fraser cogently argues, community supervision and probation orders have simply left criminals free to reoffend, while the criminal justice system's near obsession with the well-being of criminals has come to override its concerns for their victims, whose interests and sufferings are callously ignored. Moreover, he suggests successive governments' failure to carry out what is their first duty - to protect their citizens - threatens to undermine our democracy, as more and more people - exasperated by the blatant injustice of the justice system - take the law into their own hands. Britain has indeed become 'a land fit for criminals'.

Crossing the river is about growing up on Merseyside during the 60s when Liverpool exploded with the music of the Beatles and the Mersey Sound as well as the poems of Roger McGough, Adrien Henry and Brian Patten. It remembers the excitement of the ferry crossing from Birkenhead when ocean-going liners were moored by the landing stage at Liverpool from where the walk led to the shops and cafes that no longer exist. The poems also explore the childhood and teenage experience of games, rites of passage and a life spent outdoors before television and on-screen activities kept young people indoors. It is about Liverpool, but seen from the perspective of the Wirral standing between two rivers and gazing at the big city with its world of excitement just a train or ferry ride away.

The title Here and There was chosen to signal a poetry collection that places the emphasis on the movement and change which are inescapable features of human existence. The concepts "here" and "there" are bonded by experience, can be oppositional and can suggest in a conversational way the sense of being all over the place. In preparing the collection for publication, the author remembered Seamus Heaney's marvellous poem Postscript, which contains the lines, "You are neither here nor there, / A hurry through which known and strange things pass." The wisdom of Heaney's assertion - that the attempt to inhabit an unassailable Here is unrealistic - is deeply appealing and links to the need for a stabilising version of what Keats called 'negative capability' in navigating life's conflicting currents.So, there are poems of migration and adaptation; poems of travel and reaction to other ways of doing things; poems of family evolution and change; poems addressing zeitgeist challenges like Brexit and the Coronavirus epidemic; poems that focus on Shakespearean characters in their attempts to manage unwieldy circumstance. And flights of fancy.The poems in Here and There deal with continuity and change, movement and stability in challenging, sometimes frightening contexts. "Here" and "there" are relative concepts, interchanging with surprising ease. Adaptability emerges from a reading of these poems as the crucial behavioural factor if we are to lead lives enriched by confidence and optimism.

In It's All Narrative Nick Dux expertly draws on his extensive experience working with children and families to give the reader a clear method of how to build Resilience in children. He presents his theory of Transformative Communication in a clear and concise manner, with plenty of practical case studies to bring it to life. It's All Narrative illustrates how to communicate proactively to build a strong inner voice in children, before moving on to detail how to positively challenge negative and/or worrying behaviour. This is an invaluable tool for all parents, teachers and anyone working with children and young people who wish to help their children grow into strong, successful, resilient adults.

Mummy and Daddy have a little surprise for Suzie.Helping Mummy and Daddy do some little jobs will earn Suzie a shiny coin on Pocket Money Day.Follow Suzie as she earns, saves and spends her pocket money in her new piggy bank.What will she spend it on?You will have to wait and see!

A life's journey in poetry by a nurse from the Philippines who came to Britain in 2001

Paul Bonham explores the foundations for relationships between people and drugs. His background as a drugs counsellor in prison and his experience working with young people in schools, on the streets and in clubs, has provided him with a unique insight and knowledge of the subject.From the outset, Paul explains that the term drug can be applied to any substance - whether illegal or legal - or an activity, such as gambling or drinking, that alters an individual's mindset. The approach he adopts in his workshops, which form the basis of this book, is to consider all aspects of building relationships in order to gain an understanding of the psychological and social issues surrounding addiction.Looking at the different interactions between people and various types of drugs, he examines how relationships develop and should be managed; the impact on the 'self'; and ways of safeguarding the individuals concerned. Chapters focus on subjects including; how people are shaped by their environments; relationships and how they define your identity; mental health; the family; peer pressure; the personalisation of drugs; and the impact of social media.The inclusion of workshop dramas, shared experiences and structured questions broadens the discussion, invites contrasting perspectives and prompts debate on this challenging issue.

