More than two centuries have passed since Gilbert While was laid to rest in his unassuming grave in Selborne churchyard but White`s accurate study of the flora & fauna of his native parish, first published in 1789, still makes delightful reading today. His regular correspondence, beginning in 1767, with two distinguished naturalists, Thomas Pennant & the Honourable Daines Barrington, forms the basis of ” The Natural History of Selborne”. The fascination of the book lies in the magic of its prose & the vividness of its description, which have earned it the distinction of being the only work on natural history to have received equal acclaim as a masterpiece of English literature. ...

Cats! Some are sane, & some are mad. Some are good, & some are bad... The original Old Possum`s illustrations have been lovingly restored & are showcased in this beautiful new hardback edition, perfect for children & Eliot aficionados alike. These lovable cat poems were written by T. S. Eliot for his godchildren & continue to delight children & grown-ups. The collection inspired the musical Cats!, & features Macavity, Mr Mistofelees & Growltiger! ...

In ' The Image of Nature', wildlife photographer Wouter Pattyn takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through nature at its most beautiful. Packed full of anecdotes & fascinating facts to touch the souls of nature lovers & stimulate wildlife photographers, this book will enchant you with its peerless images. ...

` What kind of world would you like to inhabit?` Here, Keri Smith begins with a list. Writing down everything the reader is drawn to, from things they love or collect to things that fascinate & excite, including objects, colours, sounds, textures, memories, places & people, the list serves as the building block for the creation of a new world. This world is based entirely on who the reader is as an individual, & as such is completely unique. Prompted to think about landscape, place names, maps, currency & more Keri Smith encourages everyone to push their imaginations to the limit. ...

For all the desert`s dreamlike beauty, to travel here was not just to pitch yourself into oblivion: it was to grind away at yourself until nothing was left. It was to aspire to the condition of s&. One third of the earth`s land surface is desert, much of it desolate & inhospitable. What is it about this harsh environment that has captivated humankind throughout history? From the prophets of the Bible to Marco Polo, Lawrence of Arabia to Gertrude Bell, travellers have often seen deserts as cursed places to be avoided, or crossed as quickly as possible. But for those whose call deserts home, the `hideous blanks` described by explorers are rich in resources & significance. Travelling to five continents over three years, visiting deserts both iconic & little-known, William Atkins discovers a realm that is as much internal as physical. His journey takes him to the Arabian Peninsula`s Empty Quarter & Australia`s nuclear-test grounds; the dry Aral Sea of Kazakhstan & `sand seas` of China`s volatile north-west; the contested borderlands of Arizona & the riotous Burning Man festival in Nevada`s Black Rock Desert; & the ancient monasteries of Egypt`s Eastern Desert. Along the way, Atkins illuminates the people, history, topography, & symbolism of these remarkable but often troubled places. Reviving the illustrious British tradition of travel writing, The Immeasurable World is destined to become a classic of desert literature. ...

75 immigrant chefs each contribute a favourite recipe that speaks of where they come from. In travelling the world & in settling in a new country the influence of these chefs & many others have transformed they way we eat.; In these times of troubling anti-immigrant rhetoric, The Immigrant Cookbook offers a culinary celebration of the many ethnic groups that contribute to a vibrant food culture. This beautifully photographed cookbook features starters, soups, salads, mains, desserts, & side dishes
- some familiar favourites, some likely to be new encounters
- by immigrant chefs from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe, & Australia.; Chefs include bestselling authors such as Barbara Abdeni Massaad, author/compilerof Soup for Syria: Recipes to Celebrate Our Shared Humanity.

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Between Christmas & new year of 1817 the eccentric painter, B.R. Haydon, gave a famous dinner party. His guests included three of the greatest literary stars of the age: the poets John Keats & William Wordsworth & the essayist & wit Charles Lamb. They recited poetry, took part in ridiculous antics, indulged in high-minded discussions
- with such displays of brilliance that the party became known as the Immortal Dinner. Penelope Hughes-Hallett celebrates this famous evening, setting it against a backdrop of change, reflected in the preoccupations of the illustrious diners. A compelling & sympathetic picture emerges of these rare spirits & the age which created them.
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, now an HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey & Rose Byrne Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as He La. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells
- taken without her knowledge
- became a multimillion-dollar industry & one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta`s family did not learn of her `immortality` until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences.. . Rebecca Skloot`s fascinating account is the story of the life, & afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world forever. Balancing the beauty & drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made from, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul & story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world. ` No dead woman has done more for the living.. .A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book` Hilary Mantel, Guardian ` An extraordinary mix of memoir & science reveals the story of how one woman`s cells have saved countless lives` Daily Telegraph `A heartbreaking account of racism & injustice.. . Moving & magnificent` Metro

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Poet & post-punk heroine Eileen Myles has always operated in the art, writing, & queer performance scenes as a kind of observant flaneur. Like Baudelaire`s gentleman stroller, Myles travels the city--wandering on garbage-strewn New York streets in the heat of summer, drifting though the antiseptic malls of La Jolla, & riding in the van with Sister Spit--seeing it with a poet`s eye for detail & with the consciousness that writing about art & culture has always been a social gesture. Culled by the poet from twenty years of art writing, the essays in The Importance of Being Iceland make a lush document of her--and our--lives in these contemporary crowds. Framed by Myles`s account of her travels in Icel&, these essays posit inbetweenness as the most vital position from which to perceive culture as a whole, & a fluidity in national identity as the best model for writing & thinking about art & culture. The essays include fresh takes on Thoreau`s Cape Cod walk, working class speech, James Schulyer & Bjork, queer Russia & Robert Smithson; how-tos on writing an avant-garde poem & driving a battered Japanese car that resembles a menopausal body; & opinions on such widely ranging subjects as filmmaker Sadie Benning, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, Ted Berrigan`s Sonnets, & flossing. ...

Despite inhabiting a great city renowned for its impeccable restraint, the extended family of 44 Scotland Street is trembling on the brink of reckless self-indulgence. Matthew & Elspeth receive startling
- & expensive
- news on a visit to the Infirmary, Angus & Domenica are contemplating an Italian menage a trois, & even Big Lou is overheard discussing cosmetic surgery. But when Bertie Pollock
- six years old & impatient to be seven
- mislays his meddling mother Irene one afternoon, a valuable lesson is learned: that wish-fulfilment is a dangerous business. Warm-hearted, wise & very funny, The Importance of Being Seven brings us a fresh & delightful set of insights into philosophy & fraternity among Edinburgh`s most loveable residents.



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