Level 5 Operations / Departmental Manager has been designed and written to support those studying for the Level 5 Operations / Departmental Manager Apprenticeship or the ILM and CMI Level 5 Diplomas and Certificates and similar management qualifications at level 5.This book covers the theories and hypotheses covered in the syllabus of the qualifications and explains them in a plain and straightforward manner.The book is designed to match the modules of study in the apprenticeship standard and therefore makes selective study very straightforward.It is intended that this book will become a valuable point of reference not only whilst studying for an apprenticeship, but also afterwards, with many areas of support and guidance appropriate and relevant to a career in leadership and management after the qualification has been achieved.

Level 3 Team Leader / Supervisor is the second in a series of Apprenticeship Companion books. The Apprenticeship Companion series is designed to support apprentices studying towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) in their chosen subject.The books are easy to read and theories and hypotheses are explained in a plain and straightforward manner.The books are designed to match the modules of study in the apprenticeship standard and make selective, independent, study very straightforward.These books will become a valuable point of reference not only whilst studying for an apprenticeship, with many areas of support and guidance appropriate and relevant to a career after the qualification has been achieved.

Level 3: Business Administrator is the third in a series of Apprenticeship Companion books. The Apprenticeship Companion series of books is designed to support apprentices studying towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) in their chosen subject.The books are easy to read and theories and hypotheses are explained in a plain and straightforward manner.The books are designed to match the modules of study in the apprenticeship standard and make selective, independent, study very straightforward.These books will become a valuable point of reference not only whilst studying for an apprenticeship, with many areas of support and guidance appropriate and relevant to a career after the qualification has been achieved.

Level 3: Customer Service Specialist has been designed and written to support those studying for the Level 3 Customer Service Specialist Apprenticeship and also the Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship and other, similar, Level 2/3 Diplomas and Certificates in Customer Service.The book covers the theories and hypotheses covered in the syllabus of the qualifications and explains them in a plain and straightforward manner.The book is designed to match the modules of study in the apprenticeship standard and therefore make selective study very straightforward.It is also intended that this book will become a valuable point of reference not only whilst studying for an apprenticeship, but also afterwards, with many areas of support and guidance appropriate and relevant to a career in Customer Service after the qualification has been achieved.

Hans van Dijk and Ron van Megen have been fans of running power meters for years. They are internationally known for their books on the subject. Koen de Jong thought that running on power and the books by Hans and Ron were just complicated stuff and didn't want to know anything about it. Now Koen has changed his mind too.Power meters are revolutionizing running and have tremendous potential for understanding and improving performance. More and more runners are opting for racing and training with wattage instead of heart rate or pace.In this book Hans, Ron and Koen explain clearly the advantages of running on power. And most importantly, it is very simple and brings peace of mind to your training.The Power to Run: Smart technology optimizes your performance is in three parts: what's in it for you, backgrounds and practical tips and cases.

Education for survival is a critique of educational practice, based on the author's personal experience and forty years of teaching in universities, as well as observation of the progress of the author's children and grandchildren through school and university. The author concludes that a process of superficial learning, followed by exams and immediate forgetfulness, serves no useful purpose for the student or for society as a whole. Feats of memory are richly rewarded, to the exclusion of all other abilities. Much that has survival value, such as simple hygiene, is not taught or is treated as another academic subject, to be examined and then forgotten. Science is taught as history, without discovery or imagination, and most schools do not include subjects such as engineering. Many students decide that they cannot do maths because the subject is taught unsympathetically and too quickly, with the result that they cannot manage their own finances.From the time that universities in England and Wales were obliged to charge tuition fees there has been a tendency to devise courses that are superficially attractive but add little to the student's employability. In many cases, a student who has common sense and a level of practical ability finds that an academic course does not suit them. On graduating they find jobs hard to find and society loses a potentially useful contributor. Schools often regard entry to university as a success but if the outcome is a loss of income, with no saleable skills, nobody gains.Education for survival is presented as a series of essays that can be read separately, covering a wide range of topics from the education of politicians to the structure of the school day, provocative in parts but always constructive.

Orb is a mind journey. She is a vehicle that is constructed to elevate the norms of human consciousness.This book is written by and within an individual through a metamorphosis of a profound life journey. This female has created her own universe of emotions, through the art of poetry and story-telling. To guide you along paths of understanding, she has punctuated these with vignettes of reality, as well as make-believe and the humour of a child. These vignettes are shadows that will materialise into their full-form within the pages of two forthcoming books. Orb. Genesis of Hemispheres, is the first of the trilogy 'Orbs of Illuminations'.This book shines light upon moments within the writer's life at specific cross-roads. Its style is simplistic, without need for elaborate grammar. A journey that takes its reader as passenger with the wish of remembering their challenging journeys, but understanding why they were given. Here the poetry speaks with an ancient accent, one that has a haunting tone, so that they carry important messages within. Children are the life-blood sentiment for this author, as you will see, they are the lights in which to illuminate those lives they choose to enlighten.Her book has been brought into this hemisphere so that it can become a source of universal consciousness. Orb carries all that wish to travel within her sphere. Her dream is to heal.

DeVille started as a bobby on the beat and rose rapidly through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police to become one of their foremost detectives. The stories in this collection are based on his experiences and are all true - except one, and even that is true-to-life. DeVille dealt with many crimes and misdemeanours but always fairly, never over-stepping the mark. His stories reveal a caring and considerate approach to his criminal flock. At the same time these stories are often excursions into a curious land where truth is stranger than fiction and populated by uncommissioned police dogs, invisible cyclists, flying-horses, gorilla-suited interviewers, and straight-talking crickets. In fact the more serious his subject, the more hilarious the story he tells. In his tales of The London Village of Melsham, included in full in this collection, he shows his affection for the larger-than-life characters who once lived and worked in that place and who always kept him on his toes not so very long ago.DeVille did murders. Or rather he investigated them. And in telling his often grim tales, he reveals much about his own psychological make-up. In order to deal with the horrors of dismembered bodies and inconceivable wickedness, DeVille is driven to repeat his story, to repeat it to any and all who will listen. He regularly gathers a crowd of listeners and commands a table at the Pig & Whistle, somewhere in the depths of South London.Throughout this book DeVille confesses much to his Writer, who affectionately prods and prompts, revealing the full extent of DeVille's devotion to duty and the welfare of all. This is the true story of Detective DeVille of the Metropolitan Police, of Detective DeVille the Urban Shepherd.

The book seeks to develop from a minimum of presupposition a framework within which the arts may be viewed and explained. The fundamental natures of poetry, painting and music are separately addressed allowing key distinctions to be made between these three art forms. More generally, the relationship of the arts to both religion and science is explored; and the development of the arts from the earliest times considered, along with whether there was (or will be) a best time to be an artist. A compatible way of categorising both traditional and modern art is proposed; and similarly for the sciences. This enables direct comparisons both within the arts and between the arts and the sciences, leading to a view on the origin of modernism. The case is made for traditional modernism (which combines the accessibility of tradition with the relevance of modernism) and the role it might play considered. The work concludes with a discussion of what threatens the arts; where they now are; and where they might be going.

In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, John and Flora Baird set up their home in Ayrshire, Scotland, and built a thriving farm and a successful family. But the story didn't end there. Each of the Baird sons carried on the legacy of their father, meeting the challenges and opportunities of the new century in their own way.This is the story of John, who grew a burgeoning farming business and was known as a man 'with golden hands', and of Andrew, who took his inherited farm and bred a coveted, world-famous herd of cows and bulls. It is also the story of Hugh, who followed the promises of a land of 'milk and honey' in Canada, and set up his own roots there and of Gilbert, who enlisted to fight in the First World War and saw its horrors first-hand.The Sons of the Farmer is an intricately researched, warmly told narrative of the Baird family as they grew and established their own legacies in Scotland, England, and Canada, set against the tumultuous backdrop of early twentieth century history.